cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mandible-Powered Escape Jumps in Trap-Jaw Ants Increase Survival Rates during Predator-Prey Encounters

Animals use a variety of escape mechanisms to increase the probability of surviving predatory attacks. Antipredator defenses can be elaborate, making their evolutionary origin unclear. Trap-jaw ants are known for their rapid and powerful predatory mandible strikes, and some species have been observed to direct those strikes at the substrate, thereby launching themselves into the air away from a potential threat. This potential escape mechanism has never been examined in a natural context. We studied the use of mandible-powered jumping in Odontomachus brunneus during their interactions with a common ant predator: pit-building antlions. We observed that while trap-jaw ant workers escaped from antlion pits by running in about half of interactions, in 15% of interactions they escaped by mandible-powered jumping. To test whether escape jumps improved individual survival, we experimentally prevented workers from jumping and measured their escape rate. Workers with unrestrained mandibles escaped from antlion pits significantly more frequently than workers with restrained mandibles. Our results indicate that some trap-jaw ant species can use mandible-powered jumps to escape from common predators. These results also provide a charismatic example of evolutionary co-option, where a trait that evolved for one function (predation) has been co-opted for another (defense).
Differences in sympathetic neuroeffector transmission to rat mesenteric arteries and veins as probed by in vitro continuous amperometry and video imaging.

As arteries are resistance blood vessels while veins perform a capacitance function, it might be expected that sympathetic neural control of arteries and veins would differ. The function of sympathetic nerves supplying mesenteric arteries (MA) and veins (MV) in rats was investigated using in vitro continuous amperometry with a carbon fibre microelectrode and video imaging. We simultaneously measured noradrenaline (NA) overflow at the blood vessel adventitial surface and vasoconstriction evoked by electrical stimulation of perivascular sympathetic nerves. Sympathetic nerve arrangement was studied using glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence of NA. We found that: (i) there were significant differences between MA and MV in the arrangement of sympathetic nerves; (ii) frequency–response curves for NA overflow and vasoconstriction for MV were left-shifted compared to MA; (iii) the P2X receptor antagonist, pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulphonic acid (PPADS, 10 μm), reduced constrictions in MA but not in MV while the α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin (0.1 μm), blocked constrictions in MV but not in MA; (iv) NA overflow for MA was enhanced by the α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, yohimbine (1.0 μm), and attenuated by the α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, UK 14,304 (1.0 μm), while yohimbine and UK 14,304 had little effect in MV; (v) cocaine (10 μm) produced larger increases in NA overflow in MA than in MV; (vi) UK 14,304 constricted MV but not MA while yohimbine reduced constrictions in MV but not MA. We conclude that there are fundamental differences in sympathetic neuroeffector mechanisms in MA and MV, which are likely to contribute to their different haemodynamic functions.
Dopamine is not essential for the development of methamphetamine‐induced neurotoxicity

It is widely believed that dopamine (DA) mediates methamphetamine (METH)-induced toxicity to brain dopaminergic neurons, because drugs that interfere with DA neurotransmission decrease toxicity, whereas drugs that increase DA neurotransmission enhance toxicity. However, temperature effects of drugs that have been used to manipulate brain DA neurotransmission confound interpretation of the data. Here we show that the recently reported ability of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine to reverse the protective effect of alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine on METH-induced DA neurotoxicity is also confounded by drug effects on body temperature. Further, we show that mice genetically engineered to be deficient in brain DA develop METH neurotoxicity, as long as the thermic effects of METH are preserved. In addition, we demonstrate that mice genetically engineered to have unilateral brain DA deficits develop METH-induced dopaminergic deficits that are of comparable magnitude on both sides of the brain. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that DA is not essential for the development of METH-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity and suggest that mechanisms independent of DA warrant more intense investigation.
Dehydration and melting experiments constrain the fate of subducted sediments

[1] Geochemical tracers demonstrate that elements are cycled from subducted sediments into the arc melting regime at subduction zones, although the transfer mechanism is poorly understood. Are key elements (Th, Be, Rb) lost during sediment dehydration or is sediment melting required? To investigate this question, we conducted phase equilibria and trace element partitioning experiments on a pelagic red clay for conditions appropriate to the slab beneath arc volcanoes (2–4 GPa, 600°–1000°C). Using both piston cylinders and multianvils, we determined the solidus, phase stabilities, and major element compositions of coexisting phases. The solidus (H2O + Cl fluid-saturated) was located at 775 ± 25°C at 2 GPa, 810 ± 15°C at 3 GPa, and 1025 ± 25°C at 4 GPa with noevidence for complete miscibility between melt and fluid. This sediment composition produces a profusion of phases both above and below the solidus: garnet, jadeitic pyroxene, alkali-rich amphibole, phengite, biotite, magnetite, coesite, kyanite, apatite, zircon, Cl-rich fluids, and peraluminous to peralkaline granitic melts. At 2 GPa the phengite dehydration solidus is at 800°–825°C, while biotite breaks down between 850° and 900°C. To explore trace element partitioning across the solidus at 2 GPa, we used diamonds to trap fluids and melts. Both the bulk sediment residues and diamond traps were analyzed postexperiment by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for 40 elements for which we calculated bulk partition coefficients (D = Csolid/Cfluid). Below the solidus, Rb, Sr, Ba, and Pb showed the greatest mobility (D ∼ 0.5–1.0), while at the solidus, Th and Be became notably partitioned into the melt (D values changing from >2.0 to <1.0). K and Rb D values fall below 1.0 when the micas breakdown. Only at the solidus do Th and Rb attain similar partition coefficients, a condition required by arc data. Taken together, the experimental results indicate that critical elements (Th and Be) require sediment melting to be efficiently transferred to the arc. This conclusion is at odds with most thermal models for subduction zones, which predict slab temperatures more than 100°C lower than sediment solidi. Thus the condition of sediment melting (with oceanic crust dehydration) may provide new constraints on the next generation of thermal/geodynamical models of subduction zones.
New Development of Digital Copyright Protection in China – The Landmark Case of Zheng Chengsi v. Shusheng

Zheng Chengsi v. Shusheng Digital Technology Co Ltd (the “Shusheng case”) is fated to become a landmark case in the copyright history of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “China”). Even when the Shusheng case was just decided by the court of first instance and still pending appeal, it was elected by media as one of the top 10 IP cases of 2004 in the PRC. One may think that it was because the participants of this case virtually constitute a “dream team” in PRC IP circles. For example, one of the presiding judges was the “model judge” Song Yushui, who has long been well known throughout the PRC for her integrity and professionalism. More interestingly, the seven plaintiffs were all highly respected IP scholars in the PRC, headed by Professor Zheng Chengsi. As many readers are aware, Zheng Chengsi is commonly regarded as the ultimate authority of intellectual property law in the PRC and was recently elected by an English journal Managing Intellectual Property as one of 50 IP’s most important figures in the world. Notwithstanding the above, the importance of the Shusheng case apparently lies more in the various policy implications that it brings forward to the Chinese public, e.g. whether copyright law has become obsolete in the digital age, whether the exclusive rights of authors should be compromised to provide for the free flow of content through the internet, and what it takes to achieve the delicate balance between the legitimate interests of authors, distributors and end-users. As an attempt to answer those questions, this comment argues that the key to fostering the development of information industries, especially online publishing, is to reinforce copyright protection in cyberspace and in doing so preserve the ultimate source of creative and useful content for the public. The next two sections of this comment begin with an introduction of the facts and holdings of the Shusheng case. The fourth to seventh sections briefly discuss the major policy controversies arising from the Shusheng case, including the legal nature of a digital library, the transactional costs of copyright law, the practicality of the “authorization offer” and the appropriate level of copyright protection in China. The final section summarises the main points of this comment and presents several overall recommendations.
The relation between acute physiological variables and outcome on the Glasgow Outcome Scale and Disability Rating Scale following severe traumatic brain injury.

The relation between outcome and duration of adverse physiological events was studied, using suggested critical physiological values. Subjects were 184 patients with severe traumatic brain injury who received continuous monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and jugular venous oxygen satuation. Longer durations of adverse physiological events were significantly related to Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores and Disability Rating Scale (DRS) scores for all variables at all timepoints postinjury. When analyses excluded patients who died, the relation between adverse physiological events and GOS was non-significant; however, duration of ICP, MAP, and CPP still accounted for a significant portion of the variance in DRS scalres. The relative sensitivity of the GOS and DRS is discussed.
Working-Class “Adolescence” in Austria, 1890–1930

Building on previous work of John Gillis, Joseph Kett, Harry Hendrick and others, this article examines evidence from a country-Austria-included only minimally in the debate concerning adolescence and focuses on the conceptual aspects of the debate as reflected in the attitudes and actions of those authorities responsible for “creating” or “discovering” an adolescent life phase at the turn of the century. The argument is that the modern adolescent image was created as a result of authorities' attempts to institutionalize the offspring of the poor initially to remove a “threat” to society and later as a result of new social-scientific theories about youth development.
Compression Strength of Porous Sintered Alumina and Zirconia

The influence of controlled porosity on the compression strength of sintered pure alumina and of partly magnesia-stabilized zirconia was investigated. Bodies with porosities ranging from approximately 3 to 60% by volume were prepared utilizing hydrogen peroxide to induce pore formation. Cubes of approximately 1.2-cm, unit length were used in testing for compression strength at room temperature. The spatial arrangement of pores in sintered alumina was found to exert an influence, inasmuch as bodies with pores lined parallel to the pressure direction revealed a higher strength than bodies of the same porosity but with pores lined mainly perpendicular to this direction. It was found that an increase of porosity by 10 volume % decreased the strength of both sintered alumina and sintered zirconia by half of their initial respective values.
Ion channels on intracellular organelles

Publisher Summary One role for ion channels on intracellular membranes that is relatively well understood is their management of intracellular calcium. Ryanodine receptors and inositol trisphosphate receptors regulate the release of calcium from internal stores for cellular functions, such as muscle contraction and secretion, and, in response to external signals, their activity can initiate oscillations and traveling waves of cytoplasmic calcium. Mitochondrial channels, some of whose molecular identities have not been fully established, also play key roles in the regulation of cytoplasmic calcium levels. There is an important distinction between the regulation of calcium inﬂux across the plasma membrane and that from intracellular stores. The chapter reviews some of the most widely studied channels and discusses the properties of channels located in the outer and inner membranes of mitochondria, which control not only the handling of calcium, but also determine whether a cell survives or undergoes programmed cell death in response to external signals. For each of the channels, the chapter discusses their potential role in neurons, where they may contribute to the modulation of synaptic transmission.
O mapeas o te mapean: Mapeo indígena y negro en América Latina

La aprobacion del Convenio 169 de la OIT en 1989 inicio una serie de amplios cambios politicos en las relaciones entre los indigenas ―y, en menor medida, gente negra― y sus tierras tradicionales en las tierras bajas tropicales de America Latina. De 19 paises que han ratificado el Convenio 169 de la OIT en los ultimos veinte anos, 13 han sido de America Latina. Entre otras cosa, la Convencion establece una base legal para los derechos culturales, la auto determinacion y el reconocimiento de las tierras tradicionales. Ademas de convertirse en ley nacional una vez es ratificada, este Convenio ha sido incorporado a muchas reformas constitucionales que se han generalizado en la region desde 1990. Uno de los resultados de estos desarrollos ha sido el mapeamiento de los tradicionales reclamos de tierras de indigenas y negros en su mayoria en «tierras nacionales». Historicamente, los mapas han servido como instrumentos del imperio para desposeer a los indigenas y los pobladores negros rurales de sus tierras, pero ahora con la ayuda de ONG internacionales estas poblaciones estan re-mapeando: han aprendido que deben mapear o son mapeados. Los ubicuos proyectos de cooperacion internacional sobre mapeamiento que uno encuentra a traves de toda America Latina hoy, sin embargo, han alterado la forma en que la que la gente expresa su relacion con la tierra y entre si, y ha redefinido la manera en que confluyen la identidad, el territorio y las practicas politicas. Los mapas han sido siempre instrumentos del poder, pero ahora los procesos sociales y politicos que involucran la produccion de «contra-mapas» estan afectando las relaciones entre territorio e identidad al interior de muchas poblaciones indigenas y negras en las tierras bajas tropicales de America Latina
Evolution of marginal populations of an invasive vine increases the likelihood of future spread

The prediction of invasion patterns may require an understanding of intraspecific differentiation in invasive species and its interaction with climate change. We compare Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) plants from the core (100-150 yr old) and northern margin (< 65 yr old) of their North American invaded range to determine whether evolution during invasion increases the probability of future expansion. Plants from populations in the core and margin were compared in two sites beyond the northern range edge to assess their potential to invade novel areas. Data were compared with previous work to assess the effect of latitudinal climate on L. japonica spread. Winter survival in current climates was modeled and projected for future climates to predict future spread. Margin plants were larger and had 60% greater survival than core plants at sites beyond the northern range edge. Overall, winter survival decreased with increasing latitude and decreasing temperature, and was greater in margin plants than core plants. Models suggested that greater winter tolerance in margin populations has increased L. japonica's northward spread by 76 km, and that this survival advantage will persist under future climates. These results demonstrate that evolution during invasion may increase spread beyond predictions using increasing global temperatures alone.
Remote Sensing of Weather and Road Surface Conditions

Advances in road weather sensing technologies have made noninvasive road weather sensors a valuable component in many intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications. This study investigates the reliability of using such a sensor for a proposed weather-responsive variable speed limit system. The Vaisala surface state and temperature sensors (DSC-111 and DST-111) were selected for the proposed application. The sensors' ability to provide accurate and reliable data was tested under various conditions in a controlled laboratory environment. Specifically, four outputs of interest from the sensors were tested in this investigation: surface state, snow and ice depth, water depth, and grip level. Testing results showed that the sensors determined the surface state (dry, moist, wet, snowy, and icy) accurately and reliably. The sensors' snow depth readings were found to be inaccurate, while the sensors' ice depth measurements were found to be relatively close to the actual depths. For water depth, only a lim...
Hypoglycemia Unawareness in IDDM

Hypoglycemia unawareness--loss of the neurogenic (autonomic) warning symptoms of developing hypoglycemia--is one of three hypoglycemia-associated clinical syndromes that exemplify hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure in IDDM. Reduced awareness of developing hypoglycemia (an elevated glycemic threshold for symptoms) is a feature not only of hypoglycemia unawareness but also of the syndromes of defective glucose counterregulation, elevated glycemic thresholds for symptoms, and activation of glucose counterregulatory systems during effective intensive therapy. These syndromes are major risk factors for severe iatrogenic hypoglycemia in individuals with IDDM. Their pathogenesis is unknown and likely multifactorial. Recent antecedent iatrogenic hypoglycemia may be one factor, perhaps a major factor, that, by reducing both the symptoms of and defenses against developing hypoglycemia, results in recurrent iatrogenic hypoglycemia, thus creating a vicious cycle. On the other hand, treatment with human compared with animal insulin does not appear to be an important factor.
Radiation chemistry of methyl tert-butyl ether in aqueous solution.

The chemical kinetics of the free-radical-induced degradation of the gasoline oxygenate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in water have been investigated. Rate constants for the reaction of MTBE with the hydroxyl radical, hydrated electron, and hydrogen atom were determined in aqueous solution at room temperature, using electron pulse radiolysis and absorption spectroscopy (•OH and e-aq) and EPR free induction decay attenuation (•H) measurements. The rate constant for hydroxyl radical reaction of (1.71 ± 0.02) × 109 M-1 s-1 showed that the oxidative process was the dominant pathway, relative to MTBE reaction with hydrogen atoms, (3.49 ± 0.06) × 106 M-1 s-1, or hydrated electrons, <8.0 × 106 M-1 s-1. The hydroxyl radical reaction gives a transient carbon-centered radical which subsequently reacts with dissolved oxygen to form peroxyl radicals, the rate constant for this reaction was (2.17 ± 0.06) × 109 M-1 s-1. The second-order decay of the MTBE peroxyl radical was 2k = (6.0 ± 0.3) × 108 M-1 s-1. These rate c...
Renal arterial-pelvic fistula.

Abstract We illustrate the clinical course of an arterial-pelvic fistula. New concepts of management are outlined and discussed. We believe that with improved techniques of selective renal angiography, hyperosmolar-intracellular perfusate for renal preservation, availability of renal “bench” surgery and autotransplantation, undoubtedly more kidneys will be salvaged.
Some Limitations to the Psychological Orientation in Semantic Theory

The psychological orientation treats semantics as a matter of idealized computation over symbolic structures, and semantic relations like denotation as relations between linguistic expressions and these structures. I argue that results similar to Godel’s incompleteness theorems and Tarski’s theorem on truth create foundational difficulties for this view of semantics.
Further Studies on the Buffer-Catalyzed Cleavage and Isomerization of Uridyluridine. Medium and Ionic Strength Effects on Catalysis by Morpholine, Imidazole, and Acetate Buffers Help Clarify the Mechanisms Involved and Their Relationship to the Mechanism Used by the Enzyme Ribonuclease and by a Ribonuclease Mimic

The cleavage and isomerization of 3‘,5‘-uridyluridine catalyzed by morpholine buffers and by imidazole buffers has been reinvestigated. The key evidence for a previously proposed partitioning mechanismin which the buffer acid BH+ converts the substrate to a phosphorane monoanion intermediate which then partitions either to the 2‘,5‘ isomer of the substrate or (with buffer base catalysis) to the cleavage productis confirmed. The negative catalytic effect of the buffer base on the isomerization reaction is not due to a medium effect. Indeed the medium effect on this reaction is in the opposite direction, strengthening the catalytic evidence. However, this branching mechanism with sequential bifunctional catalysis of the cleavage reaction is accompanied by an additional cleavage path using the buffer base only. This additional path, for which several alternative mechanisms are possible, is required by the results of improved studies on the imidazole catalysis. These show that the previously reported decrease...
The ‘Ring Sign’: Is it a reliable indicator for cerebral spinal fluid?

Study objective To study the development of a ring sign when blood is mixed with various fluids. Methods One drop of blood and one drop of either spinal fluid, saline, tap water, or rhinorrhea fluid were placed simultaneously on filter paper, and the specimens were examined after ten minutes for the development of a ring. A variety of filter paper agents were used, including standard laboratory filter paper, paper towels, coffee filters, and bed linens. Results All fluids, when mixed with blood, gave rise to a ring sign; blood alone did not. The type of filter paper did not affect the development of a ring. Conclusion In this experimental setting, the ring or halo sign is reliable for detecting cerebrospinal fluids but is not exclusive for cerebrospinal fluid.
How the Hippies Saved Physics (Kaiser, D.; 2011) [Book Review]

Provides a review of the book "How the Hippies Saved Physics," by David Kaiser )Norton, 2011, 372 pages). The book is about how circa mid 1970s a bunch of young physicists, all of them male with one important exception, and without job prospects, banded together to ask themselves some questions about the fundamental concepts in quantum mechanics. Kaiser introduces us to around 20 characters who were either Fundamental Fysik's Group (FFG) members or fellow travelers in the contemporary West Coast Consciousness Theory Group or the Physics/Consciousness Research Group. Some humorless newspaper reviewers have chided Kaiser over his book's title, since he never proves that the "hippies saved physics," but he is too good a scientist and historian to make this claim seriously, a fact he states early where he compares his title to the slightly facetious notion that the Irish saved civilization. His "saving physics" is a nostalgic reminder of the jokiness and "put on" of the hippie era. These reviewers miss Kaiser's important historical points: that the reputed hostility of the counterculture to technology and science, as promoted by some 1960s era social historians, is wrong, and that this same culture benefited not only physics but the advancement of technology.
The correlation between pertinence and rate of citation duplication in multidatabase searches

The rate of citation duplication was examined in three databases: MEDLINE, BIOSIS, and LIFE SCIENCES COLLECTION. Duplicate citations were found to be more pertinent than unique citations. The duplicate citations came from a highly compact literature, while those from a single database were very widely scattered. The pertinent duplicated citations were more likely to be retrieved in searches that had more terms overall, had a higher percentage of thesaurus terms, and had terms which appeared in both title and abstract. These results suggest that the rate of duplication of citations in multidatabase searches may be used to rank output according to probable pertinence.
A glycosyl transferase of high specific activity in secretory vesicles from isolated Golgi apparatus of rat liver.

Abstract Lipoprotein-containing secretory vesicles were dissociated from isolated Golgi apparatus of rat liver and separated from the cisternal components by sucrose gradient centrifugation. The secretory vesicle fraction was enriched in UDPgalactose: N-acetylglucosamine galactosyltransferase, with a specific activity approximately twice that of the cisternal fraction. The findings indicate a function for secretory vesicles in glycosylation of membrane constituents and/or export products.
Conformation, Distance, and Connectivity Effects on Intramolecular Electron Transfer between Phenylene-Bridged Aromatic Redox Centers †

Intramolecular electron transfer in the organic mixed-valence cation radical D(ph)nD+• [where D = 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl and (ph)n = poly-p-phenylene] is systematically probed by the structur...
An Essential Drosophila Glutamate Receptor Subunit That Functions in Both Central Neuropil and Neuromuscular Junction

A Drosophila forward genetic screen for mutants with defective synaptic development identified bad reception (brec). Homozygous brec mutants are embryonic lethal, paralyzed, and show no detectable synaptic transmission at the glutamatergic neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Genetic mapping, complementation tests, and genomic sequencing show that brec mutations disrupt a previously uncharacterized ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit, named here “GluRIID.” GluRIID is expressed in the postsynaptic domain of the NMJ, as well as widely throughout the synaptic neuropil of the CNS. In the NMJ of null brec mutants, all known glutamate receptor subunits are undetectable by immunocytochemistry, and all functional glutamate receptors are eliminated. Thus, we conclude that GluRIID is essential for the assembly and/or stabilization of glutamate receptors in the NMJ. In null brec mutant embryos, the frequency of periodic excitatory currents in motor neurons is significantly reduced, demonstrating that CNS motor pattern activity is regulated by GluRIID. Although synaptic development and molecular differentiation appear otherwise unperturbed in null mutants, viable hypomorphic brec mutants display dramatically undergrown NMJs by the end of larval development, suggesting that GluRIID-dependent central pattern activity regulates peripheral synaptic growth. These studies reveal GluRIID as a newly identified glutamate receptor subunit that is essential for glutamate receptor assembly/stabilization in the peripheral NMJ and required for properly patterned motor output in the CNS.
Managerial Influences on Intraorganizational Information Technology Use: A Principal-Agent Model

Our current understanding of information technology (IT) usage does not explain why and how managers can influence organizational members to use a new IT. Drawing on principal-agent research, this paper develops and tests a model of intraorganizational IT usage that addresses this important issue. Managerial incentives and control are examined as important components of managerial influences, which are linked to IT usage via a principal-agent model (PAM). Seven research hypotheses are generated from this model and empirically tested using a laboratory experiment. Results of the study indicate that managers can promote IT usage within organizations by designing appropriate incentives and control structures such as monitoring and multiple-period contracts. However, the effectiveness of these structures will depend on potential users' ability to distinguish between various forms of incentives and control.
Scaling the metaphorical brick wall

Palmer argues that functionalist accounts of the mind are radically incomplete in virtue of a “metaphorical brick wall” that precludes a complete treatment of qualia. I argue that functionalists should remain unmoved by this line of argument to the effect that their accounts fail to do justice to some “intrinsic” features of experience.
Development of an oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus using a tumor-specific HIF-responsive promoter

We exploited the differential activation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-dependent gene expression in tumors versus normal tissue for the design of a targeted oncolytic herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1). A gene that is essential for viral replication, infected cell polypeptide 4 (ICP4), was placed under the regulation of an HIF-responsive promoter and then introduced into the thymidine kinase locus (U(L)23) of HSV d120, which contains partial deletions in the two endogenous ICP4 genes. Recombinant HIF-HSV was isolated and their derivation from d120 was verified by expression of a truncated, non-functional form of ICP4 protein. Disruption of the U(L)23 locus was confirmed by loss of thymidine kinase expression and resistance to acyclovir. Unexpectedly, HIF-HSV expressed ICP4 and induced tumor cell lysis at similar levels under normoxia and hypoxia. The lack of HIF-dependent ICP4 transgene expression by HIF-HSV was due to two factors that have not previously been reported-reversion of the ICP4 gene region to its wild-type configuration and increased HIF-transcriptional activity under normoxia when cells were infected with any strain of HSV-1. The findings that an oncolytic HSV-1 is genetically unstable and can activate a tumor-related promoter in a non-specific manner have important implications for any proposed use of this virus in cancer therapy.
Institutionalisation and Drug Use in Older Adults in the US

Since the introduction of Medicaid and Medicare in the US in 1965, the rate of use of nursing homes by elderly persons has more than doubled. Nursing home care accounts for about 8% of the healthcare budget. The rate of nursing home use by elderly people and the subsequent costs are expected to increase during the 1990s. The elderly nursing home population have a disproportionately high rate of drug consumption; it has been estimated that up to one-third of elderly nursing home residents receive 8 to 12 drugs per day. Multiple drug use is a risk factor for morbidity in elderly patients. Recent regulations have tried to rationalise the use of particular classes of drugs in nursing homes, with some success. However, multiple drug use is not necessarily unjustified, given the complex comorbidity seen in some patients. Since the value of many drugs has not been proven in the elderly population, further studies are required to prove the value of drugs used in this patient population in improving function and quality of life. Regular review of total regimens should be undertaken often.
Effective Antibiotics against ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ in HLB-Affected Citrus Plants Identified via the Graft-Based Evaluation

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), caused by three species of fastidious, phloem-limited ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’, is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus worldwide. To date, there is no established cure for this century-old and yet, newly emerging disease. As a potential control strategy for citrus HLB, 31 antibiotics were screened for effectiveness and phytotoxicity using the optimized graft-based screening system with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (Las)-infected citrus scions. Actidione and Oxytetracycline were the most phytotoxic to citrus with less than 10% of scions surviving and growing; therefore, this data was not used in additional analyses. Results of principal component (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analyses (HCA) demonstrated that 29 antibiotics were clustered into 3 groups: highly effective, partly effective, and not effective. In spite of different modes of actions, a number of antibiotics such as, Ampicillin, Carbenicillin, Penicillin, Cefalexin, Rifampicin and Sulfadimethoxine were all highly effective in eliminating or suppressing Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus indicated by both the lowest Las infection rate and titers of the treated scions and inoculated rootstock. The non-effective group, including 11 antibiotics alone with three controls, such as Amikacin, Cinoxacin, Gentamicin, Kasugamycin, Lincomycin, Neomycin, Polymixin B and Tobramycin, did not eliminate or suppress Las in the tested concentrations, resulting in plants with increased titers of Las. The other 12 antibiotics partly eliminated or suppressed Las in the treated and graft-inoculated plants. The effective and non-phytotoxic antibiotics could be potential candidates for control of citrus HLB, either for the rescue of infected citrus germplasm or for restricted field application.
High-resolution electric field sensor based on whispering gallery modes of a beam-coupled dielectric resonator

This paper presents a high-resolution optical sensor concept for electric field detection. The sensing element is a coupled dielectric microsphere-beam. The material for both the sphere and the beam is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The measurement principle is based on the whispering gallery optical mode (WGM) shifts of the microsphere. The external electric field imposes an electrtrostriction force on the dielectric beam, deflecting it. The beam, in turn compresses the sphere causing a shift in its WGM. An analysis is carried out along with preliminary experiments. Results show that electric fields as small as ∼ 100 V/m can be detected using a 300 μm diameter sphere.
Population and Production Estimates for Decapod Crustaceans in Wetlands of Galveston Bay, Texas

Abstract The value of wetlands is reflected in the relative abundance and production of nekton, but these population variables have been difficult to estimate because of sampling problems, landscape complexity, tidal dynamics, and limited information on growth and mortality. We combined a landscape analysis of land-water patterns in regularly flooded wetlands of lower Galveston Bay, Texas, with data on small-scale (1-50-m) distribution patterns of nekton over the marsh surface to estimate population abundances of juvenile brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus, white shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus, and blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Using information on size frequencies, size-weight relationships, and growth rates, we estimated the wet biomass and production of these species from salt marshes and open-water habitats. In 17,673 ha of marsh complex (vegetation with a 150-m water buffer) in lower Galveston Bay, we estimated the standing crops (number/ha) at 19,382 for brown shrimp, 17,406 for white shrimp, and 1...
Derived environment effects in Optimality Theory

The Strict Cycle Condition (SCC) permits phonological rules to apply only in derived environments. The notion of a derived environment, and consequently the phenomena attributed to the SCC, are problematic in Optimality Theory (OT). This article argues that OT can be extended to accommodate SCC effects by using local constraint conjunction. By locally conjoining a markedness constraint with a faithfulness constraint, the markedness constraint is active only when the faithfulness constraint is violated. The predictions of this approach are compared to the SCC and found to be superior in several respects.
The influence of cortisone and insulin on the respiratory activity of rat adipose tissue in vitro.

IN EARLIER reports (Engel and Scott, 1950, 1951, Engel, 1951) the effects of insulin and the adrenal cortex on the concentration of glycogen in adipose tissue in the rat were described. Insulin was found to increase the glycogen content of the interscapular adipose tissue of the 48-hour fasted rat both in the fasting and fed states, confirming the previous findings of Wertheimer and his colleagues (Wertheimer and Shapiro, 1948), Fawcett (1948) and Renold et al. (1950). Under comparable circumstances, corticotropin, cortisone and various adrenal extracts had no detectable effect on adipose tissue glycogen. However, if insulin were administered to rats pretreated with ACTH or cortisone for 24–48 hours an increase in adipose tissue glycogen occurred which significantly exceeded that from insulin alone. The same exaggeration of the glycogen response to insulin occurred in rats stressed by cold exposure and in adrenalectomized rats receiving a large but constant dose of cortisone.
Caspase inhibition reduces cardiac myocyte dyshomeostasis and improves cardiac contractile function after major burn injury

In the heart, thermal injury activates a group of intracellular cysteine proteases known as caspases, which have been suggested to contribute to myocyte inflammation and dyshomeostasis. In this stu...
The plasma aminogram. I. Influence of the level of protein intake and a comparison of whole protein and amino acid diets.

The Plasma Aminogram. I. Influence of the Level of Protein Intake and a Comparison of Whole Protein and Amino Acid Diets
Effect of Alcohols and Their Interaction with Ethylene on the Ripening of Epidermal Pericarp Discs of Tomato Fruit

Ethanol concentrations that were induced in pericarp discs of mature-green tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv Castlemart) either by anaerobic metabolism or by exposure to ethanol vapor inhibited ripening without increasing the rate of ion leakage. Inhibition of ripening (i.e. lycopene synthesis) of excised tomato pericarp tissue by ethanol vapor was reversed by increasing concentrations of the plant hormone ethylene. A Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated noncompetitive interaction between ethanol and ethylene. Methanol and n-propanol also inhibited lycopene synthesis without significantly increasing ion leakage. The similar inhibitory effects of methanol, ethanol, and n-propanol at concentrations which did not stimulate ion leakage, and the relationship between activity and lipophilia of the alcohols suggest that their mode of action was through disruption of membranes associated with ethylene action.
Model of the Neutral-Ionic Phase Transformation

A model is presented describing how an organic solid transforms between a neutral and an ionic ground state. Whereas for a one-dimensional stack this transition is expected to be first order, the Coulomb interactions between stacks can cause the phase transition to occur over a broad temperature range by stabilizing an intermediate region in between the neutral and ionic phases, in which both neutral and ionized species coexist, as observed in tetrathiafulvalene-chloranil.
Spin-Dependent Forces in Heavy-Quark Systems

For heavy $q\overline{q}$ bound states in quantum chromodynamics, spin-dependent forces are obtained in a manifestly gauge-invariant formalism. Classical spin-orbit and Thomas precession terms are expressed in general in terms of the static energy, and assuming that the confinement mechanism is electric determines uniquely the spin-dependent forces in terms of the nonrelativistic potential. The Coulomb plus linear potential model gives $P$-state splittings correct to better than 25% and a mass for the ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ of 3.030\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.020 GeV.
Synovium-derived stem cell-based chondrogenesis.

Synovium is considered a candidate source of cells for cartilage tissue engineering. Compared with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from other sources, synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) have a higher capacity for chondrogenic differentiation. Our objective was to define cocktails of growth factors that support the growth and chondrogenic differentiation of SDSCs in chemically defined medium. We established a fast and highly selective technique of negative isolation of SDSC populations. The individual and combined effects of three growth factors—transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2)—were evaluated in serum-free pellet cultures of SDSCs for the chondrogenesis of SDSCs using histology, biochemical analysis, and real-time RT-PCR. In vitro studies identified TGF-β1 as the key factor for both the growth and chondrogenesis of SDSCs. The highest rates of SDSC growth were observed with the synergistic interaction of all three factors. With respect to chondrogenic differentiation of SDSCs, the interaction of TGF-β1 and IGF-I applied simultaneously was superior to the sequential application of these two factors or any other combination of growth factors studied. Based on these findings, we propose a two-step protocol for the derivation of chondrogenic SDSCs: a cocktail of TGF-β1, IGF-I, and FGF-2 is applied first to induce cell growth followed by a cocktail of TGF-β1 and IGF-I applied to induce chondrogenesis.
Cooperativity of carbohydrate moiety orientation and β‐ turn stability is determined by intramolecular hydrogen bonds in protected glycopeptide models

The 2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-gluco-, and beta-D-galactopyranosides, as well as approximately 4:1 anomeric mixtures of alpha- and beta-mannopyranosides of Boc-X-Y-NHCH3 dipeptides (X-Y = Pro-Ser, Pro-D-Ser, Val-Ser, Val-D-Ser, and Gly-Ser) have been synthesized. CD and ir spectroscopic studies were performed to characterize the conformation of the glycosylated peptide backbone and examine the possible formation of intrapeptide and glycopeptide intramolecular H-bonds. It was found that O-glycosylated peptides containing a D-serine residue are likely to adopt a type II beta-turn while those with the Pro-Ser or Val-Ser sequence feature a type I (III) beta-turn in solution. Glycosylation also increases the magnitude of the CD bands, characteristic of the given type of beta-turns, which can be interpreted as an indication of the stabilization of the folded backbone conformation. Infrared data showed that in nonpolar solutions the peracetyl glycopeptides adopt both single- and double H-bonded conformations whose ratio, in some cases, depends on the position at C-2' of the H-bond acceptor acetoxy group. These data suggest that five-, seven-, or ten-membered glyco-turns may play an important role in fixing the steric orientation of the carbohydrate antennae systems in glycoproteins.
Going Federal: The Launch of Medicare Part D Compared to SSI

This essay compares early experience with implementing two strongly centralizing acts in the field of social welfare, one the Supplemental Security Income program in 1974 and the other Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program for the aged and disabled, in 2006. It contrasts the administrative chaos that characterized the launch of SSI with a smoother transition in Part D, arguing that there was less dislocation in the assignment of key administrative responsibilities in the later case. The main findings for federalism are common to the cases: both culminated in a residual, purely supplemental role for the state governments, which the federal government treated as “subordinately useful.” Yet, individual state governments were able to negotiate successfully with federal administrative agencies for favorable treatment within the new regime.
Measurement and modeling of the sidewall threshold voltage of mesa-isolated SOI MOSFETs

Five-terminal silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFETs have been characterized to determine the threshold voltage at the front, back, and sidewall as a function of the body bias. The threshold voltage shift with the body bias at the front and back interfaces can be explained by the standard bulk body effect equation. However, the threshold voltage shift at the sidewall is smaller than predicted by this equation and saturates at large body biases. This anomalous behavior is explained by two-dimensional charge sharing between the sidewall and the front and back interfaces. An analytical model that accounts for this charge sharing by a simple trapezoidal approximation of the depletion regions and correctly predicts the sidewall threshold voltage shift and its saturation is discussed. The model makes it possible to measure the sidewall threshold even when it is larger than the front threshold voltage. >
Evaluation of Traffic Induced Subgrade Stresses in Flexible Airfield Pavements

ABSTRACT During the first series of traffic tests at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF), the flexible pavement test sections were trafficked using a simulated six-wheel Boeing 777 (B777) landing gear and a simulated four-wheel Boeing 747 (B747) gear simultaneously until the test sections failed. Soil pressure cells (PC) installed within the test sections recorded the load-induced vertical subgrade stresses. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the PC-measured vertical subgrade stresses over the duration of traffic testing and present some interesting findings regarding the comparative effect of B777 and B747 traffic loading on subgrade stress and its relation to the rutting performance of the NAPTF test sections. The results showed that, in general, the subgrade stresses induced by the B777 and B747 traffic loading do not differ significantly.
A Discussion of Flow Mechanisms in Superplastic Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia

Flow data are reported for a superplastic yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia containing 3 mol % of Y2O3 (termed 3Y-TZP). The data are analyzed using a model for interface-controlled diffusion creep and the results are compared with published data for other samples of 3Y-TZP.
When Social Situations Take a Turn for the Worse: Situational and Interpersonal Risk Factors for Sexual Aggression

This study conducted an up-to-date assessment of situational and interpersonal risk factors for sexual aggression. Two hundred undergraduate women from a medium sized college on the US west coast completed the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) and a questionnaire developed by the authors. Participants who reported sexual victimization on the SES answered a series of questions about their most severe experience, as well as a representative, nonaggressive date. Participants who reported no sexual victimization answered questions only about a representative date. Risk factors were identified by comparing victimized participants’ sexually aggressive dates to nonvictimized participants’ dates, and victimized participants’ non-sexually aggressive dates to nonvictimized participants’ dates. Results revealed distinct situational and interpersonal differences between sexually aggressive and nonaggressive social interactions.
Beamstop with integrated X-ray sensor.

A versatile beamstop with an integrated sensor has been developed at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) using non-specialized components. A diameter of 1.5 mm was achieved using a commercial subminiature surface mount PIN diode (Phillips BAP64) molded into a tungsten epoxy composite cup. The cup is supported on a thin fiberglass arm with printed circuit traces to transmit the signal from the diode. The assembly has an active area of approximately 100 µm in diameter. As the diode is encapsulated in plastic, the response diminishes with decreasing energy but is still useful at 6 keV.
Enantiospecific total synthesis of the enantiomer of the indole alkaloid intermediate macroline

Abstract The total synthesis of the enantiomer 3En of macroline 3 was completed (from l -tryptophan methyl ester 6 ) in an overall yield of 12.3% (11 isolated intermediates). The corresponding macroline equivalent 18 was prepared in 14.3% yield. This work provides, for the first time, an opportunity to synthesize mismatched bisindole alkaloids for studies on the mechanism of action of Alstonia antimalarial alkaloids at the receptor level.