cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interplay between defect transport and cation spin frustration in corundum-structured oxides

Despite the fundamental importance of mass transport, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the mechanisms in many materials. In particular, how the magnetic spin structure interacts with migrating defects is unclear. Here, using density functional theory to examine cation interstitial transport in antiferromagnetic corundum-structured oxides, we reveal an interplay between the migration of the interstitial and the magnetic structure of the oxide. The magnetic spin configuration impacts the migration energy of the migrating defect but, critically, the defect modifies the spin configuration. Thus, the two aspects change in concert to modify one another. This has profound implications for mass transport in magnetic materials.
Cost-Effectiveness of Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Treating Brain Metastases.

Abstract Single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a highly used tool in managing brain metastases, alongside its multifraction counterpart – stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). These radiation therapy techniques have been associated with excellent clinical outcomes, such as decreased local recurrence, increased survival, and improved palliative effects. However, present literature concerning the cost-effectiveness of these techniques remain scarce. Based on the current procedure terminology codes involving services provided during radiation consultation, treatment, and follow-up in our institution, 3-fraction SBRT with a 3-dimensional plan and intensity modulated radiation therapy cost 27% and 17% more than SRS, respectively. A 32% and 34% price increase can, respectively, be seen in 5-fraction SBRT with 3-dimensional plan and intensity modulated radiation therapy delivery sessions relative to 3-fraction SBRT administration. Cost savings between these procedures were associated with the radiation therapy delivery sessions instead of the treatment planning process. These analyses indicate that SRS appears to be a less expensive and time-intensive option than SBRT in our institution. However, additional comparative analyses regarding SRS and SBRT are needed to explore the clinical and financial benefits of these radiation therapy techniques.
Low‐Voltage Electrochemical Li x WO 3 Synapses with Temporal Dynamics for Spiking Neural Networks

Neuromorphic computing has the great potential to enable faster and more energy-efficient computing by overcoming the von Neumann bottleneck. However, most emerging nonvolatile memory (NVM)-based artificial synapses suffer from insufficient precision, nonlinear synaptic weight update, high write voltage, and high switching latency. Moreover, the spatiotemporal dynamics, an important temporal component for cognitive computing in spiking neural networks (SNNs), are hard to generate with existing complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) devices or emerging NVM. Herein, a three-terminal, LixWO3-based electrochemical synapse (LiWES) is developed with low programming voltage (0.2 V), fast programming speed (500 ns), and high precision (1024 states) that is ideal for artificial neural networks applications. Time-dependent synaptic functions such as paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) and temporal filtering that are critical for SNNs are also demonstrated. In addition, by leveraging the spike-encoded timing information extracted from the short-term plasticity (STP) behavior in the LiWES, an SNNs model is built to benchmark the pattern classification performance of the LiWES, and the result indicates a large boost in classification performance (up to 128×), compared with those NO-STP synapses.
Breaking the O(n)-Barrier in the Construction of Compressed Suffix Arrays.

The suffix array, describing the lexicographic order of suffixes of a given text, is the central data structure in string algorithms. The suffix array of a length-$n$ text uses $\Theta(n \log n)$ bits, which is prohibitive in many applications. To address this, Grossi and Vitter [STOC 2000] and, independently, Ferragina and Manzini [FOCS 2000] introduced space-efficient versions of the suffix array, known as the compressed suffix array (CSA) and the FM-index. For a length-$n$ text over an alphabet of size $\sigma$, these data structures use only $O(n \log \sigma)$ bits. Immediately after their discovery, they almost completely replaced plain suffix arrays in practical applications, and a race started to develop efficient construction procedures. Yet, after more than 20 years, even for $\sigma=2$, the fastest algorithm remains stuck at $O(n)$ time [Hon et al., FOCS 2003], which is slower by a $\Theta(\log n)$ factor than the lower bound of $\Omega(n / \log n)$ (following simply from the necessity to read the entire input). We break this long-standing barrier with a new data structure that takes $O(n \log \sigma)$ bits, answers suffix array queries in $O(\log^{\epsilon} n)$ time, and can be constructed in $O(n\log \sigma / \sqrt{\log n})$ time using $O(n\log \sigma)$ bits of space. Our result is based on several new insights into the recently developed notion of string synchronizing sets [STOC 2019]. In particular, compared to their previous applications, we eliminate orthogonal range queries, replacing them with new queries that we dub prefix rank and prefix selection queries. As a further demonstration of our techniques, we present a new pattern-matching index that simultaneously minimizes the construction time and the query time among all known compact indexes (i.e., those using $O(n \log \sigma)$ bits).
Methods for Suppressing Hydrogen Sulfide in Biological Systems.

Significance: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays critical roles in redox biology, and its regulatory effects are tightly controlled by its cellular location and concentration. The imbalance of H2S is bel...
Safety and Efficacy of Tofacitinib in Combination With Biologic Therapy for Refractory Crohn's Disease.

Background The majority of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) will not achieve endoscopic remission on current therapy. Addition of tofacitinib to biologics may improve remission rates. Methods We retrospectively assessed safety and clinical and endoscopic effectiveness of off-label tofacitinib and biologics for CD. Results We identified 19 patients treated with tofacitinib and a biologic for refractory CD between 2017 and 2019. Tofacitinib was added for luminal disease on colonoscopy (n = 13), luminal disease on capsule (n = 3), and pyoderma gangrenosum (n = 3). The mean age was 41.2 years (28-62), mean disease was duration 16.9 years (6-36), and prior exposure to biologics was a median of 4 (1-6). Mean treatment duration was 9.6 months (SD, 3.3). Adverse events (AEs) were reported in 36.8% of patients, most commonly minor infection or CD flare, and no patients had a serious AE; 80.0% (n = 8) achieved clinical response, and 60.0% (n = 6) achieved clinical remission based on Harvey-Bradshaw Index. Endoscopic improvement occurred in 54.5% (n = 6), endoscopic remission in 18.2% (n = 2), and endoscopic healing in 18.2% (n = 2) of patients. Mean Simple Endoscopic Score in CD significantly improved from 13.6 ± 5.2 to 6.5 ± 4.0 after treatment (P Conclusions In patients treated with tofacitinib in combination with a biologic, no new safety signals were observed. Combination tofacitinib and a biologic was effective in achieving clinical and endoscopic improvement in some patients with severe, refractory CD, although a larger sample size is needed to further assess the efficacy and long-term safety of this treatment strategy.
Genetic control of primary neuronal development in zebrafish.

During the first day of embryogenesis in the zebrafish, a precise and relatively simple network of neurons develops, pioneering axonal pathways and apparently fonctioning to mediate reflexive motor responses to touch stimuli. We have begun to use zygostic lethal mutations to analyze the assembly of this primary embryonic nervous system. Here we focus on spinal primary motoneurons, their inputs from hindbrain Mauthner neurons, and their outputs to segmental body wall muscle
The Mother of the West

The first public university west of the Mississippi River was the Missouri State University, founded in 1839. Curtis Marbut was born in 1863 and enrolled at the Missouri State University and graduated with a BS in geology in 1889. He continued his studies in geology at Harvard University in 1893, completed his MS but did not finish his Ph.D. As director of the Missouri Soil Survey, he surveyed the soils of the Ozarks Mountains before joining Milton Whitney at the Bureau of Soils in 1910. Reading Russian soil literature and studying soils across the country, he slowly transformed from a geologist into a pedologist and with him the direction of the soil survey. He helped founding the International Society of Soil Science, led the excursion of the 1927 international congress, but died unexpectedly in 1935. Other well-known soil scientists wo worked in Missouri were Merritt Miller, Henry Krusekopf, William Albrecht and Hans Jenny who made major contributions to soil science after he had moved to the University of California Berkeley.
Transmitter Phenotypic Plasticity In Developing and Mature Neurons in Vivo

Experimental manipulation has revealed the potential for remarkable plasticity in the expression and development of neurotransmitter phenotypic characters (Black and Patterson, 1980; Le Douarin, 1980; Black, 1982). While autonomic neurons, which have been examined in particular detail, may alter a number of transmitter characters, and even acquire new transmitters in culture (for reviews, see Patterson, 1978; Varon and Bunge, 1978), relevance to in vivo events has not been fully determined. Two issues of central interest may be identified: Do neurons or their progenitors normally exhibit phenotypic plasticity during ontogeny in vivo? If they do, does phenotypic plasticity persist into adulthood in the postmitotic neuron?
Origin, Purpose, and Status of Project

The Northeast Corridor Transportation Project represents an attempt to improve the planning of intercity transportation facilities in the Northeast Corridor by the use of systems analysis and simulation techniques. The Project applied general analyses to the Corridor’s transportation system and determined costs and benefits of nine different intercity passenger transportation systems. The normal practice in planning transportation at the Federal level is to treat each mode separately. The planning of highway transportation, i.e., does not set off against increased costs incurred by competing railroads. In that respect total economic costs may exceed benefits. The Corridor project has simulated, and compared, the operation of nine intercity passenger transportation systems in the Northeast Corridor. Each system is a mix of existing modes as they will be in 1975, and one or more new modes which are technologically feasible feasible for 1975 to 1980. Each system can be described in performance terms and evaluated by benefits from user revenues and by operator costs. Systems range from modest improvements to the existing system to radical new systems for both air and ground.
Stable in vivo expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and rescue of G6PD deficiency in stem cells by gene transfer

Many mutations of the housekeeping gene encoding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) cause G6PD deficiency in humans. Some underlie severe forms of chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia (CNSHA) for which there is no definitive treatment. By using retroviral vectors pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein that harbor the human G6PD (hG6PD) complementary DNA, stable and lifelong expression of hG6PD was obtained in all the hematopoietic tissues of 16 primary bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipient mice and 14 secondary BMT recipients. These findings demonstrate the integration of a functional gene in totipotent stem cells. The average total G6PD in peripheral blood cells of these transplanted mice, measured as enzyme activity, was twice that of untransplanted control mice. This allowed the inference that the amount of G6PD produced by the transduced gene must be therapeutically effective. With the same vectors both the cloning efficiency and the ability to form embryoid bodies were restored in embryonic stem cells, in which the G6PD gene had been inactivated by targeted homologous recombination, thus effectively rescuing their defective phenotype. Finally, expression of normal human G6PD in hG6PD-deficient primary hematopoietic cells and in human hematopoietic cells engrafted in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice was obtained. This approach could cure severe CNSHA caused by G6PD deficiency.
The influence of executive capacity and age on attention to novel auditory events (P1.204)

Objective: To investigate the role of executive capacity (EC) and age in attention to novel auditory stimuli. Background: There is evidence that adults with higher EC pay more attention to novel visual stimuli, a finding that continues into old age. The role of EC in processing novel auditory stimuli, however, has not been carefully examined. Here, the P3a served as an index of the allocation of attentional resources. We hypothesized that throughout the lifespan, adults with high EC would generate a larger P3a to novel auditory stimuli than their counterparts with average EC. Design/Methods: ERPs at frontocentral sites were measured in young, middle-aged, young-old, and old-old subjects, divided into high and average EC groups based on neuropsychological testing. Subjects were exposed to both auditory (repetitive pure tone, rare pure tone, rare novel) and visual (repetitive letters, infrequent letters) stimuli. Under the auditory-attend condition, subjects were instructed to respond to rare target tones and ignore visual stimuli. Under the auditory-ignore condition, subjects were instructed to respond to rare visual target letters and ignore auditory stimuli. Results: The P3a response to novel auditory stimuli was larger for subjects with high than average EC. At frontal sites, the magnitude of this effect did not differ across age groups, while at central sites the EC effect was much more robust in older subjects. An age-related linear decline in the novelty P3a was observed at frontal sites under the ignore condition, whereas under the attend condition, young-old subjects generated the largest P3a response. Conclusion: Higher EC was associated with increased appropriation of attentional resources to novel auditory stimuli. This pattern of response was preserved or even augmented across the adult lifespan. These findings extend prior observations about enhanced sensitivity to novelty of high EC individuals to include not only visual, but also auditory, stimuli. Disclosure: Dr. Daffner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fox has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tusch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Porto has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alperin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Holcomb has nothing to disclose.
Prevalence of untreated schistosomiasis among Sudanese refugees: "The Lost Boys of Sudan" in the United States

The increase in global travelling also brings infections from endemic to non-endemic regions where diagnosis and treatment may be delayed. Methods. From 2005 to 2008, 104 Sudanese refugees were evaluated to determine the prevalence of untreated schistosomiasis at the Tropical Medicine Clinic at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Sera from 87 patients were screened using FAST-ELISA and antigen-specific immunoblots. Results. Of the 87 patients screened, 44.8% were positive for schistosomiasis antibodies, including Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium. Conclusion. Our study emphasizes the need for single-dose presumptive treatment of praziquantel among sub-Saharan refugees and long-term travelers
Sample‐and‐Hold Amplifier

This article has no abstract. Keywords: sample-and-hold amplifier; track-and-hold amplifier
Combined Effects of Intrinsic Facilitation and Modulatory Inhibition of Identified Interneurons in the Siphon Withdrawal Circuitry of Aplysia

Synaptic plasticity can be induced through mechanisms intrinsic to a synapse or through extrinsic modulatory mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the relationship between these two forms of plasticity at the excitatory synapse between L29 interneurons and siphon motor neurons (MNs) in Aplysia. Using isolated ganglia, we confirmed that the L29-MN synapses exhibit a form of intrinsic facilitation: post-tetanic potentiation (PTP). We also found that L29-MN synapses are modulated by exogenous application of 5-HT: they are depressed after 5-HT exposure. We next investigated the functional relationship between an intrinsic facilitatory process (PTP) and extrinsic inhibitory modulation (5-HT-induced depression). First, we found that application of 5-HT just before L29 activation results in a reduction of PTP. Second, using semi-intact preparations, we found that tail shock (TS) mimics the effect of 5-HT by both depressing L29 synaptic transmission and by reducing L29 PTP. Third, we observed a significant correlation between L29 activity during TS and subsequent synaptic change: low-responding L29s showed synaptic depression after TS, whereas high-responding L29s showed synaptic facilitation. Finally, we found that we could directly manipulate the sign and magnitude of TS-induced synaptic plasticity by controlling L29 activity during TS. Collectively, our results show that the L29-MN synapses exhibit intrinsic facilitation and extrinsic modulation and that the sign and magnitude of L29-MN plasticity induced by TS is governed by the combined effects of these two processes. This circuit architecture, which combines network inhibition with cell-specific facilitation, can enhance the signal value of a specific stimulus within a neural network.
The Extraterritorial Constitution after Boumediene v. Bush

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Boumediene v. Bush elaborates a "functional approach" to the selective application of constitutional limitations to U.S. government action outside U.S. sovereign territory. This functional approach provides the best fit, both descriptively and normatively, to the Court's modern case law. The decision repudiates the stance of the plurality in United States v. Verdugo-Urquidez (1990), which sought to deny all constitutional rights to foreign nationals involuntarily subjected to U.S. action abroad. Important ambiguities remain in the articulation of the functional approach. One major question is whether and when foreign nationals who are not in U.S. custody (unlike the Boumediene petitioners) are also potentially eligible for constitutional protection. Another concerns how coarsely or finely the categories of foreign locations are drawn when the functional analysis is applied. The confirmation of the functional approach has significant consequences for U.S. citizens who travel abroad, and for foreign nationals who travel here, as well as for foreign nationals who remain abroad. Although the Supreme Court did not rely on international law in its Boumediene decision, international human rights law may prove more helpful in the future in determining whether limitations such as the First Amendment or the Takings Clause can practicably be given effect in foreign countries.
Thermal Sensitivity of Mitochondrial Respiration Efficiency and Protein Phosphorylation in the Clam Mercenaria mercenaria

The mitochondria of intertidal invertebrates continue to function when organisms are exposed to rapid substantial shifts in temperature. To test if mitochondrial physiology of the clam Mercenaria mercenaria is compromised under elevated temperatures, we measured mitochondrial respiration efficiency at 15°C, 18°C, and 21°C using a novel, high-throughput, microplate respirometry methodology developed for this study. Though phosphorylating (state 3) and resting (state 4) respiration rates were unaffected over this temperature range, respiratory control ratios (RCRs: ratio of state 3 to state 4 respiration rates) decreased significantly above 18°C (p < 0.05). The drop in RCR was not associated with reduction of phosphorylation efficiency, suggesting that, while aerobic scope of mitochondrial respiration is limited at elevated temperatures, mitochondria continue to efficiently produce adenosine triphosphate. We further investigated the response of clam mitochondria to elevated temperatures by monitoring phosphorylation of mitochondrial protein. Three proteins clearly demonstrated significant time- and temperature-specific phosphorylation patterns. The protein-specific patterns of phosphorylation may suggest that a suite of protein kinases and phosphatases regulate mitochondrial physiology in response to temperature. Thus, while aerobic scope of clam mitochondrial respiration is reduced at moderate temperatures, specific protein phosphorylation responses reflect large shifts in function that are initiated within the organelle at higher temperatures.
A logarithmic, large-solid-angle detector telescope for nuclear fragmentation

Abstract Properties of a logarithmic, large-solid-angle detector telescope for measuring the spectra of light charged particles and/or complex fragments produced in intermediate-energy nuclear reactions are described. Light-ion identification with a phoswich detector which consists of transmission photodiode ΔE and CsI(Tl) E elements is also discussed, as is the response of silicon microstrip detectors to fission fragments.
Picture Coding With Switchable Dynamic Quantizers

This paper presents a picture coding scheme with switchable dynamic quantizers. The image data compression technique is a hybrid of subsampling, pyramid coding, block truncation coding, interpolative coding, dynamic quantization and differential quantization. In addition to the differential quantizer, there are three other quantization modes. According to image activity, each block of the subsampled image can be quantized and coded dynamically in one of four modes. The coding technique can be adapted for progressive transmission of images and can be extended to color images.
Safety and Effectiveness of Homemade and Reconstituted Packet Cereal-based Oral Rehydration Solutions: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives. Parents may be deterred from obtaining commercial oral rehydration solutions (ORS) for their young children with acute diarrheal disease because of its availability and/or cost, especially if they are poor. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to determine 1) whether low-income parents could safely mix and administer cereal-based ORS (CBORS) both from ingredients commonly found in the home and from a premixed packet; 2) whether these CBORS were as effective in maintaining hydration as commercial glucose-based ORS; and 3) whether CBORS were more effective in reducing severity and duration of illness. Methods. Children 4 to 36 months of age discharged from emergency departments and health centers with acute diarrheal disease were randomized to receive either homemade CBORS, reconstituted packet CBORS, or Pedialyte. A study nurse saw the child at home each day until the illness resolved, and obtained capillary blood for serum sodium at enrollment and at 24 to 48 hours; a sample of CBORS for sodium concentration; stool for pathogen analysis; and daily fluid intake, stool frequency, and weight. Results. A total of 232 children were enrolled, of whom 203 (88%) completed the study. Two parents (3%) in the homemade CBORS group and one parent (1%) in the packet CBORS group made mixing errors resulting in a high sodium concentration (>100 mEq/L); their children refused the solution and had normal serum sodium values. Mean CBORS sodium concentration for the remainder of the homemade CBORS group was 60 ± 10 mEq/L, and for the packet CBORS group, 54 ± 13. Eighteen children (11%) had abnormal serum sodium values at presentation, which returned to normal in all groups in most cases. Three children (4.5%) in the homemade CBORS group, 4 (6%) in the packet CBORS group, and 1 child (1.4%) in the Pedialyte group failed therapy. Children refused to take homemade CBORS and packet CBORS (43% and 32%, respectively) more often than Pedialyte (9%), and those in the CBORS groups tended to take less ORS and total fluids. There were no significant differences among the three groups in incidence of daily vomiting or stooling, duration of diarrhea, or weight gain. Conclusions. CBORS do not offer a clinically significant advantage over glucose-based ORS. Homemade CBORS represent a treatment option in carefully selected cases, but it is not the safest alternative for regular clinical use.
Discrete and heterogeneous rotational dynamics of single membrane probe dyes in gel phase supported lipid bilayer.

In order to probe the local dynamics of lipid bilayers in the gel phase, we measured the rotational time trajectories of a membrane probe, diI(3), in supported bilayers of DPPC (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) using single molecule fluorescence polarization imaging. diI(3) has two hydrocarbon tails that mimic phospholipid tails and has its transition dipole moment lying mostly on the plane of the membrane; hence it is an excellent probe for rotational dynamics in membranes. Above the transition temperature, the probes are laterally mobile and do not display polarized emission. In the gel phase below the transition temperature, lateral mobility is severely reduced and the emission becomes polarized with its polarization direction changing in the milliseconds time scale. Molecule by molecule analysis of the rotational time scales revealed significant heterogeneities among molecules, much larger than would be due to statistical noise. Control experiments using small unilamellar vesicles suggest ...
Ritual and Social Change: A Javanese Example

The nature of the distinction between culture and social system is brought out more clearly when one considers the contrasting sorts of integration characteristic of each of them. A more differentiated class system, more bureaucratic and impersonal forms of government, greater heterogeneity of social background, all tend to lead to the same result: the de-emphasis of strictly geographical ties in favor of diffusely ideological ones. In Modjokuto, as in most of Indonesia, the search is taking place largely within the social context of the mass political parties, as well as in the women’s clubs, youth organizations, labor unions, and other sodalities formally or informally linked with them. The severity of the contrast between santri and abangan is in great part due to the rise of nationalist social movements in twentieth century Indonesia. In the larger cities where these movements were born, they were originally of various sorts: tradesmen’s societies to fight Chinese competition.
Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection Clinical and Physiologic Observations of 75 Pediatric Patients

Experience with 75 cases of proven total anomalous pulmonary venous connection without other significant cardiac malformations treated at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston from Janua...
An Iterative Algorithm for Trust Management and Adversary Detection for Delay-Tolerant Networks

Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTNs) have been identified as one of the key areas in the field of wireless communication, wherein sparseness and delay are particularly high. They are emerging as a promising technology in vehicular, planetary/interplanetary, military/tactical, disaster response, underwater and satellite networks. DTNs are characterized by large end-to-end communication latency and the lack of end-to-end path from a source to its destination. These characteristics pose several challenges to the security of DTNs. Especially, Byzantine attacks in which one or more legitimate nodes have been compromised and fully controlled by the adversary can give serious damages to the network in terms of latency and data availability. Using reputation-based trust management systems is shown to be an effective way to handle the adversarial behavior in Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs). However, because of the unique characteristics of DTNs, those traditional techniques do not apply to DTNs. Our main objective in this paper is to develop a robust trust mechanism and an efficient and low cost malicious node detection technique for DTNs. Inspired by our recent results on reputation management for online systems and e-commerce, we develop an iterative malicious node detection mechanism for DTNs referred as ITRM. The proposed scheme is a graph-based iterative algorithm motivated by the prior success of message passing techniques for decoding low-density parity-check codes over bipartite graphs. Applying ITRM to DTNs for various mobility models, we observed that the proposed iterative reputation management scheme is far more effective than well-known reputation management techniques such as the Bayesian framework and EigenTrust. Further, we concluded that the proposed scheme provides high data availability and packet-delivery ratio with low latency in DTNs under various adversary attacks which attempt to both undermine the trust and detection scheme and the packet delivery protocol.
Gulf Stream Deflection by a Bottom Feature off Charleston, South Carolina.

A topographic feature on the continental slope off Charleston at 32°N persistently deflects the Gulf Stream seaward, with the inshore surface thermal front deflected east or south of east in 27 of the 39 cases examined. Meanders often form downstream of the deflection, suggesting that the "Charleston bump" induces Gulf Stream fluctuations.
Effects of cytochalasins B and D on alloxan inhibition of insulin release.

Abstract In isolated rat islets, cytochalasin-B, which potentiates glucose-induced insulin release and inhibits hexose transport, provided immediate protection from the inhibitory effect of alloxan on glucose-induced insulin release. Cytochalasin-D, which also potentiates glucose-induced insulin release, but exerts no detectable effect on hexose transport, provided no protection from the action of alloxan. These results indicate 1) the protective action of cytochalasin-B against the effect of alloxan is mediated on the beta-cell membrane in proximity to the hexose transport site, and 2) the ability of cytochalasin-B and D to potentiate glucose-induced insulin release appears unrelated to an interaction with the hexose transport site.
Detection and biochemical characterization of insecticide resistance in fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Two field strains of the fall armywoml, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), collected from corn in central and south Florida in 1990 showed resistance to commonly used insecticides as compared with a laboratory susceptible strain. Resistance to pyrethroids ranged from 3- to 264-fold; the highest resistance level observed was to fluvalinate. Resistance to organophosphates ranged from 11- to 517-fold; the highest resistance level observed was to methyl parathion. Resistance to carbamates ranged from 10- to 507-fold with the highest resistance level being observed with carbaryl. Detoxification enzyme assays revealed that activities of microsomal oxidases (epoxidases, hydroxylase, sulfoxidase, N -demethylase, and O -dealkylases), glutathione transferases (DCNB and CDNB), hydrolases (general esterase, carboxylesterase, β-glucosidase, and acetylcholinesterase), and reductase (cytochrome c reductase) were 1.2 to 11.0-foldhigher in field strains than in the susceptible strain. The detoxification enzyme activities were generally more heterogeneous in populations of field strains than in that of the susceptible strain. Certain field strains were less inducible by allelochemicals than the susceptible strain with respect to microsomal oxidase and glutathione transferase. In addition, the bimolecular rate constants for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by dichlorvos were 4.3- to 7.8-fold higher in the susceptible strain than in field strains. The broad spectra of insecticide resistance observed in field strains were due to multiple resistance mechanisms, including increased detoxification of these insecticides by microsomal oxidases, glutathione transferases, and est erases; and target site insensitivity (such as insensitive acetylcholinesterase).
Isolation of anaerobic bacteria from the root canal systems of necrotic teeth by the use of a transport solution.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop a clinically practical technique for isolating predominant anaerobic microorganisms from the root canal systems of intact necrotic teeth. Fifty-five consecutive teeth, all of which were necrotic, were sampled for this study. The technique developed involved a transport solution into which each sample was placed. At least one anaerobic bacterium was isolated from each case, with as many as four anaerobic bacteria being isolated from one case. Over half of the total number of organisms isolated were anaerobes, and almost half of these organisms were gram-negative. Whereas this technique has enabled the author to isolate and identify the same spectrum of predominant anaerobic bacteria as has been reported recently by others1, 2 using the rigid VPI technique, the author suggests that the technique described here be utilized when the VPI technique cannot be performed.
Treatment of streptococcal infective endocarditis

Patients with infective endocarditis caused by penicillin-sensitive streptococci (minimal inhibitory concentration for penicillin of 0.1 microgram/ml or less) may be treated successfully with one of the following regimens: aqueous penicillin G administered intravenously for four weeks, intravenous aqueous penicillin G for four weeks combined with streptomycin for the first two weeks of therapy, or parenterally administered penicillin plus streptomycin for two weeks. A cure rate of at least 98 percent may be anticipated with each of these regimens. During a 12-year period among 142 patients treated for two weeks with penicillin and streptomycin, one (0.7 percent) had relapse and four (3 percent) had vestibular toxicity. The major advantage of the two-week regimen is that it is more cost-effective than the four-week regimens. The major disadvantage of the use of streptomycin is the relatively low risk of vestibular toxicity. Patients with enterococcal endocarditis were treated initially for four weeks with aqueous penicillin G together with either streptomycin (streptomycin-susceptible enterococci, 36 patients) or gentamicin (streptomycin-resistant enterococci, 20 patients). Compared with patients who had symptoms for less than three months, patients with symptoms for longer than three months had a higher relapse rate (0 percent versus 44 percent; p less than 0.001) and mortality (2.5 percent versus 25 percent; p less than 0.001). Patients with mitral valve endocarditis had a significantly higher relapse rate (25 percent) than patients with aortic valve infection (0 percent; p less than 0.01]. Gentamicin-associated nephrotoxicity was more frequent (p less than 0.001) among patients treated with more than 3 mg/kg per day of gentamicin than among those treated with 3 mg/kg per day or less (100 percent versus 20 percent). Relapse and mortality rates did not differ significantly between patients treated with low-dose or high-dose gentamicin regimens. Patients who have had symptoms of enterococcal endocarditis for longer than three months or perhaps patients with mitral valve infection should receive at least six weeks of penicillin therapy together with an aminoglycoside; patients without either high-risk factor may be treated successfully for four weeks.
Rangeland CEAP : An Assessment of Natural Resources Conservation Service Practices

On the Ground • The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is a multi-agency effort to quantify the environmental effects of conservation practices and programs and develop the science base for managing the agricultural landscape for environmental quality. • The rangeland CEAP review evaluated the scientific literature on seven core NRCS conservation practices: prescribed grazing, prescribed burning, brush management, range planting, riparian herbaceous cover, upland wildlife habitat management, and herbaceous weed control. • The scientific literature “broadly supports” the reviewed rangeland conservation practices standards; however, there is a disjunct in integrating science and field-based knowledge so that managers and conservationists can fully understand the individualistic dynamic aspects of rangeland conservation practices. • The CEAP synthesis establishes a precedent for partnerships among scientists, land managers, conservation specialists, and policymakers to provide NRCS with useful, current, science-based information for rangeland conservation practices.
Treatment of depressive disorders of spousal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease: A review:

A number of studies suggest that spousal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have high rates of depressive disorders. Support groups were one of the earliest interventions to help these caregivers, but were found to be unsatisfactory with regard to addressing the affective needs of caregivers. Psycho-educational support groups, focused on helping caregivers to learn new behaviors to solve problems, appear to be the most promising intervention in reducing the depressive levels of these caregivers. Although there is only limited research on psychotherapy and counseling of caregivers, one study suggests the efficacy of cognitive therapy. Future research on psychoeducational cognitive/behavior problem solving groups and cognitive therapy is recommended.
SOME LIMITATIONS OF THE THEORETICAL APPROACH TO PROBLEMS IN MORPHOLOGY.

The concept of optimal mechanical efficiency as a valuable adaptation in organic evolution leads logically to the measurement of anatomical structures with a view to ascertaining their degree of correspondence to a theoretically optimal design. This idea is here considered as it applies to samples of specimens from human cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It is shown that theoretical criteria of efficiency will indeed predict the mean measurements of the samples with a very high degree of accuracy. In individual cases, however, the correlation between theoretically predicted and actual observedvalues is very poor. The diffeculties inherent in isolating a small part of a total biological system and treating it as a controlled physical system are discussed, as are some of the biological variables which must limit many of the theoretical formulations. It is concluded that until further biological and statistical refinements are possible the present theoretical methods may have only limited practical application.
A General Synthesis of 2-Methoxy-2-Cyclohexenones

Abstract The preparation of octalinone 1 at an early stage of a recent synthesis of valeranone1 required the use of a Robinson annelation with 1,4-dimethoxy-2-butanone (2a), a methoxymethyl vinyl ketone (3) equivalent. The following syntheses of 2-methoxy-2-cyclohexenones illustrate further examples of the heretofore unexploited reaction.2
Student Research Projects and the Institutional Review Board

Graduate social work students often are required to complete an evaluation or research project. Research instructors work with their students to assure that these projects are rigorous as well as ethical. This study focuses upon the relationship of student projects and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB aims to strengthen research ethics and to assure that study participants are not exploited. Sixteen MSW research instructors' shared their experiences guiding students through the IRB. Study participants identified benefits and challenges of having students experience the IRB, as well as recommendations on how to facilitate the review process. Additionally participants reflected upon how they determine IRB review requirements.
Plant regeneration of protoplasts isolated from suspension cultures of Solanum lycopersicoides

Abstract A protocol was developed for the isolation, culture and plant regeneration of protoplasts isolated from suspension cultures of Solanum lycopersicoides Dun. (LA 1990). Protoplasts were isolated by an overnight enzyme digestion, further purified by washing in W5 salts solution, and plated in two modified MS protoplast culture media with and without type VII agarose. The addition of agarose to the two culture media did not enhance plating efficiencies and shoot regeneration percentages and in some cases was even inhibitory. Unlike the experience with some other solanaceous species, the deletion of ammonium from the protoplast culture medium was not found to be beneficial. Protoplasts sustained continuous division in the modified MS media and up to 70% of the protoplast-derived calli readily regenerated shoots on MS salts and vitamins medium containing zeatin and GA.
Expansion Work without the External Pressure and Thermodynamics in Terms of Quasistatic Irreversible Processes

We demonstrate that the formula for irreversible expansion work in most chemical thermodynamics textbooks does not apply during the expansion process. Instead of the “external pressure” Pext, the pressure Psys,mb on the piston or other moving boundary (hence the subscript mb), which is nearly equal to the system pressure Psys, should be used in the integral over volume. This formula only requires that Psys(V) and T are well defined, that is, a system of uniform P and T (“uPT”) undergoing a “uPT process”, which may be irreversible. An instructive example is an expanding gas accelerating a bullet horizontally and performing work without a conventional external pressure. We emphasize that δw = −Psys,mb dV ≈ −Psys dV is the only useful formula for infinitesimal PV work during a uPT process. The quasistatic approximation Psys,mb = Psys and δw = −Psys dV is usually excellent and enables analyses of irreversible uPT processes, for example, in heat engines; friction in the surroundings and a large piston mass imp...
Jump Jim Crow: Lost Plays, Lyrics and Street Prose of the First Atlantic Popular Culture. Edited by W. T. Lhamon. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003; pp. 459. $39.95 cloth.

As the first published collection of early blackface-performance texts, W. T. Lhamon's Jump Jim Crow: Lost Plays, Lyrics, and Street Prose of the First Atlantic Popular Culture provides scholars of American popular entertainment with a much-needed sourcebook. These texts are collected in service of the book's larger purpose of evaluating the career of Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice, the first superstar of blackface performance, who became synonymous with his most popular character, Jim Crow. All the songs and plays gathered in Jump Jim Crow were performed by Rice (with the exception of the “street prose” section, which includes two contemporary, pamphlet biographies of Rice). The texts work with Lhamon's introduction to tell the story of Rice's career, which is a case study of the larger topic: the history of blackface performance before the rise of the minstrel show in the mid-1840s. As the plays collected here reveal, Rice's performance of blackface was fundamentally different from minstrel-show performance on many levels. The most important difference, Lhamon argues in his introduction, is that Rice's performances encouraged the white audience to identify with his blackface character, to laugh with him rather than at him.
Laryngopharyngeal dysmotility in multiple sclerosis.

This study investigated the swallowing physiology of 13 patients [age 27-69 years (mean = 45 years)] with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had Kurtzke Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores ranging from 2 to 9 (mean = 6) and who complained of difficulty swallowing. Videofluoroscopic recordings of the patients' calibrated liquid and paste bolus swallows were analyzed and compared with publi-shed normative data. Results showed that swallowing physiology was disordered in the 13 MS patients with severity level ranging from mild to severe. Eleven patients had primary pharyngeal dysphagia, 1 patient had primary laryngeal dysphagia, and 1 patient had primary oral dysphagia. Laryngeal dysmotility, the predominant anterior pharyngeal segment dysfunction, was evidenced in all 13 patients with MS. They displayed significantly longer-than-normal pharyngeal delay times, shorter-than-normal time intervals from onset of laryngeal excursion to return to rest, and longer-than-normal time intervals between airway closure at the arytenoid to epiglottic base and upper esophageal sphincter opening. Pharyngeal constrictor dysmotility, the predominant posterior pharyngeal segment dysfunction, was observed in 11 of the 13 MS patients. A significant relationship was found between the severity of the MS patients' functional swallowing impairment and posterior pharyngeal segment dysfunction. Material penetrated the supraglottic airway of 9 patients with 1 patient aspirating. A significant relationship was observed between supraglottic penetration and brainstem dysfunction. No significant relationship was found between severity of dysphagia and neurological disability as measured by EDSS scores or neurological impairment as measured by Functional System (FS) scores. Disturbed neuromotor sequencing of laryngeal events and a progression in neuromotor weakening of the pharyngeal constrictors were suggested from the findings.
The Babylonian Talmud on the Execution of Jesus

In my The Death of the Messiah, preparatory to examining the Gospel accounts of the trial/interrogation of Jesus by the chief priest(s) and San-hedrin, I surveyed the extra-Gospel evidence for authoritative Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus, derived from Jewish, Christian, and pagan sources. From the Jewish evidence I discussed two items: the witness of Josephus (Ant. 18.3.3; #63–t) and a baraita from TalBab Sanhedrin 43a which I quoted from the London Soncino translation (Nezikin volume 3.281):On the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostacy. Anyone who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of Passover.
Chondrotoxicity of Low pH, Epinephrine, and Preservatives Found in Local Anesthetics Containing Epinephrine:

Background: Recent clinical and basic science investigations have revealed the chondrotoxicity of local anesthetics, especially those containing epinephrine, administered via an intra-articular pain pump. However, the exact mechanism of toxicity is unknown. This study evaluates the chondrotoxicity of low pH, epinephrine, and preservatives found in commonly used local anesthetics.Hypothesis: The chondrotoxicity of local anesthetics containing epinephrine is due to low pH, epinephrine, or the preservative sodium metabisulfite.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: Human chondrocytes were harvested and cultured in a custom bioreactor designed to simulate metabolism of medication. Pain pumps were used to infuse one of the following medications into the culture system: control media; media titrated to pH 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5; media with 1:100000 or 1:200000 epinephrine only; media with 0.5 mg/mL of sodium metabisulfite preservative; media with 0.5 mg/mL of methylparaben preservative, 0.25% bupiv...
Perceptual interference at encoding enhances item-specific encoding and disrupts relational encoding: evidence from multiple recall tests.

Interfering with perception during encoding can enhance later memory, a phenomenon known as the perceptual interference effect. This effect is investigated in the context of the item-specific-relational framework (e.g., Hunt & McDaniel, 1993), which suggests that the perceptual interference enhances item-specific encoding and impedes relational encoding. Two experiments performed with multiple recall tests support this view. Prior research indicates that item-specific processing increases item gains across tests, whereas relational processing protects against item losses (e.g., Burns, 1993; Klein, Loftus, Kihlstrom, & Aseron, 1989). Consistent with the item-specific-relational framework, perceptual interference produced significant increases in both item gains and losses relative to a control condition.