cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Behavioral Response to Heat in the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae).

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., is a common ectoparasite found to live among its vertebrate hosts. Antennal segments in bugs are critical for sensing multiple cues in the environment for survival.To determine whether the thermo receptors of bed bugs are located on their antennae; innovative bioassays were created to observe the choice between heated and unheated stimuli and to characterize the response of bugs to a heat source. Additionally, the effect of complete antenectomized segments on heat detection were evaluated. Heat, carbon dioxide, and moisture are cues that are found to activate bed bug behavior; a temperature at 38°C was used to assess the direction/degree at which the insect reacts to the change in distance from said stimulus. Using a lightweight spherical ball suspended by air through a vacuum tube, bed bugs and other insects are able to move in 360° while on a stationary point. Noldus EthoVision XT was used to capture video images and to track the bed bugs during 5-min bioassays. A bioassay was created using four Petri dish arenas to observe bed bug attraction to heat based on antennae segments at 40°C.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of heat on complete antenectomized segments of the antennae.The results in this experiment suggest that bed bugs detect and are attracted to heat modulated by nutritional status. Learning the involvement of antennae segments in heat detection will help identify the location and role of thermoreceptors for bed bug host interaction.
Zero-Valent Iron Filtration Reduces Microbial Contaminants in Irrigation Water and Transfer to Raw Agricultural Commodities.

Groundwater depletion is a critical agricultural irrigation issue, which can be mitigated by supplementation with water of higher microbiological risk, including surface and reclaimed waters, to support irrigation needs in the United States. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) filtration may be an affordable and effective treatment for reducing pathogen contamination during crop irrigation. This study was performed to determine the effects of ZVI filtration on the removal and persistence of Escherichia coli, and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in irrigation water. Water was inoculated with E. coli TVS 353, filtered through a ZVI filtration unit, and used to irrigate cucurbit and cruciferous crops. Water (n = 168), leaf (n = 40), and soil (n = 24) samples were collected, the E. coli were enumerated, and die-off intervals were calculated for bacteria in irrigation water. Variable reduction of PMMoV was observed, however E. coli levels were consistently and significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the filtered (9.59 lnMPN/mL), compared to unfiltered (13.13 lnMPN/mL) water. The die-off intervals of the remaining bacteria were significantly shorter in the filtered (−1.50 lnMPN/day), as compared to the unfiltered (−0.48 lnMPN/day) water. E. coli transfer to crop leaves and soils was significantly reduced (p < 0.05), as expected. The reduction of E. coli in irrigation water and its transfer to crops, by ZVI filtration is indicative of its potential to reduce pathogens in produce pre-harvest environments.
Case 49: A Glass Blood Bottle. Any Concern?

Today you are working in a midsize hospital in northern Algeria. This hospital has a blood bank. You are in the middle of an orthopedic procedure when excessive bleeding starts. The patient’s vital signs deteriorate and you decide that you need blood. The blood arrives and it is in a glass blood bottle (Fig. 49.1). Actually, blood in low-resource settings may be given in glass bottles and not polyvinyl bags.
[17F]Fluoromethane PET imaging of regional cerebral blood flow in rhesus during amphetamine challenge

1753 Objectives To obtain absolute measures of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using the inert diffusible tracer fluoromethane (CH3F) labeled with 17F (t1/2 = 65 s) and to better understand the effects of amphetamine in the brain, we imaged nonhuman primates by PET. Methods Five adult male rhesus macaques were imaged under isoflurane anesthesia with continuous arterial sampling. [17F]CH3F was injected i.v. in 4 boluses separated by 15 minutes followed by a bolus injection of d-amphetamine (0.4 mg/kg) and another 4 boluses of [17F]CH3F. Images were reconstructed in 60 s frames without decay correction. Time-activity curves were determined for whole brain and various regions of interest. The entire time course was modeled with a single tissue compartment model including a term for radioactive decay. The volume of distribution and extraction fraction were set to 1. Response to amphetamine was assumed to follow a step function. Free parameters for each region were the pre-amphetamine blood flow, K1pre, the fractional change in K1 due to amphetamine, and the time between tracer arrival at tissue and at the blood detector. Results Whole brain blood flow K1pre = 0.49 ± 0.13 mL/min/mL (mean ± SD, n=5, CV = 26%). Mean rCBF ranged from 0.42 to 0.73 mL/min/mL across regions with CVs of 20% to 43% across subjects. Rank order of rCBF was CgG > Cb > CdPu > Fr Ctx > WB = Occ Ctx > Par Ctx > Temp Ctx, and of alteration due to amphetamine was CdPu > CgG > Cb > Fr Ctx > Temp Ctx > WB > 0% > Par Ctx > Occ Ctx. Conclusions The whole brain and regional measures of absolute blood flow agree with the literature. As expected, amphetamine increased rCBF in frontostriatal regions. Akin to the established tracer [18F]CH3F, the novel tracer [17F]CH3F is suitable for quantitative measurement of rCBF. The 65 s half-life of 17F permits frequent sampling of blood flow in acute challenge protocols. Research Support Funded by NIH R21EB00482 to AKC.
Genetic intervention and the parent-child relationship

There is a long history of opposition to allowing parents to use biotechnology in order to select the traits of their children. Jurgen Habermas’s book, The Future of Human Nature, is an important addition to this literature. Habermas, like C.S. Lewis and Paul Ramsey before him, is concerned that children’s futures are fixed by parental choices and that genetic selection or modification treats children as objects rather than persons. This essay aims to show both why these objections resonate with many and why they nevertheless fail to provide good reasons to prohibit deliberate selection in general, and genetic enhancement in particular.
Component Partitioning Under Demand and Capacity Uncertainty in Printed Circuit Board Assembly

This paper considers the problem of configuring a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly line experiencing uncertainty in demand and capacity. The PCB assembly process involves a single line of automatic placement machines, a variety of board types, and a number of component types. The line is set up only once, at the beginning of a production cycle, to eliminate setups between board types. Using this strategy, the line therefore can assemble all different types of PCBs without feeder changes. The problem then becomes to partition component types to the different machines in the hope of processing all boards quickly with a good workload balance. In this paper, the board demands and machine breakdowns are random but follow some probability distribution, which can be predicted from past observations of the system. We formulate this problem as a stochastic mixed-integer programming formulation with the objective of minimizing the expected makespan for assembling all PCBs during a production cycle. The results obtained indicate significant improvement over the existing methods. We hope that this research will provide more PCB assembly facilities with models and techniques to hedge against variable forecasts and capacity plans
The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN): Community-Driven Mentoring for Women in the Atmospheric Sciences

AbstractWomen are a growing percentage of undergraduate and graduate students in the atmospheric sciences, yet they remain a minority in senior positions. One approach for the retention of women is increased mentoring, which is linked to successful promotions, higher incomes, and greater career satisfaction. Informal peer networking is a form of mentoring that may be effective for underrepresented groups. The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) was established in 2002 with the mission to promote career development, build community, provide informal mentoring and support, and facilitate professional collaborations for early career women in the Earth sciences. Over time, ESWN has developed a mentoring philosophy that has reduced some barriers and challenges that women face in traditional mentoring relationships. The five main principles of the ESWN’s mentoring philosophy have evolved to include community-driven mentoring, diverse mentoring approaches for diverse individuals, mentoring across career phases,...
Lipopolysaccharide from a Gram-Negative Marine Bacterium

A lipopolysaccharide molecule was isolated from a marine bacterium. The molecule seems to be composed of lipid A and the hexoses, glucose and galactose.
Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity

The psychotropic amphetamine derivatives 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) have been used for recreational and therapeutic purposes in man. In rats, these drugs cause large reductions in brain levels of serotonin (5-HT). This study employs immunocytochemistry to characterize the neurotoxic effects of these compounds upon monoaminergic neurons in the rat brain. Two weeks after systemic administration of MDA or MDMA (20 mg/kg, s.c., twice daily for 4 d), there is profound loss of serotonergic (5-HT) axons throughout the forebrain; catecholamine axons are completely spared. Regional differences in drug toxicity are exemplified by partial sparing of 5-HT axons in hippocampus, lateral hypothalamus, basal forebrain, and in some areas of neocortex. The terminals of 5-HT axons are selectively ablated, while axons of passage and raphe cell bodies are spared. Thickened preterminal fibers exhibit increased staining due to damming-up of neurotransmitter and other axonal constituents. Fine 5- HT axon terminals are extremely vulnerable to these drugs, whereas terminal-like axons with large varicosities survive, raising the possibility that some 5-HT axons may be resistant to the neurotoxic effects. At short survivals, visualization of greatly swollen, fragmented 5-HT axons provides anatomic evidence for degeneration of 5- HT projections. The results establish that MDA and MDMA produce structural damage to 5-HT axon terminals followed by lasting denervation of the forebrain. Both drugs have similar effects, but MDA produces a greater reduction of 5-HT axons than does MDMA at the same dosage. The selective degeneration of 5-HT axons indicates that these drugs may serve as experimental tools to analyze the organization and function of 5-HT projections. Caution should be exercised until further studies determine whether these compounds may be hazardous in man.
The advantages of harmonic-distortion minimization over traditional harmonic-elimination techniques

Conventional harmonic-elimination methods are compared with a recently proposed distortion minimization technique for AC-DC and DC-AC single-phase converters. The distortion-minimization technique eliminates certain chosen harmonics while minimizing harmonic distortion in rectifier input current or inverter output voltage. Choosing fewer harmonics to be eliminated results in lower harmonic distortion; the lowest possible distortion results from allowing all harmonics to have nonzero values. A striking characteristic of the optimal solutions for the AC-DC power converter is the absence of quarter-wave symmetry. >
Hierarchical imprecise design with weights

An extension to the method of imprecision that allows the decomposition or aggregation of imprecise design problems with weighted attributes is presented. The method of imprecision uses the preferences of the designer and customer to define fully sets that quantify the imprecision associated with a design attribute. These fuzzy sets, weighted by relative importance, are combined to produce an overall design measure. This paper introduces aggregation operators that can be hierarchically applied to combine weighted design attributes so that the structure of the design problem is appropriately modeled. >
Controlling multiple microrobots: recent progress and future challenges

Robots the size of several microns have numerous application in medicine, biology, and manufacturing. However, simultaneous control of multiple robots at this scale is difficult since the robot itself is too small to carry power, sensors, communication, and control on-board. In this paper, we have summarized different approaches, ranging from specialized robot design and fabrication to specialized ways of actuating robots, with the aim of independent control of a team/swarm of microrobots. We have also discussed the challenges for each approach. In the light of the challenges, we have proposed some directions where the future researchers can focus in order to solve the problem of independent control of a team of microrobots.
Monoculture & Mono-woman: An Ecofeminist Critique

I explore and compare the consumerist view of women with the consumerist view of food, specifically seeds, in Western culture. Western propaganda conceptualizes women as domesticated and dominated and views nature in the same light. As a result of media manipulations, a monoculture and a mono-woman have arisen. Through the alteration of seeds, we have created a standard for fruits and vegetables sculpted around the ideal of perfection imposed by science and man. Similarly, the advertisement industry has shaped a new paradigm of women’s beauty (mono-woman).
Altered swelling behavior of femoral cartilage following joint immobilization in a canine model.

Abstract Periods of reduced joint loading have been shown to induce changes in the biochemical composition, metabolism and mechanics of articular cartilage. In this study, changes in cartilage swelling behavior were studied following a 4-week period of joint immobilization, using a recently developed osmotic loading technique [J. Biomech. 32 (1999) 401–408]. The magnitude and distribution of swelling strains were measured in cartilage–bone samples equilibrated in physiological and hypotonic saline, relative to a hypertonic reference NaCl solution. Physicochemical parameters (glycosaminoglycan fixed charge density and water volume fraction) were determined in site-matched cartilage samples. The experimental data for swelling strains, fixed charge density and water volume fraction were used with a triphasic mechano-chemical theory [J. Biomech. Eng. 113 (1991) 245–258] to determine the effect of joint immobilization on the tensile modulus of the cartilage solid matrix. Four weeks of immobilization resulted in a significant increase in the magnitude of swelling-induced strains, and a significant decrease in fixed charge density in cartilage, as compared with the contralateral controls. Joint immobilization also resulted in decreases in values for the modulus of cartilage, as compared with the contralateral controls. Our results suggest that 4 weeks of joint immobilization had a significant effect on cartilage mechanical function that may be linked to collagen changes in the cartilage extracellular matrix.
Embedded RF Filters for WLAN and Bluetooth Applications

This paper discusses the design and integration of RF filters in multilayer organic substrate. Using a methodic approach, several low-pass and band-pass filters have been designed, fabricated and fully characterized. The electrical analysis clearly indicates, which of the low-pass filters is less susceptible to process variations and therefore more appropriate for high volume manufacturing. It is shown that these filters provide electrical performance similar to their commercially available ceramic counterparts while using relatively smaller real estate. All filters are fabricated in the innermost layers of a multilayer organic package substrate with embedded passives capability.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Simulations of the Hubbard model

We discuss results of simulations of the Hubbard model of interacting electrons on a lattice. We start with a brief discussion of methodology and point out some of the outstanding problems. We then discuss results of simulations of the model in three, two, and one dimension, particularly in connection with its magnetic and superconducting properties. We conclude with a brief discussion of future directions.
Muscle insulin receptor concentrations in obese patients post bariatric surgery: relationship to hyperinsulinemia.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity results in insulin resistance. Bariatric surgery for obese individuals induces weight loss, improves insulin sensitivity, and lowers insulin levels. We investigated the mechanisms of this improvement. DESIGN: Insulin receptor (IR) content, IR signaling, and adiponectin levels were measured in nine morbidly obese subjects before and after bariatric surgery. SUBJECTS: Seven female and two male, average age 44±2y, BMI >40 kg/m2 and/or at least 100 lbs over ideal body weight, undergoing elective bariatric surgery. MEASUREMENTS: Before surgery BMI, fasting plasma glucose, adiponectin, and insulin levels were measured. A fasting muscle biopsy was obtained from the vastus lateralis for IR concentration and autophosphorylation activity measurements. These procedures were repeated 1 y after surgery. RESULTS: At 1 y after surgery, the subjects had lost an average of 48.3±5.6 kg (P<0.001), insulin sensitivity had significantly increased as determined by the minimal model (SI 0.72±0.18 vs 3.86±1.43, P<0.05), and IR content had increased two-fold in muscle (2.1±0.4 vs 4.3±0.7 ng/mg protein, P<0.01). The increase in IR content was related to fasting insulin levels. In the subjects with the lowest IR function, there was also an increase in IR function. Plasma adiponectin increased by 40% following weight loss (7.4±1.6 pre vs 10.3±1.3 mg/ml post, P<0.05). There was no significant change in muscle content of the IR inhibitor, PC-1. CONCLUSION: Increased IR content, most likely regulated by insulin levels, may be one contributor to the increased insulin sensitivity that occurs when morbidly obese patients undergo bariatric surgery.
Ultrafast field dynamics in large-aperture photoconductors

We investigated field screening mechanisms in large-aperture GaAs photoconductors, using an ultrafast pump–probe terahertz technique. After photoexcitation the bias field decreases to an intensity-dependent value as a result of near-field screening of the bias field. For longer delays the field exhibits an intensity-dependent decrease that results from a space-charge field caused by transport-induced charge separation. These measurements support recent theoretical results that the dominant saturation mechanism that limits terahertz output from large-aperture photoconductors is near-field screening of the bias field because the space-charge field develops on a much longer time scale than that of the terahertz pulse.
Open community development for science gateways with apache rave

Science gateways enable researchers and students to use distributed scientific computing infrastructure (cyberinfrastructure) through Web browsers and Web-enabled desktop clients. This paper describes the use of the open source, open community Apache Rave project as the basis for developing science gateways. Building on Apache Shindig (for OpenSocial Gadgets) and Apache Wookie (for W3C Widgets), Rave provides an out-of-the box deployment that can be used to host reusable social Web components. Rave is based on the Spring MVC framework and so can also be extensively customized or extended with (for example) custom database back-ends and authentication modules. In this paper we consider Rave as a development platform for science gateways and discuss how the source code may be extended through three use cases that focus on gateway security requirements. A major consideration of this paper is how to design Rave as a development environment so that developers can make local customizations and extensions freely on both a rapidly changing code base (during Rave's initial development), and (later) between stable code bases during version upgrades. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of developing science gateways and other cyberinfrastructure software within the Apache Software Foundation and present its potential advantages.
Three-dimensional light-matter interface for collective spin squeezing in atomic ensembles

We study the three-dimensional nature of the quantum interface between an ensemble of cold, trapped atomic spins and a paraxial laser beam, coupled through a dispersive interaction. To achieve strong entanglement between the collective atomic spin and the photons, one must match the spatial mode of the collective radiation of the ensemble with the mode of the laser beam while minimizing the effects of decoherence due to optical pumping. For ensembles coupling to a probe field that varies over the extent of the cloud, the set of atoms that indistinguishably radiates into a desired mode of the field defines an inhomogeneous spin wave. Strong coupling of a spin wave to the probe mode is not characterized by a single parameter, the optical density, but by a collection of different effective atom numbers that characterize the coherence and decoherence of the system. To model the dynamics of the system, we develop a full stochastic master equation, including coherent collective scattering into paraxial modes, decoherence by local inhomogeneous diffuse scattering, and backaction due to continuous measurement of the light entangled with the spin waves. This formalism is used to study the squeezing of a spin wave via continuous quantum nondemolition measurement. We find that the greatest squeezing occurs in parameter regimes where spatial inhomogeneities are significant, far from the limit in which the interface is well approximated by a one-dimensional, homogeneous model.
Evaluation of the moisture equivalent soil test for irrigation management

Abstract Previous research demonstrated that the moisture equivalent (ME) soil test measured at about ‐80 kPa reflects soil clay and organic matter contents, exhibits good precision, and is well correlated to the ‐33 kPa pressure plate estimate of field capacity. However, data to guide interpretation of the ME results in irrigation management are lacking. In the present research, soil mixes comprising 45 to 100% sand, 0 to 50% clay, and 0 to 5% peat by volume were used to determine the effects of soil composition on ME measured at either ‐13 or ‐80 kpa. The plant available water capacity (AWC) was determined by growing plants in pots containing the soil mixes. Volumetric ME measurements at either ‐13 or ‐80 kPa increased linearly with clay content, as did the volumetric water content at wilting point (WP). Hence, the estimated AWC was essentially constant across the entire range tested. If WP and AWC estimates from this greenhouse study reflect field conditions, the results do not support soil testing to ...
A phosphine detection matrix using nanostructure modified porous silicon gas sensors

Abstract We discuss the selective modification of porous silicon (PS) conductometric gas sensors for phosphine detection. Tin, nickel, copper and gold are electrolessly deposited onto nanopore covered microporous porous silicon surfaces forming SnOx, NiO, CuxO and AuxO nanostructured centers. Further studies have also been carried out with nanostructured alumina coated porous silicon. The porous silicon surface is analyzed for the metal oxides considered using XPS measurements. These experiments demonstrate that the indicated metals are deposited to the nanopore covered micropores of the PS interface and are oxidized to form metal oxide sites. The sensitivity change of these modified porous silicon gas sensor surfaces has been measured under 1–5 ppm PH3 exposure. An improved sensitivity, of the order of 5 times that of untreated porous silicon, for 1 ppm exposure is observed. The selection of the nanostructure deposition is based on the hard to soft acid character of the nanostructured deposit and its subsequent effect on the physisorption of PH3, an intermediate base. The observed behavior follows an inverse pattern IHSAB to the hard soft acid–base concept.
PRODUCTION, SPECTROSCOPY AND DECAY OF ORBITALLY EXCITED B MESONS

This paper reviews the most recent results from LEP and the Tevatron on production rates, masses and widths of orbitally excited B meson states. It also provides possible explanations for the various discrepancies observed between some of these experimental results.
Beta(3)-integrin-deficient mice but not P-selectin-deficient mice develop intimal hyperplasia after vascular injury: correlation with leukocyte recruitment to adherent platelets 1 hour after injury.

Background—Intimal hyperplasia contributes to restenosis after percutaneous vascular interventions. Both β3-integrins, αVβ3 and αIIbβ3 (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa), and leukocytes have been implicated in neointimal formation, based in part on the results obtained using antagonists to 1 or both receptors in animal models. Methods and Results—The responses in wild-type mice, β3-integrin–deficient mice, and P-selectin–deficient mice were studied in a model of transluminal endothelial injury of the femoral artery. At 4 weeks, β3-integrin–deficient mice were not protected from developing intimal hyperplasia, whereas P-selectin–deficient mice were protected. Within 1 hour of injury, several layers of platelets deposited on the arteries of wild-type mice and a single layer of platelets deposited on the vessels of β3-integrin–deficient mice; in both cases, leukocytes were recruited to the platelet layer. In P-selectin–deficient mice, the platelet layer was less compact and extended further into the lumen but did not r...
Single-sex state nursing schools and the U.S. Constitution: Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan

Under the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment of the United States Constitution, a state may not illegally discriminate against any person on the basis of his or her sex. The Supreme Court of the United States interprets the Constitution, and it has had great difficulty determining the proper judicial standard for a determination of when sex discrimination is contitutionally allowable and when it is not. In education, the trend has been away from single-sex schools and in favor of co-educational schools. Before Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan, decided in June, 1982, the Supreme Court had never decided a case involving the constitutionality of single-sex schools. In this case, the Court found that Mississippi's policy of refusing to admit males to its all-female School of Nursing was unconstitutional. This decision confirms the trend toward complete desegregation of single-sex schools and could be interpreted by later courts to mean that single-sex educational facilities supported by the state are inherently unconstitutional as an illegal classification on the basis of sex.
Recursion, Supplementarity, and the Limits of Subjectivity in John Barth’s “Menelaiad”

“Menelaiad,” an experimental short story from John Barth’s Lost in the Funhouse , consists of a series of multiply nested narratives in which each layer recursively generates the next, chronologically earlier one. The story presents narrative and memory as supplemental processes that look back in time to recover or replace a lost moment of presence and completion. Barth suggests these supplements are imperfect and self-defeating means of recapturing the past, however, as they further separate the narrator from his tale’s irretrievable origins. The story structures human subjectivity along similarly self-deferring lines, portraying the self not as an essential whole but as a sequence of narrative supplements organized around an absence that no supplement can redress. Paralleling contemporary developments in poststructuralist theory yet not inspired by, beholden to, or even necessarily aware of them, “Menelaiad” delivers an original illustration of the recursive and supplemental processes that, Barth believes, define and demarcate the human subject.
Segmental effect of NMDA block in the dorsal horn on the pressor reflex

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of NMDA receptor blockade in the dorsal horn of adjacent spinal segments as it pertains to the pressor reflex evoked by static contraction and stretch of skeletal muscle. In this preparation, cats were anesthetized and the afferent fibers mediating the pressor reflex entered the spinal cord via the L7 dorsal root. Blockade of dorsal horn NMDA receptors at L6 and L7 attenuated the pressor reflex evoked by static contraction and muscle stretch. However, NMDA block in the L6 dorsal horn alone failed to alter the peak increase in MAP produced by static contraction and muscle stretch, but the initial pressor response evoked by static contraction was attenuated. These data support the hypothesis that the pressor reflex is partially mediated by activation of NMDA receptors in the dorsal horn, and this occurs at multiple spinal segments. Further, these data suggest that activation of NMDA receptors plays an important role in initiating the rise in arterial pressure produced by static contraction of skeletal muscle.
Abstract 3731: Targeting ovarian cancer stem cells using a novel ALDH inhibitor.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Background: Cancer cells with stem cell-like properties (CSC) are resistant to chemotherapy and are believed to be the source of cancer recurrence. Aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymatic activity (ALDH), alone and in combination with the stem cell marker CD133, can be used to define a hierarchy of Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells (OvCSC). ALDH is functionally important for stem cells, regulating motile cellular metabolic functions and the biosynthesis of retinoic acid. ALDH agonists have been demonstrated to enhance ‘stemness’ in some tissues. We therefore sought to determine the impact of ALDH antagonist on OvCSC. Methods and Results: We screened a variety of novel derivatives with confirmed or potential ALDH activity based on the molecular homology to the known ALDH inhibitor DEAB. Using the ALDEFLUOR assay and A2780 cancer cell line as a source of ALDH+CD133+ cells, we identified a lead compound 673 which effectively inhibits ALDH activity. Interestingly this compound also potently depletes CD133+ ovarian cancer cells. Supporting functional depletion of OvCSC, treatment of primary human ovarian tumor ascites cells with 673 resulted in 4-20 fold decrease tumor sphere formation. 673 treatment is highly synergistic with cisplatin both in-vitro and in-vivo as assessed by cell growth curves and tumor growth. Importantly, pre-treatment of tumor cells with 673 significantly reduced tumor in tumor initiation and growth rates. Finally, 673 is non-toxic to normal stem cells. Conclusions: We have identified a novel ALDH inhibitor, 673, which depletes the ovarian cancer cells expressing CSC markers. CSC marker independent functional assays, with both cell lines and primary human ovarian cancer cells, indicate 673 is depleting OvCSC activity. Thus this may be a powerful new therapeutic approach to target CSC. Future studies will elucidate the molecular mechanism that underlies 673 OvCSC depletion activities as well as to identify a specific ALDH isoforms targeted in ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Ilana Chefetz, Kun Yang, Scott D. Larsen, Ronald J. Buckanovich. Targeting ovarian cancer stem cells using a novel ALDH inhibitor. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3731. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3731
Focusing by small-f-number lenses in the presence of aberrations.

A method of finding the three-dimensional distribution of light in the focal region of small-f‐number lenses that have arbitrary surface curvatures is described. The Fresnel approximation is not used, and the effects of aberration are included. A comparison of the numerical results with experimental measurements for a commercially obtained plano–convex lens is provided.
UCSD High Energy X-Ray Timing Experiment

The High Energy X-Ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE) is one of three x-ray instrument components on NASA's X-Ray Timing Explorer (XTE) mission to be launched in 1994 for the detailed, 2-200 keV study of bright x-ray pulsars and other x-ray sources through observations of their temporal variability. Through extensive, dedicated, pointed observations of these sources, XTE will directly address issues pertaining to the nature of compact matter (white dwarfs to massive black holes), the evolution of systems containing these objects, and the conditions of astrophysical plasmas in their vicinity under extreme conditions of gravity, magnetic fields, and temperatures. The HEXTE is composed of two clusters, each containing four NaI/CsI phoswich scintillation counters with a total net collecting area of 800 cm2 per cluster. The detector system is designed to achieve state-of-the-art scintillator energy resolution (AEA 5. 0.1 @ 100 keV) and high spectral sensitivity (3 σ detection of 1 milliCrab active galaxy in one energy resolution element - Δ E = 20 keV - at 100 keV in 105s). This high performance is achieved through the large area and controlling systematic uncertainties to be 0.001 of instrument background, by utilization of aperture modulation rapid with respect to instrument background variations, automatic gain control, and a small field of view (1° FWHM). Instrument control and data formatting is accomplished by an onboard microcomputer system, which can be configured to maximize the scientific return for each individual observation within the constraint of 5000 bits/s of allocated telemetry.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Abnormal skeletal response to parathyroid hormone in dogs with chronic uremia.

The release of cyclic AMP from bone in response to stimulation with PTH 1–34 was examined in 20 dogs with long-term chronic renal failure (CRF) produced by unilateral nephrectomy and contralateral partial renal artery ligation. After 9 to 15 months of uremia, the tibiae were removed and perfused in vitro. Seven dogs with CRF served as controls, 7 dogs with CRF were treated with 24,25(OH)2D3 — 2.5 µg per day, and 6 CRF dogs underwent thyroparathyroidectomy (TPTX) 42 h before they were sacrificed. The release of cyclic AMP from bone in response to PTH 1–34 in the CRF dogs was severely reduced compared to the response observed in 7 dogs with normal renal function (net accumulation of cyclic AMP release 86±8.5 versus 426±59.0 pmol/30 min). Long-term treatment of uremic dogs with 24,25(OH)2D3 had no effect on the release of cyclic AMP by bone. However, the release of cyclic AMP was restored to normal levels in the CRF dogs that underwent thyroparathyroidectomy. All CRF dogs had secondary hyperparathyroidism and the fact that TPTX returned the cyclic AMP response to normal values suggests that desensitization to PTH of the adenylate cyclase system of bone exists in chronic uremia.
Reactions of thianthrene cation radical tetrafluoroborate with aldehydes: formation of α-(5-thianthreniumyl)aldehyde tetrafluoroborates – a facile synthesis of α-ketols through Lobry de Bruyn–van Ekenstein rearrangement

Abstract Reactions of thianthrene cation radical tetrafluoroborate with aldehydes, namely, butanal, pentanal, hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nononal, decanal, undecanal, dodecanal, tridecanal, and 3-phenylpropanal, led to the formation of α -(5-thianthreniumyl)aldehyde tetrafluoroborates (13a–k). Adducts (13a–k) are unstable and are converted to the corresponding hydrates (14a–k) when exposed to moisture or by deliberate addition of water to their solutions. Adducts (13a–k) and their hydrates (14a–k) were characterized with 1H, 13C, and DEPT NMR spectroscopy. Interestingly, when solutions of adducts (13a–k) in acetonitrile were stirred with activated alumina, facile conversion to α -ketols (15a–k) occurred. It is proposed that the formation of α -ketols (15a–k) occurred through the Lobry de Bruyn–van Ekenstein rearrangement from the initially formed α -hydroxyaldehydes. α -Ketols 15a–j were isolated in good yield and their identities were confirmed with NMR spectroscopy.
trans-resveratrol content in commercial peanuts and peanut products.

A modified high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for determination of trans-resveratrol (resveratrol) in peanuts and peanut products has been developed. Resveratrol was extracted with acetonitrile−water (90/10, v/v) by blending with diatomaceous earth at high speed followed by purification of an aliquot of the extract on a minicolumn packed with Al2O3−ODS (C18) mixture. The column was eluted with acetonitrile−water (90/10, v/v), eluate was evaporated under nitrogen, and residue was dissolved in HPLC mobile phase. Resveratrol in an aliquot of purified extract was quantitated by HPLC on silica gel with n-hexane−2−propanol−water−acetonitrile−acetic acid (1050/270/17/5/1, v/v) as a mobile phase. The recovery of resveratrol added to diatomaceous earth at 0.05 μg/g was 98.95 ± 17.79%; the recovery of the standard added to fresh peanuts (with 0.070 μg/g natural level of resveratrol) at 0.50, 5.00, and 10.00 μg/g was 117.23 ± 8.87, 100.10 ± 2.49, and 100.45 ± 1.51%, respectively. The quantitation ...
Light and electron microscopy studies on the development of Parathelohania anophelis (Microspora : Amblyosporidae) in female Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Diptera : Culicidae)

Abstract A light and electron microscopic study of Parathelohania anophelis, a heterosporous microsporidian parasite of the mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus, revealed both oval and cylindrical binucleate spores in adult females. Both types of spores may be responsible for transovarial transmission of the parasite. Both spore types originate from identical diplokaryotic meronts in larvae. However, the small oval spore results from plasmodia containing 10 to 40 diplokaryotic nuclei and is produced 24 hr after emergence of the adult mosquito, whereas the large cylindrical spore results from plasmodia containing 6 to 10 nuclei and is formed only after the mosquito takes a blood meal.
Comparative radiography of artificially created mandibular condyle defects.

Abstract This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of four radiographic techniques in demonstrating the TMJ. Mandibular condyles of a variety of sizes, as well as horizontal and vertical angulation, were selected. The location and size of the defects also varied. The mandibular condyles, in which 12 defects were created, were divided into two groups of six large and six small each. On examination of the condyles with the different defects, using each of the four radiographic techniques, the defects were localized with silver amalgam and reexamined with the radiographic techniques. The visualization of the defects was compared using the radiographs. Of the techniques used in this study, hypocycloidal tomography provided optimum visualization of all types of defects.
Catalytic reactions in transport-line reactors

Abstract The case of an irreversible first order catalytic reaction is considered in a transport-line reactor, via a model which assumes plug flow of both the solid and gas phases, to investigate reactor performance as a function of major operating variables. Under certain fluid mechanical assumptions, a detailed study is made of the effect of catalyst particle size on reactor conversion.
The effect of the fungus, Balansia cyperi Edg., on growth and reproduction of purple nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus L.

SUMMARY Two growth trials were conducted in the greenhouse to determine the effects of the systemic clavicipitaceous fungus, Balansia cyperi Edg, on growth and tuber production of purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.). In the field, tubers collected from populations of infected plants were significantly smaller than tubers from populations of uninfected plants. There were no differences in percentage of tubers sprouting, or in time to sprouting, between infected and uninfected tubers collected and planted in the greenhouse in September 19S5. Infected tubers collected and planted in January 1986 showed significantly decreased percentage sprouting, and increased time to sprouting, compared with uninfected tubers. In both trials, after correcting for differences in initial tuber size, vegetative tiller (shoot) number increased and inflorescence number decreased for infected purple nutsedge compared to uninfected purple nutsedge. Plants were harvested after 20 weeks in the second trial. Total dry weight of infected plants was greater than total dry weight of uninfected plants, but ratios of below-ground: above-ground dry weight were the same. Infected plants produced significantly more, but smaller, tubers than uninfected plants. Greater vegetative growth and production of more tubers may provide and advantage to infected purple nutsedge in mixtures with uninfected plants and other plant species.
The Care of the Head and Neck Cancer Patient Is a Team Sport

T he theme for my presidential year has been to highlight the value and importance of the multidisciplinary team in providing compassionate, quality, and patientand familycentered care for the head and neck cancer patient. The head and neck cancer surgeon, along with colleagues in medical and radiation oncology, are what we typically and historically have considered the primary members of the team. Upon further reflection, however, we must all recognize and acknowledge the value and efforts afforded our patients by a diverse cadre of health care professionals, without whom we could not possibly provide the care we collectively aspire to deliver. These team members include nurses, physician assistants, speech pathologists, dentists, maxillofacial prosthodontists, social workers, radiologists, anesthesiologists, nutritionists, medical assistants, and administrative assistants. Discovery of the novel treatment paradigms that offer improvement in tumor control and patient outcome requires the efforts of scientists and clinical trialists. Results of experiments and clinical trials require the expertise of biostatisticians. The new age of genomics, proteomics, and next-generation sequencing has created a new discipline, that of the bioinformatician. Thus, there are many critically important members of the multidisciplinary team that provide care for the head and neck cancer patient and define the future of this care.
Influence of hypothyroidism on growth hormone binding by rat liver.

The binding of 125I-iodinated human GH ([125I] iodo-hGH) to crude, membrane-rich preparations from the livers of thyroidectomized male rats was examined to determine if alterations in GH binding might explain hypothyroid-induced growth failure. Membrane preparations from chronically hypothyroid rats bound nearly twice as much labeled hGH (12.8 ± 2.5% mean ± 1 SD) as those from normal rats (6.6 ± 1.4%) or thyroxine-treated thyroidectomized animals (7.0 ± 1.1%). Binding by membrane preparations from hypothyroid rats treated with hGH for 2 weeks was 12.3%. By Scatchard analysis the apparent affinities of the membrane preparations for hGH were relatively constant (Ka = 2.30–2.88 × 109 M-1) among the experimental groups. Ovine PRL was only 1.4% as potent as hGH in displacing [125I]iodo-hGH from the liver preparations, indicating that hGH was bound primarily to somatogenic sites. Since administration of hGH did not reduce the binding of [125I]iodohGH, it is unlikely that the increase in hGH binding in hypothyro...
The destruction of pulmonary and hepatic cytochrome P-450 by phthalaldehyde

Abstract Addition of phthalaldehyde to pulmonary and hepatic microsomes resulted in destruction of cytochrome P -450 at all concentrations of phthalaldehyde tested. Phthalaldehyde destruction of pulmonary and hepatic cytochrome P -450 did not require NADPH. Addition of phthalaldehyde to pulmonary and hepatic microsomal suspension also resulted in inhibition of p -xylene hydroxylase and benzphetamine N -demethylase activities. The in vitro inhibition of p -xylene hydroxylase and benzphetamine N -demethylase as well as the destruction of P -450 could be prevented by supplementing microsomes with hepatic cytosol or purified aldehyde dehydrogenase. Lipid peroxidation did not occur when phthalaldehyde was added to either pulmonary or hepatic microsomes. It is suggested that phthalaldehyde can be used to study the in vitro drug metabolism reactions in these tissue preparations.
Molecular advances in QTL discovery and application in pig breeding

Thousands of quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified for a wide range of economically important phenotypes in pigs. Recently, QTL analyses have begun to use high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels and applications have extended beyond experimental intercrosses to outbred populations by exploiting long-range linkage disequilibrium that results in higher resolution QTL mapping. Relevant phenotypes generally fall under categories of growth and body composition, carcass and meat quality, reproduction, and disease resistance. A few expression QTL (eQTL) studies have been performed that integrate transcriptional profiles with genotype data by considering expression levels as response variables in QTL analyses for identifying genes controlling important trait phenotypes. Rapidly evolving genomics technologies, including RNAseq, provide tremendous opportunities for QTL and eQTL discovery. In this review, we discuss recent progress in pig QTL and eQTL discovery, including approaches for allele-specific expression, and implications of these discoveries for pig breeding and genetics.
Frontal lobe epilepsy: diagnosis and surgical treatment

Frontal lobe epilepsy has been better understood during the past two decades with the advent of technologies with improved localizing capabilities. Major technological advances in the ability to delineate structural and functional brain regions have led to a resurgence of interest in epilepsy surgery. Neuroimaging modalities have broadened the scope of what are now considered surgically remediable syndromes. In the following article, we attempt to review the current concepts regarding diagnosis and surgical management of frontal lobe epilepsy.
Transformation of the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica with a variety of heterologous plasmids

An efficient DNA-mediated transformation system for the pathogen of chestnut, Cryphonectria parasitica, is reported. Ten vectors, each containing a promoter from Cochliobolus heterostrophus, Aspergillus nidulans, Ustilago maydis, Cephalosporium acremonium, Neurospora crassa or cauliflower mosaic virus, were creened for their ability to confer resistance to hygromycin B, benomyl or G418 sulfate. Transformants were obtained with all vectors screened and, in each case, transformation occurred by integration of the foreign DNA into the host genome. The initial transformation efficiency ranged from approximately 1–60 transformants/μg circular DNA. Under optimized transformation conditions, the transformation rate of the vector pDH25, which contains the trpC promoter and terminator of A. nidulans, exceeded 105 transformants/μg DNA. The ease with which C. parasitica is transformed should greatly facilitate the genetic manipulation of this fungal plant pathogen.