cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Melanomacrophage Centers As a Histological Indicator of Immune Function in Fish and Other Poikilotherms.

Melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) are aggregates of highly pigmented phagocytes found primarily in the head kidney and spleen, and occasionally the liver of many vertebrates. Preliminary histological analyses suggested that MMCs are structurally similar to the mammalian germinal center (GC), leading to the hypothesis that the MMC plays a role in the humoral adaptive immune response. For this reason, MMCs are frequently described in the literature as “primitive GCs” or the “evolutionary precursors” to the mammalian GC. However, we argue that this designation may be premature, having been pieced together from mainly descriptive studies in numerous distinct species. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the MMC literature, including a phylogenetic analysis of MMC distribution across vertebrate species. Here we discuss the current understanding of the MMC’s function in immunity, and lingering questions. We suggest additional experiments needed to confirm that MMCs serve a GC-like role in fish immunity. Lastly, we address the utility of the MMC as a broadly applicable histological indicator of the fish (as well as amphibian and reptilian) immune response in both laboratory and wild populations of both model and non-model vertebrates. We highlight the factors (sex, pollution exposure, stress, stocking density, etc…) that should be considered when using MMCs to study immunity in non-model vertebrates in wild populations.
Space: An Ecological Variable in Social Work Practice:

Time refers to pacing, duration, and rhythm, and is the silent language that speaks of potentiality and limits, of creativity and death, of change and permanence
Alkyltin clusters: the less symmetric Keggin isomers.

The Keggin structure is prevalent in nature and synthesis, self-assembled from many metals across the periodic table as both isolated clusters and building blocks of condensed framework oxides. Here we present a one-step synthesis to obtain the sodium-centered butyltin Keggin ion in high yield and high purity, important for mechanistic nanolithography studies. Extensive solution characterization (small-angle X-ray scattering, 1H, 13C and 119Sn nuclear magnetic resonance, electrospray mass spectrometry) also confirms solutions contain only the Na-centered dodecamers. We report three butyltin Keggin structures: the β-isomer (β-NaSn12), the γ-isomer (γ-NaSn12), and a γ-isomer capped with an additional butyltin (γ-NaSn13). All Keggin ions presented here have the general formula [NaO4BuSn12(OCH3)12(O,OH)12] (Bu = butyl), and are of neutral charge. The lack of counterions (OH−) facilitates mechanistic lithographic studies without inference from hydrolysis chemistry. The methanol reaction media enables solubility and ligates the cluster, both important to obtain high purity materials. Despite the monospecific nature of the NaSn12 solutions, NMR reveals both isomer interconversion and ligand exchange. DFT computational comparisons of our three isolated structures, the capped β-isomer (β-NaSn13), along with hypothetical α-isomers (α-NaSn12 and α-NaSn13), showed that the stability ranks β-NaSn12 > γ-NaSn12 > α-NaSn12, consistent with experimental observation. The uncapped isomers were computationally determined to be more stable than the respective capped analogues. These clusters provide a unique opportunity to investigate the lower-symmetry Keggin isomers, and to determine structural factors that control isomer selectivity as well as isomer labilization.
Stating the Problem of Evil

As is well known few of even the best established scientific hypotheses have been or could ever be conclusively proven to be true. While for example we firmly believe that all samples of copper expand when heated, this cannot be conclusively proven true since what we have here is a universal statement referring to an open class, not all of whose members could ever be observed. The widely accepted hypothesis ‘Some gases consist of discrete particles’, though not a universal statement, nevertheless cannot definitely be shown to be true since it asserts something unobservable. It is only that the hypothesis together with a large number of other hypotheses and assumptions logically implies some true observation statements — statements which are not implied by any other known set of hypotheses and assumptions of comparable adequacy. This confers merely what is called confirmation upon the hypothesis.
Fermentative aroma in wines from Vitis vinifera cv. Kalecik karasi in relation with inoculation with selected dry yeasts

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of addition of selected S. cerevisiae yeasts on cv. Kalecik karasi wines. Kalecik karasi grown in Middle Anatolia is a native grape variety of Vitis vinifera . Inoculation with the selected yeasts produced higher amounts of ethanol compared to spontaneous fermentation and repressed the non- Saccharomyces yeasts earlier. The total concentration of flavour compounds increased by using selected wine yeasts. Higher alcohols were abundant compounds and isoamyl alcohol levels varied from 75 to 132 mg/l. The addition of S. cerevisiae yeasts produced higher concentrations of 4-vinyl phenol and isoamyl acetate. Wines were also analysed by sensory evaluation. Those obtained with selected yeasts differed from the control wine in triangle test. The most preferred wine was the one produced by commercial S. cerevisiae in the ranking test.
Pathophysiology and treatment of Lassa fever.

Infection with Lassa virus in humans may take many forms. Such infections are often asymptomatic, but in those who become ill, the disease can range from an uncomplicated fever of unknown origin to a fulminating hemorrhagic disease. Following an incubation period of 7–14 days, onset is typically insidious. As the disease progresses, patients usually develop pharyngitis, which is often purulent and accompanied by headache, fever, myalgia, back or abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Despite severe prostration most patients recover spontaneously. Some patients, however, deteriorate rapidly, developing facial and neck edema, respiratory distress, oliguria or anuria, and finally hypovolemic shock that responds poorly to fluid replacement (Mccormick et al. 1987 a).
High dietary inorganic selenium has minimal effects on turkeys and selenium status biomarkers.

The current NRC turkey Se requirement is 0.2 μg Se/g diet. Recent studies evaluating tissue Se, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, and selenoprotein transcript expression concluded that the dietary Se requirement of the turkey poult should be raised to 0.4 μg Se/g when supplemented with inorganic Se. The FDA currently limits Se inclusion in premixed diets for poultry and other livestock species to 0.3 μg Se/g diet. Thus, there is a need to investigate the effect of high dietary Se (>1.0 μg Se/g) in turkeys. The present study fed turkey poults 2 and 5 μg Se/g diet to characterize tissue Se accumulation in turkey poults fed high dietary inorganic Se and to evaluate the efficacy of selenoprotein activity and transcript expression as biomarkers of high Se status. Day-old male poults were fed 0.4, 2, or 5 μg Se/g for 28 d. There was no significant effect of Se supplementation on poult growth. Supplementation with 5 μg Se/g diet resulted in Se concentrations that were 5.6X, 1.7X, 1.9X, and 2.0X greater than Se-adequate levels in liver, kidney, breast, and thigh, respectively, and GPX activities in plasma, red cells, liver, kidney, and heart that were ≤2.0X Se-adequate values. In liver, kidney, heart, gizzard, breast, or thigh, no selenoprotein transcript was increased ≥2.0X, and no selenoprotein transcript was decreased ≤0.5X by 2 or 5 μg Se/g diet as compared to poults fed 0.4 μg Se/g diet. Of the 112 Se status biomarkers reported in this study, liver Se concentration was the only biomarker markedly altered by high Se status. This study provides evidence of no adverse effects in turkey poults fed up to 5 μg Se/g diet as inorganic Se. Thus, the FDA limit for Se supplementation in turkey feed can be safely raised to 0.5 μg Se/g diet. Future studies are needed to identify biomarkers for high Se status and to better understand how turkeys maintain Se homeostasis and resist Se toxicity.
An Innovative Approach to Assess Similarity Between Sex Partners.

We present a simple, comprehensive method for assessing similarity between sex partners of a participant and demonstrate its application using data collected in 2015 as part of CDC’s National HIV behavioral surveillance (NHBS) among persons who inject drugs (PWID). We found that the pairwise similarity between sex partners of a survey participant was high. The similarity between second-to-last and third-to-last partners in the past 3 months was significantly higher than that between last and second-to-last partner in partner type, frequency of sex acts, and the contextual characteristics of sex behavior at last sexual encounter. The proposed approach provides an innovative measure of the added value of multi-partner series. The empirical analysis suggests that querying additional sex partners contributes limited data to characterize a participant’s sexual behaviors among NHBS PWID. Future studies should apply the proposed method to evaluate the added value of data on multiple sex partners among other populations.
Acoustic and dynamic characterization of wooden baseball bats

We will present the results of several experiments used to characterize the properties and performance of multiple baseball bats composed of four different species of wood including soft maple, hard maple, birch, and ash. Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy was used in an effort to obtain the complete orthotropic tensor of the different wood species. In addition, ultrasonic pulse-echo measurements and dynamic impulse time-of-flight measurements were performed to obtain longitudinal sound speeds, which in combination with bat geometry, mass, and density enabled the determination of the longitudinal Young’s moduli. Bat performance was then experimentally determined via a newly developed non-destructive impact method. The physical acoustic parameters that most significantly correlated with optimum bat performance will also be presented.
Magnetic Field Effects in Josephson Junctions

The chapter starts by describing Meissner screening and flux focusing in planar and nearly planar geometries, important for device applications. It then treats the Josephson effect in static magnetic fields through the Sine-Gordon equation, including magnetic interference patterns for single junctions and dc SQUIDs, in both the conventional case and the case with intrinsic phase shifts. These intrinsic phase shifts can occur either in the junction, along the junction, or in the electrodes connecting junctions. There is a discussion of integer, half-integer, and fractional Josephson vortices. Finally there is a discussion of time-dependent effects, including Fiske steps, zero field steps, and Josephson vortex propagation.
Endemic violence in a pre-Hispanic Andean community: A bioarchaeological study of cranial trauma from the Majes Valley, Peru.

Objectives This study examines violence-related cranial trauma frequencies and wound characteristics in the pre-Hispanic cemetery of Uraca in the lower Majes Valley, Arequipa, Peru, dating to the pre- and early-Wari periods (200-750 CE). Cranial wounds are compared between status and sex-based subgroups to understand how violence shaped, and was shaped by, these aspects of identity, and to reconstruct the social contexts of violence carried out by and against Uracans. Materials and methods Presence, location, and characteristics (lethality, penetration, and post-traumatic sequelae) of antemortem and perimortem cranial fractures are documented for 145 crania and compared between subgroups. Cranial wounds are mapped in ArcGIS and the locational distribution of injuries is compared between male and female crania. Results Middle adult males were disproportionately interred at Uraca, particularly in the elite Sector I. The Uraca mortuary population presents the highest rate of cranial trauma reported for pre-Hispanic Peru: 67% of adults present trauma, and among those, 61.1% present more than one cranial injury. Males exhibit significantly more cranial trauma than females and present a higher mean number of injuries per person. Elite males show the highest mean number of injuries per person, more antemortem injuries, and are the only ones with perimortem cranial trauma, bladed injuries, penetrating injuries, and post-traumatic sequelae. Both sexes were most frequently injured on the anterior of the cranium, while the proportion of posterior injuries was higher for females. Discussion The rate, intensity, and locational patterns of cranial trauma suggests the community was engaged in raids and/or war with enemy groups, some of which may have increased physical violence between community members. Engaging in violence was likely a prerequisite for burial in the elite sector and was bound up with the generation and maintenance of social status differences linked to male social life.
Repeated eccentric contractions positively regulate muscle oxidative metabolism and protein synthesis during cancer cachexia in mice

Cancer-induced wasting is accompanied by disruptions to muscle oxidative metabolism and protein turnover that have been associated with systemic inflammation, whereas exercise and stimulated muscle contractions can positively regulate muscle protein synthesis and mitochondrial homeostasis. In preclinical cancer cachexia models, a single bout of eccentric contractions (ECCs) can induce protein synthesis and repeated ECC bouts prevent myofiber atrophy. The cellular mechanisms providing this protection from atrophy have not been resolved. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether repeated stimulated ECC bouts affect basal muscle oxidative metabolism and protein synthesis during cancer cachexia, and if these changes were associated with plasma IL-6 levels. Male ApcMin/+ (MIN; n = 10) mice initiating cachexia and healthy C57BL/6 (B6; n = 11) control mice performed repeated ECC bouts over 2 wk. MIN mice exhibited body weight loss and elevated plasma IL-6 before and during repeated ECC bouts. Control MIN muscle demonstrated disrupted signaling related to inflammation, oxidative capacity, and protein synthesis regulation, which were all improved by repeated ECC bouts. With cachexia, plasma IL-6 levels were negatively correlated with myofiber cross-sectional area, oxidative capacity, and protein synthesis. Interestingly, ECC improvements in these outcomes were positively correlated with plasma IL-6 levels in MIN mice. There was also a positive relationship between muscle oxidative capacity and protein synthesis after repeated ECC bouts in MIN mice. Collectively, repeated ECC bouts altered the cachectic muscle phenotype independent of systemic wasting, and there was a strong association between muscle oxidative capacity and protein synthesis in this adaptive response.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cancer-induced muscle wasting is accompanied by disruptions to muscle oxidative metabolism and protein turnover regulation, whereas exercise is a potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis and mitochondrial homeostasis. In a preclinical model of cancer cachexia, we report that cachectic muscle retains anabolic and metabolic plasticity to repeated eccentric contraction bouts despite an overall systemic wasting environment. The attenuation of muscle atrophy is linked to improved oxidative capacity and protein synthesis during cancer cachexia progression.
A sparsity-based nonlinear reconstruction method for two-photon photoacoustic tomography

We present a new nonlinear optimization approach for the sparse reconstruction of single-photon absorption and two-photon absorption coefficients in photoacoustic tomography (PAT). This framework comprises of minimizing an objective functional involving a least squares fit of the interior pressure field data corresponding to two boundary source functions, where the absorption coefficients and the photon density are related through a semi-linear elliptic partial differential equation (PDE) arising in PAT. Further, the objective functional consists of an $L^1$ regularization term that promotes sparsity patterns in absorption coefficients. The motivation for this framework primarily comes from some recent works related to solving inverse problems in acousto-electric tomography and current density impedance tomography. We provide a new proof of existence and uniqueness of a solution to the semi-linear PDE. Further, a proximal method, involving a Picard solver for the semi-linear PDE and its adjoint, is used to solve the optimization problem. Several numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Multivariate relationships between peripheral inflammatory marker subtypes and cognitive and brain structural measures in psychosis.

Elevations in peripheral inflammatory markers have been reported in patients with psychosis. Whether this represents an inflammatory process defined by individual or subgroups of markers is unclear. Further, relationships between peripheral inflammatory marker elevations and brain structure, cognition, and clinical features of psychosis remain unclear. We hypothesized that a pattern of plasma inflammatory markers, and an inflammatory subtype established from this pattern, would be elevated across the psychosis spectrum and associated with cognition and brain structural alterations. Clinically stable psychosis probands (Schizophrenia spectrum, n = 79; Psychotic Bipolar disorder, n = 61) and matched healthy controls (HC, n = 60) were assessed for 15 peripheral inflammatory markers, cortical thickness, subcortical volume, cognition, and symptoms. A combination of unsupervised exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical clustering was used to identify inflammation subtypes. Levels of IL6, TNFα, VEGF, and CRP were significantly higher in psychosis probands compared to HCs, and there were marker-specific differences when comparing diagnostic groups. Individual and/or inflammatory marker patterns were associated with neuroimaging, cognition, and symptom measures. A higher inflammation subgroup was defined by elevations in a group of 7 markers in 36% of Probands and 20% of HCs. Probands in the elevated inflammatory marker group performed significantly worse on cognitive measures of visuo-spatial working memory and response inhibition, displayed elevated hippocampal, amygdala, putamen and thalamus volumes, and evidence of gray matter thickening compared to the proband group with low inflammatory marker levels. These findings specify the nature of peripheral inflammatory marker alterations in psychotic disorders and establish clinical, neurocognitive and neuroanatomic associations with increased inflammatory activation in psychosis. The identification of a specific subgroup of patients with inflammatory alteration provides a potential means for targeting treatment with anti-inflammatory medications.
Exploring biological motion perception in two-stream convolutional neural networks

Visual recognition of biological motion recruits form and motion processes supported by both dorsal and ventral pathways. This neural architecture inspired the two-stream convolutional neural network (CNN) model, which includes a spatial CNN to process appearance information in a sequence of image frames, a temporal CNN to process optical flow information, and a fusion network to integrate the features extracted by the two CNNs and make final decisions about action recognition. In five simulations, we compared the CNN model's performance with classical findings in biological motion perception. The CNNs trained with raw RGB action videos showed weak performance in recognizing point-light actions. Additional transfer training with actions shown in other display formats (e.g., skeletal) was necessary for CNNs to recognize point-light actions. The CNN models exhibited largely viewpoint-dependent recognition of actions, with a limited ability to generalize to viewpoints close to the training views. The CNNs predicted the inversion effect in the presence of global body configuration, but failed to predict the inversion effect driven solely by local motion signals. The CNNs provided a qualitative account of some behavioral results observed in human biological motion perception for fine discrimination tasks with noisy inputs, such as point-light actions with disrupted local motion signals, and walking actions with temporally misaligned motion cues. However, these successes are limited by the CNNs' lack of adaptive integration for form and motion processes, and failure to incorporate specialized mechanisms (e.g., a life detector) as well as top-down influences on biological motion perception.
Student learning styles: Implications for interprofessional education program design

This cross-sectional, exploratory, quantitative research project investigated differences in students’ learning styles across multiple academic disciplines. The Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style Scales (GRSLSS) was selected which presents six learning styles: independent, avoidant, collaborative, dependent, competitive, and participant. Surveys were administered to students (N = 448) registered in professional preparatory programs (n = 6) at a Midwest regional commuter-based campus. Results support the need for interprofessional education initiatives to be developed from a student-centered perspective where the attributes of learners are interwoven – explicitly and implicitly, into the learning experience.
Radial Arterial Lines

Arterial lines are frequently placed to carefully monitor blood pressure and obtain arterial blood gases for evaluating for anemia, trending acid-base status, assessing oxygenation and ventilation, and monitoring electrolyte levels. The most common location for placing an arterial line is the radial artery. This chapter reviews indications and contraindications to radial arterial line placement. It also walks through steps to positioning, identifying, and accessing the radial artery.
Fiscal stimulus in a high-debt economy? A DSGE analysis

Abstract Intended stimulus effects are attenuated if expansionary policies are conducted at the cost of debt rollover, high interest payments, and heavy taxes. This paper examines the stimulus effects of fiscal instruments, considering a country's initial debt level. Using a neoclassical model calibrated to Greece, I find that: [1] increasing public consumption (investment) [wages] generates short-lived (long-lasting) [no] stimulus effects; [2] a rise in the interest rate spread reduces public consumption (investment) multiplier by 0.77 (only 0.27); [3] implementation delays in public investment yield the benefit of lower debt-to-GDP ratios, partly offsetting the cost of delays; [4] a high degree of consumption complementarity produces sizable expansionary effects, but it yields a worse fiscal position; [5] faster tax adjustments to government debt result in larger government-spending multipliers. In sum, whether to conduct stimulus measures or not hinges on a country's debt position, tools used, the speed at which debt is retired, and policy purposes.
Optimal Fluoroscopic Angulation to Determine Intercondylar Notch Violation during Pediatric Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction.

Previous anatomic data has suggested that during pediatric medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction, the femoral tunnel must be angled distally and anteriorly to avoid damage to the distal femoral physis and then intercondylar notch. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal degree of fluoroscopic angulation necessary to radiographically determine the presence of intercondylar notch violation. Fourteen adult cadaveric human femora were disarticulated and under fluoroscopic guidance, Schottle's point was identified. A 0.62-mm Kirschner wire was then drilled through the condyle to create minimal notch violation. The femur was then placed on a level radiolucent table and coronal plane radiographs angled from −15 to 60 degrees were obtained in 5-degree increments to determine the fluoroscopic angle at which intercondylar notch violation was most evident. Grading of optimal fluoroscopic angle between two authors found that violation of the notch was the best appreciated at a mean angle of 43 ± 15 degrees from neutral. Results from this study emphasize the importance of angling the beam to essentially obtain a notch view to assess for a breech.
Abstract 028: Biomarkers Of Kidney Function And Cognitive Ability: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Background: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albuminuria and serum uric acid (SUA) are markers of kidney function that have been associated with cognitive ability. However, whether thes...
Contextual factors associated with gender-based violence and related homicides perpetrated by partners and in-laws: A study of women survivors in India.

Gender based violence (GBV) is a significant public health concern for women globally, including countries such as India. The researchers investigated factors related to GBV and GBV-related homicid...
A Retrospective Cohort Study of Myosteatosis and Quality of Life in Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment-related morbidity can be detrimental to quality of life (QOL). Myosteatosis is associated with poor QOL in multiple cancers. If predictive of poor QOL trajectories, myosteatosis would be a tool for clinicians to determine which patients may require additional support during treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine if pretreatment myosteatosis is associated with a poor QOL trajectory following treatment completion. Methods: In a retrospective cohort design, myosteatosis was determined from pretreatment CT scans. Both physical and global QOL score was assessed through patient interview on follow-up appointment. Demographic, cancer-specific, and social covariates were collected, reported, and considered as potential confounders. Results: The population of 163 patients was mostly male (82.2%) and white (91.4%) with oropharyngeal cancer (55.8%). Males with myosteatosis had a physical QOL score 46.84 points lower at one-year following treatment completion (p = 0.01) than those with normal muscle density (p = 0.01). Males with myosteatosis averaged 57.57 points lower at one-year post-treatment (p = 0.01) in global QOL scores. Conclusions: Over one year following completion of treatment, patients with myosteatosis reported worse physical and global QOL scores than patients with normal muscle density.
A Toolkit for SE for Sustainability - A Design Fiction

This paper explores the what-ifs for a possible future scenario describing how to develop software systems for sustainability in different application domains in a generic software development setting. The design fiction we narrate is the following: Valery, a software developer at the fictitious software development company GreenCode, works on CodeFairy, an educational game targeted at attracting girls to computer science, and uses the software engineering toolkit GreenYaCode as development environment.
Tonight's Dessert: Semantic Web Layer Cakes

Tim Berners-Lee's "Semantic Web Layer Cake" is one of the most used figures in our field. It has changed numerous times over the years, as new technologies have come along, and as the field has changed. Despite this, it appears to be incomplete --- lots happening in the field is not included. In this talk, we take a look at the layer cake as it has changed over time and see what it can tell us about current and future Semantic Web work.
Is cytoplasmic localization of topoisomerase I (topo I) a mechanism of resistance for topo I inhibitors? Results from an NCCN sponsored phase II trial of gemcitabine and irinotecan in metastatic breast cancer.

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 5411 Background: Preclinical data indicate that the incorporation of gemcitabine into DNA enhances cleavage complexes in vitro when combined with a topo I inhibitor. Since topo I requires nuclear localization to exert its activity, predominate localization of topo I within the cytoplasm may predict for drug resistance. Methods: After obtaining informed consent, 48 patients with anthracycline refractory MBC received therapy with gemcitabine at 1000mg/m2 and irinotecan at 100mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of a 21day cycle. Response was measured using RECIST criteria. Optional tumor biopsies were obtained by FNA in 9 patients prior to initiation of therapy. Topo I was detected by immunofluorescence using the C-21 murine monoclonal IgM antibody directed against an epitope in the C-terminal 67 kDa. A monoclonal antibody that recognizes a conserved epitope in all 5 histones was used to identify nuclei and function as an internal control for sample variation. Quantification of topo I was performed on 50 randomly selected tumor cells/sample with measurements confirmed by Adobe Photoshop 7.0. Each cellular compartment was quantified separately in pixels and nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios were calculated for each individual cell. Results: Of the 48 patients enrolled, 45 have been evaluated for response with an overall response rate of 25% (CR=0, PR=11). 3 patients had SD for >6 months for a clinical benefit rate of 32%. 7/9 tissue biopsies were assessable for top1 and are listed in the table below. Conclusion: Gemcitabine and irinotecan is an active combination for metastatic breast cancer. Topo I localization can be measured in breast tumors using FNA. In this data set, the two lowest nuclear to cytoplasmic ratios were associated with lack of response to irinotecan. Further validation is needed. ![Figure][1] [1]: pending:yes
Developmental and nutritional aspects of chayote (Sechium edule, Cucurbitaceae)

Chayote (Sechiumedule, Cucurbitaceae), a lesser-known member of the gourd family, is gaining in popularity and importance as a food crop worldwide. It is unique among cultivated cucurbits by bearing single-seeded fruits and exhibiting vivipary. Chayote, adaptable to a wide range of climatic conditions, can be grown with relative ease. In addition to its fruits, it yields tender shoots for use as vegetable greens, vines as ornament for fences or as animal fodder, and edible subterranean storage roots. It is worthy of being more widely used because it has good nutritional properties and a firm delectable fruit flesh texture and can be prepared in a variety of ways for consumption. Chayote (Sechiumedule, Cucurbitaceae) ist einer der weniger bekannten Gattungen der Cucurbitaceae, obwohl sie immer mehr populaer und wichtig weltweit als Nahrungsmittel wird. Die Pflanze ist einzigartig unter kultivierten cucurbits wegen ihrer einsamigen Fruchte und ausgeschossene Samen innerhalb einer Frucht (vivipary). Chayote, der sich zu abwechselnden Klimabedingungen anpassen kaun, lasst sich leicht anbauen. Zusatzlich zu der geernten Fruchten kann man die weichen Triebe als Gemuse verwenden, sowie die Rebstocke als Hofschmuch oder als Futtermittel verwerten. Ausserdem sind die unterirdischen Wurzeln, die kohlenhydraten speichern konnen, sind essbar. Die kultivation der Pflanze sollte aufgrund ihrer nahrhaften Bestandteile und ihres schmackhaften Fruchtfleisches, das vielfaltig zum Verbrauch zubereitet werden kann, verbreitet werden.
Adsorption studies based on thermionic emission measurements. III, oxygen on polycrystalline W, Mo, Ta, and Re

Adsorption and desorption of oxygen on polycrystalline W, Mo, Ta and Re filaments, using thermionic emission measurements
Crossfinks for the next-generation gps

The current Global Positioning System (GPS) is a successful civilian and military satellite navigation system, and one that is increasingly depended on by aviation. Use of directional crosslinks on the next-generation GPS - or GPS III - can enhance the reliability and integrity of the satellite constellation. This paper discusses this crosslink network system and its uses for the next-generation civil/military GPS.
Human HL-60 myeloid leukemia cells transport dehydroascorbic acid via the glucose transporters and accumulate reduced ascorbic acid

The cellular accumulation of vitamin C, a substance critical to human physiology, is mediated by transporters located at the cell membrane, and is regulated in a cell-specific manner. Neoplastic cells may have special needs for vitamin C. Therefore, we investigated the transport of vitamin C in a human myeloid leukemia cell line (HL-60). The HL-60 cells lacked the capacity to transport the reduced form of vitamin C, ascorbic acid, but they showed a remarkable ability to transport the oxidized form of vitamin C, dehydroascorbic acid (DHA). Uptake-accumulation studies indicated that the HL-60 cells accumulated ascorbic acid when provided with DHA. Kinetic analysis showed the presence of two functional activities involved in the uptake of DHA, one with low affinity and one with high affinity. Cytochalasin B and phloretin, which inhibit the passage of glucose through the facilitative glucose transporters, also inhibited the transport of DHA by HL-60 cells. Transport of DHA was completed by D- but not L-hexoses, and was sensitive to D-hexose-dependent counter transport acceleration. These data support the concept that HL-60 myeloid leukemic cells transport DHA through the facilitative hexose transporters (glucose transporters) and accumulate the reduced form of ascorbic acid.
Climate Change, Multiple Stressors, and the Decline of Ectotherms

Climate change is believed to be causing declines of ectothermic vertebrates, but there is little evidence that climatic conditions associated with declines have exceeded critical (i.e., acutely lethal) maxima or minima, and most relevant studies are correlative, anecdotal, or short-term (hours). We conducted an 11-week factorial experiment to examine the effects of temperature (22 °C or 27 °C), moisture (wet or dry), and atrazine (an herbicide; 0, 4, 40, 400 μg/L exposure as embryos and larvae) on the survival, growth, behavior, and foraging rates of postmetamorphic streamside salamanders (Ambystoma barbouri), a species of conservation concern. The tested climatic conditions were between the critical maxima and minima of streamside salamanders; thus, this experiment quantified the long-term effects of climate change within the noncritical range of this species. Despite a suite of behavioral adaptations to warm and dry conditions (e.g., burrowing, refuge use, huddling with conspecifics, and a reduction in activity), streamside salamanders exhibited significant loss of mass and significant mortality in all but the cool and moist conditions, which were closest to the climatic conditions in which they are most active in nature. A temperature of 27 °C represented a greater mortality risk than dry conditions; death occurred rapidly at this temperature and more gradually under cool and dry conditions. Foraging decreased under dry conditions, which suggests there were opportunity costs to water conservation. Exposure to the herbicide atrazine additively decreased water-conserving behaviors, foraging efficiency, mass, and time to death. Hence, the hypothesis that moderate climate change can cause population declines is even more plausible under scenarios with multiple stressors. These results suggest that climate change within the noncritical range of species and pollution may reduce individual performance by altering metabolic demands, hydration, and foraging effort and may facilitate population declines of amphibians and perhaps other ectothermic vertebrates.
The use of metal hydrides as a cooling source for divers

This investigation has verified the feasibility of using the latent heats of absorption and desorption of hydrogen from various metal alloy pairs as a compact cooling source. These metal hydride pairs were found to provide a fully regenerative cooling capability which can be easily recharged between missions. A thermal analysis of combat swimmer operations indicated that approximately 100 watts of cooling capacity is required to offset the environmental heat load through a diver's suit when swimming in water temperatures up to 38/spl deg/C. A worst case assessment of initial absorption/desorption testing indicates that this cooling capacity is obtainable with less than 2.3 kilograms (5 pounds) of metal hydride. The proper selection of a high pressure metal hydride with a latent heat capacity during desorption of 36 kJ per gram mole of hydrogen could reduce this weight requirement to as little as 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds).
Cluster computing for transient simulations of the linear boltzmann equation on irregular three-dimensional domains

Processes used to manufacture integrated circuits take place at a range of pressures and their models are of interest across a wide range of length scales. We present a kinetic transport and reaction model given by a system of linear Boltzmann equations that is applicable to several important processes that involve contacting in-process wafers with reactive gases. The model is valid for a range of pressures and for length scales from micrometers to centimeters, making it suitable for multiscale models. Since a kinetic model in three dimensions involves discretizations of the three-dimensional position as well as of the three-dimensional velocity space, millions of unknowns result. To efficiently perform transient simulations with many time steps, the size of the problem motivates the use of parallel computing. We present simulation results on an irregular three-dimensional domain that highlights the capabilities of the model and its implementation, as well as parallel performance studies on a distributed-memory cluster show that the computation time scales well with the number of processes.
Lithium Diisopropylamide Solvated by Monodentate and Bidentate Ligands: Solution Structures and Ligand Binding Constants

6Li and 15N NMR spectroscopic studies of lithium diisopropylamide ([6Li]LDA and [6Li,15N]LDA) in toluene/pentane solutions containing a variety of mono- and polydentate ligands are reported. LDA forms exclusively dimers in the presence of n-BuOMe, Et2O, t-BuOMe, THF, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, 2,2-dimethyltetrahydrofuran, tetrahydropyran, dimethoxyethane, N,N,N‘,N‘-tetramethylethylenediamine, and MeOCH2CH2NR2 (NR2 = NMe2, NEt2, pyrrolidino). Addition of 1,2-dipyrrolidinoethane and (2-pyrrolidinoethyl)dimethylamine provides monomer−dimer mixtures. Treatment of LDA with trans-N,N,N‘,N‘-tetramethylcyclohexanediamine (TMCDA) or trans-1-(dimethylamino)-2-isopropoxycyclohexane in hydrocarbons afford exclusively monomers. Sparteine binds only reluctantly, giving a mixture of unsolvated oligomers and monomer. Competitions of the ethereal ligands vs TMCDA afford binding constants and associated free energies for dimer solvation which are correlated with those obtained previously for lithium hexamethyldisilazide.
Expression of the Yeast Cation Diffusion Facilitators Mmt1 and Mmt2 Affects Mitochondrial and Cellular Iron Homeostasis: Evidence for Mitochondrial Iron Export

Mmt1 and Mmt2 are highly homologous yeast members of the cation diffusion facilitator transporter family localized to mitochondria. Overexpression of MMT1/2 led to changes in cellular metal homeostasis (increased iron sensitivity, decreased cobalt sensitivity, increased sensitivity to copper), oxidant generation, and increased sensitivity to H2O2. The phenotypes due to overexpression of MMT1&2 were similar to that seen in cells with deletions in MRS3 and MRS4, genes that encode the mitochondrial iron importers. Overexpression of MMT1&2 resulted in induction of the low iron transcriptional response, similar to that seen in Δmrs3Δmr4 cells. This low iron transcriptional response was suppressed by deletion of CCC1, the gene that encodes the vacuolar iron importer. Measurement of the activity of the iron-dependent gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase from Pseudaminobacter salicylatoxidans expressed in yeast cytosol, showed that changes in Mmt1/2 levels affected cytosol iron concentration even in the absence of Ccc1. Overexpression of MMT1 resulted in increased cytosolic iron whereas deletion of MMT1/MMT2 led to decreased cytosolic iron. These results support the hypothesis that Mmt1/2 function as mitochondrial iron exporters.
Regulation of glutamate dehydrogenase by palmitoyl-coenzyme A

Abstract Glutamate dehydrogenase is inhibited more by palmitoyl-CoA when the reduced form of triphosphopyridine nucleotide instead of the reduced form of diphosphopyridine nucleotide is the coenzyme. Inhibition is further enhanced by α-ketoglutarate and malate. Thus, for example, in the presence of TPNH plus malate, the amount of palmitoyl-CoA required for 50% inhibition is 10-fold lower (0.03 μ m ) than previously reported values obtained with reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide as a coenzyme. Allosteric modifiers such as ATP, GTP, and leucine decrease inhibition of glutamate dehydrogenase by palmitoyl-CoA. Palmitoyl-CoA and ADP are competitive. Thus, the palmitoyl-CoA binding site is apparently in the vicinity of the site of these allosteric modifiers and is probably at the ADP site. The fact that ADP (which has only one site per polypeptide chain) can completely prevent inhibition by palmitoyl-CoA suggests that there is only one kinetically significant palmitoyl-CoA binding site per polypeptide chain. This is consistent with the fact that adding one equivalent of palmitoyl-CoA per polypeptide chain inhibits about 80%. The high affinity of glutamate dehydrogenase for palmitoyl-CoA enables it to successfully compete with other mitochondrial proteins for palmitoyl-CoA.
Two new species of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) from the cloud forests of Panama

Two new species, Miconia galdamesiae and M. papillopetala are described from cloud forests of western Panama. Both species belong to a clade of Costa Rican and Panamanian taxa that typically have asymmetric leaf venation, flowers with calyces that are fused in bud but rupture into irregular lobes at anthesis, geniculate staminal filaments, five locular ovaries that are glandular-puberulent apically, exerted styles (herkogamous), and angulate seeds. The affinities of the new taxa are discussed and compared with presumed closest relatives and a comparative table is provided. Photographs of live plants and Scanning Electron Micrographs of foliar trichomes, flower buds, and whole flowers at anthesis are included for the new taxa as well as for Miconia brenesii and M. friedmaniorum, two closely related species that have been confused with the new taxa described here.
Synthesis of mixed acid anhydrides from methane and carbon dioxide in acid solvents.

The reaction of CH4 with CO2 has been performed in anhydrous acids using VO(acac)2 and K2S2O8 as promoters. NMR analysis establishes that the primary product is a mixed anhydride of acetic acid and the acid solvent. In sulfuric acid, the overall reaction is CH4 + CO2 + SO3 → CH3C(O)−O−SO3H. Hydrolysis of the mixed anhydride produces acetic acid and the solvent acid. When trifluoroacetic acid is the solvent, acetic acid is primarily formed via the reaction CH4 + CF3COOH → CH3COOH + CHF3.
A multi-processing approach to natural language

Natural languages such as English are exceedingly complicated media for the communication of information, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings. Computer systems that attempt to process natural languages in more than the most trivial ways are correspondingly complex. Not only must they be capable of dealing with elaborate descriptions of how the language is put together (in the form of large dictionaries, grammars, sets of inference strategies, etc.), but they must also be able to coordinate the activities and interactions of the many different components that use these descriptions. For example, speech understanding systems of the sort that are currently being developed under ARPA sponsorship must have procedures for the reception of speech input, phonological segmentation and word recognition, dictionary consultation, and morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic analyses. The problems of coordination and control are reduced only slightly in less ambitious projects such as question answering, automatic programming, content analysis, and information retrieval. Of course, large-scale software systems in other domains might rival natural language programs in terms of the number and complexity of individual components. The central theme of the present paper, however, is that natural language control problems have a fundamentally different character from those of most other systems and require a somewhat unusual solution: the many natural language procedures should be conceptualized and implemented as a collection of asynchronous communicating parallel processes.
Experience with an Automated Hoarding System

Hoarding is a technique in which a portable computer caches files before disconnecting from a network, so that the files will be available during the disconnection period. Predictive hoarding extends this approach to automatically predict the set of files that should be hoarded. We report the results of a study of the SEER predictive hoarding system, which examined both live and simulated usage. This is by far the most detailed study of hoarding that has been carried out to date. Our results show not only that predictive hoarding is feasible, but that SEER has excellent performance that significantly improves disk-space usage on mobile computers.
Laser anemometry techniques for turbine applications

Laser anemometry offers a nonintrusive means for obtaining flow field information. Current research at NASA Lewis Research Center is focused on instrumenting a warm turbine facility with a laser anemometer system. In an effort to determine the laser anemometer system best qualified for the warm turbine environment, the performance of a conventional laser fringe anemometer and a two spot time of flight system were compared with a new, modified time of flight system, called a Four Spot laser anemometer. The comparison measurements were made in highly turbulent flows near walls. The Four Spot anemometer uses elliptical spots to increase the flow acceptance angle to be comparable to that of a Laser Fringe Anemometer. Also, the Four Spot uses an optical code that vastly simplifies the pulse detection processor. The results of the comparison measurements will exemplify which laser anemometer system is best suited to the hostile environment typically encountered in warm rotating turbomachinery.
Complications associated with appendicitis

I N a discussion of postoperative comphcations CutIer and Scott’ state that, “With the period that fohows operative intervention begin the triaIs and tribuIations of the surgeon.” This statement is probably nowhere more true than in the case of those patients who require surgical attention because of a septic appendix, and in whom infection has extended beyond the confines of this organ. It is a we11 known fact that today the mortaIity of appendectomy for uncomplicated acute appendicitis is almost neghgibIe, whereas in the more advanced cases, when peritonitis of some degree has supervened, the mortaIity continues to be disturbingIy high. For the most part, deaths from acute appendicitis are due to some phase of peritonitis either directIy, as from toxemia, severe sepsis and iIeus, or indirectIy from the Iater compIications of peritonitis, e.g., intestina1 obstruction, empyema, pneumonia, etc. If one consuIts the records of the surgical cIinic in any Iarge hospita1, the more serious complications of acute appendicitis wiII be found to incIude genera1 peritonitis, residua1 or secondary abscesses, intestinal obstruction, major wound sepsis, pneumonia, pyIephIebitis, Iiver abscess, empyema, puImonary embohsm, feca1 fistuIa, postoperative hemorrhage and thrombophIebitis. The present discussion is concerned with the abdomina1 comphcations encountered in the management of the perforated appendix and, in particuIar, with those which occur foIIowing operative intervention.