cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Airborne path attenuation of partial enclosures: Simulation and sensitivity study

Partial enclosures are a very common way to reduce noise emissions from machinery. However, partial enclosures exhibit complex acoustic behavior that is difficult to predict. The boundary element method (BEM) was used to predict the insertion loss and was compared to measurement with good agreement. After validating the model, a sensitivity study was conducted. Factors investigated included enclosure size, opening size, amount of absorption coverage, absorption location, and the relationship between the source directivity and the opening location. It is notable that insertion loss was most sensitive to opening size and absorption coverage.
Electroanalytical and optical methods in the study of analytically important reactions

Abstract The use of polarography and spectrophotometry in the study of analytically important reactions is demonstrated on two examples: determination of arginine based on reaction with 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds, and determination of bile acids in strongly acidic media. Guanidine and arginine react at 25 °C with biacetyl in three reaction steps of considerably different rates, none of them involving the formation of a heterocycle. Only the decrease of biacetyl concentration can be followed by polarography, but neither this method nor spectrophotometry enabled following of intermediates or products. Therefore attention has been paid to the reaction of the guanidino grouping with 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (I), which behaves like an orthoquinone rather than a 1,2-diketone. Compound I reacts with two hydroxide ions and forms a stable geminal diol dianion. Reaction of I with a third hydroxide ion results in a trianion which undergoes a benzilic acid rearrangement. The nature of the species reacting with the guanidino grouping is being studied. Bile acids can be determined based on absorption at 310 and 380 nm in 70–80% H2SO4. The chromophores are allylic and dienylic carbocations formed in a reaction of a carbocation and olefin. The latter results from dissociation of the carbocation. In the study of the dependence of kinetics of this reaction on acidity, the problem of reaction of ethanol (used as co-solvent) with sulfuric acid was encountered. Equilibrium constants for the reaction of ethanol and methanol with sulfuric acid were measured. From their dependence on acidity it follows that ROH reacts with HSO4− to yield ROH+SO3−. For ROH2+ ⇌ ROH + H+ approximate values of KROH = 5 × 103 liters mol−1 for ethanol and 1.8 × 104 liters mol−1 for methanol were found.
First-trimester risk factors for preeclampsia development in women initiating aspirin by 16 weeks of gestation.

OBJECTIVE The residual risk of preeclampsia in high-risk women on aspirin prophylaxis exceeds that of low-risk populations, and this study aimed to identify first-trimester maternal characteristics associated with aspirin prophylaxis failure. METHODS This is a nested cohort study of prospectively enrolled women with verified initiation of risk-indicated aspirin prophylaxis by 16 weeks of gestation. First-trimester maternal history, demographics, anthropometry, ultrasound parameters, and serum analytes were compared between women who developed preeclampsia and those who did not. Blood pressure measurements were classified as prehypertension or hypertension according to the Joint National Committee on Hypertension guidelines. Chi square, nonparametric, and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the contributors to preeclampsia development. RESULTS Six hundred fourteen women prospectively enrolled at 9-14 weeks of gestation initiated aspirin by 16 weeks of gestation. The 59 (9.6%) women who developed preeclampsia were more likely to have chronic hypertension, diabetes, and obesity and had higher first-trimester blood pressure and lower serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A concentrations (all P<.05). Having first-trimester Joint National Committee on Hypertension prehypertension or hypertension was associated with a 2.18-fold increased risk of developing preeclampsia, whereas normotension was associated with a reduction of risk of 56%. CONCLUSION Women who develop preeclampsia while taking aspirin prophylaxis are more likely to have elevated first-trimester blood pressures. Conversely, first-trimester normotension is associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia.
Effective corneal refractive diameter as a function of the object tangent angle in visual space

Purpose To determine whether the currently accepted method of selecting a minimum optical zone diameter for laser refractive surgery that is equal to or slightly greater than the dark-adapted pupil diameter provides a sufficient diameter of corneal surface to focus light arising from objects in the paracentral and peripheral visual field. Setting Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA. Methods An optical model of the anterior segment was developed to calculate the effective corneal refractive diameter (ECRD), which is the diameter of the area of cornea that refracts all incident light rays arising from an object through the physical pupil (PP). This model incorporates the patient variables of central anterior chamber depth (ACD), central corneal curvature (Kc), and the diameter of the apparent entrance pupil (EP). The model was expanded to incorporate distant objects off the line of sight (LOS), described by their angular displacement from the fixation object in visual space (the object tangent angle δob). Results were calculated for the 360 meridian degree visual field (ie, for all objects in visual space perceptually displaced from the fixation object by angle δob). The effect of the prolate nature of the cornea was also investigated. Results The ECRD expanded rapidly as a function of PP and δob but was minimally influenced by Kc. Beyond a critical object tangent angle δc, light rays striking the corneal vertex were not refracted through the PP, and the ECRD became an annular surface centered on the corneal vertex. The δc was not a function of K, but increased as the PP increased and decreased as the ACD increased. The prolate nature of the cornea had little influence on the ECRD, even for very peripheral light rays. Conclusions The ECRD expands rapidly when considering distant objects only slightly displaced from the LOS. A patient treated with an optical zone equal to or slightly greater than the dark-adapted pupil diameter may experience vision quality loss for paracentral and midperipheral objects even under conditions of ambient indoor lighting.
Lexical agraphia in Alzheimer's disease

• We studied spelling in 11 patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT), and their performance was contrasted with that of normal controls. A consistent and specific pattern of linguistic agraphia was identified in the group with SDAT. Although patients with SDAT spelled regular words and nonwords as well as controls, they performed significantly worse when they spelled irregular words. These findings indicated an impairment of the lexical spelling system, consistent with the diagnosis of lexical agraphia. Our observations suggested a loss of word representations from the orthographic lexicon in SDAT and/or an inability to access these representations. However, phonological spelling (phoneme-grapheme conversion) was largely spared.
Effect of the disinfection agents chlorine, UV irradiation, silver ions, and TiO2 nanoparticles/near-UV on DNA molecules

Extracellular DNA in municipal wastewater and effluents from hospitals and R&D laboratories contains antimicrobial resistance and recombinant genes that are today considered as a new class of emerging contaminants. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of disinfection agents on the integrity of DNA molecules by using real-time PCR. Escherichia coli cell suspensions and genomic DNA in aqueous solution were exposed to increasing doses of disinfection systems, including chlorination, UV irradiation, silver ions, and TiO2 nanoparticles/near-UV. The doses resulting in damage of DNA (16S rDNA) were determined using real-time PCR and compared with the doses resulting in the inactivation of bacterial cells. Our results showed that the disinfection agents chlorine, UV, and silver significantly inhibited the amplification of a fragment of 16S rDNA, but only when applied at doses much higher than the lethal doses for E. coli bacteria. The inactivation doses of TiO2 nanoparticles/near-UV were of the same order of magnitude for both DNA and living cells. Our results raise questions about the efficacy of disinfection processes to destroy and prevent the dispersion of DNA pollutants into the environment. In addition, the damage of DNA by high levels of disinfectants may have implications for the utilization of PCR-based methods for bacterial detection.
Dose‐related effects of detomidine on autonomic responses in the horse

1. Detomidine is a novel veterinary sedative analgesic which is thought to act by stimulation of alpha 2 adrenoreceptors. The present study was undertaken to determine the direction, time course, and dose-response relationship of detomidine on specific autonomic responses in the unanaesthetized horse. 2. Detomidine was administered intravenously to eight adult thoroughbred racehorses at doses of 0.010-0.040 mg kg-1, according to a double-blind Latin square crossover design. Cardiac and respiratory rates, pupil diameter and rectal temperature were monitored for 180 min postinjection. 3. Detomidine produced prolonged dose-related bradycardia and bradypnoea. This was accompanied by a briefer period of dose-related mydriasis. Response duration, rather than peak was consistently increased as a function of dose. 4. Rectal temperature was not altered in a dose-dependent fashion. Low doses of detomidine produced late onset hypothermia, while high doses produced early and late onset hyperthermia. 5. These data indicate the uniqueness in autonomic response by the horse to alpha 2 adrenoreceptor stimulation.
Role of endogenous retroviruses in autoimmune diseases.

GOURLEY, M.F., KISCH, W.J., MOJCIK, C.F., KING, L.B., KRIEG, A.M. and STEINBERG, A.D. Role of Endogenous Retroviruses in Autoimmune Diseases. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 173 (1), 105-114 - Retroviruses have been implicated in the pathogenesis of murine and human lupus; however, many positive findings have been followed by alternative explanations. Initial findings implicating xenotropic retroviruses were subsequently invalidated. The first solid demonstration that endogenous retroviruses mediate disease was the study of SL/Ni mice. Here budding ecotropic retroviral particles from arterial smooth muscle cells caused an antibody response to the particles with subsequent complement deposition. Our laboratory has focused on derangements in endogenous MCF retroviral expression. We found that lupus-prone NZB, BXSB and MRL strains have a marked increase in expression of Mpmv RNA in their thymuses while bone marrow expression did not differ from normal strains. Sequence analysis demonstrated mutations in the NZB endogenous retroviruses which could alter expression. A phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotide to the initiation sequence of Mpmv caused lymphocyte activation in vivo in normal mice, providing further evidence for in vivo effects of Mpmv and potential for pathological abnormalities in lupus-prone strains.
Asymptotic Analysis of Two-Reactant Flames With Variable Properties and Stefan-Maxwell Transport

Abstract Two-term expansions for burning velocity in activation-energy asymptotics are developed for four-species, two-reactant, steady, planar, adiabatic laminar flames with irreversible one-step chemistry. General Stefan-Maxwell transport is included with Soret and Dufour effects, pressure gradients, body forces and radiant transport neglected. The results lead to identification of effective Lewis numbers (combinations of Lewis numbers for different pairs of species) that affect the burning velocity, and by exhibiting influences of fully variable transport and thermodynamic properties they provide a basis for achieving improved accuracy in asymptotic analysis of flame propagation in two-reactant systems such as hydrogen-halogen mixtures. When suitably specialized to the more restrictive conditions considered in earlier work, the burning velocities obtained here agree with those derived previously
Probabilistic approach to the reporting of fine-needle aspiration cytology of the breast.

The use of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the clinical management of breast disease has grown steadily in the U.S. As proficiency and experience with this technique have increased, the need for the standardization of terminology and approach is clear. Simple and easily applied diagnostic categories are needed to facilitate communication with clinical colleagues and other pathologists and to allow outcomes assessment, both intraand interinstitutionally. Most important is that cytopathologists understand the impact of diagnostic terms on their clinicians. When greater certainty than is warranted can lead to an irretrievable error (i.e., mastectomy or chemotherapy), mutual understanding of diagnostic certainty is mandatory. Although the terms may vary, a consistent system of presentation is essential. Progress in the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of breast tumors and their management demands a more complex and sophisticated approach than one presupposing that most specimens may be accorded a cancer yes/cancer no, dichotomous diagnosis. The philosophy described herein follows that of the 1996 Breast FNA Conference held in Bethesda, Maryland, which was supported by the National Cancer Institute and many other professional associations. At that conference, the subcommittee on terminology and other attendees entered into lengthy and animated discussion of the number and names of proposed categories to be applied to the interpretation of See editorial on pages 1–2, this issue. breast aspirates. This presentation reflects the importance of this basic framework, and endeavors to explain the probabilistic versus diAddresss for correspondence: David L. Page, M.D., Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt Unichotomous approach to diagnostic reporting in this important area. versity, C3321 Medical Center North, 1161 21st There are two major competing philosophic bases to the reporting Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232. Reprints of FNAC in the breast. The first is predicated on the assumption that not available. this is a laboratory test that can be evaluated with regard to specificity, sensitivity, predictive values, etc. Basically, this is done in a 2 1 2 Received December 4, 1996; revision received table format in which each sample is assigned to one of the four cells December 11, 1996; accepted December 13, 1996. labeled as follows: true-positive, true-negative, false-positive, and
Analysis of the flow-induced vibrations of viscoelastically supported rectangular plates

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model for the flow-induced vibration of viscoelastically supported rectangular plates. In particular, the influence of the dynamic mechanical properties of the elements supporting the plate was investigated. The case of a homogeneous rectangular plate supported along all four edges by a complex viscoelastic element was treated. The Rayleigh–Ritz method was used applying beam functions as the trial functions. This approach ensured a fast convergence rate, which is advantageous for vibration analysis of high order modes. The flow-induced vibration of the plate was calculated using the Corcos model for the surface pressure loading. The results suggest that there is an optimal support stiffness that minimizes the flow-induced vibration response of the plate.
Bond and strain energy effects in surface segregation: An atomic calculation

A model for predicting the surface segregation of solute in very dilute binary solid alloys is developed. The two main factors contributing to the driving force for segregation are the bond strength ratio ϵ∗ and size ratio σ∗ for the solute atom in the solvent matrix. These differences are accounted for implicity by considering various solid solution systems in bulk and surface configurations and by minimizing the total potential energy of the systems (0 K) through atomic relaxation consistent with the assumed long-range, pairwise interactions between the atoms. In previous studies, these two factors have been treated separately in an “ad hoc” manner and the strain energy due to the odd-size solute atom in the solvent lattice has been estimated using various continuum elasticity models. We demonstrate the short-comings of the conventional approach, in particular the failure of the simple continuum elasticity theory to accurately estimate the elastic driving force. We invent the ϵ∗−σ∗ representation which greatly facilitates a comparison of the various theories with one another and with experiments, the usefulness of this representation residing in the important finding that the theoretical boundary separating segregation and non-segregation regions depends only on ϵ∗ and σ∗. Comparison of our theory with experiment in 31 cases yields 28 correct predictions.
Groundwork of the Moral Law: A New Look at the Qur'ān and the Genesis of Sharī'a

By reevaluating modernist assumptions in Islamicist scholarship and in Western moral and legal philosophy, I arrive at the conclusion that the Qur'ān was a source of Islamic law since the early Meccan period, when the Prophet Muhammad began to receive the Revelation. This conclusion, supported by extensive evidence from the Qur'ān itself, compels a modification in the standard narrative about the genesis of Islamic law.
WHAT IS A SURFACE

A search for a good definition of surface leads to the rectifiable currents of geometric measure theory, with interesting advantages and disadvantages. For details and references see Morgan's Geometric Measure Theory: a Beginner's Guide, Academic Press, 2nd edition, 1995. Figures by James F. Bredt. 1. WHAT IS AN INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF A GENERAL SURFACE IN R3? We want to include smooth embedded manifolds with boundary, as in Figure 1, and we want to be able to allow singularities, as in the cube and cone of Figure 2.
Anatomical and ultrastructural aspects of the ant-food cell of Piper cenocladum C.DC. (Piperaceae)

P. cenocladum possede une cavite formee par le petiole, qui peut etre habitee par la fourmi Pheidole bicornis. La presence de cette fourmi entraine une differenciation des cellules epidermiques du petiole. Les aspects cellulaires de ce processus de differenciation sont decrits dans cette etude
Challenges to via middle TSV integration at sub-28nm nodes

This work presents the via middle TSV integration at sub-28 nm nodes using a new local interconnect scheme involving V0 vias. Various V0 schemes are presented along with their respective resistance, capacitance and leakage current data. The characterization and reliability results are presented through TSV daisy chain structures and MOL via chains.
Effects of molecular organization on photophysical behavior: Steady-state and real-time behavior of chlorophyll-b fluorescence in spread monolayers of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine

Abstract Fluorescence lifetimes, spectra, and intensities of chlorophyll- b have been determined in monolayers of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine as functions of monolayer compression up to 30 dyn cm −1 over the chlorophyll- b concentration range of 1–30 x 10 12 molecules cm −2 . The fluorescence spectrum observed at 661 nm indicates that monomeric chlorophyll- b is the only fluorescent form. The fluorescence lifetime at the low concentration limit approaches 3.8 ns, quite close to that observed in non-polar media. Both fluorescence lifetime and intensity decrease with increasing concentration, the behavior reflecting the expected concentration quenching. Unlike previous studies with chlorophyll- a , however, Stern-Volmer-type plots indicate that static quenching plays a marked role in the fluorescence behavior observed.
Imagining a non-biological machine as a legal person

As non-biological machines come to be designed in ways which exhibit characteristics comparable to human mental states, the manner in which the law treats these entities will become increasingly important both to designers and to society at large. The direct question will become whether, given certain attributes, a non-biological machine could ever be viewed as a “legal person.” In order to begin to understand the ramifications of this question, this paper starts by exploring the distinction between the related concepts of “human,” “person,” and “property.” Once it is understood that person in the legal sense can apply to a non-biological entity such as a corporation, the inquiry then goes on to examine the folk psychology view of intentionality and the concept of autonomy. The conclusion reached is that these two attributes can support the view that a non-biological machine, at least in theory, can be viewed as a legal person.
Resistance to Women in Ministry and the Psychodynamics of Sadness

The relationship between losses within mainline Protestant churches and the resistance to women in ministry is explored. Loss in congregations and denominations awakens an unconscious desire for a “dominant other” that will save the church from real or perceived loss or even the threat of death. Women are not seen as “dominant” and are thus overlooked when leadership for restoration is sought. Loss may also awaken unconscious resentment and hatred against women. Women are associated with the “wombishness” of Jesus, a trait historically rejected, but one that could not be destroyed even as it remained life-giving and nurturing.
Relative shear stability of mini‐ and macroemulsion latexes

The shear stability of mini- and macroemulsion latexes is compared and quantitatively evaluated with respect to their particle-size distributions. The effect of a few externally added large particles on the shear stability of these two types of latexes was also investigated. All the latexes selected were in the colloidal size range (less than 1 micron). The original particle sizes for the macroemulsion latexes ranged from 141 to 241 nm, and those for the miniemulsion latexes ranged from 96 to 209 nm. The miniemulsion latexes were found to be more shear stable than were their macroemulsion latex counterparts over the particle-size range investigated. This trend was repeated even in the presence of a few large particles. Additionally, seeding experiments suggest that mini- and macroemulsion latexes incur different levels of shear aggregation due to inherent differences in their particle-size distributions. The shear rate used along with the particle size and number were quantitatively shown to significantly influence the aggregation process. Finally, a quantitative method for evaluating relative shear stability in emulsion polymerization was demonstrated, which, although not very rigorous, could serve as a starting point for further quantitative isolation and investigation of the various parameters that affect the shear aggregation process.
5-hydroxytryptamine responses in neonate rat motoneurones in vitro

1. Current and voltage recordings were made from antidromically identified motoneurones (MNs) in transverse thoracolumbar spinal cord slices of neonatal rats. 2. Applied by superfusion (10-100 microM) or pressure ejection, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) elicited a slow depolarization (or inward current) in 81% and a hyperpolarization (or outward current) in 9% of responsive MNs; the responses persisted in a low-Ca2+, high-Mg2+ or tetrodotoxin (TTX)-containing solution. 3. 5-HT induced the occurrence in some MNs of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) or inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), which were reversibly eliminated by TTX, low-Ca2+, high-Mg2+ solution or by the 5-HT2 receptor antagonists ketanserin and spiperone. Also, kynurenic acid and strychnine abolished, respectively, the 5-HT-induced EPSPs and IPSPs. 4. The 5-HT depolarization was associated with increased membrane resistance, was reduced by hyperpolarization and nullified near -100 mV. The extrapolated reversal potential was shifted to a positive direction in elevated [K+]o. 5. The depolarizing response was mimicked by the 5-HT2 receptor agonist (+2-)-1(2,5-dimethyoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane hydrochloride (DOI) and blocked by 5-HT antagonists methysergide and cyproheptadine and by 5-HT2 antagonists ketanserin and spiperone; methiothepin and MDL 72222 were without effect. 6. The 5-HT hyperpolarization was associated with decreased membrane resistance. The 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino) tetralin hydrobromide (8-OH-DPAT) mimicked the hyperpolarizing response. 7. Single or repetitive (10-30 Hz) electrical stimuli elicited in about 30% of MNs, in addition to a fast EPSP, a slow EPSP with electrophysiological characteristics similar to that of 5-HT induced depolarization. Methysergide and spiperone abolished the slow EPSPs evoked in some of these MNs. 8. It is suggested that 5-HT, acting on 5-HT2 and 5-HT1A receptors, depolarizes and hyperpolarizes the MNs by decreasing and increasing K+ conductance. Additionally, 5-HT activates, via 5-HT2 receptors, excitatory and inhibitory interneurones, thereby indirectly affecting the activity of MNs. More importantly, 5-HT released from intraspinal nerves appears to be the mediator of a slow EPSP in a population of MNs.
Effects of acrylamide on subcellular distribution of elements in rat sciatic nerve myelinated axons and Schwann cells

Electron probe X-ray microanalysis was used to determine whether experimental acrylamide (ACR) neuropathy involves deregulation of subcellular elements (Na, P, S, Cl, K, Ca and Mg) and water in Schwann cells and small, medium and large diameter myelinated axons of rat sciatic nerve. Results show that in proximal but not distal sciatic nerve, ACR treatment (2.8 mM in drinking water) was associated with an early (15 days of exposure), moderate increase in mean axoplasmic K concentrations (mmol/kg) of medium and small diameter fibers. However, all axons in proximal and distal nerve regions displayed small increases in dry and wet weight contents of axoplasmic Na and P. As ACR treatment progressed (up to 60 days of exposure), Na and P changes persisted whereas proximal axonal K levels returned to control values or below. Alterations in mitochondrial elemental content paralleled those occurring in axoplasm. Schwann cells in distal sciatic nerve exhibited a progressive loss of K, Mg and P and an increase in Na, Cl and Ca. Proximal glia displayed less extensive elemental modifications. Elemental changes observed in axons are not typical of those associated with cell injury and might reflect compensatory or secondary responses. In contrast, distal Schwann cell alterations are consistent with injury, but whether these changes represent primary or secondary mechanisms remains to be determined.
Rippled relaxation in the (110) surface of the ordered metallic alloy NiAl.

Results from a LEED analysis of NiAl(110) demonstrate that it possesses a large rippled relaxation away from its hypothetical truncated bulk surface, with the Al sites of the top composite Ni-Al layer being displaced approximately 0.22 \AA{} above the Ni sites. The evidence for this rippling is strong, since the agreement achieved between calculated and experimental $I\ensuremath{-}V$ profiles is of the same quality obtained in better LEED analyses of monatomic surfaces.
The water relations of Maidenhair fronds treated with silver nitrate

Fujino, D.W., Reid, M.S. and Kohl, H.C., 1983. The water relations of Maidenhair fronds treated with silver nitrate. Scientia Hortic., 19: 349--355. The wilting of cut fronds of Maidenhair fern (Adiantum raddianum cultivar 'Decorum') after less than 2 days in DI water was associated with a rapid reduction in water potential, loss of water balance, and a sharp decline in the rate of water conduction through the stem. AgNO 3 vase solutions maintained water potential, water balance and turgidity of the fronds for up to 2 weeks by simultaneously reducing water loss from the pinnae and maintaining water conductivity of the rachis.
Retrograde neurotrophin signaling through Tollo regulates synaptic growth in Drosophila

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are best characterized for their roles in mediating dorsoventral patterning and the innate immune response. However, recent studies indicate that TLRs are also involved in regulating neuronal growth and development. Here, we demonstrate that the TLR Tollo positively regulates growth of the Drosophila melanogaster larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Tollo mutants exhibited NMJ undergrowth, whereas increased expression of Tollo led to NMJ overgrowth. Tollo expression in the motoneuron was both necessary and sufficient for regulating NMJ growth. Dominant genetic interactions together with altered levels of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and puc-lacZ expression revealed that Tollo signals through the JNK pathway at the NMJ. Genetic interactions also revealed that the neurotrophin Spatzle3 (Spz3) is a likely Tollo ligand. Spz3 expression in muscle and proteolytic activation via the Easter protease was necessary and sufficient to promote NMJ growth. These results demonstrate the existence of a novel neurotrophin signaling pathway that is required for synaptic development in Drosophila.
The HPV vaccine and the media: how has the topic been covered and what are the effects on knowledge about the virus and cervical cancer?

Objective In June 2006, the first vaccine for HPV was approved by the FDA and media coverage about the topic increased significantly. This study sought to explore the nature of the coverage and whether knowledge about HPV was affected by it.
Function of Cryptococcus neoformans KAR7 (SEC66) in Karyogamy during Unisexual and Opposite-Sex Mating

The human basidiomycetous fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans serves as a model fungus to study sexual development and produces infectious propagules, basidiospores, via the sexual cycle. Karyogamy is the process of nuclear fusion and an essential step to complete mating. Therefore, regulation of nuclear fusion is central to understanding sexual development of C. neoformans. However, our knowledge of karyogamy genes was limited. In this study, using a BLAST search with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae KAR genes, we identified five C. neoformans karyogamy gene orthologs: CnKAR2, CnKAR3, CnKAR4, CnKAR7 (or CnSEC66), and CnKAR8. There are no apparent orthologs of the S. cerevisiae genes ScKAR1, ScKAR5, and ScKar9 in C. neoformans. Karyogamy involves the congression of two nuclei followed by nuclear membrane fusion, which results in diploidization. ScKar7 (or ScSec66) is known to be involved in nuclear membrane fusion. In C. neoformans, kar7 mutants display significant defects in hyphal growth and basidiospore chain formation during both a-α opposite and α-α unisexual reproduction. Fluorescent nuclear imaging revealed that during kar7 × kar7 bilateral mutant matings, the nuclei congress but fail to fuse in the basidia. These results demonstrate that the KAR7 gene plays an integral role in both opposite-sex and unisexual mating, indicating that proper control of nuclear dynamics is important. CnKAR2 was found to be essential for viability, and its function in mating is not known. No apparent phenotypes were observed during mating of kar3, kar4, or kar8 mutants, suggesting that the role of these genes may be dispensable for C. neoformans mating, which demonstrates a different evolutionary trajectory for the KAR genes in C. neoformans compared to those in S. cerevisiae.
A brief note on a further refinement of the Condorcet Jury Theorem for heterogeneous groups

I extend Boland's (1989) work on the Condorcet's Jury Theorem (CJT) for heterogeneous groups. I demonstrate that, as long as CJT holds (in that the mean individual competence ≥(1/2)+(1/2n)), heterogeneous groups are better at making the correct decision than homogeneous groups for any given level of mean competence. I also extend CJT to collective decision rules other than simple majority, and show that CJT holds for groups with supermajority decision rules if the mean individual competence is at least (π(n+1)/n) (where π=required majority).
Self Organization Algorithm for Unattended Acoustic Sensor Networks in Ground Target Tracking

This paper developed a self organization algorithm for unattended acoustic sensor networks used for ground target tracking. Instead of using sensor nodes with acoustic sensor arrays, the algorithm uses sensor nodes with a single acoustic sensor, which will greatly improve the flexibility of sensor network and reduce the cost and size of nodes. The self organization algorithm selects optimum group of sensor nodes to form a localization sensor group that minimize the localization error. The localization sensor group is dynamically updated along the tracking process to match the dynamics of the target. A Kalman filter based tracking method is proposed for improved performance. This combination will enable a highly accurate tracking using low cost, small size acoustic sensors. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Magnesium, zinc, and chromium nutriture and physical activity

Magnesium, zinc, and chromium are mineral elements required in modest amounts to maintain health and optimal physiologic function. For physically active persons, adequate amounts of these micronutrients are needed in the diet to ensure the capacity for increased energy expenditure and work performance. Most physically active individuals consume diets that provide amounts of magnesium and zinc sufficient to meet population standards. Women tend to consume less of these minerals than is recommended, in part because they eat less food than men. Inadequate intakes of magnesium and zinc have been reported for participants in activities requiring restriction of body weight. Dietary chromium is difficult to estimate because of a lack of appropriate reference databases. Acute, intense activity results in short-term increases in both urine and sweat losses of minerals that apparently diminish during recovery in the days after exercise. Supplemental magnesium and zinc apparently improve strength and muscle metabolism. However, evidence is lacking as to whether these observations relate to impaired nutritional status or a pharmacologic effect. Chromium supplementation of young men and women does not promote muscle accretion, fat loss, or gains in strength. Physically active individuals with concerns about meeting guidelines for nutrient intake should be counseled to select and consume foods with high nutrient densities rather than to rely on nutritional supplements. The indiscriminate use of mineral supplements can adversely affect physiologic function and impair health.
CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTATION OF HEN DRINKING WATER

Two experiments with White Leghorn hens (42 and 56 wk old, respectively) examined the effects of calcium supplementation through drinking water in the presence of adequate and inadequate dietary calcium. Each experiment was of 28 d duration with six replicate pens of five individually caged hens in each treatment. Treatments were a combination of either 2.25 or 3.5% dietary calcium coupled with tap water or water supplemented with .2% calcium from calcium lactate. In both studies, specific gravity of eggs was significantly improved when low dietary calcium was supplemented with .2% calcium in the drinking water. Egg production and egg weight were not influenced by waterborne calcium. Daily water intake was reduced by calcium lactate in all cases. Feed consumption was also depressed by waterborne calcium in both studies when 3.5% dietary calcium was given, and in Experiment 1 when 2.25% was fed. Waterborne calcium as calcium lactate was found to be effectively utilized for eggshell quality improvement when dietary sources were inadequate.
The yeast lysosome-like vacuole: endpoint and crossroads.

Fungal vacuoles are acidic organelles with degradative and storage capabilities that have many similarities to mammalian lysosomes and plant vacuoles. In the past several years, well-developed genetic, genomic, biochemical and cell biological tools in S. cerevisiae have provided fresh insights into vacuolar protein sorting, organelle acidification, ion homeostasis, autophagy, and stress-related functions of the vacuole, and these insights have often found parallels in mammalian lysosomes. This review provides a broad overview of the defining features and functions of S. cerevisiae vacuoles and compares these features to mammalian lysosomes. Recent research challenges the traditional view of vacuoles and lysosomes as simply the terminal compartment of biosynthetic and endocytic pathways (i.e. the “garbage dump” of the cell), and suggests instead that these compartments are unexpectedly dynamic and highly regulated.
Study of Impact-Induced Mechanical Effects in Cell Direct Writing Using Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic Method

Biomaterial direct-write technologies have been receiving more and more attention as rapid prototyping innovations in the area of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and biosensor/actuator fabrication based on computer-aided designs. However, cell damage due to the mechanical impact during cell direct writing has been observed and is a possible hurdle for broad applications of fragile cell direct writing. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact-induced cell mechanical loading profile in cell landing in terms of stress, acceleration, and maximum shear strain component during cell direct writing using a mesh-free smooth particle hydrodynamic method. Such cell mechanical loading profile information can be used to understand and predict possible impact-induced cell damage. It is found that the cell membrane usually undergoes a relatively severe deformation and the cell mechanical loading profile is dependent on the cell droplet initial velocity and the substrate coating thickness. Two important impact processes may occur during cell direct writing: the first impact between the cell droplet and the substrate coating and the second impact between the cell and the substrate. It is concluded that the impact-induced cell damage depends not only on the magnitudes of stress, acceleration, and/or shear strain but also the loading history that a cell experiences.
Resting and Active Properties of Pyramidal Neurons in Subiculum and CA1 of Rat Hippocampus

Action potentials are the end product of synaptic integration, a process influenced by resting and active neuronal membrane properties. Diversity in these properties contributes to specialized mech...
Mating of the slugs Arion lusitanicus auct. non Mabille and A. rufus (L.): Different genitalia and mating behaviours are incomplete barriers to interspecific sperm exchange

The large slug known as Arion lusitanicus (or A. vulgaris) is an important pest that is spreading through much of Europe. Arion rufus disappears at sites where A. lusitanicus has established strong populations. The finding of morphological intermediates suggests that A. lusitanicus hybridizes with A. rufus, but interspecific mating had not been proved. Considering the marked differences in their genitalia, it has been hard to envisage how mixed couples might transfer sperm. Arion lusitanicus and A. rufus were collected from pure populations near Gorlitz, Germany, and used for laboratory mating trials involving either two individuals of A. rufus (henceforth RR), two of A. lusitanicus (LL) or one of each species (mixed). Matings were video recorded and some couples were killed during or after copulation to study spermatophore transfer and genital anatomy during mating. Three mixed pairs copulated. However, mixed pairs were significantly less likely to copulate than either RR or LL pairs (7% vs 52 and 36%). At each stage of mating, the probability of proceeding further was lower in mixed pairs than predicted from rates in RR and LL pairs, but this effect was strongest for yin-yang formation and initiating copulation. One problem was that A. lusitanicus tried to circle after yin-yang formation, whereas A. rufus remained stationary. In this respect, and in the repositioning of its everted oviduct, it was A. lusitanicus that compromised. LL copulations lasted over twice as long as RR copulations, but spermatophore formation took similar times, permitting reciprocal spermato- phore exchange in mixed couples even though their copulations ended much earlier than in LL pairs. Our observations of mating behaviour of intraspecific pairs largely agree with previous descrip- tions of A. rufus, but we discuss some discrepancies between our findings and the fuller descriptions available for A. lusitanicus.
Struct-NB: predicting protein-RNA binding sites using structural features

We analyse sequence and structural features of protein-RNA interfaces using RB-147, a non-redundant dataset of protein-RNA complexes extracted from the PDB. We train classifiers using machine learning algorithms to predict protein-RNA interfaces from sequence and structure-derived features of proteins. Our experiments show that Struct-NB, a Naive Bayes classifier that exploits structural features, outperforms its counterparts that use only sequence features to predict protein-RNA binding residues.
A numerical analysis of initiation of polymerization waves

Frontal polymerization is a process of converting a monomer into a polymer by means of a self-propagating, thermal reaction wave. We study initiation of polymerization waves by a heat source. A five-species reaction model is considered with a focus on the evolution of two of these species and the temperature of the mixture. We conduct independent numerical analyses of two experimental configurations. The first of these consists of a mixture of monomer and initiator (a catalytic agent) placed in a test tube and a constant high temperature imposed at one end of the tube. Here, we identify four parameters whose values are determined by the rate of initiator decomposition, amount of volumetric heat loss, amount of heat produced by chemical conversion, and initial mixture temperature. We present a marginal initiation criterion as a relation between these parameters. The second experimental configuration considered here involves placing a test tube filled with a monomer and initiator mixture into a hot thermostatic oil bath. Asakur et al. recently reported that they had observed the formation of a reaction front in the center of a mixture under these conditions. We offer a simple mathematical model of this experiment and the results of numerical simulations based on this model. We show that the model proposed here captures a phenomenon observed in experiment, namely, that for a given bath temperature, there is a minimal tube radius necessary for a reaction front to be initiated. Our results further confirm that the frontal polymerization observed in such experiments can occur via a thermal mechanism.
What Are the Consequences of Phosphorylation and Hyperphosphorylation of Ryanodine Receptors in Normal and Failing Heart

See related article, pages e65–e72 Marks and colleagues published some influential results in 2000, suggesting that protein kinase A phosphorylation regulates ryanodine receptor (RyR2) open probability ( P oRyR). The authors attributed this to the dissociation of the RyR-associated regulatory protein FKBP12.6.1 They went on to propose that, in failing hearts, RyR2 is hyperphosphorylated, which leads to defective channel function by increasing sensitivity to Ca-induced activation of the molecule. Moreover, these effects were attributable to phosphorylation of a single amino acid, serine 2809 (S2809). There are 4 of these serine molecules at location 2808 in the human RyR2 molecule, 1 on each subunit of the tetramer. Much subsequent work has referred to the 2809 residue, which is found in rabbits. Marks and colleagues further suggested that phosphorylation of S2809 was also responsible for the normal effects of adrenergic stimulation on excitation–contraction coupling (ECC) and that hyperphosphorylation was responsible for abnormal ECC during failure. The RyR is a tetramer that forms the largest membrane ion channel. In muscle, it is found in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), where it functions as the Ca release channel. The heart isoform is designated RyR2. The pore sequences are largely found in membrane spanning domains.2 There is a large cytosolic domain. Although hyperphosphorylation refers, by definition, to the occupation of all the putative phosphorylation sites in a molecule in the context of the work by Marks and colleagues,1 hyperphosphorylation refers to 3 or perhaps 4 of the serine residues. In RyRs, there are a large number of consensus phosphorylation sites.3 RyRs are associated with a number of proteins, and these include anchoring protein phosphatases and kinases, as well as the regulatory protein FKBP12.6. From the standpoint of this editorial, this last protein is perhaps the most interesting, and it is considered …
Creating Evidence-Based Management Textbooks

A close look at textbooks helps to illustrate that we do not now translate research into practice in our teaching. There are two areas in which our textbooks fail: by too often reporting as research evidence information for which there is no reliable supporting scholarship, and by undermining the field by persisting in wasting scarce space (and students’ attention) on theories that have long been debunked by rigorous research. Why textbooks too often fail to accurately present research and what the chapter author has done to make her teaching more evidence based are described.
Relative refractory period

Scenario: This rhythm strip was obtained in an 18-year-old woman admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) following a motor vehicle accident; her sister, the passenger, was dead on arrival. Although the patient was in critical condition, she was hemodynamically stable with mechanical ventilation and sedation. Unexpectedly, the central monitor alarmed for the ECG strip below. Immediate assessment of the patient revealed that she had no palpable carotid pulse. ECG PUZZLER A regular feature of the American Journal of Critical Care, the ECG Puzzler addresses ECG interpretation for clinical practice. We welcome letters to the Editors regarding this feature.
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Biology, Immunology, and Therapy Edited by Emilio A. Emini Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002. 532 pp., illustrated. $75.00 (cloth)

Preface vii Contributors xi Chapter 1 The Structure and Biology of HIV 1: Introduction by Elana Cherry and Mark A. Wainberg Chapter 2 The Genetics of HIV-1 by Jon P. Anderson, Matthew Rain, Daniel Shriner, Allen G. Rodrigo, Yang Wang, David Nickle, Gerald H. Learn, Willscott E. Naugler, and James I. Mullins 44 Chapter 3 Nucleoside Inhibitors of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and the Problem of Drug Resistance by Matthias Gdtte, Shalom Spira, and Mark A. Wainberg 100 Chapter 4 Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors of HIV-1 by Jan Balzarini 132 Chapter 5 HIV -1 Protease Inhibitors by Jon H. Condra and Joseph P. Vacca 172 Chapter 6 The Biology and Biochemistry of Integration as a Target for Chemotherapeutic Intervention by Daria J. Hazuda 223 Chapter 7 Chemokine Receptors in HIV Infection and AIDS by Nathaniel R. Landau 250 Chapter 8 Novel HIV-1 Therapeutic Targets: Regulatory Functions by Catherine Ulich and Richard B. Gaynor 294 Chapter 9 Novel HIV -1 Therapeutic Targets: Accessory Functions by Mario Stevenson 328 Chapter 10 The Interface between the Pathogenesis and Treatment of HIV Infection by Mark B. Feinberg 384 Chapter 11 HIV Prevention: Implementing Proven Prevention Interventions to Control the Global Epidemic by Chris Collins, Todd Summers, and Tom Coates 441 Chapter 12 The Immunobiology of HIV -1 Infection by Norman L. Letvin 459 Chapter 13 HIV Vaccines 2000: Prospects and Challenges by Spyros A. Kalams and Bruce D. Walker 481 Index 511