cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response of aquatic communities from a vermont stream to environmentally realistic atrazine exposure in laboratory microcosms

The direct and indirect effects of the herbicide atrazine were assessed at the community level under exposure patterns likely to be experienced by stream organisms in Vermont. Both attached algae and benthic invertebrates were collected from a clean site using artificial substrates and established in recirculating 120–L laboratory microcosms. On day 1 of the 14–d experiment, three of six microcosms were treated with 5 μg/L atrazine. Concentrations were gradually reduced by replacing a portion of the water in the systems over time so that by day 7, atrazine concentrations were only about 1 μg/L. Direct effects of atrazine on algal biomass were assessed by measuring chlorophyll a concentrations in samples of attached algae. No differences in chlorophyll a were found between treatment and control microcosms. Potential indirect effects of reduced algal food availability on benthic invertebrate communities were assessed by comparing assemblages in treatment and control microcosms using both a functional (feeding) group classification and taxonomic composition. There were no significant differences in the functional or taxonomic composition of the benthic invertebrate communities; however, a greater number of insects emerged from the treatment microcosms early in the experiment compared to controls, suggesting some response to atrazine. Further community-level testing is needed to more clearly determine if atrazine is affecting stream organisms.
New methods for computing the Pisarenko vector

In this paper we show that the Pisarenko vector for harmonic retrieval problems can be obtained without explicit eigendecomposition: The smallest eigenvalue and corresponding eigenvector of a covariance matrix are computed using higher order convergent methods which include the Newton method as special case. An implementation that relies on QR factorization and less on matrix inversion is presented. This approach can also be used to compute the largest eigenpair by appropriately choosing the initial condition. Additionally, an approach is proposed to accelerate the developed methods considerably by using the double step Newton method. Several randomly generated test problems are used to evaluate the performance and the computational cost of the methods.
Therapy of acute hepatitis C with interferon: How good is it really?

To test whether interferon can prevent acute non-A, non-B hepatitis from becoming chronic, a prospective controlled trial was conducted in 25 patients; 11 were treated for an average of 30 days with a mean of 52 megaunits of interferon and 14 acted as controls. 4 patients in the treatment group who continued to have raised serum aminotransferase concentrations after a year's follow-up were given a second course of interferon. Follow-up at 3 years has revealed that all but 1 of those treated showed normal serum aminotransferase, whereas only 3 controls showed such change (p < 0.02). Serum hepatitis C virus RNA became undetectable in 10 of 11 treated and in only 1 of 12 control patients, which suggests that interferon prevents the progression of acute non-A, non-B hepatitis to chronicity by eradicating HCV.
Position Statement: On the Evolution of Adversary Models in Computer Systems and Networks

Summary form only given. Invariably, new technologies introduce new vulnerabilities which often enable new attacks by increasingly potent adversaries. Yet new systems are more adept at handling well-known attacks by old adversaries than anticipating new ones. Our adversary models seem to be perpetually out of date: often they do not capture adversary attacks and sometimes they address attacks rendered impractical by new technologies. In this panel presentation, I provide a brief overview of adversary models beginning with those required by program and data sharing technologies ('60-70s), continuing with those required by computer communication and networking technologies (70s-'90s), and ending with those required by and sensor network technologies ('00s ->). I argue that sensor, ad-hoc, and mesh networks require new models, that are able to account for physical node capture by adversaries. Protecting device secrets (e.g., cryptographic keys) via physical security mechanisms will continue to require network security measures, despite advances in physical security measures and devices. I argue that "good-enough" measures in the face of node capture by adversaries can be obtained by using emergent properties. Intuitively, these are properties that cannot be provided by individual network nodes - no matter how well-endowed nodes might be - but instead result from interaction and collaboration among multiple nodes. Such properties can be used to detect, often probabilistically, the presence of an adversary within a network and to pinpoint with reasonable accuracy the affected network area (e.g., identify a specific captured node, a particular properly of captured nodes). However, all such measures require periodic network monitoring in normal mode to detect a somewhat rare event (i.e., node capture, replica insertion) and hence their cost can be high. I illustrate a new simple probabilistic protocol that avoids the effects of node capture by detecting adversaries attempts to access a node's internal state, and discuss various design trade-offs that will characterize much of the future research in this area.
Males with anorexia nervosa: A controlled study of eating disorders in first-degree relatives

Objective To compare lifetime rates of full and partial anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in first-degree relatives of males with anorexia nervosa and in relatives of never-ill comparison subjects. Methods Rates of eating disorders were obtained for 747 relatives of 210 probands from personal structured clinical interviews and family history. Best-estimate diagnoses were determined blind to proband diagnosis and pedigree status. Results Full and partial syndromes of anorexia nervosa aggregated in female relatives of ill probands. For the full syndrome of anorexia nervosa, the crude relative risk was 20.3 among female relatives and for partial syndrome anorexia nervosa, the crude relative risk was 3.3. In contrast, bulimia nervosa was relatively uncommon among relatives of ill probands. Conclusion Although anorexia nervosa in males is exceedingly rare, there is a pattern of familial aggregation that is highly similar to that observed in recent family studies of affected females. On the basis of these findings, there is no evidence that familial-genetic factors distinguish the occurrence of anorexia nervosa in the two sexes. © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 29: 263–269, 2001.
Production of narrative discourse in aphasia

The study described the abilities of a group of 15 moderately impaired aphasics and 15 normals to produce narrative discourse. The experimental tasks included telling stories, summarizing stories, and giving morals to stories. The data were analyzed in terms of sentential grammar, discourse grammar, and subjective ratings of content and clarity of language. The results showed that aphasics produced well-structured discourse. The language of the aphasics' discourse was reduced in both complexity and amount, as compared to that produced by normals. The reduction of language reflected selective reduction of hierarchically organized information. The findings of the study confirm the results of previous research on mildly impaired aphasics, which also showed preservation of discourse structure with selective reduction of information.
Sexual satisfaction in the elderly female population: A special focus on women with gynecologic pathology.

Sexual function in aging women Sexuality is an integral part of human expressions. Mental health plays a major role in sexuality. Several psychological interventions are proposed to increase the sexual quality of life in older women with diverse gynecologic pathology. A biopsychosocial approach utilizing brief strategies can be easily implemented in clinics to help women of all ages increase their sexual quality of life.
Optical microring resonator filter design trade-offs

A microring resonator, a circular waveguide adjacent to a straight waveguide, performs selective band-stop filtering for optical telecommunications. Small size and versatility of functionality allow many microrings to be incorporated into a single integrated optic circuit. We desire small size, less than 20 micron radius; low insertion loss in band-stop outside resonance; perfect cancellation to zero in band-stop at resonance; and low refractive index difference between core and cladding. These requirements are conflicting: conventional silicon waveguides cannot achieve low enough loss at the desired bend radius. Current approaches use different materials with higher refractive index differences. Analysis and simulation provide evaluation of the trade-offs. Further, we propose, for the first time, conventional waveguides using Bragg reflectors surrounding the microring to reduce loss for improved performance. Simulation shows feasibility of this approach.
The application of connectionism to query planning/scheduling in intelligent user interfaces

In the mid nineties, the Earth Observing System (EOS) will generate an estimated 10 terabytes of data per day. This enormous amount of data will require the use of sophisticated technologies from real time distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data management. Without regard to the overall problems in distributed AI, efficient models were developed for doing query planning and/or scheduling in intelligent user interfaces that reside in a network environment. Before intelligent query/planning can be done, a model for real time AI planning and/or scheduling must be developed. As Connectionist Models (CM) have shown promise in increasing run times, a connectionist approach to AI planning and/or scheduling is proposed. The solution involves merging a CM rule based system to a general spreading activation model for the generation and selection of plans. The system was implemented in the Rochester Connectionist Simulator and runs on a Sun 3/260.
Priority dispatching strategies for EMS systems

Emergency medical service (EMS) systems provide urgent medical care and transport. In this study we implement dispatching policies for EMS systems that incorporate the severity of the call in order to increase the survival probability of patients. A simulation model is developed to evaluate the performance of EMS systems. Performance is measured in terms of patients’ survival probability, since survival probability more directly mirrors patient outcomes. Different response strategies are evaluated utilizing several examples to study the nature of the optimal dispatching policy. The results show that dispatching the closest vehicle is not always optimal and dispatching vehicles considering priority of the call leads to an increase in the average survival probability of patients. A heuristic algorithm, that is easy to implement, is developed to dispatch ambulances for large-scale EMS systems. Computational examples show that the dispatching algorithm is valuable in increasing the patients’ survival probability.
Verification and dissection of the ospC operator by using flaB promoter as a reporter in Borrelia burgdorferi

The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi must repress expression of outer surface protein C (OspC) to effectively evade specific humoral immunity and to establish persistent infection. This ability largely relies upon a regulatory element, the only operator that has been reported in spirochetal bacteria. Immediately upstream of the ospC promoter, two sets of inverted repeats (IRs) constitute small and large palindromes, in which the right IR of the large palindrome contains the left IR of the small one, and may collectively function as the ospC operator. In the study, the large palindrome with or without the small IR was fused with an flaB promoter, which was used to drive expression of a promoterless ospC copy as a reporter gene, and introduced into OspC-deficient B. burgdorferi. The presence of the large palindrome alone significantly reduced ospC expression driven by the fused flaB promoter in the joint tissue of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, and rescued spirochetes from elimination by passively transferred OspC antibody in infected SCID mice and specific immune responses elicited in immunocompetent mice, confirming a function of the IRs as an operator. Inclusion of the small IR further enhanced the ability of the large palindrome to reduce the activity of the fused flaB promoter, indicating that the small IR is a part of the operator. Taken together, the study led to successful verification and dissection of the ospC operator.
The sidewall resistor&#8212;A novel test structure to reliably extract specific contact resistivity

Conventional contact resistance extraction structures suffer inaccuracies when measuring small values of contact resistivity which are sensitive to small perturbations in device fabrication. This is because two-dimensional current crowding around the periphery of the contact window introduces parasitic resistance components which are not accounted for by the one-dimensional model and which can be much larger than the contact resistance component for low values of specific contact resistivity ρ c . Unfortunately, there is no direct method to isolate these parasitics, which makes the extraction of ρ c using the conventional test structures difficult. In this paper, a novel test device, the sidewall resistor, which utilizes the vertical sidewall dimensions, is demonstrated to circumvent these difficulties. The proposed structure has the advantage that a simple one-dimensional (1-D) extraction technique can still be used. The specific contact resistivity between pure Al and N+ polycrystalline Si is accurately extracted with the value of 7.4 × 10-8Ω.cm2. The sidewall resistor is then used to extract the contact resistivity between pure Al and WSi 2 which turns out to be less than 5 × 10-9Ω.cm2.
Is Ps4 (prepro-TRH [160-169]) More Than an Enhancer for Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone?

Ps4 (thyrotropin-releasing hormone [TRH]-enhancing peptide), one of the cryptic peptides resulting from the proteolytic processing of prepro-TRH to produce TRH, has a growing list of functions in addition to its well-established ability to enhance the TRH-induced release of thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin from the pituitary. Intramedullary coadministration of Ps4 and TRH increased gastric acid secretion above the level produced by TRH alone and intracisternal infusion of Ps4 resulted in a substantial reduction in the levels of prepro-TRH-derived peptide levels in the rat pituitary, including Ps4. High-affinity receptors for Ps4 are widely distributed. In addition to the very high Ps4 binding capacity of the folliculo-stellate cells of the anterior pituitary, abundant Ps4 receptors are found in the urinary bladder, vas deferens, central nervous system, reproductive tissues, and pancreas. Targeted prepro-TRH gene disruption results in hyperglycemia as well as the expected hypothyroidism. The observed disregulation of thyroid and glucose homeostasis in the TRH "knockout" mouse clearly demonstrates that prepro-TRH-derived peptides and their cognate receptors within the pituitary, pancreas, and other neural and endocrine systems are of fundamental importance to a variety of physiological systems and merit structural and functional characterization.
Electrochemical and impedance investigation of the effect of lithium malonate on the performance of natural graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Lithium malonate (LM) was coated on the surface of a natural graphite (NG) electrode, which was then tested as the negative electrode in the electrolytes of 0.9 M LiPF 6 /EC–PC–DMC (1/1/3, w/w/w) and 1.0 M LiBF 4 /EC–PC–DMC (1/1/3, w/w/w) under a current density of 0.075 mA cm −2 . LM was also used as an additive to the electrolyte of 1.0 M LiPF 6 /EC–DMC–DEC (1/1/1, v/v/v) and tested on a bare graphite electrode. It was found that both the surface coating and the additive approach were effective in improving first charge–discharge capacity and coulomb efficiency. Electrochemical impedance spectra showed that the decreased interfacial impedance was coupled with improved coulomb efficiency of the cells using coated graphite electrodes. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) on fresh bare and coated natural graphite electrodes confirmed that all the improvement in the half-cell performance was due to the suppression of the solvent decomposition through the surface modification with LM. The CV data also showed that the carbonate electrolyte with LM as the additive was not stable against oxidation, which resulted in lower capacity of the full cell with commercial graphite and LiCoO 2 electrodes.
Demonstration of silver micro-joints for flip-chip interconnect

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted Highlights? Silver micro-joints for flip-chip interconnect are formed between silicon chips and copper substrates by solid state bonding. ? No flux is used during bonding. ? Bonding temperature is compatible with typical reflow temperature of lead-free solders used in industries. ? Solid state bonding occurs when silver and copper atoms are brought within atomic distance so as to share electrons. ? Silver joints do not contain intermetallic compound, avoiding reliability issues associated with its growth. We report formation of silver (Ag) micro-joints for flip-chip interconnect. For demonstration, the micro-joints were made between silicon (Si) chips and copper (Cu) substrates. Two different Ag joint sizes, 40 and 15µm, respectively, were produced. In experiment, arrays of cylindrical cavities were fabricated in thick photoresist on 2-in. Si wafers that were coated with chromium (Cr) and gold (Au) dual layer. The Si wafers are diced into 6mmi?6mm chips. The cavities were filled up with pure Ag by electroplating process. The photoresist was then stripped off. The Si chip with Ag columns was bonded to Cu substrate at 260?C in 80mTorr vacuum. During bonding, Ag columns deform and their surfaces conform to and mate with the surface of Cu substrate. Solid state bonding can incur when the Ag atoms and the Cu atoms are brought within atomic distance so that they share electrons. The Ag columns were well bonded to Cu. The ductile Ag joints are able to accommodate the thermal expansion mismatch between Si and Cu. The Ag joints do not contain any intermetallic compound (IMC). Accordingly, this interconnect technology avoids all reliability issues associated with IMC growth in solder-based flip-chip joints. Compared to solders, Ag joints have superior electrical and thermal properties. Pull test results show that the strength of 40µm Ag joints passed MIL-STD-883H by wide margin.
Vaccination for melanoma.

Our knowledge of the immune system has grown tremendously in the 50 years since Coley used bacteria in an attempt to create a vaccine for cancer. The strategy for cancer vaccines has developed in that time as well. Both clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that melanoma is the more immunogenic of solid tumors. If treated early, melanoma can be controlled with surgery, but many patients continue to die from it. With our increased understanding of the immune system’s interaction with melanoma, many clinical trials of melanoma vaccines are now underway. Vaccines designed to treat metastatic melanoma have shown some evidence of clinical effectiveness. This article outlines the current status of melanoma vaccination.
The capacity of N-isopropyl-p-nitro-phenylethanolamine (INPEA) to influence the course of ouabain-induced cardiotoxicity in the cat

Abstract In previous reports we demonstrated a correlation between the capacity of drugs to depress the terminals of cat soleus nerves and their capacity to block ouabain-induced ventricular rhythm disorders. To test this correlation we examined the neurodepressant activity of INPEA, an agent which has been reported to be ineffective in antagonizing digitalis-induced arrhythmias. We found INPEA to have neurodepressant actions but that expression of these actions required more drug than had been used in previous studies of the drug's antiarrhythmic activity. When the neurodepressant doses were tested, they were found to be effective in antagonizing ouabain-induced ventricular tachycardia and death. The results are discussed with regard to the role of neural and myocardial depression in the control of digitalis-induced arrhythmias.
Dishevelled 2 is essential for cardiac outflow tract development, somite segmentation and neural tube closure

The murine dishevelled 2 (Dvl2) gene is an ortholog of the Drosophila segment polarity gene Dishevelled, a member of the highly conserved Wingless/Wnt developmental pathway. Dvl2-deficient mice were produced to determine the role of Dvl2 in mammalian development. Mice containing null mutations in Dvl2 present with 50% lethality in both inbred 129S6 and in a hybrid 129S6-NIH Black Swiss background because of severe cardiovascular outflow tract defects, including double outlet right ventricle, transposition of the great arteries and persistent truncus arteriosis. The majority of the surviving Dvl2(-/-) mice were female, suggesting that penetrance was influenced by sex. Expression of Pitx2 and plexin A2 was attenuated in Dvl2 null mutants, suggesting a defect in cardiac neural crest development during outflow tract formation. In addition, approximately 90% of Dvl2(-/-) mice have vertebral and rib malformations that affect the proximal as well as the distal parts of the ribs. These skeletal abnormalities were more pronounced in mice deficient for both Dvl1 and Dvl2. Somite differentiation markers used to analyze Dvl2(-/-) and Dvl1(-/-);Dvl2(-/-) mutant embryos revealed mildly aberrant expression of Uncx4.1, delta 1 and myogenin, suggesting defects in somite segmentation. Finally, 2-3% of Dvl2(-/-) embryos displayed thoracic spina bifida, while virtually all Dvl1/2 double mutant embryos displayed craniorachishisis, a completely open neural tube from the midbrain to the tail. Thus, Dvl2 is essential for normal cardiac morphogenesis, somite segmentation and neural tube closure, and there is functional redundancy between Dvl1 and Dvl2 in some phenotypes.
Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on I-compounds in hepatic DNA of Sprague-Dawley rats: sex-specific effects and structure-activity relationships.

The effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds on the specific patterns of age-dependent I-compound DNA adducts in the liver of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were determined by the 32P-postlabeling assay. In female rats, TCDD causes a dose-dependent decrease of several individual and total hepatic I-compound levels after administration of 1 and 5 μg/kg per week for 4 weeks. In contrast, no such effects were observed in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with the 5 μg/kg dose level of TCDD. The relative effects of TCDD, 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and 1,2,4,7,8-PCDD on hepatic I-compound levels in the susceptible female Sprague-Dawley rats were determined using a dose of 5 μg/kg per week for 4 weeks. The two compounds which are substituted in all four lateral positions, namely TCDD and 1,2,3,7,8-PCDD, caused a significant decrease in hepatic I-compound levels, whereas 1,2,4,7,8-PCDD which is substituted in only three lateral positions was inactive. The structure-activity relationships observed for the effects of these compounds on hepatic I-compounds correlated with their corresponding structure-Ah receptor binding and structure-toxicity relationships. The results are therefore consistent with a role for the Ah receptor in the TCDD-mediated reduction in hepatic I-compound levels in female Sprague-Dawley rats. These results and data from previous studies demonstrate a correlation between the susceptibility of an organ/species to the carcinogenic effects of TCDD and the reduction of I-compound levels. The significance of this correlation in the development of TCDD-induced carcinogenesis has not been delineated.
Abstract C56: NCCTG phase I trial of everolimus (RAD001) and temozolomide (TMZ) in combination with radiation therapy (RT) in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients

Background: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) functions within the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway as a critical modulator of cell survival. We previously demonstrated significant synergy of the mTOR inhibitor sirolimus with RT in glioma xenografts. This Phase I study evaluated the safety and tolerability of combined therapy with the mTOR inhibitor RAD001, RT and TMZ. Methods: All patients received weekly oral RAD001, starting 1 week prior to RT/TMZ and continuing until progression, with a break from therapy between RT/TMZ and adjuvant TMZ. RAD001 was dose escalated in cohorts of 6 patients. In addition to RAD001, all pts received standard treatment with RT (60 Gy)/TMZ (75 mg/m2 daily) and adjuvant TMZ (200 mg/m2 daily × 5 every 28 days). DLTs were defined during therapy with RAD001 combined with TMZ/RT. Results: A total of 18 patients were enrolled. Combined RAD001/RT/TMZ was well tolerated at all dose levels with 1 of 6 patients with a DLT at each dose level. DLTs were Grade 3 fatigue (RAD001 25 mg/week), Grade 4 hematologic toxicity (RAD001 50 mg/week), and Grade 4 liver function elevation (RAD001 70 mg/week). With adverse event information available for all 18 patients, no grade 5 events were seen. Nine grade 4 events (thrombosis, fatigue, anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, SGPT (ALT), SGOT (AST), bilirubin elevation) were seen in 3 patients. On the basis of these results, the recommended Phase II dose currently being tested is RAD001 70 mg/week in combination with standard RT/TMZ and adjuvant TMZ. FDG PET scans were also obtained prior to the first dose of RAD001 and within 24 hours of the second dose of RAD001, prior to starting RT or TMZ, and changes in maximum standard uptake values (SUV) were compared between scans for each patient. Two patients at 25 mg RAD001/week had a 21% and 24% change in SUV, and 2 patients receiving 70 mg/week had a change in SUV uptake of −33% and −16%. Additional follow‐up will be required to evaluate whether these SUV changes are associated with outcome. Conclusions: RAD001 in combination with RT/TMZ and adjuvant TMZ was well tolerated, and the imaging results support continued evaluation of PET imaging as an early predictor of response to therapy. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C56.
Time trends in medication use and expenditures in older patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract Background We sought to examine how expansions in insurance coverage of nonbiologic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs affected the access, costs, and health status of older patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods We identified a nationally representative sample of older adults with rheumatoid arthritis in the 2000-2006 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (unweighted n=1051). We examined changes in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug use, self-reported health status, functional status (activities of daily living), and total costs and out-of-pocket costs for medical care and prescription drugs. Tests for time trends were conducted using weighted regressions. Results Between 2000 and 2006, the proportion of older adults with rheumatoid arthritis who received biologics tripled (4.6% vs 13.2%, P=. 01), whereas the proportion of people who used a nonbiologic did not change. During the same period, the proportion of older patients with rheumatoid arthritis rating their health as excellent/good significantly increased (43.0% in 2000 to 55.6% in 2006; P=. 015). Significant improvements occurred in activities of daily living measures of functional status. Total prescription drug costs (in 2006 US dollars) increased from $2645 in 2000 to $4685 in 2006, P=. 0001, whereas out-of-pocket prescription costs remained constant ($842 in 2000 vs $832 in 2006; P=. 68). Total medical costs did not significantly increase ($16,563 in 2000 vs $19,510 in 2006; P=. 07). Conclusion Receipt of biologics in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis increased over a period of time when insurance coverage was expanded without increasing patients' out-of-pocket costs. During this time period, concurrent improvements in self-reported health status and functional status suggest improved arthritis care.
Initial Inoculum and Spatial Dispersal of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the Causal Agent of Strawberry Anthracnose Crown Rot

Anthracnose crown rot (ACR), caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, is a serious disease of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) in nurseries and fruiting fields in the southeastern United States. This study was conducted to determine the potential of alternative hosts for initial inoculum source and spread that causes ACR in strawberry nurseries. Results indicated that Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a noncultivated host of C. gloeosporioides in North Carolina and may serve as an initial inoculum source for planting material. Sources of inoculum data were complemented with a 2-year study of disease incidence and spread in simulated nursery production experiments. Sixty days after inoculation of the mother plants in the nursery, three different inoculation levels showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.78, P < 0.004) with the quiescent infection (QI) incidence on the runner or daughter plants at the end of the nursery production cycle. Runner plant counts from different proportion of mother plants' inoculation treatments indicated that runner plant production was negatively and significantly (P < 0.001) affected by C. gloeosporioides. Infected tips used to produce transplants destined for fruit production resulted in 29.3 and 16.8% mortality in plug trays in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Tracking foliar QI incidence that resulted from dispersal of inoculum from an introduced point source in the nursery showed a sharp decline at 1 m and beyond from the inoculation focus. Although the exponential model (R2 = 0.92 to 0.94) had slightly higher coefficients of determination than the modified power law (R2 = 0.89 to 0.90), residual plots indicated that the modified power law model fit the disease gradient data better than the exponential model in both years. Results from our dispersal study indicated that rogueing of infected plants within a 4-m radius of infection foci would reduce the risk of transferring infected runner plants from the nursery to the fruiting field.
On the use of 133Cs as an NMR active probe of intracellular space in vivo

Data are presented from 133Cs NMR studies on both excised and in situ tissues from rats fed a regular diet and administered i.p. CsCI in aqueous solution for 6 to 14 days. Cesium is an NMR-active potassium analog which accumulates in the intracellular spaces of tissues [Davies et al., Biochemistry 27, 3547 (1988); Shehan, B.P. et al., Magn. Reson. Med. 30,573 (1993)]. Chemical shifts, relaxation properties, sensitivity and detectability of cesium in tissues were investigated. Consistent with previous reports, two resonances (representing intra- and extracellular cesium) were detected in blood. Only one resonance was detected in brain, kidney, and muscle tissue. Efforts to resolve intra- and extracellular components by T1 and T2 relaxation discrimination were not successful. Following i.p. administration, cesium accumulates intracellularly with a brain-to-cerebrospinal fluid concentration (mumol/g) ratio of 9:1 and a thigh muscle-to-plasma concentration ratio of 40:1. Considering the small extracellular volume in these tissues (ca 18% and 10%, respectively), the net content differences between intra- and extracellular cesium are approximately 40-fold in brain and 360-fold in muscle. The concentration ratio of cesium in brain to cesium in cerebrosinal fluid decreased to 3:1 1 h after death, indicating a relatively slow rate of leakage of cesium from the intra- to extracellular space in the face of bioenergetic failure. These data suggest that the cesium signal is dominated by the intracellularly located cesium and, thus, cesium may be useful as a probe of the intracellular environment despite an inability to resolve and directly observe distinct resonances from intra- and extracellular spaces.
Stress-induced JNK Activation Is Independent of Gadd45 Induction

DNA damage and environmental stress activate signaling and induce genes involved in cell cycle and cell death. Expression of the Gadd45 protein is induced following DNA damage and other stress. Gadd45 is believed to play a role in growth arrest and possibly in cell death. The JNK signaling pathway is also activated by some DNA-damaging agents. This activation leads to phosphorylation and activation of transcription factors, such as c-Jun/AP-1 and ATF2, which mediate immediate early gene induction. Recently Gadd45 was suggested to be involved in JNK activation. However, as this suggestion relied onin vitro experiments and ectopic overexpression of Gadd45 protein, we examined whether physiological levels of Gadd45 that are induced following exposure to DNA damaging agents and stress can lead to JNK induction. We found that JNK activation by UV irradiation and anisomycin treatment precedes the induction of gadd45mRNA by these agents. Gadd45 protein induction by methyl methanesulfonate also lagged behind JNK activation. The use of protein synthesis inhibitors suggested that newly synthesized proteins, including the stress-induced Gadd45, make only a marginal contribution to JNK activation. We also found that stresses such as γ irradiation induce Gadd45 and do not activate JNK in mouse fibroblasts. Therefore, stress-induced JNK does not depend on Gadd45 induction.
Foraging and associated behavior by Octopus cyanea Gray, 1849 on a coral atoll, French Polynesia

Individual Octopus cyanea Gray, 1849 were observed continuously while foraging over a 6 day period during daylight hours. Foraging usually occurred once early in the morning and once late in the afternoon, and successive forages did not duplicate the same routes. On average, single forages (n = 16) covered 81 m (max. 129 m), lasted 118 min (max. 6 h), and often included up to five types of substrata. Octopuses spent about 28% of daylight hours foraging, usually in a saltatory (stop and go) search strategy. Small fishes (five species) often followed foraging octopuses. Foraging was tactile and speculative: octopuses either pounced on a likely object with the web spread, or groped deeply into crevices with the long arms, according to substratum. No octopus was observed to make direct, visually guided attacks on prey. These field observations suggest that their keen eyesight is used for determining the foraging path, scanning for predators, matching the substrata for crypsis, and finding their way back to their dens.
Comment on Chiral and Conformal Anomalies

It is shown that the trace anomaly is also identified with the Jacobian factor for the functional measure under the conformal transformation in the path-integral formalism. The path-integral formulation of anomalous Ward-Takahashi identities is then translated into a simple algebraic characterization of chiral and conformal anomalies. This exemplifies some of the common features shared by the topological and nontopological anomalies.
How Secondary History Teachers Use and Think about Museums: Current Practices and Untapped Promise for Promoting Historical Understanding.

Abstract Museums have great potential to help secondary students develop a deep understanding of the past; however, we know little about what history teachers actually do or want to accomplish when they utilize museums. In this study, the authors draw on questionnaire and interview data from 94 secondary history teachers in Connecticut in an effort to understand teachers' objectives, practices, and dilemmas in using museums. The results indicate that while teachers value museums for their potential to promote historical understanding, a number of factors limit the quantity and quality of museum trips, including cost, logistics, and teachers' level of knowledge and skill related to museums. Many teachers view museums as authoritative and do not ask students to evaluate the way museums present the past, thus neglecting the potential of museums to promote historical thinking. In addition, teachers implement practices to prepare students for museum visits; few, however, use follow-up activities or tap museums...
The correlation function for density perturbations in an expanding universe. I. Linear theory.

The evolution of the two-point correlation function for adiabatic density perturbations in the early universe is studied. Analytical solutions are obtained for the evolution of linearized spherically symmetric adiabatic density perturbations and the two-point correlation function for these perturbations in the radiation-dominated portion of the early universe. The results are then extended to the regime after decoupling. It is found that: (1) adiabatic spherically symmetric perturbations comparable in scale with the maximum Jeans length would survive the radiation-dominated regime; (2) irregular fluctuations are smoothed out up to the scale of the maximum Jeans length in the radiation era, but regular fluctuations might survive on smaller scales; (3) in general, the only surviving structures for irregularly shaped adiabatic density perturbations of arbitrary but finite scale in the radiation regime are the size of or larger than the maximum Jeans length in that regime; (4) infinite plane waves with a wavelength smaller than the maximum Jeans length but larger than the critical dissipative damping scale could survive the radiation regime; and (5) black holes would also survive the radiation regime and might accrete sufficient mass after decoupling to nucleate the formation of galaxies.
Fast application multispectral camouflage appliques

With reconnaissance surveillance, and target acquisition systems becoming increasingly sophisticated in both sensor performance and processing capabilities, there exists a requirement to increase the camoufleur's ability to control and manipulate target signatures beyond those currently available. To assist in accomplishing this, a hybrid technology is required: one that combines the features of multispectral signature control, rapid deployment, and low cost. The WES fixed-facility CCD team is developing a suite of signature controlling materials termed 'Multispectral Camouflage Appliques' (MCSs). Due to the nature of this material, the spectral characteristics (e.g. emmissivity, radar scattering properties, UV-NIR reflectance, color) can be controlled with great latitude by the designer, by adding underlying material layers or external coatings. It is the ability of the designer to manipulate the fundamental characteristics of the MCA material that allows its uniqueness and maximum utility. THe first series of MCAs are composed of an adhesive-backed metal foil overlaid with a visual color coating that is transparent in the thermal IR wavelengths. The effect is that of a visual camouflage combined with a thermal mirror that reflects emissions of the natural surroundings. The 'peel and stick' adhesive backing provides a rapid method of applying MCAs to fixed and semimobile assets that would be beneficial to bare base and force projection msisions. Dual uses of this material include drug and border aerial surveillance as position markers that are visually disguised from ground observation but provide high contrast in thermal IR imaging systems by reflecting cold sky temperatures.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Assessment of weight loss, food intake, fat metabolism, malabsorption, and treatment of pancreatic insufficiency in pancreatic cancer

In 12 patients with biopsy-proven pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the following were determined: (1) whether decreased food intake, malabsorption, or altered fat metabolism were associated with weight loss; (2) the effect of pancreatic extract as treatment for malabsorption; and (3) the accuracy of the triolein breath test for detection of steatorrhea. Weight loss occurred in 11 patients and only in patients who had either malabsorption (n = 5), low coefficients of caloric consumption (n = 2), or both (n = 4). Nine patients had fat malabsorption, six had protein malabsorption, and caloric consumption was decreased in seven patients. Metabolism of oleic acid was significantly decreased (P less than 0.01) compared to normal subjects and correlated with basal metabolic rates (r = 0.6; P less than 0.05) which were within the range of normal values for age and sex. Body weight loss correlated only with coefficients of fat and protein absorption (r = 0.59; P less than 0.05). Treatment of patients with pancreatic extract resulted in significant improvement in absorption in those with moderate to severe fat or protein malabsorption (coefficient of absorption less than 80%) but no significant improvement occurred in patients with mild fat or protein malabsorption. The triolein breath test was abnormal in all patients with fat malabsorption and predicted improvement of fat absorption in five of six patients with steatorrhea who were treated with pancreatic extract. Thus, in pancreatic cancer, weight loss is associated with malabsorption; exogenous pancreatic extract significantly improves moderate to severe fat or protein malabsorption, and the triolein breath test detects fat malabsorption and predicts the treatment response to pancreatic extract.
MODEST WOMEN, DECEPTIVE JINN: IDENTITY, ALTERITY, AND DISEASE IN EASTERN SUDAN

This article examines the cultural construction of difference, danger, and disease among the Muslim patrilineal Hadendowa-Beja of eastern Sudan and focuses on the ways in which gendered discourses, together with symbolic and ritualistic practices, diagnose historical relationships of power, powerlessness, and social conflict. In particular, I show how the female body, viewed as a “fertile womb-land,” is the locus of anxieties about foreign dangers and diseases, which are perceived to be threatening to collective identity and well being. By using “foreignness” as a double-edged category linked to both power and danger, I examine how Hadendowa's feminization of social vulnerability draws attention to their own political history of exclusion and displacement.
Designing reflective dialogue to support learning from experience

This paper discusses the design and use of a web-based application-"virtual dialectic"-created to facilitate learning from experience among distributed participants who are also engaged in work. The approach taken in developing this application embraces the observation that language is a form of action and the importance of technological design in helping people manage "break down" in ongoing activities [1]. The virtual dialectic, unlike many CSCW systems, is not designed to directly support the conduct of some particular work practice. Instead, the application addresses how people make sense of communication at work and in professional life with the goal of helping individuals develop their self-understanding and identity as professionals. The application draws users attention to aspects of organizational action they might otherwise take for granted by providing "micro" and "macro" tools for participants to orchestrate their distant interaction as a type of reflective dialogue.The virtual dialectic application is an interesting case for those interested in the language action perspective on communication modeling because this application explores, essentially, how to articulate cooperation at conflict. Such a design goal may, on its face, seem odd since many CSCW systems are geared toward the achievement of consensus and intersubjectivity among users. Alterity, disagreement, and conflict, however, are important collaborative achievements that contribute to learning, decision-making, and innovation processes.This paper has two parts. First, the key aspects of the virtual dialectic application are described relative to the background assumptions, and the context of development, that inform its design. This section outlines the rationale for framing design as the management of disagreement rather than the management of consensus. The broader design assumptions, requirements, and procedures of the virtual dialectic are described in derail elsewhere [2]. Second, an example of online interaction using the virtual dialectic is discussed to illustrate the complex ways in which participants avoid and express opposition. The main purpose is to explore the important puzzle managing disagreement presents for designing systems to support processes such as learning and deliberation.
Ultrasonically guided fine‐needle aspiration biopsy of portal vein thrombosis: A cytomorphological study of 14 patients

Portal vein tumor thrombosis is an important and consistent prognostic indicator in hepatocellular carcinoma. We reviewed 14 cases of ultrasonically guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the portal vein. All the patients had clinical evidence of portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Twelve of these patients had a preliminary diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma while the remaining two, initially, had a clinical diagnosis of end-stage liver disease. The mean age of the patients was 60 years. An average of 1.7 passes per case was made. No clinical complications were encountered. The cytomorphologic features of the aspirated materials were reviewed. Twelve of the 14 cases (85.7%) were judged neoplastic or thought to have probable neoplastic involvement of the portal vein while two were clearly benign. The cell block was found to be the most useful in diagnosis. We conclude that FNAB of the portal vein is a feasible method in evaluating PVT, especially in patients already known to have hepatocellular carcinoma.
Viscosity Solutions of the Bellman Equation for Exit Time Optimal Control Problems with Non-Lipschitz Dynamics

We study the Bellman equation for undiscounted exit time optimal control problems with fully nonlinear Lagrangians and fully nonlinear dynamics using the dynamic programming approach. We allow problems whose non-Lipschitz dynamics admit more than one solution trajectory for some choices of open loop controls and initial positions. We prove a uniqueness theorem which charac- terizes the value functions of these problems as the unique viscosity solutions of the corresponding Bellman equations that satisfy appropriate boundary conditions. We deduce that the value function for Sussmann's Reflected Brachystochrone Problem for an arbitrary singleton target is the unique viscosity solution of the corresponding Bellman equation in the class of functions which are continuous in the plane, null at the target, and bounded below. Our results also apply to degenerate eikonal equations, and to problems whose targets can be unbounded and whose Lagrangians vanish for some points in the state space which are outside the target, including Fuller's Example. This paper continues our work (cf. (14)) on uniqueness questions for viscosity solutions of Hamilton{Jacobi{ Bellman equations (HJBE's) arising from deterministic optimal control problems with exit times (cf. (2)). We prove a general uniqueness theorem characterizing the value functions for problems of this type for fully non- linear systems as the unique viscosity solutions of the corresponding HJBE's that satisfy appropriate boundary conditions. We allow problems whose dynamical laws admit more than one solution trajectory for some choices of open loop controls and initial positions. The class of problems includes Sussmann's Reflected Brachystochrone Problem (RBP) (cf. (12, 21, 22), and Sect. 5), eikonal equations (cf. (2, 18), and Sects. 6.1, 6.2), and problems with unbounded targets and unbounded Lagrangians' for which '(;a) is zero at some points outside the target for some choices of the input a. As a special case, we show that the RBP value function is the unique viscosity