cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissimilatory Sulfate Reduction, Mechanistic Aspects

Dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria, belonging to the genera Desulfovibrio and Desulfotomaculum can carry out the process of anaerobic respiration by utilizing inorganic sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor. The overall process of dissimilatory sulfate reduction may be considered to occur in two phases. They are (1) the reduction of sulfate to bisulfite through the intermediate Compound, adenylyl sulfate (APS), and (2) the reduction of bisulfite to sulfide. The biochemistry of (1), with respect to the pathway by which sulfate is reduced to bisulfite, has been firmly established. The sequence of events and the intermediate involved were unequivocally determined. In contrast, the issue concerning the pathway of bisulfite reduction to sulfide is still unsettled. One view advocates a direct reduction of bisulfite to sulfide comparable to the mechanism ascribed to the assimilatory sulfite reductase. The other hypothesis supports the view that bisulfite is reduced to sulfide sequentially through a pathway containing trithionate and thiosulfate as intermediates. It is the purpose of this review to discuss the current status of the mechanistic aspects of sulfate reduction with emphasis placed on the bisulfite reduction process catalyzed by dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria.
Nonlinearity and asymmetry in the monetary policy reaction function: a partially generalized ordered probit approach

The present paper employs a partially generalized ordered probit method to model the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy reaction function. The partially generalized ordered probit method eliminates the parallel regression assumption (which is assumed in ordered probit models) and reveals an important new asymmetry in the Federal Reserve’s actions. The findings indicate that a general monetary reaction function outperforms standard Taylor rule specifications. The Fed takes into account not only inflation and output measures but also several other variables during its decision process, but the degree of its attention on each variable is choice-dependent. The Fed might assign different weights for each macroeconomic factor when it is trying to make a choice, for example, between a big and small decrease or a small decrease and no change in the federal funds target rate. The threshold estimates also indicate that the Federal Reserve acts asymmetrically that it waits for relatively significant changes in the macroeconomic factors before it decides for a change in its target rates. However, once these thresholds are passed, relatively less significant changes in the economy are needed for the Federal Reserve to take action.
5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and dasatinib (FOLFOX-D) for previously untreated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

TPS517Background: Systemic chemotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma improves survival and cancer related symptoms. Most targeted agents combined with gemcitabine have consistently failed to demonstrate clinical benefits. Src is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer and promotes an aggressive cancer phenotype. Dasatinib (D) is an oral multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) affecting tumor proliferation through inhibition of Src, Bcr-Abl, CKit and other pathways. Inhibition of Src is associated with biologic modifications favorably modifying the pancreatic cancer phenotype and has synergy with restoring inherent chemosensitivity. Src inhibition can also increase oxaliplatin activity and modulate Tcell responses. The addition of D to the well-established backbone of FOLFOX represents a multifaceted line of scientific investigation. Methods: This is a multicenter phase II trial to determine activity and toxicity of FOLFOX + D in previously untreated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Eligible pts must have a...
Classification of Network Traffic Using Fuzzy Clustering for Network Security

The use of computer networks has increased significantly in recent years. This proliferation, in combination with the interconnection of networks via the Internet, has drastically increased their vulnerability to attack by malicious agents. The wide variety of attack modes has exacerbated the problem in detecting attacks. Many current intrusion detection systems (IDS) are unable to identify unknown or mutated attack modes or are unable to operate in a dynamic environment as is necessary with mobile networks. As a result, it has become increasingly important to find new ways to implement and manage intrusion detection systems. Classification-based IDS are commonly used, however, they are often unable to adapt to dynamic environments or to identify previously unknown attack modes. Fuzzy-based systems accommodate the imprecision associated with mutated and previously unidentified attack modes. This paper presents a novel approach to intrusion detection using fuzzy clustering of TCP packets based upon a reduced set of features. The method is shown to provide superior performance in comparison to traditional classification approaches. In addition, the method demonstrates improved robustness in comparison to other evolutionary-based techniques.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor significantly decreases density of hippocampal caspase 3-positive nuclei, thus ameliorating apoptosis-mediated damage, in a model of ischaemic neonatal brain injury

OBJECTIVES Ischaemic brain injury is a major complication in patients undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease, with the hippocampus being a particularly vulnerable region. We hypothesized that neuronal injury resulting from cardiopulmonary bypass and associated circulatory arrest is ameliorated by pretreatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a cytokine and an anti-apoptotic neurotrophic factor. METHODS In a model of ischaemic brain injury, 4 male newborn piglets were anaesthetized and subjected to deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) (cooled to 18°C, DHCA maintained for 60 min, rewarmed and recovered for 8-9 h), while 4 animals received G-CSF (34 µg/kg, intravenously) 2 h prior to the DHCA procedure. At the end of each experiment, the animals were perfused with a fixative, the hippocampus was extracted, cryoprotected, cut and the brain sections were immunoprocessed for activated caspase 3, a pro-apoptotic factor. Immunopositive neuronal nuclei were counted in multiple counting boxes (440 × 330 µm) centred on the CA1 or CA3 hippocampal regions and their mean numbers compared between the different treatment groups and regions. RESULTS G-CSF pretreatment resulted in significantly lower counts of caspase 3-positive nuclei per counting box in both the CA1 [52.2 ± 9.3 (SD) vs 61.6 ± 8.4, P < 0.001] and CA3 (41.2 ± 6.9 vs 60.4 ± 16.4, P < 0.00002) regions of the hippocampus as compared to DHCA groups. The effects of G-CSF were significant for pyramidal cells of both regions and for interneurons in the CA3 region. CONCLUSIONS In an animal model of ischaemic brain injury, G-CSF reduces neuronal injury in the hippocampus, thus potentially having beneficial effect on neurologic outcomes.
A Major Challenge for Recreation, Parks and Tourism Education: An Importance Performance Analysis of Factors that Influence the Recruitment and Retention of Faculty

Recruitment and retention of parks and recreation faculty has become a challenge in today's job market. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how faculty in recreation, parks, and tourism acade...
Strain tuning of excitons in monolayer WSe 2

The authors investigate the influence of strain on the electronic properties of monolayer WSe${}_{2}$ using optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The linewidth of the $A$ exciton exhibits a significant and unexpected decrease, from 42 to 24 meV at room temperature. A slightly different behavior is observed for WS${}_{2}$; its linewidth decreases from 30 to 24 meV. They provide a model that explains both the decrease in linewidth and differences in the magnitude of the effect in these two similar material systems. Their findings reveal the utility of strain tuning for probing subtle aspects of 2D materials.
Designing Smart Cities for Citizen Health & Well-being

-Smart cities initiatives invariably include a quest to improve health in the process of making cities "smarter". The quest for health improvement is typically passively assumed rather than actively undertaken. This leads to the question of how to design smart cities to take into account citizen health and well-being. We first describe the health factors associated with health outcomes. In doing so, we emphasize the importance of analyzing not only biological factors but the critical social and physical environments where people live work and play – thus highlighting the opportunity for smart cities to impact health. Given that health factors are not expected to have a 1to-1 mapping with social and physical environments, this paper develops the mapping of health factors to social and physical environments. This is accomplished by first describing the health factors impacting health outcomes. Next, health is modeled as state described by discrete event dynamics using Petri-nets. This health model incorporates health factors associated with social and physical environments. Finally, frameworks describing social and physical environments are introduced to develop the mapping of health factors to the social and physical environments. If smart cities are to truly address health, we need to understand where new technology or networked systems affect health factors. The mapping presented in this work explicitly describes the social and physical environments that impact health factors. Such work allows practitioners to account for ways that smart cities initiatives can actively impact health rather than passively hoping to do so.
Notes on misspecifying the random effects distribution regarding analysis under the AB/BA crossover trial in dichotomous data – a Monte Carlo evaluation

When patient responses are dichotomous under an AB/BA design, we commonly assume the normal random effects logistic regression model. This normality assumption for random effects is, however, unlik...
Clitoral stimulation during penile-vaginal intercourse: A phenomenological study exploring sexual experiences in support of female orgasm

Penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) is the most common partnered (hetero)sexual behaviour in North America. Many women participate in PVI but do not acquire the clitoral stimulation they may need to o...
VisiBlends: A Flexible Workflow for Visual Blends

Visual blends are an advanced graphic design technique to draw attention to a message. They combine two objects in a way that is novel and useful in conveying a message symbolically. This paper presents VisiBlends, a flexible workflow for creating visual blends that follows the iterative design process. We introduce a design pattern for blending symbols based on principles of human visual object recognition. Our workflow decomposes the process into both computational techniques and human microtasks. It allows users to collaboratively generate visual blends with steps involving brainstorming, synthesis, and iteration. An evaluation of the workflow shows that decentralized groups can generate blends in independent microtasks, co-located groups can collaboratively make visual blends for their own messages, and VisiBlends improves novices' ability to make visual blends.
Metamorphic pathways toward long-wavelength InAsSb via MBE and MOCVD (Conference Presentation)

The need for greater flexibility, tunability, and performance has led to the more recent development of IR detector materials and technologies based on an array of Sb-based III-V compounds and structures. While these approaches have proved successful for some applications, practical limitations related to accessible materials properties and integrable combinations still exist. To provide a larger materials palette from which long-wave (8-14 μm) IR photodetectors may be produced, the use of high-quality metamorphic (i.e. strain-relaxed lattice-mismatched) virtual substrates that provide access to lattice constants between GaSb and InSb is of substantial interest. To this end, we are engaged in the investigation of multiple metamorphic pathways via MBE and MOCVD based compositional grading to support the development of high-performance InAsSb long-wave IR photodetectors. These efforts are focused on two main avenues: (1) a novel digital alloy approach for MBE-grown AlInSb metamorphic buffers; and (2) MOCVD-based growth of more traditional InAsSb compositionally-graded buffers. In both cases, preliminary work has resulted in threading dislocation densities at target lattice constants on the order of 1-3×10^6 cm^-2, with room for significant further reduction. Initial prototype InAsSb nBn test devices (8 μm cutoff), grown via MBE on AlInSb virtual substrates, have yielded dark currents as low as 3×10^-6 A/cm^2 (at 0.3 V), an order of magnitude below the equivalent “Rule 07” HgCdTe value, indicating strong promise for the development of high-performance devices. At the conference, we will present up-to-date results on the metamorphic buffer development and integrated devices for these two promising pathways.
Surface Complexation Modeling

Adsorption-desorption reactions are important processes that affect the transport of contaminants in the environment. Surface complexation models are chemical models that can account for the effects of variable chemical conditions, such as pH, on adsorption reactions. These models define specific surface species, chemical reactions, equilibrium constants, mass balances, and charge balances and their molecular features can be given thermodynamic significance. Surface complexation models for describing ion adsorption on mineral surfaces are discussed. Model applications to heterogeneous systems are presented.
Assortment Allocation to Distribution Centers to Minimize Split Customer Orders

A split order in retail occurs whenever an order is fulfilled in more than one shipment. This entails additional costs to the retailer. In the context of electronic commerce retail, we study the problem of assigning stock-keeping units to distribution centers (DCs) to minimize split orders. We show that this problem is NP-hard, propose several heuristics and test them against other benchmark algorithms using actual transaction data from a Chinese online retailer. We evaluate the results of the test along three dimensions: the average number of shipments per order, workload balance across the DCs, and the number of DCs that are capable of fulfilling a particular order.
How well do the spring indices predict phenological activity across plant species

The spring indices, models that represent the onset of spring season biological activity, were developed using a long-term observational record from the mid-to-late twentieth century of three species of lilacs and honeysuckles contributed by volunteer observers across the nation. The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) produces and freely delivers maps of spring index onset dates at fine spatial scale for the USA. These maps are used widely in natural resource planning and management applications. The extent to which the models represent activity in a broad suite of plant species is not well documented. In this study, we used a rich record of observational plant phenology data (37,819 onset records) collected in recent years (1981-2017) to evaluate how well gridded maps of the spring index models predict leaf and flowering onset dates in (a) 19 species of ecologically important, broadly distributed deciduous trees and shrubs, and (b) the lilac and honeysuckle species used to construct the models. The extent to which the spring indices predicted vegetative and reproductive phenology varied by species and with latitude, with stronger relationships revealed for shrubs than trees and with the Bloom Index compared to the Leaf Index, and reduced concordance between the indices at higher latitudes. These results allow us to use the indices as indicators of when to expect activity across widely distributed species and can serve as a yardstick to assess how future changes in the timing of spring will impact a broad array of trees and shrubs across the USA.
Structure and function of the calcium-selective TRP channel TRPV6

Epithelial calcium channel TRPV6 is a member of the vanilloid subfamily of TRP channels that is permeable to cations and highly selective to Ca2+ ; it shows constitutive activity regulated negatively by Ca2+ and positively by phosphoinositol and cholesterol lipids. In this review, we describe the molecular structure of TRPV6 and discuss how its structural elements define its unique functional properties. High Ca2+ selectivity of TRPV6 originates from the narrow selectivity filter, where Ca2+ ions are directly coordinated by a ring of anionic aspartate side chains. Divalent cations Ca2+ and Ba2+ permeate TRPV6 pore according to the knock-off mechanism, while tight binding of Gd3+ to the aspartate ring blocks the channel and prevents Na+ from permeating the pore. The iris-like channel opening is accompanied by an α-to-π helical transition in the pore-lining transmembrane helix S6. As a result of this transition, the intracellular halves of the S6 helices bend and rotate by about 100 deg, exposing different residues to the channel pore in the open and closed states. Channel opening is also associated with changes in occupancy of the transmembrane domain lipid binding sites. The inhibitor 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) binds to TRPV6 in a pocket formed by the cytoplasmic half of the S1-S4 transmembrane helical bundle and shifts open-closed channel equilibrium towards the closed state by outcompeting lipids critical for activation. Ca2+ inhibits TRPV6 via binding to calmodulin (CaM), which mediates Ca2+ -dependent inactivation. The TRPV6-CaM complex exhibits 1:1 stoichiometry; one TRPV6 tetramer binds both CaM lobes, which adopt a distinct head-to-tail arrangement. The CaM C-terminal lobe plugs the channel through a unique cation-π interaction by inserting the side chain of lysine K115 into a tetra-tryptophan cage at the ion channel pore intracellular entrance. Recent studies of TRPV6 structure and function described in this review advance our understanding of the role of this channel in physiology and pathophysiology and inform new therapeutic design.
Rare triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC): An NCDB analysis.

e19253Background: The literature on rare triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) histology types is sparse; herein we present the clinical demographic and treatment patterns as well as overall surviva...
Treating obesity as primary prevention of cancer.

e13556Background: Prevalence of obesity in Hispanic population has been increasing. Obesity is a ‘super carcinogen’ and largely modifiable factor. We hypothesize due to current increase in prevalen...
Microbiota, mucosal immunity, and Colon cancer

Abstract There is mounting evidence of the role of the immune response to microbiota in orchestrating homeostatic mucosal immunity, cancer pathogenesis, and, furthermore, the response to immunotherapy. It is only recently that the causative contribution of bacteria in colorectal cancer and the mechanisms used to trigger oncogenesis and/or tumor growth are being unraveled. Coopting mucosal immunity by “driver” pathogens is the main common theme of colon carcinogenesis. The cross talk between the microbiota, the epithelium, and the immune system is the center stage to the homeostatic mucosal microbiome:host mutualism. If the balance is altered, bacteria and/or immune response to these bacteria will contribute to pathogenesis of colon carcinogenesis. In this chapter, we will discuss the roles of the microbiome-associated inflammation (consortia of bacteria paradigm) versus immune response to specific bacteria (single-species paradigm) as microbial triggers of unbalanced mucosal immunity that can initiate colon carcinogenesis and/or promote tumor progression.
Caput Succedaneum and Molding: Ultrasound and Digital Correlations

Caput succedaneum is defined as a diffuse swelling of the fetal scalp caused by the pressure of the scalp against the dilating cervix during labor. Caput is often associated with molding and may extend across the midline (as opposed to cephalohematoma, which does not cross the suture lines). Prolonged pressure to the fetal scalp causes serosanguinous fluid to leak from the subcutaneous tissue into the area above the periosteum between the scalp and the lining of the periosteum with resultant edema and/or bruising. This location results in a collection of fluid that crosses over the cranial sutures (Fig. 21.1) [1, 2].
Resources for What? Understanding Performance in the Resource-Based View and Strategic Human Capital Resource Literatures:

Barney’s presentation of the resource-based view (RBV) profoundly shaped the trajectory of management scholarship. This article considers the RBV’s impact specifically on the field of strategic hum...
Legal Aspects of the Argentine Price Control Regulations

* This article was written in September 1987. Since then the Secretary of Trade has issued new resolutions and repealed others in order to instrument successive changes in executive policy on price control issues. The most relevant amendments were introduced in Resolution No. 122/1987 (ADLA 1988, No. 10, p. 17) by which the Secretary of Trade enacted the so-called "new price control policy." Resolution No. 122/1987 lifted price controls on most products and services, now called "liberated products." It also released all commercial margin limits. The Resolution maintained relative control over the manufacturers of various products (i.e., textiles, paper, chemicals, plastics, drugs, cement, steel, etc.) which are considered "price-leaders" in the Argentine economy. Such companies are required to file sworn statements with the Secretary of Trade on a monthly basis, reporting business costs in a detailed form and attaching their price lists for authorization to increase their prices. In addition, the Secretary issued Resolution No. 132/1987 (ADLA 1988, No. 13, p. 32) which authorizes automatic price increases every two weeks for the so-called "liberated products." ** Associate, Klein & Mairal, Abogados, Buenos Aires, Argentina; L.L.B., University of Buenos Aires School of Law 1973; M.C.L., Southern Methodist University School of Law 1982; former advisor to the Secretary of State for Economic Planning of Argentina (Ministry of Economy) 1978-81; Professor of Economics, University of Buenos Aires School of Law 1975-87.
Connoisseur's Choice: Beryl, Variety Emerald

(1993). Connoisseur's Choice: Beryl, Variety Emerald. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 68, No. 5, pp. 332-334.
Structural Strength of Hollow Clay Tile Assemblages

Clay tile and wall assemblages were tested as compressive prisms with six types of tile units. Specimens were tested at eccentricity ratios of 0, 1/6, and 1/3. Wall column specimens were built in three heights for the 4-in. units (h/t=10, 20, 40) and in two heights for the 6-in. and 8-in. units (h/t=10, 20) and tested with eccentricity ratios of 0, 1/6, and 1/3. Since walls may span either vertically between floors or horizontally between walls and columns, the specimens, approximately 4 ft times 8 ft, of each unit type with the span perpendicular and with the span parallel to bed joints were tested. The shear capacity was determined from the diagonal tension test method of loading opposite corners of a square panel to cause tensile failure perpendicular to direction of load.
Receptor–Ligand Interactions in Biological Systems

Despite the significant research that has been invested in understanding molecular recognition in biological systems, accurate prediction of macroscopic properties based on microscopic interactions remains elusive, which makes it difficult to identify systematically tight binding inhibitors in computational drug design. In the past, most ligand design efforts have centered on descriptors derived mainly from structure, neglecting entropic effects that develop from receptor flexibility. The lack of explicit incorporation of receptor motion has meant that compensatory effects between enthalpy and entropy, which are essential for the accurate estimation of free energy, have also been neglected. In addition, cooperative effects, which develop from alteration in the motion of the receptor because of ligand binding, are not captured. These effects pose a challenge for the design of small molecules that allosterically modulate protein-protein and protein-small-molecule interactions. Here, we describe macroscopic properties of receptor-ligand interactions, which are followed by a discussion of how these properties are predicted with microscopic interactions. A discussion then ensues on some fundamental aspects of the molecular recognition process that have attracted renewed attention, such as conformational selection versus induced-fit binding, entropy-enthalpy compensation, and allostery.
Programming Language Specification and Prototyping Using the MAX System

The paper describes the MAX system, a tool for specification and prototyping of language processors. The MAX system is based on a first-order framework generalizing attribute grammar like frameworks. It allows to refer to syntax tree nodes and “distant” attribute occurrences. Attributes may have tree nodes as values, so that global relations between distant tree nodes can be expressed. This enables more compact and readable specifications for a wide class of complex problems. Within the presented framework, context conditions can be globally formulated by first-order predicate formulae.
Behavior of Buried Concrete Pipe

The principles of soil-structure interaction, facilitated by the advent of high speed digital computers and the finite element method, have been applied to develop a mathematical model that is used to analyze the behavior of concrete pipe buried in a soil mass. The material properties of both components (soil and pipe) and the construction sequence have been incorporated in the analysis in a reasonably realistic manner, and calculated results for eight different field installations (two at East Liberty, Ohio, and six at Mountainhouse Creek, Calif.) are compared with measured field behavior. Primary emphasis is given to the stress distribution at the soil-pipe interface and the diameter changes that occur, because experimental information on these response parameters is available from all eight installations; however, some attention is given to the stresses and strains in the soil immediately adjacent to the pipes at the East Liberty installations.
Induction of xanthine oxidase and depression of cytochrome P-450 by interferon inducers: Genetic difference in the responses of mice

Interferon and interferon inducing agents depress hepatic cytochrome P-450 systems. They also induce hepatic xanthine oxidase activity. It has been suggested that free radicals produced by xanthine oxidase may cause the loss of P-450. High titers of serum interferon are induced by poly IC (poly riboinosinic acid.polyribocytidylic acid) in both C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeJ mice; Newcastle disease virus (NDV) induces a high titer of interferon in C57Bl/6J mice but not in C3H/HeJ mice. The induction of xanthine oxidase activity by NDV in C3H/HeJ mice was less than half that seen in C57Bl/6J mice, thus demonstrating a relationship between the induction of xanthine oxidase, the depression of P-450 and a genetically determined difference in responsiveness of mice to interferon inducers.
Carbon monoxide as a basis for primitive life on other planets.

IN considering the possibility of life on other planets, we are naturally prejudiced towards some variant of the terrestrial photosynthetic mechanism, for CO2 fixation. Such a prejudice is reasonable: photosynthesis is efficient and we know that it works. But there are reasons why such a cycle may not be likely on a planet such as Mars. The chemical machinery required for photosynthesis is exceedingly complex and is unlikely to be available to the most elementary organisms. Furthermore, on many planets, such as Mars, there is a considerable flux of high energy ultraviolet radiation which reaches the planetary surface1 and which will tend to rupture bonds in organic molecules. Because photosynthetic organisms must be exposed to light, it seems unlikely that they could survive for long in the face of this radiation. It is, of course, conceivable that an organism could develop protective or self-repairing capabilities, but this would be particularly difficult for primitive life: in these conditions, life would be easiest in the shade. This would disfavour, but not exclude, an energy cycle based on photosynthesis.
DNA AND PROTEIN RECOVERY FROM WASHED EXPERIMENTAL STONE TOOLS

Traces of protein and DNA are preserved on stone tools used to process animals. Previous research documents the identification of protein residues from tools sonicated in 5% ammonium hydroxide, but it remains untested whether the same treatment yields useable DNA. In this study we report both DNA and protein recovery using 5% ammonium hydroxide from residues on stone tools. We extracted 13-year-old residues from experimentally manufactured stone tools used to butcher a single animal. We also show that surface washing procedures typically used to curate stone tools remove only a small fraction of the DNA and protein deposited during animal butchery.
Observation of Vibrational Relaxation Dynamics in X(sup 3)Sigma(sup -)(sub g) Oxygen Following Stimulated Raman Excitation to the v=1 Level: Implications for the RELIEF Flow Tagging Technique

The vibrational relaxation of ground-state molecular oxygen (O2, X(sup 3)Sigma(sup -)(sub g)) has been observed, following stimulated Raman excitation to the first excited vibrational level (v=1). Time delayed laser-induced fluorescence probing of the ro-vibrational population distribution was used to examine the temporal relaxation behavior. In the presence of water vapor, the relaxation process is rapid, and is dominated by near-resonant vibrational energy exchange between the v=1 level of O2 and the n2 bending mode of H2O. In the absence of H2O, reequilibration proceeds via homogeneous vibrational energy transfer, in which a collision between two v=1 O2 molecules leaves one molecule in the v=2 state and the other in the v=0 state. Subsequent collisions between molecules in v=1 and v>1 result in continued transfer of population up the vibrational ladder. The implications of these results for the RELIEF flow tagging technique are discussed.
NEUTRAL STEROLS OF SAWFLIES (SYMPHYTA) : THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER HYMENOPTERA

To investigate sterol utilization in sawflies, the neutral sterols of four species of sawflies were determined by gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, and compared to the respective dietary plant material. Cholesterol was the predominant (55–76%) sterol in all species and stages of sawflies examined. Host plants, however, contained primarily sitosterol (50–88%), along with other 24-alkylsterols and only 0.5–5.9% cholesterol, indicating that the sawflies examined are capable of dealkylating the C28 and C29 phytosterols in their diet to cholesterol. Comparative sterol metabolism in Hymenoptera is discussed.
Finding Paradigms for the Future of Alcoholism Research: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

This is a review article and critique of current research strategies in the alcohol field. Although the alcohol field is proud of its multidisciplinary tradition and scientific findings within specific disciplines, there are very few models of cross-disciplinary research and communication. Currently, the favored model of risk is genetic; the favored model of pathophysiology is molecular neuroscience; and the favored model of clinical investigation is narrowly categorical. If there is a hierarchy within science that is based on explanatory power, then models of alcoholism emerging from neuroscience, molecular biology, and genetics should be able to accommodate (if not account for) the findings on clinical aspects of alcohol dependence, as well as data on differential risk, course, and recovery that come from the behavioral and social sciences. The first section of this article reviews the most popular models of alcohol dependence over the past 40 years. I argue that the currently fashionable categorical approach to diagnosis in DSM-IV (and ICD-10) has failed to serve as a framework for interdisciplinary research and has failed to meet the needs of human geneticists, population-based researchers, psychosocial researchers, basic scientists working in animal models, and patient-oriented researchers. I argue for a return to the dimensional approach to diagnosis in the alcohol dependence syndrome construct. In the second section of the article, I lay out an agenda for revitalized patient-oriented research in the alcohol field, as a bridge between basic biological research and innovations in clinical practice, as well as the key to a valid diagnostic system that can inform research strategies in genetics and population-based research. In the third section of the article, I highlight the interface between genetic and psychosocial models of risk and propose a possible structure for future collaboration. I conclude with a plea to funding agencies and investigators to translate discipline-based scientific findings into a science relevant to alcoholism by addressing the challenges and opportunities of an interdisciplinary research agenda on the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence and the multidimensional sources of risk.
Effects of κ‐ and μ‐Selective Opiate Agonists on Colonic Temperature in Normoglycaemic and Streptozotocin‐Treated Hyperglycaemic Mice*

The thermic responses of highly selective k-(U-69593 and U-50488H) and mu-(sufentanil and fentanyl) agonists were assessed in normoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic mice. Hyperglycaemia was induced by streptozotocin injection. The opiates were injected subcutaneously and colonic temperatures monitored for 90 min. after injection. In normoglycaemic animals the k-agonists induced a significant hypothermic response and hyperglycaemia did not modify this effect. In normoglycaemic mice, low doses of mu-selective agonists predominantly produced hypothermia, while in high doses resulted in hyperthermia. In chronic hyperglycaemic mice, hyperthermia was the predominant effect of mu-opiates. The present results characterize the time course and dose response of some of the currently available highly selective kappa- and mu-opiate agonists for the first time in mice and suggest that hyperglycaemia differentially affects the opiate receptor subtypes that mediate thermoregulatory events.
Restructuring agribusiness for the 21st century

Significant changes are occurring in the agribusiness sector; these changes will dramatically impact the management of agribusiness firms from sourcing of inputs through operations, finance, sales and marketing, to final customer contact. Awareness of these changes is critical for strategic positioning and planning. We discuss 10 changes that we feel will have profound implications for the future structure and performance of the agribusiness industries. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Duration and extent of dysphagia following pediatric airway reconstruction

Summary Objective Patients who undergo open airway reconstruction procedures are likely to experience some degree of post-operative dysphagia. This retrospective review describes the duration of post-operative dysphagia and the use of compensatory strategies in a group of 30 pediatric patients. Methods A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients referred for post-operative swallowing assessment following airway reconstruction during a six-month period was completed. Age, sex, surgical procedure, stent type, co-morbid factors, duration of dysphagia, and use of compensatory dietary modifications and swallowing strategies was summarized and compared. Results Dysphagia was generally of short duration (1–5 days) in patients undergoing single stage procedures with anterior or anterior/posterior grafts. Duration of swallowing difficulty was increased in patients undergoing posterior grafts in combination with T tubes (10–14 days). The longest duration of difficulty (>2 weeks) occurred in patients who had anterior and posterior grafting with T tubes, combined with additional procedures such as vocal fold lateralization, epiglottic petiole repositioning, and/or arytenoidectomy. There was a greater likelihood of oral feeding difficulty post-operatively in patients presenting with pre-operative feeding issues such as oral aversion or specific texture refusal, and the pre-morbid need for supplemental tube feeding to supplement oral intake. Compensatory swallowing strategies were effective in decreasing aspiration associated with swallowing in oral feeders post-operatively, and in facilitating return to baseline swallowing skills. Conclusions The duration of dysphagia overall was increased in patients undergoing anterior/posterior grafts in conjunction with in-dwelling T tubes, especially when combined with additional procedures. Compensatory strategies to assist with swallowing were found to be effective in the post-operative phase and included the use of a modified supraglottic swallowing sequence to assist with compensatory airway closure during swallowing in conjunction with diet modifications. Post-operative feeding difficulty occurred in patients with pre-existing feeding issues such as oral aversion and/or texture resistance regardless of reconstructive surgical procedure type.
Differential suppression of charge movement components by gluconate in cut twitch fibres of Rana temporaria.

1. Charge movement was studied in cut twitch fibres of Rana temporaria using a double Vaseline-gap voltage-clamp technique. 2. Replacement of Cl- by gluconate in the external solution reduced the magnitude of the early current component (I beta) substantially but affected the magnitude and slowed the kinetics of the hump current component (I gamma) slightly. 3. The early (Q beta) and hump (Q gamma) charge components in the gluconate solution were 11.8 +/- 2.3 and 88.0 +/- 4.8% (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 9), respectively, of those in the Cl- solution. 4. These results suggest that Q beta cannot be a precursor of Q gamma. Moreover, since fibres bathed in a gluconate solution can release calcium, Q beta is probably not involved in triggering calcium release.
Host and environmental interactions in diabetes mellitus

Abstract A number of current issues in diabetes research are reviewed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. Though many advances have been made in our understanding of the causes of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), there are many unresolved issues which could benefit from epidemiologic research. These include study of the 36-fold geographic variation in IDDM incidence seen across the world, perhaps by the development of registries, and the placing into a population perspective recent genetic and autoimmune findings concerning IDDM etiology. Epidemiologic considerations should also be incorporated into future trials of immunotherapy for IDDM. Despite considerable research, very little is known about risk factors and genetic environmental interactions in non-insulin dependent diabetes. Large scale prospective epidemiologic studies are, therefore, needed to delineate the potential roles of factors such as diet and physical activity, and how these interact with genetic predisposition.
Effect of graded doses of propylthiouracil on biosynthesis of thyroid hormones.

Graded doses of PTU (0.001–180 mg.) were administered subcutaneously once daily to rats for three days. I131 was given immediately following the last dose of PTU; twenty-four hours later the thyroids were removed. Relative amounts of DIT and of T3+T4 decreased with increasing doses of PTU. No DIT nor T3+T4 were found with doses greater than 0.1 mg. The relative amount of MIT increased with the amount of PTU, attained its maximum at a dose of 5 mg., then declined. Even with 180 mg. of PTU, MIT formation was not blocked completely. The absolute amount of radioiodide declined sharply with doses greater than 0.01 mg. Formation of DIT from MIT is thus inhibited by very small doses of PTU, whereas organic binding of iodide into MIT is not completely blocked even with very large doses. Coupling to form iodinated thyronines is depressed by smaller amounts of PTU than the other biosynthetic mechanisms studied.
Recent Advances In The Synthesis And Characterization Of New Nonlinear Optical Polymers

Electron nuclear double resonance studies and theoretical calculations suggest that self-localization occurs in coupled π-electron systems. Since intrinsic (electron-phonon and electron coulombic) interactions determine the extent of electron delocalization (hence derivative properties such as optical nonlinearity), it is not necessary to synthesize polymers possessing long segments of uninterrupted π conjugation. Thus, we have investigated the synthesis of copolymers containing alternating saturated and unsaturated segments. The number of advantages realized with this approach include improved solubility (which translates into improved processibility), higher polymer molecular weights (which translates into films of improved mechanical strength) for polycondensation synthetic procedures and sharper bandedges (bandedge tailing due to a distribution of short polymer lengths is avoided). This last feature results in better discrimination of resonant and non-resonant contributions to third order susceptibility. Finally, we discuss the extension of our development program for nonlinear optical materials to the preparation of organometallic as well as organic materials and the extension to the preparation of composite materials as well as homo and copolymer systems.
A review of the in vitro activity of meropenem and comparative antimicrobial agents tested against 30,254 aerobic and anaerobic pathogens isolated world wide

The in vitro activity of meropenem (formerly SM-7738), a new carbapenem, was compared with that of imipenem and five other broad-spectrum antimicrobials (ceftazidime, cefotaxime, piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and ciprofloxacin) against 30,254 clinically significant pathogens isolated in nine countries worldwide. Overall, the carbapenems, meropenem and imipenem, were the most active drugs. Meropenem was four- to 64-fold more active than imipenem against Gram-negative bacteria, including the Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis. Meropenem was also quite active against ceftazidime-resistant strains of Enterobacteriaceae, inhibiting 87.5 to 100% at < or = 4 micrograms/ml. In contrast, imipenem was four- to eight-fold more active than meropenem against Gram-positive species, including methicillin-susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. Among the anaerobes, strains resistant to meropenem or imipenem were encountered very rarely. These extensive data provide additional in vitro support for the clinical use of meropenem as a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent active against key pathogenic species of bacteria.
Robotic cardiovascular surgery

Cardiovascular surgery has traditionally been performed through a median sternotomy, allowing the surgeon generous access to the heart and surrounding great vessels. Recently, less invasive methods have been developed to allow the surgeon the same amount of dexterity and accessibility to the heart, thus resulting in a paradigm shift in cardiac surgery. Originally, long instruments without pivot points were used, however; with the application of robotic telemanipulation systems that allow for improved dexterity, the surgeon is able to perform cardiac surgery from a distance not previously possible. In this rapidly evolving field, this article reviews the recent history and clinical results of robotics in cardiovascular surgery.
Adapting SAFT-γ perturbation theory to site-based molecular dynamics simulation. II. Confined fluids and vapor-liquid interfaces

In this work, a new classical density functional theory is developed for group-contribution equations of state (EOS). Details of implementation are demonstrated for the recently-developed SAFT-γ WCA EOS and selective applications are studied for confined fluids and vapor-liquid interfaces. The acronym WCA (Weeks-Chandler-Andersen) refers to the characterization of the reference part of the third-order thermodynamic perturbation theory applied in formulating the EOS. SAFT-γ refers to the particular form of “statistical associating fluid theory” that is applied to the fused-sphere, heteronuclear, united-atom molecular models of interest. For the monomer term, the modified fundamental measure theory is extended to WCA-spheres. A new chain functional is also introduced for fused and soft heteronuclear chains. The attractive interactions are taken into account by considering the structure of the fluid, thus elevating the theory beyond the mean field approximation. The fluctuations of energy are also included via a non-local third-order perturbation theory. The theory includes resolution of the density profiles of individual groups such as CH2 and CH3 and satisfies stoichiometric constraints for the density profiles. New molecular simulations are conducted to demonstrate the accuracy of each Helmholtz free energy contribution in reproducing the microstructure of inhomogeneous systems at the united-atom level of coarse graining. At each stage, comparisons are made to assess where the present theory stands relative to the current state of the art for studying inhomogeneous fluids. Overall, it is shown that the characteristic features of real molecular fluids are captured both qualitatively and quantitatively. For example, the average pore density deviates ∼2% from simulation data for attractive pentadecane in a 2-nm slit pore. Another example is the surface tension of ethane/heptane mixture, which deviates ∼1% from simulation data while the theory reproduces the excess accumulation of ethane at the interface.
The Belohdelie frontal: new evidence of early hominid cranial morphology from the Afar of Ethiopia

Abstract Study of the Belohdelie frontal has demonstrated that this four-million-year-old specimen belongs to a very generalized hominid that may be close to the divergence point of the hominid and African ape clades. Features associated with the temporalis muscle in the Belohdelie frontal and other new hominids from Hadar (AL 333-125) and West Turkana (KNM-ER 17000) suggest that the earliest hominids shared a large anterior component of this muscle relative to the extinct and extant apes. Results of this study support the phylogenetic hypothesis put forward by many workers that A. afarensis gave rise to the “robust” Australopithecus and A. africanus clades.
Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in silicon waveguides

We demonstrate supercontinuum generation (SCG) spanning from telecom to mid-infrared wavelengths beyond 3.6 μηι, using a silicon-on-insulator wire waveguide, which represents the first octave-spanning SCG from a silicon chip.