cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cochlear ablation in adult ferrets results in changes in insulin-like growth factor-1 and synaptophysin immunostaining in the cochlear nucleus

Afferent activity modulates synaptic plasticity as well as the levels of activity-dependent molecules such as growth factors. Disruption of this activity due to deafferentation has been shown to result in an altered trophic support and consequently in changes in neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. In the present study, to test whether lack of cochlear integrity results in changes in insulin-growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and synaptophysin immunostaining in the cochlear nucleus, the first relay structure in the auditory pathway, unilateral cochlear ablations were performed in adult ferrets. Changes in IGF-1 and synaptophysin immunostaining were assessed in the anteroventral (AVCN), posteroventral (PVCN) and dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) at 1, 20 and 90 days after deafferentation. An increase in IGF-1 immunostaining within AVCN, PVCN and DCN was observed ipsilaterally at all survival times after cochlear ablation when compared with the contralateral side and unoperated animals. This increase was accompanied by a significant ipsilateral increase in the mean gray level of synaptophysin immunostaining as well as a decrease in the area of synaptophysin immunostaining at 1 and 20 days after the ablation in AVCN, PVCN and DCN compared with the contralateral side and control animals. These changes in synaptophysin immunostaining were no longer present 90 days after cochlear ablation. The present results provide evidence of a persistent upregulation in IGF-1 and a transitory upregulation in synaptophysin levels in the cochlear nucleus that may reflect neuroprotective mechanisms following the loss of trophic support from spiral ganglion neurons.
Evaluating net income from different durations of breeding seasons in beef production using a deterministic simulation model

Abstract A deterministic computer simulation model was used to evaluate the economic efficiency of reproductive management decisions in beef production: length of breeding season (45, 70 or 120 days) and whether to initiate breeding of heifers 3 weeks earlier than the mature cows. Four conception rates at first service (an indicator of reproductive efficiency) were also simulated (50%, 60%, 70%, 80%) with each length of breeding season. The economic model organizes and summarizes herd performance data, feed requirements and prices to calculate the net income for one year of production. A description of the economic model and a discussion of how net income is influenced by length of breeding season and conception rate at first service are included. The optimum length of breeding season was found to depend upon conception rate at first service. In cows, length of the breeding season has little influence on net income when conception rates at first service were higher (70%, 80%), but a longer breeding season (120 days) increased net income when conception rates at first service were low (50%, 60%). Initiating breeding of yearling heifers 3 weeks before the cows generated greater net incomes when conception rates at first service were low (50%, 60%), but only slight differences in net income were evident with higher conception rates at first service (70%, 80%).
On the convergence rate of the duality gap in a symmetric primal-dual potential reduction algorithm

In this short note, we prove that the global convergence rate of the duality gap in a symmetric primal-dual potential algorithm for linear programming, without line search, is no better than linear. More specifically, the convergence rate is no better than (1 - @t/@/n), where @t is a number between zero and one.
Application and Research of Multimedia Technology in Modern Teaching

Beginning with an exploration into the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia in current teaching, this article then elaborates on the proper ways to use this modern medium, hence offering reference for our modern teaching.
A Small Molecule p75NTR Ligand, LM11A-31, Reverses Cholinergic Neurite Dystrophy in Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Models with Mid- to Late-Stage Disease Progression

Degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons contributes significantly to the cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has been attributed to aberrant signaling through the neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR). Thus, modulating p75NTR signaling is considered a promising therapeutic strategy for AD. Accordingly, our laboratory has developed small molecule p75NTR ligands that increase survival signaling and inhibit amyloid-β-induced degenerative signaling in in vitro studies. Previous work found that a lead p75NTR ligand, LM11A-31, prevents degeneration of cholinergic neurites when given to an AD mouse model in the early stages of disease pathology. To extend its potential clinical applications, we sought to determine whether LM11A-31 could reverse cholinergic neurite atrophy when treatment begins in AD mouse models having mid- to late stages of pathology. Reversing pathology may have particular clinical relevance as most AD studies involve patients that are at an advanced pathological stage. In this study, LM11A-31 (50 or 75 mg/kg) was administered orally to two AD mouse models, Thy-1 hAPPLond/Swe (APPL/S) and Tg2576, at age ranges during which marked AD-like pathology manifests. In mid-stage male APPL/S mice, LM11A-31 administered for 3 months starting at 6–8 months of age prevented and/or reversed atrophy of basal forebrain cholinergic neurites and cortical dystrophic neurites. Importantly, a 1 month LM11A-31 treatment given to male APPL/S mice (12–13 months old) with late-stage pathology reversed the degeneration of cholinergic neurites in basal forebrain, ameliorated cortical dystrophic neurites, and normalized increased basal forebrain levels of p75NTR. Similar results were seen in female Tg2576 mice. These findings suggest that LM11A-31 can reduce and/or reverse fundamental AD pathologies in late-stage AD mice. Thus, targeting p75NTR is a promising approach to reducing AD-related degenerative processes that have progressed beyond early stages.
Laparoscopic management of colorectal cancer

Laparoscopic treatment of colorectal cancer has emerged as a result of the technical advances that have been made since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The minimal-access approach to treatment of benign disease results in smaller incisions, reduced length of hospital stay, and a faster return to productive life. Laparoscopic approaches to colon cancer must take into consideration the potential effects of the technique on tumor dissemination at the time of the surgical procedure, as well as rates of recurrence and overall survival. Several technical approaches to laparascopic colon resection have now become possible, utilizing either total intra-abdominal maneuvers or laparoscopic-assisted techniques. Margins of resection and lymph node removal with the minimal-access techniques compare favorably with those of open colectomy. Several series now show that early results utilizing laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer are favorable but that routine implementation of this procedure should await confirmatory outcomes generated by well-done prospective clinical trials.
A connection between cutting plane theory and the geometry of numbers

In this paper, we relate several questions about cutting planes to a fundamental problem in the geometry of numbers, namely, the closest vector problem. Using this connection we show that the dominance, membership and validity problems are NP-complete for Chvatal and split cuts.
ANALYSIS OF THE GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE (GST) GENE FAMILY

The glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene family encodes genes that are critical for certain life processes, as well as for detoxication and toxification mechanisms, via conjugation of reduced glutathione (GSH) with numerous substrates such as pharmaceuticals and environmental pollutants. The GST genes are upregulated in response to oxidative stress and are inexplicably overexpressed in many tumours, leading to problems during cancer chemotherapy. An analysis of the GST gene family in the Human Genome Organization-sponsored Human Gene Nomenclature Committee database showed 21 putatively functional genes. Upon closer examination, however, GST-kappa 1 (GSTK1), prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES) and three microsomal GSTs (MGST1, MGST2, MGST3) were determined as encoding membrane-bound enzymes having GST-like activity, but these genes are not evolutionarily related to the GST gene family. It is concluded that the complete GST gene family comprises 16 genes in six subfamilies -- alpha (GSTA), mu (GSTM), omega (GSTO), pi (GSTP), theta (GSTT) and zeta (GSTZ).
Chimeric 7E3 prevents carotid artery thrombosis in cynomolgus monkeys.

We compared the current antithrombotic strategy of antiplatelet therapy with aspirin, and anticoagulant therapy with heparin, with a specific genetically engineered chimeric antibody (c7E3 Fab) directed against the human glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor in an animal model of arterial thrombosis.Anesthetized cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were instrumented for monitoring of arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and carotid artery flow velocity. Animals were treated with saline (n = 6), aspirin (25 mg PO daily for 3 days; n = 6), heparin (100 U/kg i.v. plus infusion adjusted to maintain activated partial thromboplastin time at 2 to 3 times baseline; n = 6), aspirin plus heparin (as administered separately, n = 6), or c7E3 Fab (0.10 mg/kg i.v., n = 7; 0.15 mg/kg i.v., n = 6; 0.20 mg/kg i.v., n = 6; 0.25 mg/kg i.v., n = 6). Thrombus formation via anodal electrolytic stimulation (100 microA) to the intimal surface of the right carotid artery was initiated 15 minutes after drug administration and continu...
Large strain constitutive behavior of OFHC copper over a wide range of strain rates using the shear compression specimen

A new specimen geometry, the shear compression specimen (SCS), has been developed and validated for large strain testing of metals over a wide range of strain rates. A detailed numerical analysis of this specimen is presented to assess its range of applications and limitations. The dominant deformation mode of the gage section of the SCS is found to be shear. The stress and strain state in the gage section is necessarily three-dimensional, in contrast with commonly assumed situations of simple shear. Yet, considerable simplification is gained through the introduction of simple approximations for the Mises equivalent stress and plastic strain. These fields are found to be uniformly distributed over the gage section. The SCS framework is applied to the characterization of the large strain behavior of OFHC copper over a range of strain rates e_e = 10^(-3) to 3.2×10^4 s^(−1). The strain rate sensitivity of the material is noted, in accord with previous observations. The mechanical tests are complemented by microstructural characterization of the material which corroborate the numerical predictions of uniformity of the equivalent strain. The grains in the gage section are discernable for true strains less than 2. At larger strains, of the order of 3.5, the individual grains are no longer discernable and small equiaxed grains are observed, using scanning electron microscopy. These grains are characteristic of recrystallized material. The use of a single specimen geometry coupled to simple data reduction procedures is expected to promote constitutive characterization at large strains over a seamless range of strain rates.
Index finger pollicization for a congenitally absent or nonfunctioning thumb

Forty pollicizations of index fingers were done to correct congenitally absent or nonfunctioning thumbs in patients who were younger than 16 years old. Twenty-six additional operations were performed after pollicization on 20 transposed digits, including opposition transfer (18), extensor tendon shortening (four), and arthrodesis (four). The operations improved not only the cosmetic appearance of the hand, but the functional ability of the patients to grasp and handle large objects; preoperative ability to pinch and handle small objects was not impaired by the operative procedure. The additional operative procedures were required most often in patients with radial club hands and/or previous centralization.
Successfully treated symptomatic fusiform basilar artery aneurysm in a patient with hindbrain malformation via inverted Y-stenting

A double overlapping reverse Y-stent approach to creating flow diversion using traditional open-cell stent technology was evaluated as a treatment option symptomatic fusiform basilar aneurysms. A 36-year-old man with a complex hindbrain malformation presented with acute ocular dysmotility due to a rapidly enlarging fusiform basilar artery aneurysm. The aneurysm was treated by insertion of two stents into the vertebrobasilar system in an inverted Y-configuration from the basilar tip to the V4 segments of the bilateral vertebral arteries, essentially creating flow diversion without using a dedicated flow diversion device. This resulted in immediate symptomatic improvement. The stents remained patent and the aneurysm was obliterated at 6 months follow-up. Furthermore, the patient remained free of associated symptoms at 10 months follow-up. Thus, the double stenting technique can be used instead of a flow diversion device to effectively create flow diversion, promote aneurysm sac thrombosis, and lead to resolution of symptoms in large fusiform basilar artery aneurysms.
Process-Induced Point Defects in Oxidized Silicon Structures

Point defects caused by common fabrication methods may increase device susceptibility to radiation or hot carriers. In this study, defects induced by dry and wet oxidation, ion implantation, and rapid thermal annealing are examined by electron paramagnetic resonance. A brief 02 anneal at 900°C is found to be more effective than N2 in transformation of a steam-grown oxide interface to that of a dry oxide. A N2 anneal at 450 °C has little effect, and must be extended to about 2 hr to dessicate the interface. Implants of B, P, and BF2 have no direct effect on the interface, but activation anneal in N2 at 900°C produced large Pb concentration. Implant generates E′ centers in the oxide, which are eliminated by the activation. Rapid thermal annealing below 600°C reduces interface traps, but increases them above 700°C, with severe oxide and interface damage at 1100 °C. Electron-beam lithography and plasma- or ion-beam etching are discussed briefly.
Numerical Assessment of Dissolution Versus Replacement in the Subsurface Destruction of Detrital Feldspars, Oligocene Frio Formation, South Texas

ABSTRACT Dissolution is the main process responsible for modifying detrital feldspar assemblages in the Oligocene Frio Formation of South Texas, accounting for up to 80% of feldspar modification in completely altered assemblages. This finding is supported through two independent calculations, one based on an estimate of initial feldspar content of the sandstones, the other on estimated initial composition of the feldspars themselves. Volumetric loss of detrital feldspar on the observed scale over such a short time span has major implications for provenance interpretations and for understanding the basin-wide mass balance of several major diagenetic components. The wide variation of feldspar content and composition at any given depth (temperature) attests to the premier significance of fluid co position and flux in driving the reactions that bring about dissolution of feldspars in these rocks.
Automated Rapid Prototyping of Regular Grid-Based Numerical Applications Using Generalized Elemental Subroutines

Computational scientists and engineers commonly rely on established software libraries to achieve high performance and reliability in their numerical applications. Unfortunately, this approach does not work well if the desired functionality is absent in existing libraries or if the integration is difficult. In such scenarios, one is often forced to explore alternative algorithms and in-house implementations. Such exploration can be a challenging task for computational scientists and engineers without sufficient computer science background. To address this issue, we design and build an automated rapid prototyping tool for regular grid-based numerical applications. This new tool allows programmers to specify algorithms as composition of familiar computation patterns such as those easily found in open literature expressed as generalized elemental subroutines. The tool then automatically transforms such subroutines into code which adapts to the prescribed data structures and delivers performance expected from the underlying algorithms. We demonstrate the tool in use cases including a production-grade computational fluid dynamic application.
Test-driven development and software maintenance

Test-driven development is a relatively new approach to software engineering, involving the iterative construction of test cases first, and then the application code that passes the test cases second. This panel session will discuss the impacts of test-driven development on long-term software maintenance costs. The panelists represent different research disciplines related to this topic, including software maintenance, software testing, program redocumentation, program understanding, and empirical studies.
Thrombophilia: Common Questions on Laboratory Assessment and Management

Thrombophilia is an inherited or acquired predisposition to thrombosis. This article reviews the clinical manifestations of thrombophilia and addresses common questions on laboratory assessment and management: what are the potential indications for thrombophilia testing, who should be tested, what tests should be requested, when should testing be performed, and how should the test results affect primary prevention, acute therapy, and secondary prophylaxis of thrombosis.
Physiological Effects of Localised Heating Pulses in Brain Slices

Rapid localised heating ( 5 MWmiddotkg-1) in the tissue near the tip of the electrode. Electrophysiological recordings of evoked responses were made to characterise the physiological effects of the heating pulses.
Views of Facilitated Communication

Facilitated communication (FC) has generated considerable debate, with the main concern being whether the facilitators (often speech-language pathologists) are physically influencing what is being expressed by the communicator. FC has placed speech-language pathologists in an ethical bind, having to weigh the risks of denying their client the right to effective and efficient communication against the risk of using an approach that has not held up under the rigors of controlled scientific studies. The dilemma is further complicated by the different ways FC has been described. Those who describe it in social participation terms are more positive concerning its potential than those who see it in terms of information processing. In this article, views of FC are outlined. A way out of the dilemma is suggested through the development of clinical practice guidelines. Such guidelines should include protections of both clients and clinicians and should be built on both social participation and information processi...
Sudden Death of Entanglement

A new development in the dynamical behavior of elementary quantum systems is the surprising discovery that correlation between two quantum units of information called qubits can be degraded by environmental noise in a way not seen previously in studies of dissipation. This new route for dissipation attacks quantum entanglement, the essential resource for quantum information as well as the central feature in the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen so-called paradox and in discussions of the fate of Schrodinger9s cat. The effect has been labeled ESD, which stands for early-stage disentanglement or, more frequently, entanglement sudden death. We review recent progress in studies focused on this phenomenon.
Anti-neoplastic action of peritoneal macrophages following oral administration of ether analogues of lysophospholipids.

Abstract Inflamed lesions of normal and cancerous tissues induce activation of phospholipase A in plasma membranes resulting in the release of various decomposed products of membranous lipids. Oral administration in mice of dodecylglycerol (DDG), a synthetic alkylglycerol, and an alkyl ether analogueoflysophospholipids, 1-0-octadecyl-2-0-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH 3 -choline) efficiently activated peritoneal macrophages for enhanced Fc-mediated (fragment crystallisable) ingestion of red blood cells and direct cytotoxic action on retinoblastoma tumour cells. The activated macrophages not only inhibited tumour cell growth, but also markedly induced cytolysis of tumour cells. The antitumour capability of the macrophages was substantiated by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. These findings suggest that dodecylglycerol and ET-18-OCH 3 -choline administered orally retain their ability to induce a high level of macrophage activation and tumour cytotoxicity, just as occurs with intraperitoneal administration. Thus, these compounds have potential practical application in chemotherapy and immunotherapy of the tumour, which could be accomplished by simple oral rather than parenteral administration.
Role of the ovary in carnation senescence

Abstract Ovary growth in carnation flowers was inhibited by pre-treatments with silver thiosulfate which retarded petal senescence. Although the start of ovary growth preceded visible wilting of untreated flowers, the ovary does not appear to control carnation senescence. Its removal did not alter the time of senescence, and isolated petals wilted at the same time as those on intact flowers. The ovary normally competes weakly for metabolites with the petals; growth of the ovary occurred only when the petals were removed or started to senesce, if the sink strength of the ovary was increased by injecting growth regulators or if sucrose was supplied exogenously. It seems unlikely that the growth of the ovary is dependent on reallocation of carbohydrate materials from the petals.
Host‐handling behaviours in parasitoids of the black scale: a case for ant‐mediated evolution

Summary 1 We hypothesize that differences in host-handling times among three closely related encyrtid parasitoids (Metaphycus anneckei Guerrieri & Noyes, Metaphycus hageni Daane & Caltagirone and Metaphycus lounsburyi[Howard]) are influenced by the defences of their host, black scale (Saissetia oleae[Olivier]). Two forms of host defence were examined: (i) the scale’s possession of a hard integument, and (ii) the effect of ants tending S. oleae. 2 Duration of host assessment, host rejection, drilling/oviposition and the presence or absence of host feeding were measured for M. anneckei, M. hageni and M. lounsburyi. Results show that M. anneckei oviposits through the soft ventral integument while M. hageni and M. lounsburyi oviposit through the harder dorsal integument. M. anneckei was never observed to host feed while both M. hageni and M. lounsburyi use hosts for either oviposition or host feeding. The ventral drilling location and absence of non-concurrent host feeding significantly reduced the overall host-handling time of M. anneckei, relative to M. lounsburyi and M. hageni. 3 Oviposition success of M. anneckei and M. hageni in the presence of ants was compared. An observation arena was established with the numbers of Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr) and S. oleae manipulated on potted oleanders. M. hageni and M. anneckei were placed, individually, onto the observation arena and their interaction with ants and S. oleae recorded. While 55·3% of M. anneckei successfully oviposited, M. hageni was unable to oviposit or host feed in the presence of foraging ants. 4 Field tests were conducted using potted oleander plants, infested with S. oleae, to determine the effect of L. humile on scale density, parasitism levels and parasitoid species composition. Ant-tended plants had significantly more scale, lower scale parasitism and lower levels of host feeding (as indicated by unknown scale mortality levels). There were also significant differences in parasitoid species composition between ant-tended and ant-excluded treatments, with the relative frequency of parasitoid species with faster host-handling times more common in the ant-tended treatment.
Clinical disease: current treatment and new challenges.

This chapter reviews and discusses (i) the human disease manifestations for major pathogenic groups, with some attention to detail on how these differ between genera and species within a single genus; (ii) the evolution of treatment for rickettsial infections; (iii) the existing challenges for treatment and management in human infections; and (iv) corroborated or suspected treatment failures or persistent clinical complaints. The underlying theme for disease manifestations in the Rickettsiaceae is systemic infection of endothelial cells, leading to increased vascular permeability. Once diagnosed, rickettsioses, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis are primarily managed with specific antimicrobial agent therapy. The major advantage of doxycycline is its twice-daily oral dosing, as opposed to three or four doses daily for tetracycline. In general, tetracycline antibiotics are considered rickettsiastatic, not rickettsiacidal. This concept has led to several specific recommendations regarding treatment in rickettsial disease. First, treatment should be provided for long enough that immune recognition and clearance of active infection can proceed to eliminate viable although nonreplicating rickettsia surviving within intracellular niches. Second, since proper immune induction is in part dependent on rickettsial antigen mass, early therapy can sometimes simply suppress growth in the absence of waxing immunity, leading to relapse after apparent appropriate treatment doses and intervals. The identification of innate resistance owing to naturally occurring genetic mutations that confer resistance to currently useful antibiotics underscores the degree of genetic diversity observed in Rickettsiales genome projects.
Japan, the United States, and the Philosophical Bases of Immigration Policy

Immigration policy can be understood as variably conforming to three different philosophies: economic utilitarianism, which is geared toward maximizing wealth; rights liberalism, where policy creates legal protections of human dignity, including that of citizens and migrants alike; and communitarianism, where the preservation of the host state’s national culture is paramount. The extent to which these philosophies guides policy depends on the policy in question and also on the state making the policy. Although both the United States and Japan face demographic and economic challenges in the future and make economic utilitarian policy for skilled immigrants, the United States’ tendency toward free-market economic utilitarianism has prepared it for these challenges more so than Japan, where policies more in line with communitarian principles and an economic utilitarianism focused on the costs of low-skilled immigrants have created greater demographic challenges in the future.
Quasilocal energy and conserved charges derived from the gravitational action

The quasilocal energy of gravitational and matter fields in a spatially bounded region is obtained by employing a Hamilton-Jacobi analysis of the action functional. First, a surface stress-energy-momentum tensor is defined by the functional derivative of the action with respect to the three-metric on $^{3}$B, the history of the system's boundary. Energy surface density, momentum surface density, and spatial stress are defined by projecting the surface stress tensor normally and tangentially to a family of spacelike two-surfaces that foliate $^{3}$B. The integral of the energy surface density over such a two-surface B is the quasilocal energy associated with a spacelike three-surface \ensuremath{\Sigma} whose orthogonal intersection with $^{3}$B is the boundary B. The resulting expression for quasilocal energy is given in terms of the total mean curvature of the spatial boundary B as a surface embedded in \ensuremath{\Sigma}. The quasilocal energy is also the value of the Hamiltonian that generates unit magnitude proper-time translations on $^{3}$B in the timelike direction orthogonal to B. Conserved charges such as angular momentum are defined using the surface stress tensor and Killing vector fields on $^{3}$B. For spacetimes that are asymptotically flat in spacelike directions, the quasilocal energy and angular momentum defined here agree with the results of Arnowitt, Deser, and Misner in the limit that the boundary tends to spatial infinity. For spherically symmetric spacetimes, it is shown that the quasilocal energy has the correct Newtonian limit, and includes a negative contribution due to gravitational binding.
Sex differences in the associations among psychological factors and pain report: a novel psychophysical study of patients with chronic low back pain.

Abstract Previous studies have consistently suggested that there are sex differences in pain report, but there is no consensus regarding sex differences in the associations among psychological factors and pain report. This cross-sectional study used a novel, clinically relevant, psychophysical pain-induction technique to examine sex differences between sensory and affective pain report and sex differences in the association of depression, pain related anxiety, and catastrophizing with pain report. Patients with chronic low back pain (N = 53) were recruited from an outpatient spine clinic, and those consenting completed self-report measures of pain-related anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, and pain. A measure of induced low back pain was obtained by having study participants perform a protocol on the MedX™ Low-Back Exercise Apparatus. Our results indicated that no sex differences were detected in psychological factors and self-reported or induced low back pain. However, the relationships between pain related anxiety and self-report of low back pain (z = 2.51, P P Perspective Results of this study suggest that pain-related anxiety has a stronger association with psychophysical and clinical reports of low back pain for men.
A Production Model for Myriophyllum spicatum L.

The mathematical model WEED was derived to study the productivity of the submerged macrophyte Myriophyllum spicatum in the littoral of Lake Wingra, Madison, Wisconsin. The model coordinates four biomass compartments with selected physiological processes evaluated for a stratified meter—squared water coloumn. Light and temperature are the primary environmental forcing functions. The model considers growth form (depth distribution of biomass), total biomass/meter—squared, the depth profile of photosynthesis and macrophyte contributions to dissovled and particulate organic matter pools in the water column. The model output was tested against field data for seasonal patterns of standing crop, depth distribution of biomass and depth profile of photosynthesis for a rooting depth of 150 cm. WEED has permitted the simulation of macrophyte growth response to changes in environmental conditions and has outlined areas of needed research. See full-text article at JSTOR
Influence of Assay Methodology on the Measurement of Free Serum Ceftriaxone Concentrations

The influence of assay methodology on the measurement of the active free fraction of ceftriaxone in plasma was determined. The free fraction was measured by three methods: agar diffusion bioassay, precipitation of plasma protein with methanol followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the supernatant, and ultrafiltration of plasma followed by HPLC of the filtrate. In human serum, the free ceftriaxone levels were significantly lower (P = 0.03) when measured on ultrafiltrates compared to the other two methods. This difference disappeared when dolphin serum was studied. After ultrafiltration, human serum was shown, by Scatchard plot analysis, to have two ceftriaxone binding sites. Species differences were also demonstrated. Hence, in humans, determination of free plasma ceftriaxone varies with the assay method employed.
Differentiating aquatic mammal habitat and foraging ecology with stable isotopes in tooth enamel.

We analyzed the carbon and oxygen isotope composition of tooth enamel from mammals inhabiting marine and terrestrial ecosystems to determine whether these stable isotopes were robust indicators of foraging and habitat preferences. Consumers were separated into six habitats (offshore, nearshore, kelp beds, estuarine, freshwater, terrestrial). Consumer δ13C values were correlated with the δ13C values of primary producers within each habitat, suggesting that δ13C values of tooth enamel are a viable proxy for foraging zones. Offshore and terrestrial consumer δ13C values were not significantly different, however, indicating that carbon isotope analysis alone is not sufficient to distinguish foraging within these two ecosystems. We propose that oxygen isotopes can be used along with δ13C values to further clarify habitat use. Oxygen isotopes were assessed as an indicator of habitat use. Consumers were grouped into four categories: aquatic-marine, aquatic-estuarine, aquatic-freshwater, and terrestrial. Populations of aquatic taxa had significantly lower standard deviations for δ18O values than those of terrestrial taxa. Mean δ18O values of aquatic taxa were significantly different among groups, but surprisingly, the mean values for freshwater taxa were higher than those for marine taxa. We conclude that variation in δ18O values of mammalian populations is a valid indicator of aquatic habits, but that mean δ18O values should be utilized with caution when trying to discriminate between marine and freshwater habitat use. Together, δ13C and δ18O values serve as valuable tools for identifying foraging and habitat preferences in modern marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and may provide similar information on ancient ecosystems.
Data Driven Modeling: An Application in Scheduling

This paper presents a data driven modeling (DDM) approach to certain types of optimization problems. DDM relinquishes control of the completed model to the user department rather than the operations research (OR) staff. The approach emphasizes development of models that are dependent on data maintained and understood by the users. The data base consists of coded user rules which describe when changes will occur in the problem structure and data which captures the generalization of the problem. Both the rules and data can be updated by user department personnel. These data drive a matrix generator controlled by the rules which uses the data base as input to generate the specific model formulation. This DDM system is designed by OR consultants or staff to allow independence of use along with low-cost and minimal-effort maintenance. The DDM approach is illustrated with an application to a real-world medical scheduling problem.
Inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA and activity in glomerular mesangial cells.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA and activity in glomerular mesangial cells. Previous studies have suggested that glomerular mesangial cells produce nitric oxide (NO), using measurements of the NO decomposition products, NO 2 - and NO 3 - . We have now directly measured NO in the headspace above rat mesangial cell cultures, using a chemiluminescence analyzer. In addition, we examined mesangial cell RNA for inducible NO synthase (iNOS). We found no detectable NO in the headspace or iNOS mRNA in unstimulated mesangial cells. However, after four hours of incubation with LPS (10 µg/ml), iNOS mRNA was apparent and after six hours, significant increases in NO were detected. Both of these parameters continued to increase for at least 24 hours. Significant increases in NO 2 - /NO 3 - in the media and cGMP in the mesangial cells were also detected after 24 hours of incubation with LPS. The induction of iNOS mRNA by LPS was markedly inhibited by actinomycin D and dexamethasone, as was the accumulation of NO 2 - /NO 3 - in the media. Cycloheximide significantly inhibited NO 2 - /NO 3 - in the media of LPS-treated cells, but had little effect on induction of iNOS mRNA by LPS. We conclude that rat mesangial cells possess an iNOS, with activity and regulation similar to that described in macrophages. Furthermore, we demonstrate the activity of this enzyme by direct measurement of NO and its decomposition products, NO 2 - and NO 3 - . We suggest that production of NO by glomerular mesangial cells could occur, even when macrophage infiltration is not present, and could, thereby, modulate glomerular and tubular functions within the kidney.
A discrete phase-locked loop for undergraduate laboratories

Phase-locked loop (PLL) experiments in undergraduate instructional laboratories are usually designed around a monolithic IC chip. However, insight into circuit operation is mostly lost with use of the IC chip. In this paper, a PLL circuit consisting of only three transistors is presented. Given its simple topology, it can be realized with discrete components and requires minimal analysis. Hence, the presented circuit is ideally suited for demonstrating PLL principles in undergraduate laboratories. >
Sperm competition effects on sperm production and expenditure in sailfin mollies, Poecilia latipinna

Sperm competition risk (SCR) models predict that if there is a low probability a male’s ejaculate will compete with another male, individuals should invest less sperm in a mating, whereas if the probability of competition is high, males should invest more sperm. Alternatively, models of sperm competition intensity (SCI) predict that increased intensity of sperm competition leads to maximal sperm investment when a male faces a single competitor. Few studies have examined predictions of these models for males of varying size, and none have examined effects of sperm competition on both sperm production and expenditure. To examine effects of sperm competition on these variables, male sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) from 3 size classes were randomly assigned to one of 3 treatments that manipulated SCR and SCI: 1) no risk, low intensity; 2) risk present, medium intensity; and 3) risk present, high intensity. Male sailfin mollies produced more sperm in the high-intensity treatment than in the low-intensity treatment. Sailfin mollies in the risk present treatments expended more sperm than those males in the risk absent treatment. There was no significant difference in sperm expenditure between the medium intensity and the high-intensity treatment, indicating that maximal sperm investment does not occur when the number of competing males is one. Furthermore, small males expended more sperm than medium and large males. These results suggest that male sailfin mollies respond as predicted to SCR, but not to SCI. I suggest that male size effects and sperm production should be considered in theoretical treatments of optimal male sperm investment strategies. Key words: cryptic male choice, livebearing fish, operational sex ratio, strategic allocation. [Behav Ecol]
Optimal Control and Dynamic Optimization

Optimal control problems involve vector decision variables. These problems are one of the most mathematically challenging problems in optimization theory.
Violence Against Women at the Border: Binational Problems and Multilayered Solutions

The spaces around international borders can be magnets for violence, given the existence of two or more sovereign countries and law enforcement institutions. This chapter focuses on violence against women, particularly misogynist-driven femicide, intimate partner murder, and domestic violence. This chapter begins with the structural violence of poverty and extreme income inequalities between Mexico and the United States, driving migrants northward and putting immigrant women in legal limbo. It then goes on to analyze domestic violence in Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, drawing from field research and official data. This chapter concludes with recommendations for action, policy change, and enforcement priorities for domestic violence, calling for strong civil society human rights–oriented oversight of fragmented law enforcement institutions.
R&D on radiation hard active media based on quartz plates

The need for radiation-hard active media in particle detectors is prominently dictated by the future colliders and the future operations of the Large Hadron Collider. The areas of implementation range from calorimetry to beamline instrumentation to specialized forward detectors e.g. luminosity monitors. In this context, we developed the idea of utilizing quartz plates with various surface coating properties as the active medium for such detectors. Plain quartz is a pure C erenkov radiator which has limited photostatistics. In order to improve the efficiency of the photodetection, various methods were investigated including coating with thin film radiation-hard wavelength shifters, p-terphenyl or 4% gallium doped zinc oxide. The readout options include direct coupling of the photodetector to the quartz plate, or fibers. We have studied various geometries and readout options and constructed calorimeter prototypes. Here we report on the results of the previous tests, and the recent developments, which enable several factors of performance improvements on MIP detection and shower response with simple geometrical modifications such as multi-layer tiles. The future implementation is centered on but not limited to the hadron endcap calorimeter of the CMS detector.
Nonprecious Metal Catalysts for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Density functional theory was used to design a non-noble metal catalyst for low temperature oxygen reduction. A core–shell catalyst of Ag|AgxCu5-xZn8 was found to have an electronic structure predicted to be near optimal for weak oxygen bonding, and the activation energy for dissociation was low. This catalyst was made via evaporation and sputtering and tested as the anode and cathode of low temperature solid oxide fuel cells. The new catalyst showed charge transfer resistance 16 times higher than platinum on the cathode side, and five times lower on the anode side at 400 °C. The resistance to common catalyst poisons CO and H2S is enhanced compared to Pt. Further, the catalyst was tested as the cathode of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell by testing the half cell reaction in a rotating disk electrode. The exchange current density was within a factor of 3 lower than Pt, while the charge transfer coefficient was a factor of 3 higher than Pt. The Ag|AgxCu5-xZn8 catalyst is a promising start to develop non...
Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum in the management of Peyronie’s disease: a review of the evidence

Objectives: Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a connective tissue disorder resulting in the abnormal accumulation of scar or plaques in the tunica albuginea of the penis. The condition is characterized by two phases: an active, inflammatory phase, and a stable, chronic phase. Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) was isolated in the mid-1900s and postulated as a potential pharmacologic strategy for breaking down the abnormal connective tissue plaques of PD. Prior to the introduction of CCH, a wide variety of treatment modalities for PD were used in clinical practice, including oral and topical medications, intralesional injections, electromotive drug administration, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, traction, and invasive surgery, all with variable results. This review aims to examine the known data surrounding the use of intralesional CCH injections in the treatment of PD.
Radar Research on the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The early literature in radar meteorology often refers to returns from the (apparently) clear boundary layer and lower troposphere as “ghosts” and “angels.” One of the “most authentic cases of this type” (Kerr, 1951) was reported by Major J.O. Fletcher in 1943. Excellent summaries of such reports were provided by Plank (1956) and Atlas (1959). It now seems clear that many such reports were due to backscatter from insects or birds and from the earth or sea surface once-reflected by an atmospheric layer. Modern high resolution radars demonstrate that echoes from both biological and particulate targets as well as from refractive index irregularities can contribute to clear-air backscatter in a way that is inseparable by operational radars (e. g., Richter and Jensen, 1973; Richter et al., 1974). In fact, the powerful Doppler radars of the NEXRAD system will be able to acquire valuable clear-air information on the prestorm environment during the warm months by using insects and sometimes refractive index irregularities as air-motion tracers.
Well-child care in infancy and healthcare services utilization from birth to 6 years by late preterm children receiving Medicaid benefits.

OBJECTIVES: The hypotheses tested are that healthy late preterm (LP) children receiving Medicaid benefits use more healthcare services from birth to 6 years than do full-term (FT) children and that those who make the recommended number of early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) visits in the first 2 years require fewer services than those with fewer visits. METHODS: Data represent all of the health encounters for a 6-year birth cohort (1996-2001) of LP and FT children in South Carolina continuously enrolled in Medicaid birth to 6 years (N = 25,940). Associations were examined between making the recommended number of EPSDT visits in the first 2 years and sick-child office visits, emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions and hospitalizations, and ED visits for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs). RESULTS: LP children used more sick-child office visits and hospital admissions (P < 0.001) from birth to 6 years than FT children. LP children with at least the recommended number of EPSDT visits had a greater adjusted rate of sick-child office visits (rate ratio 1.62, confidence interval 1.30-2.02) and a lower adjusted rate of ACSC ED visits (rate ratio 0.79, confidence interval 0.65-0.96) than those making fewer visits. Making the recommended number of EPSDT visits did not affect rates of non-ACSC ED visits or of hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: LP children use more healthcare services in the first 6 years of life than do FT children, and those making the recommended number of EPSDT visits may shift some of their healthcare provision from the ED to providers' offices.
Treating metastatic melanoma: further considerations.

The article by Bhatia and colleagues focuses on the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma using standard therapies, but it also includes a brief outline of recent treatment approaches using investigational agents. In addition, the authors describe prognostic factors for metastatic melanoma, highlighting the impact of the extent of tumor and the site of metastasis (eg, soft-tissue vs visceral metastases) on survival.
Ca(2+)-dependent nitric oxide release in endothelial but not R3230Ac rat mammary adenocarcinoma cells.

We have characterized the ability of several cell types associated with the microvasculature of solid tumors to release nitric oxide (NO.) in response to increases in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c). EA.hy926 immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC), rat fibroblasts (RFL), and tumorigenic cells isolated from R3230Ac rat mammary adenocarcinoma (MaC) were treated with thapsigargin (TG), an inhibitor of Ca(2+)-ATPase. NO. output was measured via a chemiluminescence detection system. Baseline NO. output was detectable only for EC. TG caused a significant increase in EC NO. output that could be blocked with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine and restored with L-arginine. TG did not stimulate NO. release from RFL or MaC cells, despite elevating [Ca2+]c in all cells. A Ca(2+)-dependent isoform of NO synthase (eNOS) was detected by immunoblot only in EC. These data indicate that EC, but not RFL or MaC, are capable of Ca(2+)-dependent NO. release and suggest that any Ca(2+)-dependent NO. release within this tumor is primarily of endothelial (and not tumorigenic cell) origin.