cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RNA silencing as related to viroid induced symptom expression

Evidence of post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in avocado infected by Avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd), the type species of family Avsunviroidae, was suggested by detection of ASBVd-specific 22-nucleotide RNAs. PTGS was observed in infected bleached and variegated symptomatic tissues as well as symptomless carrier foliar sources and fruit with typical sunblotch disease lesions. Tissues with the different symptom expressions, characterized by the presence of different predominant ASBVd variants, were found to induce PTGS at differential levels. Detection of the PTGS-associated small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) as well as relative concentration was also related to viroid titer. PTGS induced in Gynura aurantiaca infected with two closely-related variants of Citrus exocortis viroid, a member of family Pospiviroidae, was not directly related to viroid titer with initiation of symptoms.
Age-specific threats induce CRF expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and hippocampus of young rats

Young animals respond to threatening stimuli in an age-specific way. Their endocrine and behavioral responses reflect the potential threat of the situation at a given age. The aim of the present study was to determine whether corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is involved in the endocrine and behavioral responses to threat and their developmental changes in young rats. Preweaning 14-day-old and postweaning 26-day-old rats were exposed to two age-specific threats, cat odor and an adult male rat. The acute behavioral response was determined during exposure. After exposure, the time courses of the corticosterone response and of CRF expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and in extrahypothalamic areas were assessed. Preweaning rats became immobile when exposed to cat odor or the male rat, whereas postweaning rats became immobile to cat odor only. Male exposure increased serum corticosterone levels in 14-day-old rats, but cat odor failed to increase levels at either age. Exposure induced elevation of CRF mRNA levels in the PVN that paralleled changes in corticosterone levels. CRF may thus play a role in endocrine regulation and its developmental changes during early life. Neither cat odor nor the adult male altered CRF mRNA levels in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) or the amygdala, but both stimuli increased levels in the hippocampus. Hippocampal CRF mRNA expression levels did not parallel cat odor or male-induced immobility, indicating that CRF is not involved in this response in young rats but may be involved in aspects of learning and memory.
Synthetic Enantiopure Aziridinomitosenes: Preparation, Reactivity, and DNA Alkylation Studies

An enantiocontrolled route to aziridinomitosenes had been developed from l-serine methyl ester hydrochloride. The tetracyclic target ring system was assembled by an internal azomethine ylide cycloaddition reaction based on silver ion-assisted intramolecular oxazole alkylation and cyanide-induced ylide generation via a labile oxazoline intermediate (62 to 66). Other key steps include reductive detritylation of 26, methylation of the N-H aziridine 56, oxidation of the sensitive cyclohexenedione 68 to quinone 70, and carbamoylation using Fmoc-NCO. Although the aziridinomitosene tetracycle is sensitive, a range of protecting group manipulations and redox chemistry can be performed if suitable precautions are taken. A study of DNA alkylation by the first C-6,C-7-unsubstituted aziridinomitosene 11a has been carried out, and evidence for DNA cross-link formation involving nucleophilic addition to the quinone subunit is described.
Structure-optical property correlations of arsenic sulfide glasses in visible, infrared, and sub-millimeter regions

Abstract Optical properties and structural aspects of As x S 100- x glasses from visible to terahertz wavelengths were explored. A series of annealed, bulk As x S 100- x glasses ( x = 30 to 42) were made and their refractive indices determined at terahertz, infrared, and visible frequencies using a quasi-optical backwards wave oscillator spectrometer for terahertz measurements combined with a prism coupler for visible and infrared measurements. It was found that the refractive index at all frequencies increases with arsenic composition up to 40 at.% arsenic and then decreases with additional arsenic. The structure in X-ray diffraction patterns supports the notion of a minimum volume at 40 at.%, while the average covalent coordination number indicates that the rigidity percolation threshold is reached there. At arsenic concentrations >40 at.%, the network becomes over-constrained, and the molar volume increases.
Dislocation core-core interaction and Peierls stress in a model hexagonal lattice.

A series of atomistic calculations is performed in order to explore dislocation core-core interactions and the Peierls stress in a model hexagonal lattice. The method of calculation is the lattice Green`s function method, using several pair potentials with variable parameters. We confirm that dislocation cores broaden as a pair of dislocations with opposite sign move closer to each other. Continuum theories are surprisingly accurate in describing the dislocation-dislocation interaction force even in the range of strong core-core overlap. However, our atomistic calculations show that while the relation between the Peierls stress and dislocation width is exponential as the Peierls-Nabarro model predicts, that model underestimates the Peierls stress by nearly a factor of 10{sup 4}.
Nonaqueous isolation of nuclei from lily pollen and an examination of their histones

Summary Pollen of Lilium longiflorum was suspended in cold carbon tetrachloride:cyclohexane (CTC) mixtures and released from a French pressure cell. Nuclei were isolated by adjusting the suspension to a specific gravity of 1.390 at 0°C. The pollen nuclei were separated into several fractions of increasing density by a step-wise increase in the CTC density followed by centrifugation. The lighter nuclear fraction was enriched for vegetative nuclei and the heavier fractions were enriched for generative nuclei. Histones were extracted from deoxyribonucleoprotein (DNP) fibers which were prepared from each of the nuclear fractions. The DNP was isolated by the use of 2 M NaCl extraction of the nuclei. The histones were examined by acrylamide gel and amino acid analysis. Histones from lighter nuclei contained only the arginine-rich histones while the heavier nuclei contained these histones and also the more lysine-rich histones and the meiotic histone ( Sheridan and Stern , 1967) known to be present in the pollen grain. These observations suggest that the generative nucleus may contain lysine-rich and arginine-rich histones while the vegetative nucleus may contain only the more arginine-rich histones. Such a difference in histone distribution is in agreement with the observations of Sauter , 1969 in his cytochemical studies on nuclear differentiation in pollen grains of Paoenia .
OCCURRENCE OF HIGH TEMPERATURES AT YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA1

ABSTRACT The meteorological and environmental factors favoring development of high ambient air-temperatures are practically ubiquitous climatic characteristics of desert areas during the summer season. Data taken at the Army-maintained desert test station near Yuma, Arizona, provide some basic lower and upper limits to vertical solar and total sky radiation, ground-surface temperature, dew-point temperature, wind speed, and wind direction during occurrence of higher temperatures. However, even the more favorable combinations of the surface conditions do not provide an adequate explanation for occurrence of the higher recorded temperatures at the proving ground. The apparent key is the temperature of the air layer between 850 and 650 mbs. If this layer is warm, and a mechanism exists for bringing the air down to the surface, high ambient air-temperatures result. The mechanism may be the vertical exchange induced by the afternoon convection, or it may be the fohn effect brought about by the synoptic pattern.
Changes in Performance as Related to Verbal Conditioning of Attitudes toward the Examiner

In social influence situations such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, and placebo, the individual's attitude toward his role of S or patient is an important variable. The 20 experimental and 19 control Ss were mothers of nursery school children who participated in this “medical research.” After completing two questionnaires, all Ss completed six dynamometer trials. A 54-item Medical Science Questionnaire (MSQ) was then administered. After 24 non-reinforced “operant” items, experimental Ss were reinforced for responses favorable to medical science, while control Ss received no reinforcement for their responses to all 54 items. After this experimental manipulation, all Ss repeated the dynamometer measure. Compared to the control group, the experimental Ss increased significantly in both their favorability of responses to medical science and dynamometer effort. The results indicate that attitudes toward medical science may be significantly influenced by verbal conditioning and that improvement of such attitudes is...
Epigenetic Predictor of Age

From the moment of conception, we begin to age. A decay of cellular structures, gene regulation, and DNA sequence ages cells and organisms. DNA methylation patterns change with increasing age and contribute to age related disease. Here we identify 88 sites in or near 80 genes for which the degree of cytosine methylation is significantly correlated with age in saliva of 34 male identical twin pairs between 21 and 55 years of age. Furthermore, we validated sites in the promoters of three genes and replicated our results in a general population sample of 31 males and 29 females between 18 and 70 years of age. The methylation of three sites—in the promoters of the EDARADD, TOM1L1, and NPTX2 genes—is linear with age over a range of five decades. Using just two cytosines from these loci, we built a regression model that explained 73% of the variance in age, and is able to predict the age of an individual with an average accuracy of 5.2 years. In forensic science, such a model could estimate the age of a person, based on a biological sample alone. Furthermore, a measurement of relevant sites in the genome could be a tool in routine medical screening to predict the risk of age-related diseases and to tailor interventions based on the epigenetic bio-age instead of the chronological age.
Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans Regulate Fgf Signaling and Cell Polarity during Collective Cell Migration

Collective cell migration is a highly regulated morphogenetic movement during embryonic development and cancer invasion that involves the precise orchestration and integration of cell-autonomous mechanisms and environmental signals. Coordinated lateral line primordium migration is controlled by the regulation of chemokine receptors via compartmentalized Wnt/β-catenin and fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signaling. Analysis of mutations in two exostosin glycosyltransferase genes (extl3 and ext2) revealed that loss of heparan sulfate (HS) chains results in a failure of collective cell migration due to enhanced Fgf ligand diffusion and loss of Fgf signal transduction. Consequently, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is activated ectopically, resulting in the subsequent loss of the chemokine receptor cxcr7b. Disruption of HS proteoglycan (HSPG) function induces extensive, random filopodia formation, demonstrating that HSPGs are involved in maintaining cell polarity in collectively migrating cells. The HSPGs themselves are regulated by the Wnt/β-catenin and Fgf pathways and thus are integral components of the regulatory network that coordinates collective cell migration with organ specification and morphogenesis.
Attitudes towards women's roles in society and vocational interests

Abstract Differences in vocational interests, as measured by the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory, between undergraduates having traditional, conservative attitudes towards the roles of women and those having contemporary, liberal attitudes were examined. Separate comparisons were made for male and female subjects. Both men and women with traditional attitudes were found to score higher on the conventional personality-occupational theme. Women with traditional attitudes scored higher on stereotypically female occupational scales. Women with contemporary attitudes scored higher on verbal-linguistic oriented occupational scales. Men with traditional attitudes scored higher on stereotypically male occupational scales. Men with contemporary attitudes scored higher on verbal-linguistic and creative-esthetic oriented occupational scales. A strong relationship between homemaker versus career orientation and the masculinity-femininity dimension in women was argued against. Implications for future employment patterns were made.
Databases for hip fracture audit.

Two papers in this issue of Acta Orthopaedica present data from the Norwegian hip fracture audit. The number of orthopedic audit databases continue to increase (Kolling et al. 2007), but perhaps it...
Cost‐benefit analysis: a primer

Purpose – This paper seeks to show that when managing strategically a library administrator might want to use cost‐benefit analysis to prudently spend money and, consequently, would need to understand this methodology.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses the various types of cost‐benefit analysis and discusses some of their strengths and weaknesses.Findings – It is helpful for library managers to have a proper knowledge of cost‐benefit analysis.Practical implications – One methodology is provided that librarians should consider when contemplating what purchases to make.Original/value – This paper will help librarians better manage their libraries by making them aware of cost‐benefit analysis.
Reactions of oxyl groups on the trimethylsilyl moiety with diphenyl- or dicyclohexyl-chlorophosphines

Treatment of either (C6H5)2PCl with (CH3)3SiOCH3, or (C6H5)2POCH3 with (CH3)3SiCl results in the formation of (C6H5)2PP(O)(C6H5)2. On the other hand, reaction of (C6H11)2PCl with (CH3)3SiOCH3 produces (C6H11)2P(O)CH3. When (C6H5)2PCl is allowed to react with (CH3)3SiOSi(CH3)3, (C6H5)2PP(O)(C6H5)2 and (C6H5)2PP(C6H5)2 are produced. But (C6H11)2PCl shows little reaction with (CH3)3SiOSi(CH3)3 even after heating for five days at ca. 150°.
Patterns of spatio‐temporal distribution, abundance, and diversity in a mosquito community from the eastern Smoky Hills of Kansas

Nearly 30% of emerging infectious disease events are caused by vector-borne pathogens with wildlife origins. Their transmission involves a complex interplay among pathogens, arthropod vectors, the environment and host species, and they pose a risk for public health, livestock and wildlife species. Examining habitat associations of vector species known to transmit infectious diseases, and quantifying spatio-temporal dynamics of mosquito vector communities is one aspect of the holistic One Health approach that is necessary to develop effective control measures. A survey was conducted from May to August, 2010 of the abundance and diversity of mosquito species occurring in the mixed-grass prairie habitat of the Smoky Hills of Kansas. This region is an important breeding ground for North America's grassland nesting birds and, as such, it could represent an important habitat for the enzootic amplification cycle of avian malaria and infectious encephalitides, as well as spill-over events to humans and livestock. A total of 11 species, belonging to the three genera Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex, was collected during this study. Aedes nigromaculis, Ae. sollicitans, Ae. taeniorhynchus, Culex salinarius, and Cx. tarsalis accounted for 98% of the collected species. Multiple linear regression models suggested that mosquito abundances in the grasslands of the central Great Plains were explained by meteorological and environmental variables. Temporal dynamics in mosquito abundances were well supported by models that included maximum and minimum temperature indices (adjusted R(2) = 0.73). Spatial dynamics of mosquito abundances were best explained by a model containing the following environmental variables (adjusted R(2) =0.37): ground curvature, topographic wetness index, distance to woodland, and distance to road. The mosquito species we detected are known vectors for infectious encephalitides, including West Nile virus. Understanding the microhabitat characteristics of these mosquito species in a grassland ecosystem will aid in the control and management of these disease vectors.
Lack of awareness of partner STD risk among heterosexual couples.

CONTEXT: Individuals’ accurate assessment of their exposure to the risk of HIV and other STDs requires awareness of their sexual partners’ risk behaviors and disease status. METHODS: In a sample of 217 couples enrolled in a risk intervention trial in 1997–2002, both partners reported on their own risk behaviors and their perceptions of their partner's behavior; concordance of partners’ reports was examined using kappa statistics. Individual and relationship characteristics predicting lack of awareness of a partner's risk behavior were explored using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Three percent of women and 14% of men were unaware that their partner had recently had a concurrent partner. Eleven percent and 12%, respectively, were unaware that their partner had ever injected drugs; 10% and 12% were unaware that their partner had recently received an STD diagnosis; and 2% and 4% were unaware that their partner was HIV-positive. Women's lack of awareness of partner risk was associated with increasing age (odds ratio, 1.1), being of a race or ethnicity other than black or Latina (15.8) and having a Latino partner (3.7); it was positively associated with a man's report that he was married (4.4) and with relationship satisfaction as reported by both the woman and her partner (1.2 for each). Among men, lack of awareness was positively associated with partner's age (1.1) and with having a partner who was formerly married (8.2). CONCLUSIONS: Couple-based interventions that assess each partner's awareness of the other's risk behavior may help programs better target couples’ STD prevention needs.
Critical appraisal of bepotastine in the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.

Bepotastine besilate 1.5% solution is an H1-antihistamine recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the topical treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. Several clinical studies have demonstrated its safety as well as its efficacy versus placebo. This review finds that bepotastine besilate 1.5% solution is a suitable alternative to other agents within the class of H1-antihistamines, but there are no clinical trial data to suggest that it holds any specific advantages over other agents.
Physical activity or fitness and the metabolic syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in populations around the world, regardless of the definition used. Physical inactivity and obesity are two of the major modifiable risk factors for the metabolic syndrome. Cross-sectional and prospective studies have generally found that levels of physical activity and fitness are inversely related to the prevalence of this syndrome. More recent research has also suggested that sedentary behaviors, such as excessive time spent watching television or using a computer, are significantly associated with an increased risk for this syndrome. Separate but complementary approaches that encourage increased participation in physical activity and discourage sedentary behaviors, both at the individual and population level, may prove useful in reducing the prevalence of this syndrome.
Cooperative transmission in wireless networks with delay constraints

By using distributed antennas, the cooperative transmission strategy provides powerful benefits of multiantenna systems without the need for physical arrays. In this paper, network nodes are fed by bursty data sources and the delay constraints of data services are considered. The time-varying fading channel is modelled as a Markov process to characterize the channel correlation. Utilizing an orthogonal space-time coding scheme, we propose a cooperative scheduling protocol for buffer management and packet transmission. Two scenarios are discussed where either no channel state information (CSI) or quantized CSI is available at the transmitters. The optimal protocol minimizes the average transmit power while guaranteeing the delay requirements. The contribution of this work is to examine the impacts of the temporal variation of fading channels and the delay sensitivity of data sessions on the performance of the cooperative protocols. Results show that the benefits provided by cooperative protocols diminish with strict delay constraints or with fast-varying channels.
Clinicians' views on reproductive needs and services for teens with negative pregnancy tests.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE To explore services available to adolescent girls at the time of the negative pregnancy test (NPT) in an urban community. DESIGN AND METHODS Clinicans focus groups were conducted to identify the needs of adolescents at the time of a NPT result. RESULTS Teens access care in a variety of ways, services provided at the time of a NPT were agency and clinical dependent, and strategies for follow-up care often were unstructured. Few services were available for parents or partners. Barriers included difficulty communicating with agencies, lack of staff trained to work with adolescents, and time/financial constraints. CONCLUSION Adolescents need comprehensive, teen-friendly reproductive care at the time of a NPT results.
Effects of temperature and moisture on carbon respired from decomposing woody roots

Controls of temperature and moisture on root decomposition have not been well studied despite their direct relevance to climate change impacts on root carbon flux. The main objective of this laboratory study was to examine the respiration response of Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine decomposing roots (1‐3 cm in diameter) to temperature and moisture change. Roots of Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir and western hemlock, and ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine were collected from Cascade Head, H.J. Andrews, and Pringle Falls site, respectively. Dead root respiration increased with temperature and reached the maximum at 30‐408C, and then decreased. Analysis of covariance indicated that the Q10 of root decomposition rate was influenced significantly (p<0.01) by incubation temperature range 5‐ 408C, but not by species, decay class or the direction of temperature change. At 5‐108C, Q10 averaged 3.99 and then decreased to 1.37 at 30‐408C. Over a range of 5‐608C, Q10 could be predicted by a single-exponential model using temperature as the independent variable. Analysis of variance showed that the respiration rate of dead roots was significantly (p<0.01) influenced by root moisture, species, and decay class as well as temperature. Dead root respiration increased with root moisture, reached the optimum range when moisture was between 100 and 275% and then decreased. Moreover, there were apparent interactions of root moisture and temperature on root respiration. Our study showed the direction of temperature and moisture change did not significantly influence root respiration, indicating that hysteresis may not occur for the temperature and moisture ranges examined. To better model global climate warming effects on root carbon flux, we suggest a temperature dependent Q10 function should be incorporated into current root dynamics models. The short-term laboratory incubation approach provided a good way to examine temperature and moisture controls on root decomposition, although we are cautious about long-term mass-loss extrapolations based on these short-term results. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Complex Systems Biology Approach To Understanding Coordination of JAK-STAT Signaling

Abstract In this work, we search for coordination as an organizing principle in a complex signaling system using a multilevel hierarchical paradigm. The objective is to explain the underlying mechanism of Interferon (IFN γ ) induced JAK-STAT (specifically JAK1/JAK2-STAT1) pathway behavior. Starting with a mathematical model of the pathway from the literature, we modularize the system using biological knowledge via principles of biochemical cohesion, biological significance, and functionality. The modularized system is then used as a basis for in silico inhibition, knockdown/deletion and perturbation experiments to discover a coordination mechanism. Our analysis shows that a module representing the SOCS1 complex can be identified as the coordinator. Analysis of the coordinator can then be used for the selection of biological experiments for the discovery of ‘soft’ molecular drug targets, that could lead to the development of improved therapeutics. The coordinator identified is also being investigated to determine its relationship to pathological conditions.
Basophilic stippling of red blood cells: a nonspecific finding of multiple etiology.

Basophilic stippling of red blood cells (BSC) has been noted in lead intoxication since 1899 and has been considered a classic laboratory sign of lead poisoning since that time. BSC are inclusions of aggregated ribosomes found only in the red blood cells and may be confused with siderotic (iron) granules, Heinz Bodies, or even reticulocytes. BSC are an inconstant finding in lead intoxication. In a review of peripheral blood smears from 1,000 consecutive internal medicine patients, we found BSC in 27%. These occurred in a variety of malignant, rheumatologic, hematologic, cardiovascular, and other diseases, frequently with an associated anemia. BSC may even be found in a small percentage of normal people; thus, it must be emphasized that BSC is a nonspecific finding. Furthermore, BSC has been replaced by blood lead (since the 1940s) and zinc protoporphyrin (since the 1970s) levels for biologic monitoring of lead-exposed workers.
Severe plastic deformation (SPD) and nanostructured materials by machining

Large plastic strains between 1 and 15 can be imposed in chips formed by plane-strain (2-D) machining of metals and alloys. This approach has been used to examine microstructure changes induced by large strain deformation in model systems—copper and its alloys, precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloys, high-strength materials such as titanium, Inconel 718 and 52100 steel, and an amorphous alloy. It is shown that materials with average grain sizes in the range of 60 nm–1 μm can be created by varying the parameters of machining, which in turn affects the deformation processes. Furthermore, a switch-over from an elongated subgrain microstructure to an equi-axed nanocrystalline microstructure, with a preponderance of large-angle grain boundaries, has been demonstrated at the higher levels of strain in several of these materials. This switch-over can be readily controlled by varying the deformation conditions. Dynamic recrystallization has been demonstrated in select material systems under particular conditions of strain and temperature. This study may be seen as providing an important bridge between furthering the understanding of microstructural refinement by large strain deformation and the practical utilization of nanostructured materials in structural and mechanical applications. Conventional plane-strain machining has been shown to be a viable SPD method for examining the underlying processes of very large strain deformation.
Forward-in-Time-/Backward-in-Time-Trajectory (FITT/BITT) Modeling of Particles and Organisms in the Coastal Ocean

Abstract Lagrangian particle-tracking models (LPTMs) were used to identify sources, destinations, and transport pathways of particles (plankton). The LPTM simulations were forced using stored fields from the Spectral Element Ocean Model simulation for a coastal upwelling system having idealized geometry, bathymetry, and simple wind forcing. Forward-in-time-trajectory (FITT) simulations are common in ocean science, although they often do not include diffusion. Results from LPTM comparisons with and without diffusion suggest that ignoring diffusion can lead to incorrect identification of source or destination regions. FITT is efficient for identifying destinations from known sources, but inefficient for identifying sources from known destinations (or receptors). Backward-in-time-trajectory (BITT) modeling from known destinations efficiently identifies sources, or particle positions, at earlier times. Although advection and some biological processes (e.g., growth) are reversible and amenable to BITT simulati...
Large scale simulation of particulate flows

Simulations of particles in fluid flows are of great interest to numerous industries using sedimentation, fluidization, lubricated transport, and hydraulic fracturing of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Simulating incompressible viscoelastic flows with millions of rigid particles is computationally a very challenging problem. In addition to using sophisticated modeling techniques and numerical algorithms, one must develop a scalable parallel formulation of the simulation. This task is further complicated by the dynamic nature of the system resulting from unrestricted motion of the particles. In this paper we present an efficient algorithm for simulating particulate flows and discuss its parallel implementation. At each time step, a number of linear systems are solved using preconditioned iterative methods in which the matrix-vector product does not require explicit computation and storage of the matrix. The preconditioners developed for these systems are optimal so that convergence is assured in a fixed number of iterations. Moreover these preconditioners do not require matrix inversion, and can be applied efficiently in parallel using their matrix-free forms. As a result the algorithm is highly parallel and scalable, and achieves good speed improvement on the SGI Origin 2000.
Individual variation in morphological, physiological, and biochemical features associated with calling in spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer).

Abstract In an eastern North American tree frog, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer), calling rate has been correlated with reproductive success in the field. To determine the sources of individual variation in calling rate in this species, I analyzed males calling at rates greater than and less than the chorus average throughout one breeding season. Compared to low‐rate callers, high‐rate callers were relatively larger, heavier, older, and in better body condition, and their muscles used in calling had higher activities of the enzymes citrate synthase and β‐hydroxyacyl‐CoA dehydrogenase. This muscle profile is functionally matched by cardiovascular correlates, as indicated by the larger ventricles and higher blood hemoglobin concentrations in high‐calling rate males. These cardiovascular features are much less developed in females and may result from the fact that females do not engage in vigorous calling behavior. In P. crucifier, a male's calling rate may function as an indicator of the presence of...
Minimally invasive evaluation of coronary microvascular function by electron beam computed tomography.

Background—We previously demonstrated that in vivo electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT)–based indicator-dilution methods provide an estimate of intramyocardial blood volume (BV) and perfusion (F), which relate as BV=aF+b√F, where a characterizes the recruitable (exchange) and b the nonrecruitable (conduit) component of the myocardial microcirculation. In the present study, we compared BV and F with intracoronary Doppler ultrasound–based coronary blood flow (CBF) as a method for detecting and quantifying differential responses of these microvascular components to vasoactive drugs in normal (control) and hypercholesterolemic (HC) pigs. Methods and Results—BV and F values were obtained from contrast-enhanced EBCT studies in 14 HC and 14 control pigs. BV, F, and CBF values were obtained at baseline (intracoronary infusion of saline) and after 5 minutes each of intracoronary infusion of adenosine (100 μg · kg−1 · min−1) and nitroglycerin (40 μg/min). BV and CBF reserves in response to adenosine were attenu...
Diminished Sexual Activity, Interest, and Feelings of Attractiveness Among HIV-Infected Women in Two Eras of the AIDS Epidemic

Despite the high prevalence of sexual inactivity, decreased sexual desire, and poor sexual satisfaction documented among HIV-infected individuals, women’s experiences of sexuality following HIV-infection and their reasons for these sexual changes remain little examined. Further, the potential effects of the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) medications on their sexuality have not been explored among women living with HIV/AIDS. To examine these issues, focused interviews were conducted with two samples of women living with HIV/AIDS: one before the advent of HAART and a second matched sample interviewed after HAART became widely available. Women in both the pre-HAART and HAART eras frequently discussed decreased sexual activity, a loss of sexual interest, and a diminished sense of sexual attractiveness following their HIV infection. In addition, they reported a number of reasons for why they had discontinued sexual activity or were no longer interested in sex, including anxiety about HIV transmission, a loss of freedom and spontaneity during sex, fears of emotional hurt, not wanting the hassle of sexual relationships, a loss of sexual interest, and a diminished sense of sexual attractiveness. However, the types of changes in their sexuality women described, nor the reasons offered for these changes, did not differ between women in the pre-HAART and HAART eras. The findings suggest that therapeutic intervention may be needed by some HIV-infected women to overcome difficulties in resuming healthy sexual relationships following their HIV diagnosis and offer insights into the potential content of such intervention efforts.
Thermoregulatory Behavior and Fungal Infection of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Asian longhorned beetles, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), are invasive wood borers that are native to China and Korea but have been introduced to North America and Europe. These beetles have great potential to negatively impact economic and environmental interests in hardwood and urban forests if they become established. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum Petch (previously Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin) is under development for control of A. glabripennis. Some insect species eliminate pathogens or delay disease progression through thermoregulation. Because Asian longhorned beetles had been observed occupying sunlit areas of the tree canopy, we hypothesized that behavioral fevering could be used to delay mortality of fungal-infected beetles. M. brunneum cultures incubated at 34°C for 5 h/d grew significantly slower compared with cultures incubated at lower temperatures. Holding M. brunneum-infected A. glabripennis at 34°C for 5 h/d significantly delayed mortality by 2 d compared with infected beetles held at ≤31°C. Adult A. glabripennis did not exhibit behavioral fever when infected. Uninfected males, when provided with food, and both uninfected males and females when deprived of food, slightly increased their preferred temperature over time. When held at 15°C before being placed into temperature gradients, uninfected beetles did not increase their temperatures above ambient. Results demonstrate that M. brunneum-infected A. glabripennis do not exhibit behaviors necessary to elevate their body temperatures enough to combat M. brunneum infections through thermoregulation.
Semiconductor random-access memories

In the last few years, semiconductor random-access memory (RAM) components have been introduced into high-speed scratchpad applications and small buffer memory systems, where the performance or cost advantage of semiconductor components is greatest. More recently, developments in the technology of large-scale integrated (LSI) circuits have resulted in cost-performance characteristics of semiconductor RAMs that are competitive in computer main-frame memories as well. This article reviews the basic circuit concepts used in these components, representative products that are presently available, and some systems considerations involved in their use.
Anterior-posterior stability of the knee by an MR image subtraction method.

Abstract The purpose of our study was to test the hypothesis that when a shear force was applied posteriorly to the loaded knee in vivo, there would be no relative motion between the tibia and the medial femoral condyle. Siemens 7 Tesla high-resolution MRI machine was used to scan eight healthy male volunteers with the knee at 15° of flexion. Two scans were obtained: the first with a compressive force of 660 N along the tibial long axis and a second with the compressive force and a posterior shear force of 36 N applied to the tibia. Solid models were created of the femur, tibia, and menisci for both loading conditions. The tibial models were superimposed enabling the displacements of the femur and menisci to be determined, relative to a fixed tibia. On average, the lateral femoral condyle displaced anteriorly by 0.66 mm but the medial femoral condyle displaced posteriorly by 0.36 mm. This indicated an axial rotation with a center between the lateral and medial condyles, but closer to the medial. The menisci displaced with the femoral condyles, but there was no indication that the medial meniscus was contributing to the pivoting action. This study supported the concept of medial anterior–posterior stability under weight-bearing conditions, but with structures other than the medial meniscus providing the stability. This study has application to the treatment of knee injuries and to knee arthroplasty design.
Computable Throughput and Metastability in a Cellular Automaton Model for Traffic Flow

A cellular automaton model for traffic flow is analyzed. For this model, it is shown that under ergodic initial configurations, the distribution of cars will converge in time to a mixture of free flow and solid blocks. Furthermore, the nature of the free flow and solid block distributions is fully described, thus allowing for a specific computation of throughput in terms of the parameters. The model is also shown to exhibit a hysteresis phenomenon, which is similar to what has been observed on actual highways.
Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis on Ceramic Monolith-Structured Catalysts

Abstract This paper reports recent research results about the impact of different catalyst bed configurations on Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis product distributions. A powdered CoRe/γ-alumina catalyst with a particle size ranging from 60 to 100 mesh was prepared and tested in a packed bed reactor. The same catalyst was ball milled and coated on a ceramic monolith support structure of channel size about 1 mm. The monolith catalyst module was tested in two different ways, as a whole piece and as well-defined channels. Steady-state reaction conversion was measured at various temperatures under a constant H2/CO feed ratio of 2 and a reactor pressure of 25 bar. Detailed product analysis was performed. Significant formation of wax was evident with the packed particle bed and with the monolith catalyst that was improperly packed. By contrast, wax formation was not detected in the liquid product by confining the reactions inside the monolith channel. This study presents an important finding about the structured catalyst/reactor system, in that the product distribution highly depends on how the structured reactor is set up. Even if a catalyst is tested under identical reaction conditions (T, P, H2/CO ratio), hydrodynamics (or flow conditions) inside a structured channel may have a significant impact on the product distribution.
DESCRIPTION OF A SCANLESS METHOD OF STACKING VELOCITY ANALYSIS

Stacking velocities can be directly estimated from seismic data without recourse to a multivelocity stack and subsequent search techniques that many current procedures use. This is done as follows: (1) apply NMO to the data (over a window, for a particular common midpoint) using initial estimates for zero offset time and velocity; (2) produce two stacks by summing the data over offset after applying different weighting functions; (3) cross correlate the two stacks; and (4) translate the lag into velocity and time updates. The procedure is iterated until convergence has occurred. Referred to as ARAMVEL (U.S. Patent No. 4,813,027), the method is best implemented as an interactive continuous velocity analysis. Although very simple, both empirical studies and theoretical analysis have shown that it determines velocities more accurately than more traditional approaches based on a scan approach. Convergence is fast, with only one or two iterations usually necessary. The method is robust, as only approximate inf...
Neural Network–Swarm Intelligence Hybrid Nonlinear Optimization Algorithm for Pavement Moduli Back-Calculation

This paper describes a novel hybrid intelligent system approach to inversion of nondestructive pavement deflection data and back-calculation of nonlinear stress-dependent pavement layer moduli. Particle swarm optimization (PSO), a population-based stochastic optimization technique inspired by social behavior of bird flocking or fish schooling, is fast emerging as an innovative and powerful computational metaphor for solving complex problems in design, optimization, control, management, business, and finance. Back-calculation of pavement layer moduli is an ill-posed inverse engineering problem which involves searching for the optimal combination of pavement layer stiffness solutions in an unsmooth, multimodal, complex search space. PSO is especially considered a robust and efficient approach for global optimization of multimodal functions. The hybrid back-calculation system described in this paper integrates finite element modeling, neural networks, and PSO in an efficient manner to mitigate the limitations and take advantages of the strengths to produce a system that is more effective and powerful than those which could be built with single technique. This is the first time the PSO approach is applied to real-time nondestructive evaluation of pavement systems.
Object Management Systems 1

Abstract We describe a new approach for developing large-scale object-oriented software systems, which we call Object Management Systems (OMS). OMS are model-based distributed applications used for managing complex physical environments. The management functions supported by OMS are configuration, fault, performance, accounting, access and security, resource, and planning management. The OMS Tool Set consists of a semantic data and process model called the OMS object model, the SmartDB software platform, customized extensions of SmartDB-SmartNet, SmartPower, and SmartAHS-for specific application domains, and the OMS Software Engineering process. The OMS-based development process consists of three stages: domain customization, system architecture, and application programming. Each stage produces specifications and implementations in software integrated around the OMS Tool Set. This software development life-cycle reduces project risk, budget, and schedule.
Differential impact of LPG-and PG-deficient Leishmania major mutants on the immune response of human dendritic cells

Background Leishmania major infection induces robust interleukin-12 (IL12) production in human dendritic cells (hDC), ultimately resulting in Th1-mediated immunity and clinical resolution. The surface of Leishmania parasites is covered in a dense glycocalyx consisting of primarily lipophosphoglycan (LPG) and other phosphoglycan-containing molecules (PGs), making these glycoconjugates the likely pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) responsible for IL12 induction.
“I Caught It at the Movies”: Reflections on Medical History, Movie Theaters, and the Cinema of Contagion

Undertaking an examination of the precarious places of the movies and movie theaters in queer lives in the 20th century, this article takes up a series of anecdotal episodes and feature-length films to consider how the space-related stakes of LGBT health have been best understood in literal cinema houses and the narrative cinema projections inside of them. The author argues for an appreciation of LGBT-themed motion pictures as oscillating between perpetuator of queer pathology and its potential solution.
Review of Philippe D’Iribarne, Alain Henry, Jean- Pierre Segal, Sylvie Chevrier, Tatjana Globokar, Cultures Et Mondialisation: Gérer Par-Delà Les Frontières (Review of Philippe d'Iribarne, Alain Henry, Jean-Pierre Segal, Sylvie Chevrier, Tatjana Globokar, Cultures and Globalization: Managing Beyond the Borders)

French Abstract: Cultures et mondialisation a pour point de depart l’ouvrage precedent de Philippe d’Iribarne, La logique de l’honneur (Seuil, 1989) dont la these centrale est que les cultures nationales de gestion peuvent etre rapportees directement aux traditions politiques nationales. La culture n’est pas un "Geist" sans corps, mais un ensemble de relations sociales concretes qui ont emerge avant l’apparition des grandes firmes et des modes de gestions modernes. Ainsi, par exemple, le respect francais pour l’expertise dans l’entreprise et le principe americain de l’egalite sociale sont l’un et l’autre enracines dans les traditions d’une bureaucratie d’experts en France et d’une vie politique fortement participative aux Etats-Unis. English Abstract: Cultures and Globalization starting point the previous work of Philippe d'Iribarne, The logic of honor (Seuil, 1989) whose central thesis is that national management cultures can be reported directly to the national political traditions. Culture is not a "Geist" without body, but a set of concrete social relations that emerged before the appearance of large firms and modes of modern managements. For example, the French respect for expertise in the business and the American principle of social equality are both rooted in the traditions of a bureaucracy of experts in France and a highly participatory U.S. politics.
Kitchen Confidential? Knowledge Transfer and Social Norms in Gourmet Cuisine

In this paper, we explore the conditions for knowhow transfer in gourmet cuisine, an industry characterized by rapid innovation and weak protection of intellectual property (IP). We investigate whether bilateral exchanges are facilitated either by the existence of norms that reduce the risk of misappropriation or by IP strategies that decrease the potential for loss. We disentangle how these different mechanisms interact. Using evidence from a scenario-based field experiment, we demonstrate that norms play a role in governing the use of transferred information. We also explore how norms are maintained in communities.
Dynamic rendering quality scaling for mobile GPU

As display resolution exponentially increases in mobile platforms, maintaining acceptable frame rate (e.g., 60Hz) becomes more challenging than ever because elevated computing demand (for both CPU and GPU) results in reduction of battery use time and increase in device surface temperature. Because power consumption increases almost linearly with GPU workload, the heavy GPU workload imposed by fixed high resolution can be allowed to be actually computed only when there are human perceptible benefits. Some recent techniques are exploited at runtime to reduce the workload such as skipping frames or lowering resolution during rendering. From those techniques, we still observe noticeable artifacts because they did not carefully investigate whether resulting sequences of frames are perceived as containing artifacts or not. Although one of recent studies relies on a user's view distance [Nixon et al. 2014], it can malfunction depending on environmental and biometric limitation.