cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variable intertidal temperature explains why disease endangers black abalone

Epidemiological theory suggests that pathogens will not cause host extinctions because agents of disease should fade out when the host population is driven below a threshold density. Nevertheless, infectious diseases have threatened species with extinction on local scales by maintaining high incidence and the ability to spread efficiently even as host populations decline. Intertidal black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii ), but not other abalone species, went extinct locally throughout much of southern California following the emergence of a Rickettsiales-like pathogen in the mid-1980s. The rickettsial disease, a condition known as withering syndrome (WS), and associated mortality occur at elevated water temperatures. We measured abalone body temperatures in the field and experimentally manipulated intertidal environmental conditions in the laboratory, testing the influence of mean temperature and daily temperature variability on key epizootiological processes of WS. Daily temperature variability increased the susceptibility of black abalone to infection, but disease expression occurred only at warm water temperatures and was independent of temperature variability. These results imply that high thermal variation of the marine intertidal zone allows the pathogen to readily infect black abalone, but infected individuals remain asymptomatic until water temperatures periodically exceed thresholds modulating WS. Mass mortalities can therefore occur before pathogen transmission is limited by density-dependent factors.
Contraceptive method skew and shifts in method mix in low- and middle-income countries.

Context Method mix-the percentage distribution of contraceptive users in a given country, by method-is one measure that reflects the availability of a range of contraceptive methods. A skewed method mix-one in which 50% or more of contraceptive users rely on a single method-could be cause for concern as a sign of insufficiency of alternative methods or provider bias. Shifts in method mix are important to individual countries, donors and scholars studying contraceptive dynamics. Methods To determine current patterns and recent changes in method mix, we examined 109 low- and middle-income countries. A variety of statistical methods were used to test four factors as correlates of skewed method mix: geographic region, family planning program effort index, modern contraceptive prevalence rate and human development index. An assessment of changes in reliance on female and male sterilization, the IUD, the implant and the injectable was conducted for countries with available data. Results Of the 109 countries included in this analysis, 30% had a skewed method mix-a modest decrease from 35% in a 2006 analysis. Only geographic region showed any correlation with method skew, but it was only marginally significant. The proportion of users relying on female sterilization, male sterilization or the IUD decreased in far more countries than it increased; the pattern was reversed for the injectable. Conclusion Method mix skew is not a definitive indicator of lack of contraceptive choice or provider bias; it may instead reflect cultural preferences. In countries with a skewed method mix, investigation is warranted to identify the cause.
Endophyte-host associations in grasses. XXI. Studies on the structure and development of Balansia obtecta

Studies on the structure and development of Balansia obtecta (Ascomycotina, Clavicipitaceae) were conducted. Plants and sclerotia were collected at several sites in Florida. Sections of sclerotia w...
Microstructures in aluminum ion implanted with boron and heat treated

Abstract Aluminum has been implanted with boron at peak concentrations ranging from 6 to 60 at.%, vacuum heat treated at temperatures between 200 and 525°C, and characterized by TEM, electron diffraction and Auger sputter profiling. At the lower doses, as implanted damage was very fine scale; an amorphous layer appeared above about 20 at.% boron. On annealing at 200°C or above, a precipitate formed which was different from the equilibrium AlB 2 phase. This new phase forms at all implant concentrations and is stable to at least 525°C. Its composition is near 60 at.% boron, and the unit cell is rhombohedral with a = 1.104 nm and α = 113°.
A note on the Talman, Van der Heyden linear complementarity algorithm

Talman and Van der Heyden have recently proposed a pivoting algorithm for linear complementarity problems which generalizes Lemke's procedure and allows arbitrary starting points. (Lemke's method starts at the origin). This note shows that the new algorithm will work on a wider class of problems than those considered by Talman and Van der Heyden.
Evaluation of Multimode Optical Waveguides for Optical Bus Interconnects

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of polymer multimode waveguide and metallic hollow core waveguide for complicated board level optical interconnect structures such as optical bus. Numerical simulation suggests that metallic hollow core waveguide with 50μmx50μm dimension can provide acceptable optical propagation loss as low as 0.045dB/cm, less than 0.5dB bending loss per 180 degree turning with 5mm radius, 0.25dB extra splitting loss, and a large tolerance to angular deviation of the micro-mirror coupler. The conclusion is that silver coated metallic hollow core waveguide will be a better choice for board level optical bus than conventional polymer multimode waveguide.
Simulating Unstressed Crop Development and Growth Using the Unified Plant Growth Model (UPGM)

Since initial development of the EPIC model in 1989, the EPIC plant growth component has been incorporat- ed into other erosion and crop management models (e.g., WEPS, WEPP, SWAT, ALMANAC, and GPFARM) and sub- sequently modified to meet research objectives of the model developers. This has resulted in different versions of the same base plant growth component. The objectives of this study are the following: (1) describe the standalone Unified Plant Growth Model (UPGM), initially derived from the WEPS plant growth model, to be used for merging enhancements from other EPIC-based plant growth models; and (2) describe and evaluate new phenology, seedling emergence,and canopy height sub-models derived from the Phenology Modular Modeling System (PhenologyMMS V1.2) and incorporated into UPGM. A 6-year (2005-2010) irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) study from northeast Colorado was used to calibrate and evaluate UPGM running both the original (i.e., based on WEPS) and new phenology, seedling emergence, and canopy height sub-models. Model statistics indicated the new sub- models usually resulted in better simulation results than the original sub-models. For example when comparing original and new sub-models, respectively, for predicting canopy height, the root mean square error (RMSE) was 53.7 and 40.7 cm, index of agreement (d) was 0.84 and 0.92, relative error (RE) was 26.0 and −1.26 %, and normalized objective function (NOF) was 0.47 and 0.33. The new sub-models predict leaf number (old sub-models do not), with mean values for 4 years of 2.43 leaves (RMSE), 0.78 (d), 18.38 % (RE), and 0.27 (NOF). Simulating grain yield, final above ground biomass, and harvest index showed little difference when running the original or new sub-models. Both the new phenology and seedling emergence sub-models respond to varying water deficits, increasing the robustness of UPGM for more diverse environmental conditions. Future research will continue working to incorporate existing enhancements from other EPIC-based plant growth models to unify them into one model such as multispecies competition and N cycling.
Validation of a High-Payload Robotic/UFS Testing System for Studying of Joint Motion

Robotic technology has been adopted for studying the biomechanics of the knee joint by our research center and others since 1993 to gain a fundamental understanding of the knee, as well as to provide orthopedic surgeons with scientific data on the efficacy of various reconstructive techniques [1–4]. A robotic testing system generally consists of a six degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic manipulator with a universal force-moment sensor (UFS) attached to the end effector [5]. This testing system offers a wide range of motion with precision path and position repeatability.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Estrogen Regulation of Apoptosis in Osteoblasts

Dysregulated apoptosis is a critical failure associated with prominent degenerative diseases including osteoporosis. In bone, estrogen deficiency has been associated with accelerated osteoblast apoptosis and susceptibility to osteoporotic fractures. Hormone therapy continues to be an effective option for preventing osteoporosis and bone fractures. Induction of apoptosis in G-292 human osteoblastic cells by exposure to etoposide or the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α promoted acute caspase-3/7 activity and this increased activity was inhibited by pretreatment with estradiol. Etoposide also increased the expression of a battery of apoptosis-promoting genes and this expression was also inhibited by estradiol. Among the apoptotic genes whose expression was inhibited by estradiol was ITPR1, which encodes the type 1 InsP3R. InsP3Rs are intracellular calcium channels and key proapoptotic mediators. Estradiol via estrogen receptor β1 suppresses ITPR1 gene transcription in G-292 cells. These analyses suggest that an underlying basis of the beneficial activity of estrogens in combating osteoporosis may involve the prevention of apoptosis in osteoblasts and that a key event in this process is the repression of apoptotic gene expression and inhibition of caspase-3/7.
Model of Creation and Evolution of Stable Electropores for DNA Delivery

Electroporation, in which electric pulses create transient pores in the cell membrane, is becoming an important technique for gene therapy. To enable entry of supercoiled DNA into cells, the pores should have sufficiently large radii (>10 nm), remain open long enough for the DNA chain to enter the cell (milliseconds), and should not cause membrane rupture. This study presents a model that can predict such macropores. The distinctive features of this model are the coupling of individual pores through membrane tension and the electrical force on the pores, which is applicable to pores of any size. The model is used to explore the process of pore creation and evolution and to determine the number and size of pores as a function of the pulse magnitude and duration. Next, our electroporation model is combined with a heuristic model of DNA uptake and used to predict the dependence of DNA uptake on pulsing parameters. Finally, the model is used to examine the mechanism of a two-pulse protocol, which was proposed specifically for gene delivery. The comparison between experimental results and the model suggests that this model is well-suited for the investigation of electroporation-mediated DNA delivery.
The gecko visual pigments: The nitrate effect

Abstract This is an account of the action of nitrate ions on the extracted 521-pigment of Gekko gekko . Added to an extract in the chloride-deficient state with an absorbance maximum in the region of 505 nm these ions cause a “blue” shift of some 5 to 15 nm, according to concentration. Added to a pigment that is “red”-shifted by chloride, nitrate ions are also able to reverse this chloride effect. There is a mutual antagonism between these two ions and at a ratio of (NO 3 − /Cl − ) of 5:6 these two ions antagonize each other equally so there is no displacement of the spectrum. The nitrate “blue” shift is unlike the qualitatively similar “blue” shift produced by p -hydroxymercuribenzoate. The latter is reversed or prevented by means of the monothiol protective reagent, dithiothreitol; the former is not. This points to at least two sites of the opsin involved in generating a “blue” shift. It is also possible, because of the different sizes of the two ions, and their different concentration effectiveness, that the chloride and nitrate sites of action in the opsin are not the same, although this has not been proved. Like the chloride bathochromic shift, the nitrate hyposochromic shift is a feature of the gekkonid visual pigments in the region of 520–530 nm. The second class of gecko pigments, at shorter wavelengths, as well as the rhodopsins, have neither chloride nor nitrate responses. The results are discussed in terms of ideas and models postulated to explain the diversity of colors of vertebrate visual pigments.
Biofouling of reverse osmosis membranes: Role of biofilm-enhanced osmotic pressure

Abstract A bench-scale investigation of RO biofouling with Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 was conducted in order to elucidate the mechanisms governing the decline in RO membrane performance caused by cell deposition and biofilm growth. A sharp decline in permeate water flux and a concomitant increase in salt passage were observed following the inoculation of the RO test unit with a late exponential culture of P. aeruginosa PA01 under enhanced biofouling conditions. The decrease in permeate flux and salt rejection is attributed to the growth of a biofilm comprised of bacterial cells and their self-produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Biofilm growth dynamics on the RO membrane surface are observed using confocal microscopy, where active cells, dead cells, and EPS are monitored. We propose that the biofilm deteriorates membrane performance by increasing both the trans-membrane osmotic pressure and hydraulic resistance. By comparing the decrease in permeate flux and salt rejection upon fouling with dead cells of P. aeruginosa PA01 and upon biofilm growth on the membrane surface, we can distinguish between these two fouling mechanisms. Bacterial cells on the membrane hinder the back diffusion of salt, which results in elevated osmotic pressure on the membrane surface, and therefore a decrease in permeate flux and salt rejection. On the other hand, EPS contributes to the decline in membrane water flux by increasing the hydraulic resistance to permeate flow. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of dead cells and biofilm further support these proposed mechanisms. Biofilm imaging reveals an opaque EPS matrix surrounding P. aeruginosa PA01 cells that could provide hydraulic resistance to permeate flux. In contrast, SEM images taken after fouling runs with dead cells reveal a porous cake layer comprised of EPS-free individual cells that is likely to provide negligible resistance to permeate flow compared to the RO membrane resistance. We conclude that “biofilm-enhanced osmotic pressure” plays a dominant role in RO biofouling.
Validation of a chicken thigh model and objective scoring systemfor microvascular competence assessment

Objective/Hypothesis: Laboratory models can help develop familiarity with handling of microinstruments under the microscope for training, and provide a means for assessment of technical skills. Previous models and simulations of microsurgery have been described, but few of these have been validated. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the construct validity of the chicken thigh model and a novel scoring system for microvascular competence.
A Regional Net Charge and Structural Compensation Model to Explain How Negatively Charged Amino Acids Can Be Accepted within a Mitochondrial Leader Sequence

Mitochondrial leader sequences have been found to be statistically enriched for positively charged residues, with only a few known leader sequences possessing negatively charged residues. Mutational studies that have introduced negatively charged residues into various leader sequences have shown a general, but not absolute, trend toward reduced import. The leader sequence of rat liver aldehyde dehydrogenase has been previously determined by NMR to form a helix-linker-helix structure. A negative charge introduced into this leader did not prevent import, provided that a net positive charge remained in the N-helical segment. When the net charge of the N-terminal helical segment was reduced to zero, import could be recovered by removing the linker, which resulted in a longer, more stable leader. This structural recovery of import was effective enough to compensate for a net charge of zero within the first 10 residues, even when a glutamate is the first charged side chain presented in the sequence.
Slow advection and diffusion through low permeability inclusions

Abstract Heterogeneous porous media with low permeability lenses can produce contaminant plumes with extended tails. Highly asymmetric breakthrough curves cannot be described well by an advection–dispersion equation (ADE) with a uniform velocity and dispersion coefficient. The character of such a solute plume depends on many factors, including plume size, the geometry and arrangement of the low permeability inclusions, and the transport through such regions. We develop an inclusion Peclet number that effectively characterizes the relative importance of advection and diffusion for transport within a low permeability lens. This inclusion Peclet number is a function of the far-field velocity, the effective diffusion coefficient, the length scale of the inclusion, and the ratio of the permeability of the lens to that of the surrounding matrix. We investigate the effects of a single, elliptical inclusion on the arrival of a solute at a downgradient control plane with numerical particle tracking. Effects specific to advection or diffusion dominance within the inclusion are subtle: diffusion gives rise to more distributed tailing whereas advection produces behavior that is more abrupt. These slight differences are not enough to allow one to determine the dominant process within the inclusion by observing the first three temporal moments alone. The time scale for the dominant transport process within the inclusion is the primary factor affecting the contaminant tailing. For high inclusion Peclet numbers (when advection dominates), the characteristic time varies with the permeability contrast, the far-field velocity, and the size and geometry of the inclusion. For low inclusion Peclet numbers (when diffusion dominates), the characteristic time varies with the size of the inclusion and the effective diffusion coefficient.
Effects of Serotonergic Medications on Locomotor Performance in Humans with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract Incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) often results in significant motor impairments that lead to decreased functional mobility. Loss of descending serotonergic (5HT) input to spinal circuits is thought to contribute to motor impairments, with enhanced motor function demonstrated through augmentation of 5HT signaling. However, the presence of spastic motor behaviors in SCI is attributed, in part, to changes in spinal 5HT receptors that augment their activity in the absence of 5HT, although data demonstrating motor effects of 5HT agents that deactivate these receptors are conflicting. The effects of enhancement or depression of 5HT signaling on locomotor function have not been thoroughly evaluated in human iSCI. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate acute effects of 5HT medications on locomotion in 10 subjects with chronic (>1 year) iSCI. Peak overground and treadmill locomotor performance, including measures of gait kinematics, electromyographic (EMG) activity, and oxygen cons...
Cholinergic interneurons of the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum are activated by the self-administration of cocaine.

Abstract The nucleus accumbens, a major component of the ventral striatum, and the dorsal striatum are primary targets of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which is a pathway that plays a critical role in reward and addiction. The shell compartment of the nucleus accumbens and the ventromedial striatum, in particular, receive extensive afferent projections from the ventral tegmental area, which is the major afferent source of the mesolimbic pathway [Prog Brain Res 99 (1993) 209; J Neurosci 7 (1987) 3915]. The present study focused on striatal cholinergic interneurons as potential key neurons involved in the neural basis of drug reinforcement. The main finding of this study is that cholinergic interneurons located in the shell compartment of the nucleus accumbens and the ventromedial striatum were activated, as measured by Fos labeling, following a 1 h session of the self-administration of cocaine in rats. A direct correlation existed between the percent of cholinergic interneurons that were activated and the amount of cocaine that was self-administered. The greatest amount of administered cocaine (approximately 10 mg/kg) resulted in the activation of approximately 80% of the cholinergic neurons. No such correlation existed in the group of animals that self-administered saline. In addition, activation was not found in the core compartment of the nucleus accumbens or the dorsolateral striatum, which receive extensive innervation from the substantia nigra and thus are more closely tied to the motor effects of the drug. In conclusion, cocaine-driven neuronal activation was specific to the shell compartment of the nucleus accumbens ( R 2 =0.9365) and the ventromedial striatum ( R 2 =0.9059). These findings demonstrate that cholinergic interneurons are involved in the initial stage of cocaine intake and that these neurons are located in areas of the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum that are more closely tied to the rewarding and hedonic effects rather than the motor effects of cocaine intake.
Total Internal Reflection-Based High Efficiency Grating Design for a Metal-Free Polarizing Filter Applications Using Hybrid Optimization Procedure

This paper presents a fast and rigorous design method for grating-based metal-free polarizing filter applications using two-step hybrid optimization techniques. Grating structures utilizing the total internal reflection in a lamellar configuration were used to achieve metal-free solution, which is a key technology in the chirped pulse amplification for high power laser system. Here two polarizing filters were designed: polarization sensitive and polarization insensitive. Those polarization performances were characterized by the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA), and the design parameters of grating structures, pitch, depth, and filling factor were optimized by two-step hybrid optimization procedure because the diffraction characteristics of grating-based polarizing filters are highly sensitive to small changes in design parameters. The Taguchi method is incorporated into selection process in the genetic algorithm, which indicates that the Taguchi method optimizes the design parameters in a coarse manner, and then, coarsely optimized parameters are finely optimized using the genetic algorithm. Therefore the proposed method could solve global numerical optimization problems with continuous variables. The proposed two-step hybrid optimization algorithm could effectively optimize the grating structures for the purpose of polarization filter applications, and the optimized grating structures could selectively filter the incident light up to 99.8% as to TE or TM waves.
THE NATURAL-SELECTION THEORY OF ANTIBODY FORMATION.

An immense amount of experimental data related to the problem of antibody formation has accumulated. Theories offering a basic interpretation of these observations have, in contrast, been few. The theory formulated in the present paper, though highly speculative, attempts to provide a framework for the interpretation of the main features of antibody appearance in response to the injection of antigen into an animal. Two views concerning the mechanism of antibody formation are at present most widely favored. One is the "antigen-template" theory, developed by Breinl [1], Haurowitz [1,2], Mudd [3], Alexander [4], and Pauling [5]. This theory assumes that antibodies can be produced only by cells in which the antigen is present. The specific affinity of an antibody molecule toward the antigen is due to a complementarity in structure derived from the folding of part of the polypeptide chain of a globulin molecule in direct contact with a determinant or haptenic region of the antigen. The antigen thus serves as a template in the final stage of formation of a globulin molecule. The other view tries to establish a similarity between antibody formation and adaptive enzyme formation and allows for the continued production of antibody after the antigen has disappeared from the body. This is the "modified-enzyme" theory, formulated by Burnet [6,7] and Fenner [7]. They propose that the introduction of an antigen into cells, containing enzymes directed toward the disposal of effete cells and cellular debris from the organism itself, induces the formation of "enzymic units" adapted toward the destruction of the antigen. A renewed contact with the antigen stimulates the replication of these enzymic units. Circulating antibody molecules are partial replicas of the modified enzymic units, carrying specificity but lacking enzymic action. The "natural-selection" theory, proposed in the present paper, may be stated as follows: The role of the antigen is neither that of a template nor that of an enzyme modifier. The antigen is solely a selective carrier of spontaneously circulating antibody to a system of cells which can reproduce this antibody. Globulin molecules are continuously being synthesized in an enormous variety of different configurations. Among the population of circulating globulin molecules there will, spontaneously, be fractions possessing affinity toward any antigen to which the animal can respond. These are the so-called "natural" antibodies. The introduction of an antigen into the blood or into the lymph leads to the selective attachment to the antigen surface of those globulin molecules which happen to have a complementary configuration. The antigen carrying these molecules may then be engulfed by a phagocytic cell. When the globulin molecules thus brought into a cell have been dissociated from the surface of the antigen, the antigen has accomplished its role and can be eliminated.
Acyclovir suppression to prevent cesarean delivery after first-episode genital herpes

Objective To determine if suppressive acyclovir therapy given to term gravidas experiencing a first episode of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection during pregnancy decreases the need for cesarean delivery for that indication. Methods Forty-six pregnant women with first episodes of genital herpes during pregnancy were randomly assigned to receive oral acyclovir 400 mg or placebo, three times per day, from 36 weeks' gestation until delivery as part of a prospective, double-blind trial. Herpes simplex virus cultures were obtained when patients presented for delivery. Vaginal delivery was permitted if no clinical recurrence was present; otherwise, a cesarean was performed. Neonatal HSV cultures were obtained and infants were followed-up clinically. Results None of the 21 patients treated with acyclovir and nine of 25 (36%) treated with placebo had clinical evidence of recurrent genital herpes at delivery (odds ratio [OR] 0.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.002–0.745; P = .002). No woman treated with acyclovir had a cesarean for herpes, compared with nine of 25 (36%) of those treated with placebo (OR 0.04, CI 0.002–0.745; P = .002). No patient in either treatment group experienced asymptomatic genital viral shedding at delivery. No neonate had evidence of herpes infection or adverse effects from acyclovir. Conclusion Suppressive acyclovir therapy reduced the need for cesarean for recurrent herpes in women whose first clinical episode of genital HSV occurred during pregnancy. Suppressive acyclovir treatment did not increase asymptomatic viral shedding and was not harmful to the term fetus.
Continuous measurements with the superconducting gravimeter

Abstract Small drifts in gravity could, in principle, be used as a measure of vertical crustal motion. However, this could be the case only if other real and apparent causes of gravity variations can be identified and removed from data. We report here on work with the superconducting gravimeter. It measures the influence of atmospheric pressure variations on gravity and indicates that continuous gravity and pressure records are required in order to account for the effect at the 1 μGal level. In addition, we discuss some preliminary results with two instruments at the same location which suggest that gravity began to change at the rate of a few microgals per month during the measurements.
Pharmacokinetics of detomidine and its metabolites following intravenous and intramuscular administration in horses

Summary Reasons for performing study: Detomidine is commonly used i.v. for sedation and analgesia in horses, but the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of this drug have not been well described. Objectives: To describe the pharmacokinetics of detomidine and its metabolites, 3-hydroxy-detomidine (OH-detomidine) and detomidine 3-carboxylic acid (COOH-detomidine), after i.v. and i.m. administration of a single dose to horses. Methods: Eight horses were used in a balanced crossover design study. In Phase 1, 4 horses received a single dose of i.v. detomidine, administered 30 μg/kg bwt and 4 a single dose i.m. 30 ug/kg bwt. In Phase 2, treatments were reversed. Plasma detomidine, OH-detomidine and COOH-detomidine were measured at predetermined time points using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Following i.v. administration, detomidine was distributed rapidly and eliminated with a half-life (t1/2(el)) of approximately 30 min. Following i.m. administration, detomidine was distributed and eliminated with t1/2(el) of approximately one hour. Following, i.v. administration, detomidine clearance had a mean, median and range of 12.41, 11.66 and 10.10–18.37 ml/min/kg bwt, respectively. Detomidine had a volume of distribution with the mean, median and range for i.v. administration of 470, 478 and 215–687 ml/kg bwt, respectively. OH-detomidine was detected sooner than COOH-detomidine; however, COOH-detomidine had a much greater area under the curve. Conclusions and potential relevance: These pharmacokinetic parameters provide information necessary for determination of peak plasma concentrations and clearance of detomidine in mature horses. The results suggest that, when a longer duration of plasma concentration is warranted, the i.m. route should be considered.
Calcium-dependent activation of lymphocytes by ionophore, A23187, and a phorbol ester tumor promoter.

The phorbol ester tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the calcium ionophore, A23187, have similar effects on many different cells. For example, both show mitogenic and comitogenic activities for lymphocytes. It had been suggested that some of TPA's effects are due to its ability to act as a calcium ionophore. In order to test this idea, we compared the ability of TPA and ionophore to synergize with concanavalin A (Con A) in a two-phase system of lymphocyte mitogenesis. We found that ionophore was most comitogenic with Con A when present in the early phase of stimulation. TPA was only comitogenic when present in the late phase, lonophore and TPA could not replace one another in the system. However, both ionophore and TPA together could replace Con A and stimulate DNA synthesis when they were presented to the cells in the sequential order of ionophore followed by TPA. Both compounds required the presence of external calcium to be effective.
PANDAS: pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections--an uncommon, but important indication for tonsillectomy.

Abstract Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, also know as “PANDAS,” is well described in the neurologic and psychiatric literature. PANDAS is associated with obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD) and tic disorders. The streptococcal infections may trigger an autoimmune reaction that exacerbates these conditions. Recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis is one of the recurrent infections associated with PANDAS. This paper reviews the case reports of two brothers, one with OCD and the other with a tic disorder, both of whom improved significantly after undergoing adenotonsillectomy for treatment of their recurrent tonsillitis. A review of the pathophysiology and current understanding of PANDAS is presented.
Optimal decentralized algorithms for traffic engineering in the internet

Abstract In this paper, we develop algorithms for decentralized traffic engineering when several classes of services are to be provided. More precisely, given an utility function of a very general form, we provide a large class of distributed control laws which converge to the maximum of the utility function subject to the network constraints and service requirements. Each ingress node adapts its sending rates and distributes the traffic among the multiple available paths independently and with minimum feedback from the network. These laws allow not only for best effort traffic (only type of traffic in today's Internet) but also assured service traffic where a given target rate has to be achieved in average.
Method for hygromechanical characterization of graphite/epoxy composite

An experimental method is described for measuring hygroscopic swelling strains and mechanical strains of moisture-conditioned composite specimens. The method consists of embedding encapsulated strain gages in the midplane of the composite laminate; thus it does not interfere with normal moisture diffusion. It is particularly suited for measuring moisture swelling coefficients and for mechanical testing of moisture-conditioned specimens at high strain rates. Results obtained by the embedded gage method were shown to be more reliable and reproducible than those obtained by surface gages, dial gages, or extensometers.
Cell-Free Protein Synthesis in Miniaturized Array Devices and Effects of Device Orientation

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has been used as an alternative to cell-based recombinant technology for protein production in academic and industrial labs. The continuous-exchange format generally has higher expression yield by constantly supplying a nutrient solution and removing inhibitory by-products through a porous membrane. Because of the concern of possible membrane clogging by large molecules in the CFPS solution, we investigated the effects of membrane orientation on protein synthesis. We fabricated a miniaturized array device called Vertical-I with its membrane oriented vertically in reference to the table surface and found that the protein synthesis yield in the Vertical-I device was 144% higher than the Horizontal Device reported previously. The reaction time was also faster; β-glucuronidase reached the synthesis yield plateau after 2 h in the Vertical-I device versus 4 h in the Horizontal Device. Possible clogging of membrane pores was confirmed by fluorescein diffusion measurement. Using...
The fate of the Rocky Mountain locust, Melanoplus spretus Walsh: implications for conservation biology

The Rocky Mountain locust, Melanoplus spretus , is believed to be extinct. Habitat destruction via the conversion of montane river valleys to agriculture in the late 1800s is the currently accepted explanation for the species' disappearance. In the last decade, questions have been raised concerning both the status of the locust and the causes for its extinction. The paper addresses the arguments for and against M. spretus being extinct. Assuming it is extinct, new possibilities accounting for its decline are considered, including changes in forest ecosystems in the 1800s and the role of metapopulation dynamics. The loss of the Rocky Mountain locust provides a valuable test case for the tactics of rewilding. A benefit-cost analysis reveals that only under a narrow set of conditions would a restoration of this species or a proxy be justified. How the species might have persisted is considered, along with the possibility that M. spretus could recover. The roles of climate change and micro-evolutionary processes are evaluated with respect to the locust's return. Finally, the discovery of a surviving remnant of the Rocky Mountain locust would raise important questions with respect to our understanding of endangered species and how the concept of 'pest' pertains to conservation biology.
Dynamics and bifurcations in the weak electrolyte model for electroconvection of nematic liquid crystals: a Ginzburg-Landau approach

Abstract In this paper we present the results of a bifurcation study of the weak electrolyte model for nematic electroconvection, for values of the parameters including experimentally measured values of the nematic I52. The linear stability analysis shows the existence of primary bifurcations of Hopf type, involving normal as well as oblique rolls. The weakly nonlinear analysis is performed using four globally coupled complex Ginzburg–Landau equations for the waves' envelopes. If spatial variations are ignored, these equations reduce to the normal form for a Hopf bifurcation with O ( 2 ) × O ( 2 ) symmetry. A rich variety of stable waves, as well as more complex spatiotemporal dynamics is predicted at onset. A temporal period doubling route to spatiotemporal chaos, corresponding to a period doubling cascade towards a chaotic attractor in the normal form, is identified. Eckhaus stability boundaries for travelling waves are also determined. The methods developed in this paper provide a systematic investigation of nonlinear physical mechanisms generating the patterns observed experimentally, and can be generalized to any two-dimensional anisotropic systems with translational and reflectional symmetry.
Stabilization of Asthma Mortality

Background Rates of death from asthma in the United States have increased since 1978. Objective To identify and evaluate recent trends in asthma mortality. Methods Analysis of data from the National Center for Health Statistics identifying asthma (ICD 493) as the underlying cause of death in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia with rates of death from asthma by age, race, and sex and age-adjusted rates of death by race. The Bureau of the Census provided population data by age, race, and sex that permitted calculation of rates of death at 5 through 34 years of age. The Departments of Health of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand provided numbers of deaths from asthma and population data from which we have calculated rates of death. Results Rates of death from asthma in the United States increased from .8 per 100,000 general population in 1977 and 1978 to 2.0 in 1989 and have been 1.9 or 2.0 since then until an increase to 2.1 in 1994. A significant difference in regression over groups indicates a difference in average rates between 1979 through 1987 compared with 1988 through 1994. Rates of death from asthma have been higher for white females than white males with an increasing disparity. Rates of death from asthma at 5 through 34 years of age have been much greater in blacks than whites with no significant change in rates across time from 1980 through 1994. Age-adjusted rates for blacks over all ages increased from 1.5 in 1977 and 1978 to 3.5 in 1988 with rates no higher than that until an increase to 3.7 in 1994. Age-adjusted rates for whites increased from .5 in 1977 to 1.2 by 1989 with none higher than that since then through 1994. Comparison of slopes indicates a significantly greater increase for blacks than whites (F = 68.296, P .0001). Equality of slopes tests indicate significantly greater age-adjusted rates of increase for each race separately for 1979 through 1987 compared with 1988 through 1994. Conclusion Since 1988 rates of death from asthma in the United States for most ages have stabilized at rates more than 50% higher than those of 1979, but there has been only a suggestion of stabilization of rates at 5 through 34 years of age, ages at which certification of death as due to asthma is most accurate. Rates of death have been much higher for blacks than whites, and among whites rates have increased more for females than males. These differences might be due to differences in prevalence or severity or differences in accuracy of diagnosis. Improvements in management would reduce asthma mortality.
Tin distribution in adult and neonatal rat brain following exposure to triethyltin

Abstract The uptake, distribution, and elimination of tin were determined in adult and neonatal (Postnatal Day 5) rat brain following ip administration of triethyltin bromide (TET). Groups of five adult CD rats were killed at 10 min, 1 hr, 4 hr, 24 hr, 5 days, or 10 days following acute exposure to 6.0 mg/kg TET; an additional group of adult animals was killed at 24 hr following exposure to either 3.0, 6.0, or 9.0 mg/kg ( N = 5/dosage). The time course for tin distribution in 5-day-old rat pups was determined by killing pups 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 4 hr, 8 hr, 12 hr, 24 hr, 5 days, 10 days, or 22 days following exposure to either 3.0 or 6.0 mg/kg TET ( N = 4/dosage/time). Tin analyses were performed by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The t 1 2 for total tin in the adult rat brain following 6.0 mg/kg TET was determined to be 8.0 days. The maximum concentration in the adult was reached at 24 hr and corresponded to 4.6, 9.6, and 16.6 ng tin/mg protein for dosages of 3.0, 6.0, and 9.0 mg/kg, respectively. Tin was evenly distributed across all brain areas studied. For animals exposed to 6.0 mg/kg TET on Postnatal Day 5, the t 1 2 for total tin in the brain was 7.3 days. A maximum concentration of 9.9 ng tin/mg protein was reached at 8 hr postexposure. The rate of elimination of tin from the brain (as measured by the elimination rate constant k el ) did not differ significantly between adults and neonates. However, due to a dilution effect by the rapid brain growth of the neonate, the concentration of tin in the neonatal brain following TET administration decreased significantly faster than that in the adult.
Radial Basis Function Interpolation on Irregular Domain through Conformal Transplantation

In this paper, Radial Basis Function (RBF) method for interpolating two dimensional functions with localized features defined on irregular domain is presented. RBF points located inside the domain and on its boundary are chosen such that they are the image of conformally mapped points on concentric circles on a unit disk. On the disk, a fast RBF solver to compute RBF coefficients developed by Karageorghis et al. (Appl. Numer. Math. 57(3):304–319, 2007) is used. Approximation values at desired points in the domain can be computed through the process of conformal transplantation. Some numerical experiments are given in a style of a tutorial and MATLAB code that solves RBF coefficients using up to 100,000 RBF points is provided.
The Relationship of Coping, Self-Worth, and Subjective Well-Being: A Structural Equation Model

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between various coping-related variables and the evaluation of self-worth and subjective well-being among persons with spinal cord injury...
Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1α/CCL3 Is Required for Clearance of an Acute Klebsiella pneumoniae Pulmonary Infection

The objective of these studies was to determine the role of macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha/CCL3 in pulmonary host defense during Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. Following intratracheal inoculation, 7-day survival of CCL3(-/-) mice was less than 10%, compared to 60% for CCL3(+/+) mice. Survival of CCR5(-/-) mice was equivalent to that of controls, indicating that the enhanced susceptibility of CCL3(-/-) mice to K. pneumoniae is mediated via another CCL3 receptor, presumably CCR1. At day 3, CFU burden in the lungs of CCL3(-/-) mice was 800-fold higher than in CCL3(+/+) mice, demonstrating that CCL3 is critical for control of bacterial growth in the lung. Surprisingly, CCL3(-/-) mice had no differences in the recruitment of monocytes/macrophages and even showed enhanced neutrophil recruitment at days 1, 2, and 3 postinfection, compared to CCL3(+/+) mice. Therefore, the defect in clearance was not due to insufficient recruitment of leukocytes. No significant differences in cytokine levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin 12, gamma interferon, or tumor necrosis factor alpha in lung lavages were found between CCL3(+/+) and CCL3(-/-) mice. CCL3(-/-) alveolar macrophages were found to have significantly lower phagocytic activity toward K. pneumoniae than CCL3(+/+) alveolar macrophages. These findings demonstrate that CCL3 production is critical for activation of alveolar macrophages to control the pulmonary growth of the gram-negative bacterium K. pneumoniae.
Data Selection for Making Biodiversity Management Decisions Best Available Science and Institutionalized Agency Norms

Best available science has long been the standard for using science to inform environmental and natural resource policy. This study examines the selection of data from federal, state or local, and nongovernmental sources for use in making ground-level natural resource policy, or biodiversity management decisions. The authors argue that aspects of neo-institutional theory are explanatory of data selection within a natural resource agency. They empirically test their theory by analyzing original data collected from a 2007 survey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field offices, which attained a response rate of 36.6% (204 of 557 field offices). The authors find that data selection cannot merely be explained by the discussion of best available science. Rather, neo-institutional theory tenets of normative isomorphism and path dependency are explanatory of how science is selected for use in making biodiversity management decisions. However, coercive isomorphism does not possess the same explanatory ability with...
Compressible fluctuations in an equatorial pulsar wind and a scenario for wisps in the central Crab nebula

A pulsar wind is expected to be inhomogeneous and intermixed with disturbances originating from the central pulsar in terms of dynamic, electromagnetic and thermal properties. We examine, in this paper, basic properties of two-dimensional compressible perturbations in a magnetized equatorial pulsar wind. Asymptotic solutions at large radii for both fast and slow disturbances in a relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) wind are derived analytically. We describe the process of forming RMHD shocks in a pulsar wind with inhomogeneous wind streams emanating from the spinning pulsar and with interlaced, alternately reversed, spiral magnetic field stripes resulting from a pulsar whose rotation and magnetic axes misalign. Spiral bands of forward-reverse shock pairs are expected to appear frequently in a magnetically striped pulsar wind within a certain latitude range about the rotation equator. In highly compressed regions between forward and reverse shocks, magnetized pulsar wind flow could become turbulent so that extremely relativistic particles can be produced in profusion and be injected into the surrounding nebula. Based on our analysis and physical considerations, we propose a scenario for the appearance of wisps in the inner Crab nebula, in which the pattern of inward propagating RMHD fast waves and/or shocks (relative to the pulsar wind) gives rise to the quasi-stationary structure of wisps in the inner Crab nebula, while outward propagating RMHD fast and slow disturbances appear as transients in the sidereal reference frame. The fine wisp region ( ~ 1016 cm) across a strong RMHD reverse shock can squeeze ~ 106_107 magnetic stripes with opposite polarities; magnetic reconnections proceed turbulently therein and lead to dramatic enhancement of relativistic particle acceleration at the expense of flow and magnetic energies continuously supplied from upstream. These processes could also contribute to the production of high-energy cosmic rays.
Academic general pediatric fellowships: curriculum design and educational goals and objectives.

Academic generalists are unique and important members of the pediatric landscape. 1 Academic general pediatrics (AGP) is not considered a subspecialty, because it adheres to generalist values and embraces a wide range of clinical activities. Nonetheless, academic generalists engage in important scholarly efforts, contribute extensively to the education of new pediatricians, and must be prepared to survive in academia. Academic general pediatric faculty positions are subject to the same appointment and promotion requirements as those of subspecialist faculty.