cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavioral and hormonal effects of exogenous vasotocin and corticosterone in the green treefrog.

Abstract Vasotocin (AVT) promotes courtship in a wide range of vertebrates. However, this effect is not independent of steroid hormones. For example, androgens may work in concert with AVT and corticosterone (CORT) may work to oppose AVT action. In frogs, AVT promotes calling, and in some species, CORT inhibits calling. In addition, androgens are known to modulate AVT in the brain, and CORT may depress androgen secretion. Previous work in amphibians has suggested that AVT promotes courtship by overcoming a CORT-mediated stress response. Possible behavioral and hormonal interactions among AVT, CORT, and androgens were investigated in wild, free-living green treefrogs ( Hyla cinerea ). Saline, AVT, CORT, or a combination of AVT and CORT were administered to calling males, and several measures of spontaneous calling were evaluated for 1.5 h following injection. Plasma testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and CORT were also measured. Saline-injected males had low CORT levels, and AVT and CORT injection elevated plasma CORT levels. AVT increased the likelihood of calling, but, in males who did call, AVT did not influence latency to call or how often they were observed calling. Very few saline-injected males resumed calling after injection, and therefore a CORT effect was only detectable in AVT-injected males. CORT inhibited calling in AVT-injected males only at the highest dose of CORT (40 μg); lower levels of CORT were unsuccessful at inhibiting AVT-induced calling. AVT appeared to have a specific effect on calling motivation. Further, the data suggest that disinhibition of a CORT response is not the primary mechanism by which AVT increases calling. In addition, CORT injection reduced endogenous androgen levels. Finally, endogenous androgens were negatively correlated with latency to begin calling, suggesting that they may have a positive effect on calling. These data indicate that AVT has positive effects on calling but provide only weak evidence that CORT inhibits courtship in this species.
Uncoupled cylindrical wave modes for a radially inhomogeneous medium

The equations for the transformation of the tangential electric and magnetic fields through a series of uniform cylindrical layers of arbitrary properties are transformed from their generally coupled form to an uncoupled set of two equations. The complexity of the transformation matrices is thereby greatly reduced. The decoupling operation amounts to a coordinate transformation which has a direct correspondence with the rotation of axes to the plane of propagation in the case of rectangular coordinates. The immediate usefulness of this approach for impedance transformation is shown.
The role of the steroid hormones in the relaxation of the symphysis pubis of the guinea pig.

Since the discovery by Hisaw (1926) that the separation of the pubic bones in the guinea pig was under the control of a specific substance which was later called relaxin, several controversies have arisen. These controversies are concerned with the identity of this relaxative substance as distinct from the crystalline steroid hormones and with the role played by the steroids in the phenomenon of pubic relaxation. Relaxin was first obtained from the blood of pregnant rabbits (Hisaw, 1926; Brouha and Simmonet, 1928; Tapfer and Haslhofer, 1935; Abramson, Hurwitt and Lesnick, 1937; Marder and Money, 1944). It has also been found in the blood of pregnant sows, dogs, cats, mares and in placentae of rabbits (Hisaw 1927 and 1929), blood of pregnant guinea pigs Hisaw (1927), Zarrow (1947), blood of pregnant women (Pommerenke, 1934; Abramson et al., 1937), and corpora lutea of the sow (Hisaw, 1927; Brouha and Simmonet, 1928; Abramson et al., 1937).
Bleeding the System: A Case of Feigned Enoxaparin Overdose

Background Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) have become ubiquitously used as anticoagulants because of their comparative safety and ease of use; however they may be fatal if taken in overdose, and lack of familiarity with their pharmacology may hinder appropriate care. Objective The author reports a case of feigned LMWH overdose so as to alert practitioners to this diagnostic possibility. Method This is a case report of a 49-year-old homeless man who reported a deliberate overdose of an injectable LMWH. The author reviews the mechanism of action and monitoring of LMWHs. Results On the basis of his unusual presentation and previously documented history and medical work-up, he was ultimately diagnosed with malingering. Discussion Feigned LMWH overdose is ideally suited to the purposes of malingering, since it represents a medical emergency that requires inpatient medical hospitalization and testing at outside laboratory facilities to verify the overdose.
A viscous-inviscid interaction method for 2-D unsteady, compressible flows

A Navier-Stokes/potentia/flow interactive solution method suitable for the solution of steady-state and unsteady flowfields around airfoils has been developed. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved in the close proximity of an airfoil and in its wake. The inviscid flowfield surrounding the viscous flow regions is assumed to be irrotational and isentropic. In the inviscid flow region, the potential flow equations, which are based on distributed sources and vortices, are solved. The two solutions are strongly coupled through the application of their boundary conditions. The strongly coupled Navier-Stokes/potential flow interactive solution method confines computations to a small domain in the proximity of an airfoil. For steady flow solutions, the computational domain may be confined to a region which extends less than one-fifth of a chord length distance away from the airfoil surface. Computed solutions have the same accuracy as the full domain NavierStokes solutions. Yet, as a result of the significantly reduced computational domain and increased convergence rates, the Navier-Stokes/potential flow interactive solution method is about 40 percent more efficient computationally.
Lateral mobility of Na,K-ATPase and membrane lipids in renal cells. Importance of cytoskeletal integrity

Because membrane fluidity is an important determinant of membrane function, the lateral diffusion rate (DL) of the membrane protein Na,K-ATPase was determined in intact renal proximal tubule epithelial cells by the technique of fluorescence redistribution after photobleaching (FRAP). In normal cells the DLof Na,K-ATPase in the basal membrane was 3.31×10−10 cm2/ sec. Treatment with cytochalasin D to promote actin filament depolymerization caused a sevenfold increase in DL. Exposure of cells to a Ca2+-free medium or to hypoxia and reoxygenation, which have similar disruptive effects on the cytoskeleton, also caused increases in DL. Disruption of actin microfilament structure also increased the mobile fraction of Na,K-ATPase. Using a confocal laser microscopic technique only 14.9% of total Na,K-ATPase was observed to reside in the apical membrane domain of normal cells. Microfilament depolymerization caused this fraction to increase to 47.7%. Thus, the translocation of Na,K-ATPase from the basolateral to the apical domain induced by cytoskeletal protein dysfunction was enabled by an increased rate of lateral diffusion of Na,K-ATPase. The behavior of a variety of membrane lipids following actin depolymerization was more heterogeneous. Some lipids showed a similar increase in DLwhereas others showed very little dependence upon the cytoskeleton for lateral restraint.
Species longevity as a function of niche breadth: Evidence from fossil crinoids

High-resolution stratigraphic and taxonomic data indicate that species longevities among Paleozoic (Mississippian) crinoids (Echinodermata) were affected by differences in niche breadth. A strong positive relationship exists between niche breadth, measured as the number of environments occupied by a species, and stratigraphic range. The robustness of this pattern is verified by a variety of rarefaction and statistical techniques confirming the long-held supposition that among animals ecological “generalists” have greater species longevities than ecological “specialists.” The results also support the hypothesis that specialist clades have higher species richness.
Criteria of incipient combustion in coal mines

The formation of carbon monoxide (CO) and other gases by various American coals was investigated to determine their relevance to spontaneous heating and to the problem of incipient fire detection. Desorption experiments under constant volume showed that ground samples of the coals yield CO/O 2 ratios that are essentially constant for extended exposure periods in air at 25°C and are highest for coals from mines suspected of having a self-heating hazard; the latter coals also yield high CO/CO 2 ratios. These ratios vary with particle size and surface moisture content and correlate best with the oxygen content of the coal, although the correlation was not always consistent with the absolute level of CO production. Similar experiments in an atmosphere containing the 18 O 2 isotope revealed that the O 2 reduction at ambient temperature is most likely due to chemisorption and the CO and CO 2 formation is attributable to decarbonylation, decarboxylation, or desorbed products from previous reaction of the coal in its virgin state. Results of flow experiments at various temperatures indicated that the CO/O 2 and CO/CO 2 ratios are highly sensitive to temperature. The temperature dependence of the rate of CO or CO 2 production between 50° and 150°C was approximately comparable to that derived from the adiabatic self-heating rate for each coal; apparent activation energies were between 10 and 20 kcal/mole. Below 50°C, the rate data were meager but supported the assumption that oxidation was not a significant factor at ambient temperature. The sensitivity and reliability of combustion product sensors as mine fire detectors were investigated with heated coal samples in flowing air. Submicron particulates appeared earlier than measurable CO emissions, suggesting that pyrolysis is a precursor to rapid oxidation. Data are presented to compare the autoignition temperature of the coal and the detection threshold temperature as functions of particle size of the coal.
Regime types and status quo evaluations: Power transition theory and the democratic peace

A tremendous amount of attention is paid to whether or not joint democracy precludes wars within dyads. Although there now seems to be some measure of consensus that democracies rarely or never fight one another, the scholarly debate continues to be heated, lengthy, and occasionally negative. Part of the reason why the democratic peace proposition has met so much opposition might lie in the threat it poses to many established theories of international relations. However, the empirical phenomenon of the democratic peace may be compatible with at least one established theory of international relations: power transition theory. If it can be shown that democracies evaluate the status quo similarly, then power transition theory predicts that wars between them should be exceedingly rare. Further, if non‐democracies comprise the bulk of states dissatisfied with the status quo, then wars between democracies and non‐democracies are to be expected. Regime type is tentatively linked to status quo evaluations in this...
Development and Application of a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Screening Method for Aromatic Compounds in Invertebrate Tissues

Contamination of marine invertebrates by aromatic compounds (ACs) can occur from a variety of environmental sources, both natural and anthropogenic. Invertebrate species bioaccumulate ACs because they metabolize and eliminate them at a much slower rate than do vertebrates, such as fish. We have developed a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) UV fluorescence screening method that measures ACs in invertebrate tissues. Screening methods have proven to be useful in response to environmental emergencies (e.g., oil spills) and in environmental monitoring because they are more rapid and less expensive than detailed analyses. This method was validated using three species of bivalves and lobster hepatopancreas and tail muscle as test samples. The AC screening method at naphthalene, phenanthrene, and benzo[a]pyrene wavelength pairs showed good correlation to GC/MS results. The method was also used successfully in response to the North Cape oil spill, off Narragansett, Rhode Island.
5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-protein conjugates: synthesis and enzymatic degradation.

ABSTRACT Several halogenated analogs of thymidine and cytidine possess antineoplastic and antiviral activity. They are also powerful sensitizers of bacterial and mammalian cells to lethal effects o...
The checklist conundrum.

The story of the patient-safety movement is one of slow progress punctuated by episodes of inspiring successes that are slow to be replicated. So it is not surprising that when promising innovations are not universally adopted, the public and policymakers are outraged and sometimes turn to regulation to ensure compliance. The surgical safety checklist is such an innovation.1 The use of such checklists has been mandated or strongly encouraged by several governments, including those of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Ontario, Canada. A study reported in this issue of the Journal by Urbach and colleagues2 shows the limitations of . . .
The Driftwood of War: The US Army, Expellees, and West German Society, 1945–52

This article examines the US Army’s role in the post-war refugee crisis in American-occupied Germany. American policy placed all responsibility for ethnic German expellees in the hands of German authorities. However, as the example of the Bavarian city of Wurzburg illustrates, the expellee issue played a prominent role in relations between Americans, Germans, and refugees during the post-war and early Cold War periods. By outlining the synergistic relationship between these groups, this article proposes to integrate the social history of West Germany within the speciﬁc context of the changing security situation in Europe and American Cold War planning.
Noninvasive ion-drag velocimeter

Abstract A device is described which, while mounted flush with a wall bounding a streaming insulating fluid, can be used to deduce the velocity profile with respect to the coordinate normal to the wall. Ions, injected into the stream through a fine-meshed screen having a controlled potential V , migrate upstream along trajectories that sample the velocity profile. By means of finely divided electrodes that are also in the wall, the location, V , demarcating those ions that make it back to the upstream wall from those swept downstream is measured as a function of V . An algorithm is developed for deducing the velocity profile from the data ( V , Y ). It is shown to be readily implemented with a microcomputer, which could oversee making the measurements.
New Insights into the Spliceosome by Single Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

Splicing is an essential eukaryotic process in which introns are excised from precursors to messenger RNAs and exons ligated together. This reaction is catalyzed by a multi-MegaDalton machine called the spliceosome, composed of 5 small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and a core set of ∼100 proteins minimally required for activity. Because of the spliceosome's size, its low abundance in cellular extracts, and its highly dynamic assembly pathway, analysis of the kinetics of splicing and the conformational rearrangements occurring during spliceosome assembly and disassembly has proven extraordinarily challenging. Here, we review recent progress in combining chemical biology methodologies with single molecule fluorescence techniques to provide a window into splicing in real time. These methods complement ensemble measurements of splicing in vivo and in vitro to facilitate kinetic dissection of pre-mRNA splicing.
Heat-related illness and the automobile

To evaluate the heat burden in parked cars, a study was done to measure inside car temperatures in different situations. A large car and a small car were parked in direct sunlight and in shade. In direct sun, the highest temperatures recorded in the small and large cars were 78 C and 65 C, respectively. The highest temperature in shade for the small car was only 44 C. There was a tremendous buildup of heat inside the car parked in direct sun as opposed to shade (P
Role of Radiation Therapy in Pediatric Cancer

Despite steady improvements in pediatric cancer survival over the past several decades, challenges remain for long-term survivors. Current radiation techniques such as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, and proton radiotherapy aim to mitigate the late effects of treatment by optimizing radiation doses and treatment volumes. This article describes the current role of radiotherapy in managing common childhood cancers, as well as new approaches and technologies addressing the issue of late effects.
Pharmacological dosage concepts: How useful are they for educators and speech-language pathologists?

The first part of this response to examines studies that have attempted to determine the optimum treatment intensity of reading interventions associated with a Response to Intervention (RTI) model ...
Daily and Seasonal Patterns of Natural Ultraviolet Light Exposure of the Western Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus gracilis) and the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus)

Abstract: We monitored ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiance exposure (measured using the ultraviolet index [UVI]) of the Western Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus gracilis) in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, and the related Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (S. arenicolus) in eastern New Mexico. For S. graciosus gracilis, on sunny days between 0900 and 1100 h, average lizard UVI tracked available solar UVI. Periodic shade-seeking between 1100 and 1600 h resulted in lizard UVI being less than the available solar UVI. This daily pattern of exposure was evident for the activity period from June until August. This general pattern was also evident for S. arenicolus except when air temperatures exceeded 37°C; at these times, all S. arenicolus subjects retreated underground for much of the afternoon. Individuals of S. graciosus gracilis exhibited large within-day variations in the durations of time that they basked in full sun, sought shade, and retreated underground. Two lizards followed for most of a day showe...
Probing the Cellular Entry Pathway via TolC of the Cytotoxin, Colicin E1

The pathway of cellular entry of colicins and viral DNA is a fundamental structure problem that is relevant to an understanding the molecular basis of infectious diseases. The cytotoxin colicin E1 uses the outer membrane/trans-periplasmic drug export protein, TolC, for its import. TolC consists of a 12 strand OM β-barrel connected to a 12 strand α-helical tunnel that defines a pathway through the peptidoglycan barrier in the periplasm to the cytoplasmic membrane in which the C-terminal domain of colicin E1 inserts and forms a depolarizing ion channel. The nature of the interaction of the colicin with TolC and the mechanism of its translocation are unknown. Previous studies with planar bilayers showed that colicin E1 occludes TolC channels [1], as do certain colicin T-domain peptides [2].Here, in vivo protection of sensitive E. coli from colicin E1 by a series of N-terminal colicin peptides is used to probe the interaction of the colicin with TolC, with the goal of defining the sites of TolC-colicin interaction and the mechanism of colicin entry. N-terminal segments ‘1-40’,’1-81’, and ‘1-100’ of the colicin did not provide cytotoxic protection, nor occlude TolC channels. Segments ‘1-120’, ‘1-140’, 1-190’, as well as ‘41-190’ and ‘57-190’ protected efficiently in vivo and occluded TolC with high efficiency. Occlusion required a trans-negative electrical potential and was irreversible. Co-elution of the colicin peptides with TolC on a Superdex 200 column was shown for ‘41-190’, but not for ‘1-81.’ In addition to the correlation with protection in vivo from killing by colicin E1, occlusion efficiency also correlated with a basic pI between colicin residues 82 and 140. [1] Biophys. J., 87:3901-3911, 2004; [2] Biochem. Soc. Trans., 40:1463-1468, 2012. Support: NIH AI091633 (KSJ); NIH GM38323 and the Henry Koffler Professorship (WAC).
(Thiocarbonyl-α-thio)carboxylic acid derivatives as transfer agents in reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer polymerizations

Ethyl S-(thiobenzoyl)thioacetate, ethyl S-thiobenzoyl-2-thiopropionate, and S-(thiobenzoyl)thioglycolic acid were used as chain-transfer agents for the reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerizations of styrene, methyl methacrylate, and butyl acrylate. Of these polymerizations, only those of styrene and butyl acrylate with any of the transfer agents showed molecular weight control corresponding to controlled/living polymerizations. The best molecular weight control was observed for the polymerizations of styrene and butyl acrylate with ethyl (S)-thiobenzoyl-2-thiopropionate. Semiempirical PM3 calculations were performed for the investigation of the relative heats of reaction of the chain-transfer equilibria between the aforementioned chain-transfer agents and dimer radicals of the three monomers. The molecular weight control of the polymerizations correlated with the stability trend of the leaving-group radical of the chain-transfer agent. This relatively simple computational model offered some value in determining which transfer agents would show the best molecular weight control in RAFT polymerizations. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 555–563, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10143
Electric dipole radiation near a mirror

The emission of radiation by a linearly oscillating electric dipole is drastically altered when the dipole is close to the surface of a mirror. The energy is not emitted along optical rays, as for a free dipole, but as a set of four optical vortices. The field lines of energy flow spiral around a set of two lines through the dipole. At a larger distance from the dipole, singularities and isolated vortices appear. It is shown that these interference vortices are due to the vanishing of the magnetic field at their centers. In the plane of the mirror there is a singular circle with a diameter which is proportional to the distance between the dipole and the mirror. Inside this circle, all energy flows to a singularity on the mirror surface.
Postmodern maroon in the ultimate Palenque

What happens to old Black Panthers? Some wind up dead, like Huey P. Newton. Some join the Moonies and the Republican Party, like Eldridge Cleaver. Some, like Mumia Abu Jamal, languish in prison. But a few, like Assata Shakur, have taken the path of the “maroon,” the runaway slave of old who slipped off the plantation to the free jungle communities known as “palenques.”
Middle Stone Age Man-Animal Relationships in Southern Africa: Evidence from Die Kelders and Klasies River Mouth

The Middle Stone Age (earlier upper Pleistocene) sites of Die Kelders Cave I and Klasies River Mouth Cave I, southern Cape Province, South Africa, have provided faunal assemblages which imply that ...
Improving responsiveness in mobile apps via refactoring for asynchrony (invited talk)

One contemporary development task is refactoring long-running, blocking synchronous code (e.g., accessing the web, database, or file system) into non-blocking asynchronous code. Asynchronous programming is in demand today because responsiveness is especially important on mobile devices. While major programming languages make asynchronous programming possible, they do not make it easy. In this invited talk we present our growing refactoring toolset that enables Android and Windows Phone developers to retrofit asynchrony. There are several challenges that our toolset addresses: reasoning about a programming model which inverts the flow of control, determining non-interference of asynchronous operations with the main thread of execution, converting from legacy callback-based idioms to the newer style, etc. Our empirical evaluation shows that our toolset is (i) highly applicable, (ii) accurate, (iii) safer than manual refactoring, (iv) it saves development effort, (v) its results have been accepted by the open-source developers, thus it is useful.
Characteristics of alexithymia and eating disorders in college women

This study examined the relationship between characteristics of alexithymia and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and obesity) in a nonclinical sample of 308 college women. Scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale were mostly unrelated to a weight index, which assessed subjects' deviation from their expected weight, but were correlated with subjects' scores on the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI). EDI scores were related to the affective deficits of alexithymia (difficulty identifying and communicating feelings), but not to the cognitive disturbance associated with alexithymia.
MIXED-STATE HALL EFFECT IN AN EXTREME TYPE-II SUPERCONDUCTOR.

Measurements of mixed-state transverse and longitudinal voltages at $T=1.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K, $0lHl39$ kG, $0lJl800$ A/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ on an extremely high-$\ensuremath{\kappa}$ type-II alloy superconductor Ti-16 at.% Mo ($\ensuremath{\kappa}=68$, ${T}_{c}=4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K, zero-temperature upper critical field ${H}_{c20}=63$ kG) show that the high-$J$, nearly $J$-independent, mixed-state Hall-angle tangent ${tan\ensuremath{\theta}}_{m}(H)$ is much larger than the normal-state value ${tan\ensuremath{\theta}}_{n}(H)$. At the highest applied magnetic field, the reduced Hall-angle tangent ${P}_{m}(\frac{H}{{H}_{k20}}=0.35)=\frac{[{tan\ensuremath{\theta}}_{m}(H=39 \mathrm{kG})]}{[{tan\ensuremath{\theta}}_{n}({H}_{k20})]}\ensuremath{\approx}0.6$, where ${H}_{k20}=111$ kG is determined by the measured reduced flux-flow resistivity $\frac{{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{f}(H)}{{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{n}}=\frac{H}{{H}_{k20}}$. This contrasts with previous results pertinent to pure or low-$\ensuremath{\kappa}$ materials where ${H}_{k20}\ensuremath{\approx}{H}_{c20}:{P}_{m}(0.35)\ensuremath{\approx}0.35$ (Bardeen-Stephen theory), (1) (Nozi\`eres-Vinen theory), 0.35 (Nb measurements of Fiory and Serin), (2) (Nb-Ta measurements of Niessen et al.).
Early vortex burst on a delta wing in pitch

Wind-tunnel experiments were performed at a Mach number of 0.13 and Reynolds number of 1.43 X 106 to study the flow over a 70-deg sharp leading-edge delta wing model. The model was tested with the angle of attack static, a sinusoidal oscillation, and a sinusoidal ramp up. Smoke flow visualization of the leading-edge vortices was used as well as six-component balance measurements for the delta wing forces and moments. During the upstroke of a sinusoidal oscillation in pitch the vortex breakdown point was seen to reach the trailing edge at a significantly lower angle of attack than in the static case. However, at large angle of attack, its position lagged that of the static case. The dynamic normal force was less than the static value at angles of attack where the burst point led the static value and was higher when the burst point lagged. A ramped pitch-up motion terminating at 24-deg angle of attack produced lower lift and normal force values when compared to the static values. Furthermore, on cessation of the motion, the dynamic loads did not converge to their static values. This behavior was also attributed to the lead in the burst point position during a pitch-up at low angles of attack.
Changes in the abundance of two atherinid species after aquatic vegetation removal

Abstract Brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus and inland silverside Menidia beryllina coexisted in Lake Conroe, Texas, for at least 6 years before we began our field sampling in 1980. We hypothesized that an extensive infestation of aquatic vegetation was a critical factor allowing sympatry, because introduced inland silversides have rapidly displaced endemic brook silversides in other, less-vegetated, reservoir systems. We believe that an abundant invertebrate prey base associated with the aquatic vegetation was responsible for a low level of interspecific competition for food resources between the two silverside species in Lake Conroe. After removal of vegetation in 1981–1983 by grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, the inland silverside population expanded and the brook silverside population declined. By 1986, brook silversides were rare in seine samples taken from, or near, the main basin of the reservoir and appeared to be restricted to tributaries and coves. Data suggest that food habits of the silve...
Genes and Chromomeres in Flowering Plants

THE objection to identifying chromomeres with genes was that there were not supposed to be enough chromomeres. In my opinion this supposition was based on post mortem changes, or on too low a working aperture in the microscope. I have studied the pachyphase (pachytene stage) in Aloe, Lilium, Kniphofia, and Agapanthus especially. The less the opportunity for change before fixation, the greater the number of cells showing the ultimate chromomeres.
Why does Oncotype DX recurrence score reduce adjuvant chemotherapy use

The Oncotype DX recurrence score (RS) reduces breast cancer adjuvant treatment utilization, but the reasons for this effect are not straightforward. We performed a retrospective chart review of 89 consecutive node-negative breast cancer patients for whom RS was ordered to facilitate adjuvant treatment decisions. By subtracting the relapse rate predicted by RS from that calculated using the Adjuvant! Online (AOL) web-based instrument, a “prognostic delta” (P∆) was determined, reflecting the difference between prognoses predicted by these two indices. Clinician interviews were conducted to evaluate the actual effect of RS on treatment decisions and its relation to P∆. Adjuvant chemotherapy use decreased from 61 to 26 % as a consequence of RS results (p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, RS was the only factor significantly associated with the final adjuvant treatment choice. Surprisingly, RS caused chemotherapy to be withheld even when P∆ was negative (i.e., cases in which RS predicted a less favorable outcome than AOL). The prognostic and chemotherapy predictive utilities of the RS do not fully account for its effect in reducing adjuvant chemotherapy use. Further studies are required to more fully elucidate other factors that may be responsible for this effect, including the possibility of unintended influence.
Assessment of Flight Simulator Fidelity in Multiaxis Tasks Including Visual Cue Quality

A technique for analytical assessment of flight simulator fidelity is presented as an extension of a methodology previously introduced in the literature. The assessment is based on a computer simulation of the pilot and vehicle and is inherently task dependent. A simple model of visual cue quality is introduced that is based on the classical concept of human operator visual remnant. The complete assessment procedure now includes proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual cue modeling. Inverse dynamic analysis is employed that allows the use of compensatory models of the human pilot in multiaxis tasks. The methodology is exercised by considering a simple rotorcraft lateral and vertical repositioning task in which visual and motion cue quality is varied.
Sutureless rabbit bladder mucosa patch graft urethroplasty using diode laser and solder.

AbstractFistula and strictures at the site of sutured anastomoses are frequent complications of major urethroplasty. We harvested bladder mucosa in 26 rabbits to repair large defects in the proximal urethra using laser-activated solder in the hope that such a repair would be stronger, faster to create and avoid common complications seen with conventional repair.Large oval defects were created in the proximal urethra in all animals undergoing urethroplasty. Twelve animals underwent bladder mucosa graft closure via diode (808 nm.) laser activation of an albumin-based solder (50 percent were suture-free). Fourteen additional animals underwent closure with 7-zero polydiaxanone suture (controls). Leak pressure and time of repair were recorded for each graft. Additional sections of bladder mucosa were harvested, transected and repaired by laser welding to determine tensile strength. In both groups, radiography, urethroscopy and clinical course were evaluated for as much as 6 weeks postoperatively.Urethroplasty ...
Manufacturing technology policy and deployment of processing innovations

This is a report of a study on the evolution of manufacturing technology policy during the deployment of domestic advanced manufacturing systems in thirty-four plants and two panels of data collection separated by one year. Changing firm environment was significantly correlated with pioneering product introduction business strategy (p<0.05). More importantly, it was found that manufacturing technology policy is significantly (p<0.05) associated with pioneering business strategy. Further, findings indicate that fine-tuning or modest adjustment in this policy (versus doing nothing or drastic change) was significantly (p<0.05) associated with the maximum levels of reported utilization of these new systems in a subsample of second panel, complete data cases (n=21). This curvilinear relationship between the absolute value of changes in technology policy and performance measure did not hold for the percentage of target cycle time achieved nor uptime, although results concerning performance are considered preliminary at the time of this writing. Advertising this processing technology tends to be inversely related to the radicalness of the technology incorporated into the system (p=0.076) during the deployment period tracked thus far. That is, firms installing more radical systems tend to become very cautious about sharing information about the project once installation begins.
The Transition State for Metal-Catalyzed Dehalogenation: C−I Bond Cleavage on Ag(111)

The kinetics of C-I bond cleavage on the Ag(111) surface have been measured in a set of 10 alkyl and fluoroalkyl iodides. All the iodides adsorb molecularly on the Ag(111) surface at low temperatures and then dissociate during heating at temperatures below 200 K. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy was used to monitor the rate of C-I cleavage during heating. Estimation of the barrier to C-I cleavage (¢E q C-I) indicates that it is sensitive to the nature of the alkyl or fluoroalkyl substituent groups bonded to the R-carbon atom. The barriers can be correlated to the field and polarizability substituent constants ( UF and UR) of the alkyl groups and reveal that the reaction constants for C-I cleavage are quite low (FF )- 17 ( 1 kJ/mol and FR )- 11 ( 2 kJ/mol ). This suggests that the transition state for C -I cleavage is slightly anionic with respect to the adsorbed iodide (RC-I f (RC ‰- ‚‚‚I) q ) or, in other words, that the electron density on the carbon atom of the C-I bond is slightly greater in the transition state than in the reactant iodide. The magnitudes of the reaction constants, however, are relatively low. The implication is that the transition state to C -I cleavage is fairly homolytic in the sense that it occurs early in the reaction coordinate and is like the initial state iodide.
Intimate details: Participatory action research in prison

This article enters the ‘intimate details’ of a participatory action research project nested inside a college-in-prison program for women in a maximum security prison. Conceived out of a conversati...
Decapping of Long Noncoding RNAs Regulates Inducible Genes

Decapping represents a critical control point in regulating expression of protein coding genes. Here, we demonstrate that decapping also modulates expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Specifically, levels of >100 lncRNAs in yeast are controlled by decapping and are degraded by a pathway that occurs independent of decapping regulators. We find many lncRNAs degraded by DCP2 are expressed proximal to inducible genes. Of these, we show several genes required for galactose utilization are associated with lncRNAs that have expression patterns inversely correlated with their mRNA counterpart. Moreover, decapping of these lncRNAs is critical for rapid and robust induction of GAL gene expression. Failure to destabilize a lncRNA known to exert repressive histone modifications results in perpetuation of a repressive chromatin state that contributes to reduced plasticity of gene activation. We propose that decapping and lncRNA degradation serve a vital role in transcriptional regulation specifically at inducible genes.
Differential Expression of Distinct mRNAs for Ovine Trophoblast Protein-1 and Related Sheep Type I Interferons

An antiluteolytic substance secreted by the ovine conceptus and primarily responsible for maternal recognition of pregnancy is ovine trophoblast protein-1 (oTP-1), a new type I interferon (IFN). The objectives of this research were 1) to investigate whether multiple, distinct genes encode oTP-1 and other type I IFNs in the ovine genome and 2) to examine expression of oTP-1 and other IFN mRNAs during conceptus development. Genes for type I IFNs were isolated from a subgenomic library constructed from Day 25 (Day 0 = estrus) ovine conceptus high-molecular-weight DNA. Six clones were isolated and nucleotide-sequenced from -1000 to +900 (bases relative to cap site). Comparisons of inferred amino acid sequences demonstrated that four clones were distinct oTP-1 genes and that two clones, defined as o9 and o12, were related type 1 IFNs (deduced aa homology of o9 and o12 to oTP-1 was 71% and 54%, respectively). The presence of mRNAs encoded by oTP-1 and type I IFN genes was examined quantitatively via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of total cellular RNA (tcRNA) extracted from Day 13-45 concepti. Total cellular RNA obtained from Day 75 placenta and adult lymphocytes was also analyzed by RT-PCR, coupled with Southern blot hybridization of the PCR reaction products with specific DNA probes. PCR products were sequenced in order to confirm primer specificity, and mRNAs corresponding to two of the four oTP-1 genes and to both related IFN clones (o9 and o12) were identified. Furthermore, quantitation of the PCR products revealed that of the two oTP-1 genes examined, one was highly expressed on Days 13-20 and transcripts were weakly detectable on Days 30 and 45. In contrast, the other oTP-1 gene examined was weakly expressed on Days 13-20 only. Densitometric analysis of hybridization signals revealed that IFN o9 mRNA was detected in Day 75 placenta but only weakly detected in conceptus (Days 13-45) and adult lymphocytes. IFN o12 mRNA was abundant in lymphocytes relative to the other tissues examined. Collectively, these results demonstrate the existence of distinct oTP-1 and related type I IFN genes. The data suggest that these genes display differential, tissue-specific expression and developmental regulation during pregnancy.
Immunological aspects of demyelinating diseases

Primary demyelination in the central nervous system results from damage to the myelin sheath or oligodendroglia and can be produced by a variety of mechanisms, including metabolic disturbances, toxicities, infection, and autoimmunity. The major human demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system is multiple sclerosis (MS). Although the etiology MS is not known, existing data indicate that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to pathogenesis. Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is induced by immunization of genetically susceptible animals with myelin proteins. This is mediated by autoimmune T cells. Characterization of MHC restriction, fine specificity of antigen recognition, and T cell receptor (TCR) usage by encephalitogenic T cells has resulted in highly specific immunotherapies. Both HLA and TCR genes have been linked to susceptibility for MS which is widely believed to be mediated by T cells that recognize an as yet unidentified autoantigen. Because of the advances ...
Rebuilding at Gunpoint: A City-Level Re-Estimation of the Brady Law and RTC Laws in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina saw a sharp spike in gun-violence, which necessarily re-focused criminological research on the persistent question of how best to prevent gun-related violence. However, a Critical Review published by a National Academy of Science Research Council strongly suggests that previous research evaluating gun-policy outcomes may be unacceptably flawed methodologically, casting serious doubt upon the validity of the results. The research here presented adjusts for those flaws to revise our current knowledge of the effects two of the most common gun-interventions— the Brady Law and “right to carry” Laws—may exert on gun homicide rates and total homicide rates. The Brady Law is found exert a slight but statistically significant effect on both outcomes whereas “right to carry” laws fail to exert statistically significant deterrent effects on either outcome, and both results provisionally contradict earlier gun-policy outcome research, much as the academy report critically suggests.
Noise immunization using neural net for speech recognition

The multilayer perceptron (MLP) type of neural network classifiers using backpropagation has become increasingly popular for speech recognition. However, for the case of noisy speech, studies have not been very extensive. In this paper, a robust speech recognition system using a neural network is studied. Robustness is achieved by noise immunization, thereby enabling the system to maintain a high recognition accuracy for speech input at different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions. Noise immunization is achieved by gradual contamination of the signal with noise thereby creating a more reliable reference database in spite of low SNR. The learning is done by a modified backpropagation algorithm. Tenth order LPC coefficients are used to represent the data. The order or sequence in which the data is presented to the neural network for training to provide fast convergence and better performance is studied. >
Symbiotic space-sharing on SDSC's datastar system

Using a large HPC platform, we investigate the effectiveness of "symbiotic space-sharing", a technique that improves system throughput by executing parallel applications in combinations and configurations that alleviate pressure on shared resources. We demonstrate that relevant benchmarks commonly suffer a 10-60% penalty in runtime efficiency due to memory resource bottlenecks and up to several orders of magnitude for I/O. We show that this penalty can be often mitigated, and sometimes virtually eliminated, by symbiotic space-sharing techniques and deploy a prototype scheduler that leverages these findings to improve system throughput by 20%.
Biosynthesis of the purines

GAR transformylase, which is responsible for the incorporation of formate carbon into what becomes position 8 of the purine ring, has been completely separated from 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide ribotide transformylase (3). The latter enzyme is responsible for the incorporation of formate carbon into position 2 of the purine ring. The requirement for folic acid compounds has been demonstrated in both reactions of purine biosynthesis involving formate incorporation (4-7).
On optimistic methods for concurrency control

Most current approaches to concurrency control in database systems rely on locking of data objects as a control mechanism. In this paper, two families of nonlocking concurrency controls are presented. The methods used are “optimistic” in the sense that they rely mainly on transaction backup as a control mechanism, “hoping” that conflicts between transactions will not occur. Applications for which these methods should be more efficient than locking are discussed.
Knowledge-based constraint-driven software synthesis

A constraint-driven, real-time software synthesis architecture called RT-Syn is described. RT-Syn formulates design space constraints for each task in the real-time software system from timing requirements and a behavior description. RT-Syn then uses these constraints within a simulated-annealing-like approach, selects an abstract implementation for every data structure and algorithm required to implement the desired behavior, and transforms these selections into executable code. Experimental results covering the synthesis of two real-time software tasks that meet the desired constraints are presented. These results illustrate the effectiveness of the simulated-annealing-like approach in searching the software design space and the high reusability and maintainability provided by the use of synthesis technology. >
Hesitations in continuous tracking induced by a concurrent discrete task

Subjects performed a continuous visually-guided pursuit tracking task with the right hand. From time to time (intervals averaging 30 sec) an auditory tone appeared signaling the subjects to perform a discrete response with the left hand. The presence of this tone was frequently associated with a hesitation in right-hand tracking which lasted 1/3 sec or longer. The rate of occurrence of these hesitations was about the same when the left-hand response involved a choice between competing responses as when the left hand responded in a predetermined direction. Hesitations occurred for three different mechanical tracking manipulanda using different controlling muscles, and appeared to be due to freezing rather than to relaxation of muscular action. The rate of occurrence of hesitations declined with practice, and this improvement in right-hand performance was accompanied by an improvement in performance of the concurrent left-hand response. The presence of hesitations, and their reduction with practice, can be interpreted within several viewpoints.
On the Use of "Importance Weights" in Assessing Subsystem Reliability

The importance of obtaining correct circuit outputs may vary from one input to another, along a continuum of "importance weights." Assigning such weights introduces a concept of degraded operation, where some relatively unimportant outputs may be in error. A simple procedure is given for assessing reliability using these weights.
Aspects of Text Comprehension

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some recent work on modeling text comprehension. This work was done in collaboration with Teun van Dijk at the University of Amsterdam and James Miller at Colorado. This chapter develops a general theory of text comprehension. Miller has attempted to realize this theory as a computer simulation model. This chapter gives a flavor of how this simulation model works, without going into the technical details. To do so, it first outlines some of the design principles of the general theory and some of its basic assumptions. There are three basic notions that are discussed in the chapter. The first is the belief that the best way to study complex systems is by decomposing them into simpler subsystems. The second is the assumption that human comprehension is a strategy based process. And finally, the importance of knowledge used in comprehension is discussed.