cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MUTATED RAS p21 AS A TARGET FOR CANCER THERAPY IN MOUSE TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA

ABSTRACTPurpose: To establish an experimental mouse model for bladder cancer immunotherapy using mutated ras as a target.Materials and Methods: A tumorigenic mouse bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) line MB49 (C57BL/6 origin) was analyzed for its c-ras gene status by DNA cloning and sequencing. Aberrant expression of the ras gene was measured with Western blotting. 13-mer peptides corresponding to residues 5 to 17 of the ras protein were synthesized and tested for immunogenicity in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. Induction of specific immune responses was evaluated by analyzing splenocyte activity in vitro and tumor suppression in vivo.Results: MB49 cells were found to contain a single amino acid substitution of serine for glycine at codon 12 in K-ras loci and an abundant amount of cellular mutated ras p21 protein. C57BL/6 mice immunized with the 13-mer serine-containing ras peptide exhibited mutation-specific immune responses in splenocyte proliferation, cytokine production and cytotoxicity. Specific anti...
Transcription of class III genes: formation of preinitiation complexes

Class III genes require multiple cellular factors for transcription by RNA polymerase III; these genes form stable transcription complexes, which in the case of Xenopus 5S genes are correlated with differential expression in vivo. The minimal number and identity of the factors required to form both stable and metastable complexes on three class III genes (encoding, respectively, 5S RNA, transfer RNA, and adenovirus VA RNA species) were determined. Stable complex formation requires one common factor, whose recognition site was analyzed, and either no additional factors (the VA gene), a second common factor (the transfer RNA gene), or a third gene-specific factor (the 5S gene). The mechanism of stable complex formation and its relevance to transcriptional regulation were examined in light of the various factors and the promoter sequences recognized by these factors.
Baculovirus-expressed rabies virus M1 protein is not phosphorylated : it forms multiple complexes with expressed rabies N protein

Abstract The rabies N, M1, M2, and G antigens have been expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda cells from single gene expression vectors or dual gene vectors (N/Ml or M2/G) using the baculovirus system. Although N protein was phosphorylated, no evidence for M1 phosphorylation was obtained. N-Mi complexes were formed in vivo using dual infections or the coexpression vectors, as well as in vitro in mixing experiments. The free or complexed rabies N and M1 proteins reacted with available monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. By sedimentation analyses the N-Mi complexes were shown to exist in multiple configurations.
ONLINE JOURNALISTS: Foundations for Research into Their Changing Roles

Interactive media have grabbed the attention of communication researchers in the latter half of the 1990s, but the focus to date has been primarily on media audiences and their use of these new forms. This paper suggests four approaches that may help provide theory-based underpinnings in a different area: the study of journalists and the ways in which their roles and jobs are changing. The approaches are gate-keeping theory; diffusion of innovation theory; sociological perspectives, particularly those involving the sociology of news work; and a somewhat eclectic perspective that explores the idea of journalism as a potential force of cohesion in an increasingly fragmented society.
Of Maps and Macros: Object-Oriented Spreadsheet GIS:

I explain how object-oriented mapping may be carried out in spreadsheets, by use of simple user-created maps and macros. The method has uses for teaching, research, and policy. The advantage over current add-in mapping is that the macros can be written by users with basic spreadsheet skills, the procedures are relatively fast, new maps may be drawn or imported, and the macros can be adapted to a variety of applications such as real-time animation, or used in planning situations where ‘time is of the essence’. The paper raises a number of issues as to the inflexibility of some GIS modeling capabilities and spreadsheet mapping capability. The approach is illustrated for Quattro Pro for Windows and Excel with Visual Basic, with two classroom applications, and extensions to decision support, animation, and cellular modeling.
Origin of CW laser generated high efficiency AlGaAs microstructures

Abstract Gilgen, Rytz-Froidevaux, Salathe and Zysset have demonstrated an athermal, CW-laser annealing process which improves the luminescent efficiency of LPE AlGaAs 3-layer heterostructures by as much as 80%. Their investigation of the process has revealed several remarkable aspects. I explain these in terms of redistribution of defects grown into the original material and, in particular, elimination of vacancies and of interfacial mismatch stress by microsplit formation. Ge Ga Al As is suggested as a new luminescent center.
The wages of regulation

This paper relates the growth of relative wages of government scientists and other federal employees to the growth of regulation during the 1970s. A theoretical model of bureaucracy provides a linkage to data that suggest that rents were generated during the period of analysis and that at least part of those rents were paid to specialized factors in government.
Predictors of C-reactive protein in Tsimane' 2 to 15 year-olds in lowland Bolivia

Infectious disease is a major global determinant of child morbidity and mortality, and energetic investment in immune defenses (even in the absence of overt disease) is an important life-history variable, with implications for human growth and development. This study uses a biomarker of immune activation (C-reactive protein) to investigate an important aspect of child health among the Tsimane', a relatively isolated Amerindian population in lowland Bolivia. Our objectives are twofold: 1) to describe the distribution of CRP by age and gender in a cross-sectional sample of 536 2-15-year-olds; and 2) to explore multiple measures of pathogen exposure, economic resources, and acculturation as predictors of increased CRP. The median blood-spot CRP concentration was 0.73 mg/l, with 12.9% of the sample having concentrations greater than 5 mg/L, indicating a relatively high degree of immune activation in this population. Age was the strongest predictor of CRP, with the highest concentrations found among younger individuals. Increased CRP was also associated with higher pathogen exposure, lower household economic resources, and increased maternal education and literacy. The measurement of CRP offers a direct, objective indicator of immune activation, and provides insights into a potentially important pathway through which environmental quality may shape child growth and health.
Noncoding RNA in Oncogenesis: A New Era of Identifying Key Players

New discoveries and accelerating progresses in the field of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) continuously challenges our deep-rooted doctrines in biology and sometimes our imagination. A growing body of evidence indicates that ncRNAs are important players in oncogenesis. While a stunning list of ncRNAs has been discovered, only a small portion of them has been examined for their biological activities and very few have been characterized for the molecular mechanisms of their action. To date, ncRNAs have been shown to regulate a wide range of biological processes, including chromatin remodeling, gene transcription, mRNA translation and protein function. Dysregulation of ncRNAs contributes to the pathogenesis of a variety of cancers and aberrant ncRNA expression has a high potential to be prognostic in some cancers. Thus, a new cancer research era has begun to identify novel key players of ncRNAs in oncogenesis. In this review, we will first discuss the function and regulation of miRNAs, especially focusing on the interplay between miRNAs and several key cancer genes, including p53, PTEN and c-Myc. We will then summarize the research of long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) in cancers. In this part, we will discuss the lncRNAs in four categories based on their activities, including regulating gene expression, acting as miRNA decoys, mediating mRNA translation, and modulating protein activities. At the end, we will also discuss recently unraveled activities of circular RNAs (circRNAs).
Larval Development of Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae on Artificial Diet and Cotton Leaves Containing a Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin: Heritable Variation to Tolerate Cry1Ac

Studies were conducted to determine if beet armyworms, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), possess the genetic variation necessary to respond to selection for improved tolerance of the Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) toxin Cry1Ac. Spodoptera exigua individuals that pupated earliest when fed the Cry1Ac diet (ca. the first 20% to pupate) produced offspring that developed significantly faster on the Cry1Ac diet than their parental-control strain. In addition, after two generations of selection, the selected population reached pupation 2 d faster than the Parental population. The selected group also developed significantly faster on transgenic-Bt cotton leaves (cv. NuCOTN 33B) than the Parental strain. Individuals selected to more rapidly develop on media containing Cry1Ac developed no more rapidly on artificial diet containing Cry2Aa than the parental, control colony of S. exigua.
Applying health behavior theory to multiple behavior change: considerations and approaches.

Abstract Background There has been a dearth of theorizing in the area of multiple behavior change. The purpose of the current article was to examine how health behavior theory might be applied to the growing research terrain of multiple behavior change. Methods Three approaches to applying health behavior theory to multiple behavior change are advanced, including searching the literature for potential examples of such applications. Results These three approaches to multiple behavior change include (1) a behavior change principles approach; (2) a global health / behavioral category approach, and (3) a multiple behavioral approach. Each approach is discussed and explicated and examples from this emerging literature are provided. Conclusions Further study in this area has the potential to broaden our understanding of multiple behaviors and multiple behavior change. Implications for additional theory-testing and application of theory to interventions are discussed.
Biodenitrification in Sequencing Batch Reactors. Final report

One plan for stabilization of the Solar Pond waters and sludges at Rocky Flats Plant (RFP), is evaporation and cement solidification of the salts to stabilize heavy metals and radionuclides for land disposal as low-level mixed waste. It has been reported that nitrate (NO{sub 3}{sub {minus}}) salts may interfere with cement stabilization of heavy metals and radionuclides. Therefore, biological nitrate removal (denitrification) may be an important pretreatment for the Solar Pond wastewaters at RFP, improving the stability of the cement final waste form, reducing the requirement for cement (or pozzolan) additives and reducing the volume of cemented low-level mixed waste requiring ultimate disposal. A laboratory investigation of the performance of the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) activated sludge process developed for nitrate removal from a synthetic brine typical of the high-nitrate and high-salinity wastewaters in the Solar Ponds at Rocky Flats Plant was carried out at the Environmental Engineering labs at the University of Colorado, Boulder, between May 1, 1994 and October 1, 1995.
Stratigraphic Study of Some Eocene Sandstones, Northeastern Ventura Basin, California: ABSTRACT

The eastern end of the Matilija Sandstone and its inferred equivalents across the Santa Ynez and Pine Mountain faults were studied. These bodies of arkose have similar average modal compositions of quartz (31%), K-feldspar (21%) and plagioclase (22%). Accessory minerals also suggest derivation from a granitic basement complex. A few grains of serpentine and chert may reflect a minor contribution from a Franciscan terrane. Depositing currents flowed mainly northwest, especially in the center of the basin. Influx of sand was probably from southern and (or) southeastern quadrants on the south side of the basin and from the northeast on the north side of the basin. Local sand bars may have caused brackish-water environments on the southern and northern sides of the basin. The evidence is particularly strong in the area north of Pine Mountain. Coarse-grained, conglomeratic arkose with giant cross-stratifications are interbedded with strata containing shallow offshore mollusks and probable brackish-water mollusks. Grain size and bedding thickness generally vary in direct proportion to each other. Thicker beds are usually in the thicker sections. Maximum areas of sand deposition appear to have swung back and forth producing overlapping lenticular lobes pointing into and down the basin. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1772------------
Do we need radiation therapy technologists trained at the baccalaureate level in the United States

Abstract The need for Radiation Therapy Technologists trained at the Baccalaureate Level was explored using a survey, sent to 99 Radiotherapists located in the North Eastern United States. The conclusion drawn was that a limited number of technologists with such degrees are needed in the areas of education, administration and dosimetry.
Altered Cross-Bridge Relaxation Kinetics in Guinea Pig Cardiac Hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is associated with Diastolic Heart Failure (DHF), a syndrome in which systolic function is preserved, but cardiac filling dynamics are depressed. The molecular mechanisms underlying DHF and the potential role of altered cross-bridge cycling in this syndrome are poorly understood. Accordingly, we induced chronic pressure overload by surgically banding the thoracic ascending aorta in female Dunkin Hartley Guinea pigs weighing 400g, for 12-16 weeks. Guinea pigs were chosen to avoid the confounding effects of myosin isoform switch that occurs in other small rodent models. Left ventricular (LV) samples were frozen in liquid N2. Aortic banding resulted in (+31%) LV hypertrophy (LV/BW ratio) and reduced diastolic cardiac function, but normal systolic function. Single myofibrils were prepared by mechanical dissociation and subsequently attached between two glass micro-needles that were positioned on the stage of an inverted phase-contrast microscope. While the maximum calcium saturated force development was depressed (−18%), the time required for force relaxation was increased (+8%) in parallel to a significant decrease in the rate of relaxation (−25%) in DHF myofibrils; Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) isoform distribution was unaltered. We conclude that slower cross-bridge relaxation kinetics contribute to diastolic dysfunction in cardiac hypertrophy.
Parsing and Disfluency Placement

It has been suggested that some forms of speech disfluencies, most notable interjections and parentheticals, tend to occur disproportionally at major clause boundaries [6] and thus might serve to aid parsers in establishing these boundaries. We have tested a current statistical parser [1] on Switchboard text with and without interjections and parentheticals and found that the parser performed better when not faced with these extra phenomena. This suggest that for current parsers, at least, interjection and parenthetical placement does not help in the parsing process.
Development of a dielectric loaded RF cavity for a muon accelerator

The building of a muon collider is motivated by the desire to collide point-like particles while reducing the limitations imposed by synchrotron radiation. The many challenges unique to muon accelerators are derived from the short lifetime of the muons. The muons must be produced, then formed into a beam and accelerated to their final energy in less than a few milliseconds in the lab frame. One idea for accomplishing this is called a helical cooling channel, and requires placing the accelerating structure in a solenoid. The RF (radio frequency) accelerating structure in a muon accelerator should be short in the longitudinal direction, small enough in the transverse direction to fit inside the solenoids of the helical cooling channel, and have the highest possible electric field gradient. A RF cavity that meets these requirements is crucial to the development of a muon collider. There is an additional constraint if an existing source of RF power is to be used, as the frequency of the lowest RF cavity mode should match the frequency of the power source. At Fermilab, the klystrons produce RF power at 800 MHz. The resonant frequency of an RF cavity depends inversely on the radius of the cavity, as well as the dielectric constant of the material within the cavity. A standard vacuum cavity with a resonant frequency of 800 MHz is too large to fit within the solenoids. This paper studies one method of avoiding this limitation by placing a dielectric material within the cavity. The effect of this dielectric is modeled in Microwave Studio to determine the right size and shape for the dielectric given, and several prototype cavities are built and tested with a network analyzer. Our proof of concept experiment shows the feasibility of further developing the design of dielectric loaded RF cavities. Further work will include tests at high power, to determine the effects of a high electric field on the dielectric.
The impact of cues of stigma and support on self-perceived sexual orientation among heterosexually identified men and women

Abstract Sexual orientation can be thought of as encompassing both actual sexual experience (e.g., behavior, attraction, fantasy) and beliefs about those experiences. We refer to those beliefs as self-perceived sexual orientation. We report the first experimental evidence that manipulating situational cues directly impacts self-perceived sexual orientation among heterosexually identified men and women. Across three studies that used distinct manipulations (both explicit and implicit), measured different outcomes, and sampled different ages, we found that cues of support for same-sex sexuality lead to self-perceived sexual orientation containing more same-sex sexuality than did cues of stigma against same-sex sexuality. We discuss the implications for understanding the role of factors outside of actual sexual experience in the development and maintenance of sexual orientation.
Texture-based computer-aided diagnosis system for lung fibrosis

Computer-aided detection of lung fibrosis remains a difficult task due to the small vascular structures, scars, and fibrotic tissues that need to be identified and differentiated. In this paper, we present a texture-based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system that automatically detects lung fibrosis. Our system uses high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), advanced texture analysis, and support vector machine (SVM) committees to automatically and accurately detect lung fibrosis. Our CAD system follows a five-stage pipeline that is comprised of: segmentation, texture analysis, training, classification, and display . Since the accuracy of the proposed texture-based CAD system depends on how precise we can distinguish texture dissimilarities between normal and abnormal lungs, in this paper we have given special attention to the texture block selection process. We present the effects that texture block size, data reduction techniques, and image smoothing filters have within the overall classification results. Furthermore, a histogram-based technique to refine the classification results inside texture blocks is presented. The proposed texture-based CAD system to detect lung fibrosis has been trained with several normal and abnormal HRCT studies and has been tested with the original training dataset as well as new HRCT studies. On average, when using the suggested/default texture size and an optimized SVM committee system, a 90% accuracy has been observed with the proposed texture-based CAD system to detect lung fibrosis.
Finite-amplitude acoustic traveling waves in a fluid that saturates a porous medium: Acceleration wave formation

Abstract An analytical study of finite-amplitude acoustic waves in a homentropic fluid that saturates a rigid porous medium is presented. The exact traveling wave solution (TWS) is obtained in terms of the Lambert W -function. It is shown that the acceleration profile assumes the form of an asymmetric diffusive soliton and that a jump discontinuity in the acceleration forms as the TWSs propagation speed approaches the sound speed of the fluid. Additionally, a connection between this TWS and results from singular surface theory is established and the findings of the present study are compared/contrasted with those for the thermoviscous, nonporous case.
Factors influencing retention and resolution of substituted alkylbenzenes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The retention data of isomeric xylenes, ethyltoluenes and diethylbenzenes, and of mesitylene, benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene were obtained on a reversedphase column using methanol-water and ethanol-water mobile phases at four different temperatures. This database was used to relate the dependence of solute retention and resolution on the polarity of the mobile phase, solute dipole moment, and column temperature. The additivity of the free energy of the transfer of solute molecules or solute segments from the stationary phase to the mobile phase, was examined for the isomeric compounds. For this, the logarithm of the net retention volume was substituted for the free energy. Deviations from the additivity of free energies indicate that the separation of isomeric substituted alkylbenzenes is governed by their differential interactions with both the polar mobile phase and nonpolar stationary phase. Among the disubstituted alkylbenzenes,ortho-isomers favor the mobile phase more andpara-isomers tend to prefer the stationary phase more. Themeta-isomers are found to follow the additivity rule closely. These trends are amplified as the polarity of the mobile phase is increased indicating that these isomers are resolved better in water-rich mobile phases. These findings are substantiated by analogous results from gas-liquid chromatographic retention data, estimation of dipole moment effects, and examination of the entropic and enthalpic contributions to the net retention volume.
Diet-induced renal changes in Zucker rats are ameliorated by the superoxide dismutase mimetic TEMPOL.

Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of renal failure in the United States. The obese Zucker rat (OZR; fa/fa) is a commonly used model of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and of the nephropathy and renal oxidative stress commonly seen in these disorders. Heterozygous lean Zucker rats (LZRs; fa/+) are susceptible to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and MetS. The present study was designed to investigate whether 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPOL), a membrane-permeable radical scavenger, could alleviate the renal effects of MetS in OZR and LZR fed a HFD, which resembles the typical “Western” diet. OZR and LZR were fed a HFD (OZR-HFD and LZR-HFD) or regular diet (OZR-RD and LZR-RD) and allowed free access to drinking water or water containing 1 mmol/l TEMPOL for 10 weeks. When compared to OZR-RD animals, OZR-HFD animals exhibited significantly higher levels of total renal cortical reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, plasma lipids, insulin, C-reactive protein, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), and urinary albumin excretion (P < 0.05); these changes were accompanied by a significant decrease in plasma high-density lipoprotein levels (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of desmin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor κB (NFκB), and NAD(P)H oxidase-1 (NOX-1) were significantly higher in the renal cortical tissues of OZR-HFD animals; NFκB p65 DNA binding activity as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay was also significantly higher in these animals. The same trends were noted in LZR-HFD animals. Our data demonstrate that TEMPOL may prove beneficial in treating the early stages of the nephropathy often associated with MetS.
Approximate Wave Functions for the F Center, and Their Application to the Electron Spin Resonance Problem

The vacancy model of the $F$ center is treated by a simplified Hartree method. The ions are treated as point charges, and the potential of the lattice is computed. The simplified Hartree equation is solved variationally, and the electronic polarization is computed by a self-consistent method which takes account of the screening action of the $F$-center electron. The lattice distortion is then calculated. The resulting energies are compared with the available optical data. The agreement is good.The hyperfine structure of the $F$ center is computed, using a determinantal wave function. The predicted hyperfine splittings agree fairly well with the experimental results of Lord and Jen on the resolved hyperfine structure of LiF.The effects of exchange and overlap are also discussed.
With This Eruption, There Is Not a Second to Lues

A 28-year-old white man presented to the Emergency Department with a 24-hour history of an eruption on his extremities, trunk, and face. The patient was known to be HIV positive with a CD4 count of 527 and a viral load of 20,300. He denied fever, chills, malaise, and headache. His social history was significant for the fact that he was in a monogamous homosexual relationship. He had no recent travel, pet exposures, or sick contacts. Physical examination revealed stable vital signs and no documented fever. A maculopapular eruption was present on his face, trunk, and extremities (Figures 1 and 2). There was no palmar or plantar involvement. He was treated with diphenhydramine and topical 2.5% hydrocortisone and advised to return if his condition did not improve. Twelve days after the initial evaluation, the patient consulted us again due to progression of his dermatitis. He had no additional complaints other than an eruption on both palms but neither sole. (Figure 3). The eruption now demonstrated erythematous pink-red oval macules and papules 1-2 cm in size distributed on his scalp, face, trunk, and arms. A few papules contained fine collarettes of scale. Further questioning revealed that the patient had experienced a tender rectal ulcer 2 months previously. A punch biopsy and rapid plasma reagin were performed. The histopathologic examination revealed interface dermatitis with lymphocytes, plasma cells, occasional neutrophils, and a prominent lymphoplasmacytic perivascular dermatitis with infiltration of the vessel walls. Warthrin-Starry and Steiner methods demonstrated spirochetes at the dermal-epidermal junction and in vessel walls, consistent with Treponema pallidum (Figure 4). Rapid plasma reagin and fluorescent Treponema antibody were both reactive with a Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) of 1:16. The patient was diagnosed as having secondary syphilis and treated with 2.4 million units of IM benzathine penicillin for 3 weeks. His eruption resolved after the initial treatment and he did not experience a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction.
Role of natural killer cells in experimental murine myocarditis.

Infection of adolescent CD-1 mice with CVB3 activates NK cells. These activated NK cells can lyse infected fibroblasts in vitro and their transfer into mice prior to inoculation with CVB3 can reduce virus titers in heart tissues. If mice are depleted of NK cells prior to and throughout a CVB3 infection, myocarditic lesions show a comparatively greater pathology in the form of severe dystrophic calcification than in infected mice with an intact NK cell system. Also NK cell-depleted mice have significantly higher virus titers in heart tissues. These data suggest a role for NK cells in the infected mouse, i. e., that they reduce virus titers through lysis of infected cells and thereby reduce the severity of myocarditis. In keeping with such a defensive role is the finding of NK cells among the first inflammatory cells forming the nascent CVB3-induced focal myocarditic lesion. Paradoxically, NK cells remain in the mature lesion up to 10 days p.i. and may thus contribute to pathology. Further studies on whether these long-term residents release cytotoxic factors which continue to damage myocytes in absence of significant virus titers in heart tissues must be performed. These studies are now feasible because of the recent development of monoclonal antibodies against NK cytotoxic factor [30]. Finally, diet can adversely effect generation of activated NK cells in CVB3-inoculated mice and this finding may have significance for health-conscious human beings.
Engagement of MHC class II molecules by staphylococcal superantigens activates src-type protein tyrosine kinases

Staphylococcal exotoxins (SE) are superantigens that bind to monomorphic determinants on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and stimulate human peripheral blood T lymphocytes in a V beta-specific manner. SE also deliver activation signals via MHC class II molecules that initiate cell adhesion and cytokine gene transcription. These events are preceded by tyrosine phosphorylation and are antagonized by inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, indicating an essential role for these kinases in signaling via class II molecules. We report that stimulation of human peripheral blood monocytes with SE induced rapid and selective activation of the src-related protein tyrosine kinases (PTK) fgr and hck. SE also induced the activation of fgr and lyn in B cells. PTK activation by SE required MHC class II expression, and was greatly potentiated in the presence of T cells bearing toxin-specific V beta chains. These results indicate that in addition to their antigen and superantigen-presenting function, MHC class II molecules act as signal-transducing receptors that are coupled to src-type PTK.
Lack of enemy release for an invasive leafroller in California: temporal patterns and influence of host plant origin

The enemy release hypothesis posits that the success of invasive species can be attributed to their escape from natural enemies. Invading hosts are expected to encounter an enemy assemblage consisting of fewer species, with lower representation of specialists, and to experience less mortality as a result. In this study, we examined parasitism of the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), in California, an exotic leafroller that is native to southeastern Australia. From 2008 to 2011 we monitored parasitoid species richness, representation of the more specialized koinobiont parasitoids, and parasitism rates of LBAM collected three times per year from four plant species of Australian origin and six plant species of non-Australian origin, at two locations in coastal California. We found the resident parasitoid assemblage of LBAM in California to have comparable levels of species richness, to have a similar representation of koinobionts versus idiobionts, and to inflict similar parasitism rates as in its native range. The two dominant parasitoids were Meteorus ictericus (Braconidae) and Enytus eureka (Ichneumonidae). Parasitoid species richness varied with season and plant origin and decreased slowly, but significantly, over the 4 year period. Parasitism rates were lowest in spring and highest on plants of Australian origin, but did not change with year. Hyperparasitism rates were higher on E. eureka (36.5 %) compared with M. ictericus and other parasitoids combined (3.3 %) and were highest on plants of Australian origin. We subsequently discuss the lack of both apparent enemy reduction and realized enemy release for LBAM in California and the unique finding that a shared plant origin enhanced the parasitism of this exotic leafroller by resident parasitoids.
Formation of textured YBa2Cu3Ox films by laser ablation

Abstract Yttrium-Barium-Copper-Oxide (YBa 2 Cu 3 O x ) thin films are prepared using laser ablation. The orientation of the 0.2-0.3 μm thin film is controlled using both substrate temperature and deposited buffer layers for epitaxial growth. Highly textured films are prepared with a c-axis preferred orientation using substrates of SrTiO 3 (100) and MgO (100) at a temperature of 780°C whereas a,b-axis films result if a 100nm buffer of Praseodymium-Barium-Copper-Oxide (PrBa 2 Cu 3 O x ) is first deposited at 700°C. The use of a 15nm buffer layer of SrTiO 3 on MgO (100) produces films with superconducting transitions equivalent to those YBa 2 Cu 3 O x films deposited directly on SrTiO 3 (100) substrates.
A Jewish Neo-Aramaic Translation of Genesis Recorded in Mosul, Iraq, ca. 1841 (Ms. Syr. 7, Houghton Library, Harvard University)

The subject of the present study is a transcription of the first two chapters of Genesis in an undocumented Jewish Neo-Aramaic literary dialect. Recorded in the vicinity of Mosul, Iraq, at some point during the mid-nineteenth century, the Genesis manuscript is accompanied by another of identical provenance preserving a selection from the Gospel of Matthew in the same ostensibly Jewish dialect. The purpose of my analysis is to establish the provenance of this exceptional pair of documents, and, upon the basis of this determination, to analyze the contents of the Genesis manuscript in light of other attested Jewish Neo-Aramaic renderings of the biblical text.
Resistance to Foliar-Feeding Hyperine Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Cyanogenic White Clover

We observed variation in feeding damage to white clover, Trifolium repens L., cultivars by larvae of alfalfa weevils, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal). A cyanogenic cultivar, ‘Louisiana S-1’, was least damaged among eight cultivars rated visually for weevil feeding in naturally infested plots. Variation in leaf damage also was observed among 104 white clover plant introductions and cultivars rated for number of leaves showing insect damage in field plantings. Larvae of alfalfa weevils and adults of clover head weevils, Hypera meles (F.), exhibited preference for leaflets from acyanogenic genotypes offered in free-choice feeding tests; ‘Louisiana S-1’ was used as a cyanogenic check. Alfalfa weevil larvae also preferred acyanogenic leaflets from ‘Regal’ white clover compared with leaflets from cyanogenic plants selected from Brown Loam Synthetic No.2 germplasm. Alfalfa weevils did not discriminate between leaflets from ‘Regal’ paired with leaflets from acyanogenic selections out of Brown Loam Synthetic No. 2 germplasm. We suggest that levels of cyanogenic glycosides could be selected in white clover to improve resistance to insects.
Sickle cell anemia and the hand

Abstract Sickle cell anemia is a lethal chronic hemolytic anemia. People suffering from sickle cell disease (homozygous SS) experience sickle cell crises under conditions of low oxygen tension. Sickle cell anemia affects multiple organ systems, including the musculoskeletal system. There is extensive literature about how sickle cell anemia affects the long bones of the musculoskeletal system. There is very little written about the effects of sickle cell anemia on the hand. This article reviews the manifestations of sickle disease in the hand, including the hand-foot syndrome or dactylitis, osteomyelitis, terminal phalangeal sclerosis, and avascular necrosis of the carpal bones (lunate).
Fetal heart rate and transcutaneous monitoring during experimentally induced hypoxia in the fetal dog.

ABSTRACT: A model of impaired oxygen delivery, using an acute surgical preparation in the fetal dog, is described. Fetal heart rate, transcutaneous pO2 and pCO2, and tissue pH were simultaneously recorded during hypoxic episodes produced by a series of successive occlusions of the maternal abdominal aorta. Corresponding values were also determined in the arterial blood of the fetus. The following pathophysiologic sequence of events was observed: 1) a latency period with no changes; 2) a drop in pO2 which stabilized later at a lower pressure; 3) late fetal heart rate deceleration, the pattern of which was not related to the progressively deteriorating fetal condition; 4) a progressive increase in pCO2; 5) a progressive decrease in pH. Abnormal tissue values consistently preceded and were more adversely affected than corresponding blood values. This experimental model demonstrates first that late decelerations of the fetal heart rate are an early sign of fetal hypoxia and second that a fall in fetal blood pH, beyond that level normally seen during labor, occurs relatively late in this pathophysiologic sequence. Between these two, there are intermediary stages that could be continuously monitored in order to identify worsening fetal condition. Continuous tissue pH and transcutaneous pO2 and pCO2 recording may potentially be of significant clinical value.
Application of Real Options to Strategic Management of Military Satellite Communications

This paper presents an overview of real options valuation techniques, and describes how MILS ATOM projects can be evaluated using real options. Definitions of key concepts involved in real options as well as real options examples from other industries are discussed first, followed by a description of five types of options with each type paired with a MILS ATCOM example. The mechanics of conducting a real options evaluation are explained, including required data and inputs particularly as applied in a MILS ATCOM context. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges for the DoD in implementing real options valuation techniques. Budgetary pressures have changed the military space communications philosophy from "all communications services, any time, any place" to "right communications service, right time, right place." This new philosophy, described in the current Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) Architecture documents [1], would require a somewhat different approach to MILSATCOM services than has been employed in the past. This new philosophy implies having just enough communications services to meet the need at any given time. Many concepts and systems have been proposed to achieve the "right communications service, right place, right time" philosophy. Such ideas as government anchor tenancy on upcoming commercial satellite systems, commercial leasing of satellite communications services on demand, and Civil Reserve Air Fleet-like arrangements [2] with satellite communications service providers are discussed frequently. But what has been largely absent from the discussion is how to properly value each of these ideas. Real options provides a useful valuation methodology for inherently risky projects such as those being considered to meet future MILSATCOM needs.
Clinical Cartilage Restoration: Evolution and Overview

Clinical cartilage restoration is evolving, with established and emerging technologies. Randomized, prospective studies with adequate power comparing the myriad of surgical techniques used to treat chondral injuries are still lacking and it remains a challenge for the surgeon treating patients to make evidence-based decisions. We reviewed the history of the major cartilage repair/restorative procedures, indications for currently available repair/restorative procedures, and postoperative management. We performed searches using MEDLINE and cartilage-specific key words to identify all English-language literature. Articles were selected based on their contributions to our current understanding of the basic science and clinical treatment of articular cartilage lesions or historical importance. We then selected 77 articles, two of which are articles of historical importance. Current cartilage restorative techniques include debridement, microfracture, osteochondral fragment repair, osteochondral allograft, osteochondral autograft, and autologous chondrocyte transplantation. Pending techniques include two-staged cell-based therapies integrated into a variety of scaffolds, single-stage cell-based therapy, and augmentation of marrow stimulation, each with suggested indications including lesion size, location, and activity demands of the patient. The literature demonstrates variable improvements in pain and function contingent upon multiple variables including indications and application. For the patient with symptomatic chondral injury, numerous techniques are available to the surgeon to relieve pain and improve function. Until rigorous clinical trials (prospective, adequately powered, randomized control) are available, treatment decisions should be guided by expert extrapolation of the available literature based in historically sound principles.
Calculation of the vibrational frequencies of polyethylene and polyethylene-d4 by the MNDO semi-empirical SCF method

Abstract The vibrational frequencies of polyethylene and polyethylene- d 4 have been calculated by the MNDO semi-empirical SCF MO method. The results are in good agreement with experiment.
Carbon Dioxide is a Powerful Inducer of Monokaryotic Hyphae and Spore Development in Cryptococcus gattii and Carbonic Anhydrase Activity is Dispensable in This Dimorphic Transition

Cryptococcus gattii is unique among human pathogenic fungi with specialized ecological niche on trees. Since leaves concentrate CO2, we investigated the role of this gaseous molecule in C. gattii biology and virulence. We focused on the genetic analyses of β-carbonic anhydrase (β-CA) encoded by C. gattii CAN1 and CAN2 as later is critical for CO2 sensing in a closely related pathogen C. neoformans. High CO2 conditions induced robust development of monokaryotic hyphae and spores in C. gattii. Conversely, high CO2 completely repressed hyphae development in sexual mating. Both CAN1 and CAN2 were dispensable for CO2 induced morphogenetic transitions. However, C. gattii CAN2 was essential for growth in ambient air similar to its reported role in C. neoformans. Both can1 and can2 mutants retained full pathogenic potential in vitro and in vivo. These results provide insight into C. gattii adaptation for arboreal growth and production of infectious propagules by β-CA independent mechanism(s).
Nonvanishing Electric Field Gradients, Zero-Field Splitting, and Magnetic Field Energies of 6 S-State Ferric Ion in Tetragonal Symmetry

A calculation has been made of the spin-orbit coupling of the high-spin ground state of ferric ion, the $^{6}S$ state, with excited doublet and quartet electronic states in strong crystal electric fields of tetragonal symmetry. The aim of the calculation was to simulate as closely as possible, without explicitly including bonding, the condition of ferric ion in the heme group of ferriheme compounds. Eigenfunctions and eigenvalues resulting from such a calculation were used as a basis for calculating other properties of interest of the ferric ion in such systems. Explicitly, the zero-magnetic-field splitting of the sextet ground state, magnetic-field energy components, effective magnetic moments, and the lattice and valence contributions to an electricfield gradient at the iron nucleus were calculated. These properties were investigated as a function of the cubic and tetragonal field strengths, the spin-orbit coupling strength, and the number of excited states included in the interaction. The calculated results were compared with existing experimental data from single-crystal electron spin resonance, magnetic-suceptibility measurements, and the observed quadrupole splitting of the M\"ossbauer resonance of high-spin ferriheme compounds. For a consistent and relatively narrow range of values for input parameters, all of the calculated properties agreed quite well with the experimental results currently available.
Discrimination in the Criminal Courts: Family, Gender, and the Problem of Equal Treatment

"Sex effects"-favoring women-typically found in criminal court pretrial release and sentencing outcomes have not been satisfactorily explained. Drawing on ob- servational studies and interviews with court officials carried out by the author and others, a social control/social costs framework is presented. This framework revises Kruttschnitt's social control arguments and introduces the idea that there are social costs to punishment. Hypotheses are tested on the impact of a defen- dant's familial status and the interactive effects of gender and family for five court outcomes. The results show that initially significant sex effects are explained by defendants' familial situations. Implications are drawn for future research on gen- der discrimination in the criminal courts and for the problem of equal treatment of groups and individuals before the law. A common finding in statistical studies of criminal court outcomes is a persistent "sex effect," one showing that women receive more lenient treatment than men. Although some suggest this sex effect may be more apparent than real, that is, an artifact of inadequate control variables (Stef- fensmeier 1980), reviews of multivariate studies that control for the defen- dant's prior record and the type/severity of the offense charged show a recurring pattern. Differences in the treatment of men and women are more often found in sentencing and pretrial release decisions than in those for case dismissal and conviction (Chesney-Lind forthcoming; Nagel & Hagan 1983; Parisi 1982). Research to date shows that sex effects are real, but arise in particular decision-making contexts. What explains the variability of the sex effect across differing court outcomes? And what explains the sex effect when it emerges? Interviews with court officials and observations of court practices suggest that pre-trial release and sentencing decisions are shaped by defendants' familial relations and, in turn, are infused with concerns for maintaining family life (Daly 1986, 1987; Eaton 1983; Mann, Wheeler & Sarat 1980; Maynard 1982). Drawing from this qualitative research, a social control/social costs framework is presented, and the hypotheses derived are subject to statisti- cal test. The social control/social costs framework revises Kruttschnitt's (1981, 1982, 1984) and Kruttschnitt and Green's (1984) social control argu- ments and introduces the idea that there are social costs to punishment, these being the negative consequences to the state of imposing criminal justice sanctions, especially jail time, on defendants.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of treatment strategies for initial Clostridium difficile infection

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is costly. Current guidelines recommend metronidazole as first-line therapy and vancomycin as an alternative. Recurrence is common. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective therapy for recurrent CDI (RCDI). This study explores the cost-effectiveness of FMT, vancomycin and metronidazole for initial CDI. We constructed a decision-analytic computer simulation using inputs from published literature to compare FMT with a 10–14-day course of oral metronidazole or vancomycin for initial CDI. Parameters included cure rates (baseline value (range)) for metronidazole (80% (65–85%)), vancomycin (90% (88–92%)) and FMT(91% (83–100%)). Direct costs of metronidazole, vancomycin and FMT, adjusted to 2011 dollars, were $57 ($43–72), $1347 ($1195–1499) and $1086 ($815–1358), respectively. Our effectiveness measure was quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted from the third-party payer perspective. Analysis using baseline values showed that FMT($1669, 0.242 QALYs) dominated (i.e. was less costly and more effective) vancomycin ($1890, 0.241 QALYs). FMT was more costly and more effective than metronidazole ($1167, 0.238 QALYs), yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $124 964/QALY. One-way sensitivity analyses showed that metronidazole dominated both strategies if its probability of cure were >90%; FMT dominated if it cost <$584. In a probabilistic sensitivity analysis at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000/QALY, metronidazole was favoured in 55% of model iterations; FMT was favoured in 38%. Metronidazole, as the first-line treatment for CDIs, is less costly. FMT and vancomycin are more effective. However, FMT is less likely to be economically favourable, and vancomycin is unlikely to be favourable as first-line therapy when compared with FMT.