cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ecological and evolutionary interdependence between web architecture and web silk spun by orb web weaving spiders

Spider orb webs are dynamic, energy absorbing nets whose ability to intercept prey is dependent on both the mechnical properties of web design and the material properties of web silks. Variation in web designs reflects variation in spider web spinning behaviours and variation in web silks reflects variation in spider metabolic processes. Therefore, natural selection may affect web function (or prey capture) through two independent and alternative pathways. In this paper, I examine the ways in which architectural and material properties, singly and in concert, influence the ability of webs to absorb insect impact energy. These findings are evaluated in the context of the evolution of diverse aerial webs. Orb webs range along a continuum from high to low energy absorbing. No single feature of web architecture characterizes the amount of energy webs can absorb, but suites of characters indicate web function. In general, webs that intercept heavy and fast flying prey (high energy absorbing webs) are large, built by large spiders, suspended under high tension and characterized by a ratio of radii to spiral turns per web greater than one. In contrast, webs that intercept light and slow flying prey (low energy absorbing webs) are suspended under low tension, are small and are characterized by radial to spiral turn ratios that are less than one. The data suggest that for spiders building high energy absorbing webs, the orb architecture contributes much to web energy absorption. In contrast, for spiders that build low energy absorbing webs, orb architecture contributes little to enhance web energy absorption. Small or slow flying insects can be intercepted by web silks regardless of web design. Although there exists variation in the material properties of silk collected from high and low energy absorbing webs, only the diameter of web fibres varies predictably with silk energy absorption. Web fibre diameter and hence the amount of energy absorbed by web silks is an isometric function of spider size. The significance of these results lies in the apparent absence of selective advantage of orb architecture to low energy absorbing webs and the evolutionary trend to small spiders that build them. Where high energy absorption is not an exacting feature of web design, web architecture should not be tightly constrained to the orb. Assuming the primitive araneoid web design is the orb web, I propose that the evolution of alternative web building behaviours is a consequence of the general, phyletic trend to small size among araneoids. Araneoids that build webs of other than orb designs are able to use new habitats and resources not available to their ancestors.
Influenza A virus alters structural and biochemical functions of the neutrophil cytoskeleton.

Influenza A virus (lAy) has previousiy been shown to alter chemotactic, oxidative, and secretory functIons of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL). Because of the role of cytoskeletal proteins In these processes, studies were carried out to determine if IAV altered the PMNL cytoskeleton. PMNL were incubated with buffer or lAy, stimulated with f-met-Ieu-phe (FMLP), fixed and stained with NBD-phallacldln (NBD-Ph) and studied by flow cytometry. Mean F-actin fluorescence was increased 18% in virus treated cells preFMLP stimulation and 13% Sand 10 mm post-FMLP (P <.03); no significant difference in F-actln fluorescence was noted in virus treated PMNL 15-30 a post-FMLP compared to control cells. PMNL exposed to the same conditions were solubilized and actin content was determined following SDS-PAGE of triton insoluble precipitates. Increased actln was recovered from virus treated compared to buffer treated cells before and after FMLP stImulation in the 8,0009 precipitates (P <.001). Immunofluorescent microscopy studies of F-actln distribution were done in PMNL stained with NBD-Ph following FMLP stimulation for 10 mm. These studies showed an increased lamellipod F-actin/uropod F-actin ratio in PMNL pre-incubated with IAV compared to controls (4.6 vs. 1.0; P <.025). Phosphorylation of specific cytoskeletal proteins was examined after immunoprecipitation. IAV alone altered phosphorylation of both vimentin and vinculin, and in stimulated PMNL virus led to decreased phosphorylation of vimentin and vinculin. These data show distributional and biochemical effects of IAV on PMNL cytoskeietal proteins, indicating additional targets for IAV interference in the PMNL sIgnal-transduction-function process.
A phenetic analysis of the Bakeridesia integerrima complex (Malvaceae)

The Bakeridesia integerrima complex is a geographically and morphologically variable group consisting of populations that have been variously assigned to B. integerrima, B. molinae, B. bakeriana, and B. subcordata. Phenetic analyses of morphological data were undertaken to clarify species boundaries within this complex. Ninety-five specimens were placed into one of ten Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and measured for 16 morphological characters and 29 ratios of these characters. Univariate analyses were conducted to examine variation within individual variables, and Canonical Variates Analyses (CVA), and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) were used to examine relationships among the variables. The results presented here show that the B. integerrima complex consists of nine morphologically and geographically distinct species, compared to the four previously published species names. One new combination, B. chittendenii, is made, B. subcordata is synonymized with B. bakeriana, and diagnoses are given for five new species: B. huastecana, B. jaliscana, B. zapoteca, B. parvifolia, and B. guerrerensis.
Methods to Assess Vascular Permeability During Angiogenic Processes

Angiogenesis is a multi-faceted process that is, in part, reliant on dynamic regulation of the endothelium that lines the bodies vasculature. Here we have detailed angiogenic factors VEGF, angiopoietin 1 and 2, sphingosine 1-Phosphate (S1P), and hepatocyte growth factor, all of which act, in part, via alterations of endothelial barrier function. As these alterations in endothelial integrity provide insight into angiogenic responses, we further specify detailed protocols that may be used in its study. These include Transwell Albumin clearance, Evans Blue Albumin Permeability assays, and Trans-endothelial Electrical Resistance.
Integrated Selective Catalytic Reduction–Diesel Particulate Filter Aftertreatment: Insights into Pressure Drop, NOx Conversion, and Passive Soot Oxidation Behavior

Integrating urea-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) technologies into a single device has the potential to reduce the complexity of current diesel aftertreatmen...
Time-resolved visualization of N2-H2O molecular mixing

A new optical technique for direct measurement of mixing of water vapor with nitrogen at the molecular level is presented. The technique, requiring a single KrF laser and a single CCD camera, provides images of the extent of the molecular mixing between H2O and N2. The technique depends on a two-photon excitation of H2O followed by collislonal energy exchange between the excited H2O molecules and N2. Following this energy exchange, the sensitized N2 molecule is further excited and ionized by the same incident beam. The emission at 391.4 nm by N2 represents the mixing between the two participating species. Images of the penetration of dry air and dry nitrogen jets into atmospheric air demonstrate that despite being a multi-photon process, the emission is sufficiently intense for single-pulse imaging of the mixing along a collimated beam crossing the jets. The technique is projected to also be useful for studies of water droplet evaporation in reacting and non-reacting flows and for visualization of water condensation in rapidly expanding flows or as the precursor to precipitation.
The price of duty in Hemingway's The fifth column

This essay examines Hemingway's The fifth column , a play he wrote in Madrid during the fall of 1937 while that city was under bombardment. The essay aims at clarifying the motives behind Hemingway's involvement with the Spanish Civil War and at illuminating the significance of that involvement to his artistic development. Este ensaio analisa a peca denominada A quinta coluna , escrita em Madrid por Ernest Hemingway, durante a Guerra Civil Espanhola. O ensaio procura esclarecer os motivos do envolvimento politico/ideologico do escritor norte-americano, assim como o significado desse envolvimento para a sua carreira artistica.
Reduced footprint of a multi-band, dual polarization microstrip antenna

We present a scalable, dual-band and dual-polarization microstrip antenna designed for the S- and X-bands. The S-band element is a microstrip square annular ring shorted with vias on the inner edge to suppress surface waves. The X-band element is a concentric annular ring slot shorted on the outer edge of the slot. Both elements achieve circular polarization by truncating opposing corners of the two square rings. Both elements utilize two orthogonal feeds to allow either right hand or left hand circular polarization. Our results show performance optimized for the S-band element at 2.95 GHz and 3.5 GHz. We reduce the footprint of the S-band element by loading the outer element using a dielectric with er = 5.0 achieving a 32% reduction in footprint versus a dielectric with er = 2.33. We achieve a peak realized gain to boresight of 3.1 dB.
Response of Antioxidative System to Chilling Stress in Dongxiang Wild Rice

Taking strong cold-tolerant Dongxiang wild rice and cold-susceptible late indica rice variety 926 as the tested materials,the response of antioxidative system in the root system to chilling stress was investigated.After different levels of chilling stress for 3 days,Dongxiang wild rice showed little change in electrolyte leakage and MDA content in comparison with the control plants,while the electrolyte leakage and MDA content in 926 increased significantly.Activities of CAT and POD in Dongxiang wild rice remained high,while those of 926 decreased under chilling stress.The results indicated that higher activities of antioxidatase and less electrolyte leakage and MDA content under chilling stress were associated with the strong tolerance of the root system to chilling in Dongxiang wild rice.
Experimental models of distal renal tubular acidosis.

Abstract A number of potential defects may impair acidifacation either directly or indirectly in the CCT, the OMCT, the IMCD, or in all segments. The defects are summarized in Table 1. Findings from studies in animal models of DRTA have enhanced out understanding o the pathophysiological basis of these disorders. Neverthless, considerable effort needs to be directed in the future toward defining the cellular basis of these defects, especially in the inherited forms of classical hypokalemic DRTA, for which an adequate experimental model does not yet exist.
On the Effectiveness of Cluster Environments for Scientific Computing

A wide variety of applications in the physical sciences and related disciplines are computationally based, and such scientific computing has traditionally been the technical and economic driver for high performance computing. Until recently, vector supercomputers were the mainstay for these applications, but concurrent processing is presently considered the most viable approach. We focus in this paper on one form of concurrent processing, namely, the utilization of a loosely coupled collection of processors to provide computing resources at levels comparable to supercomputers and hardware multiprocessors. We describe two strategies; one that emulates a concurrent computing environment on clusters of networked computer systems, and the other that provides for semi-automatic data parallel computing for domain-specific applications. Both approaches have been investigated and are manifested in software infrastructures that have been used for a variety of computationally intensive scientific applications, ranging from modeling of electronic structures to molecular dynamics computations and stochastic systems. We demonstrate that such environments are attractive platforms for scientific computing, and that performance and functionality matching or exceeding that of conventional hardware may be attained at fractional cost.
Immersive data interaction for planetary and earth sciences

The Multimission Instrument Processing Laboratory (MIPL) at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) processes and analyzes, orbital and in-situ instrument data for both planetary and Earth science missions. Presenting 3D data in a meaningful and effective manner is of the utmost importance to furthering scientific research and conducting engineering operations. Visualizing data in an intuitive way by utilizing Virtual Reality (VR), allows users to immersively interact with their data in their respective environments. This paper examines several use-cases, across various missions, instruments, and environments, demonstrating the strengths and insights that VR has to offer scientists.
Noncanonical translation initiation comes of age

The canonical translation initiation mechanism involves base pairing between the mRNA and 16S rRNA. However, a variety of identified mechanisms deviate from this conventional route. Beck and Janssen (J Bacteriol 199:e00091-17, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00091-17) have recently described another noncanonical mode of translation initiation. Here, we describe how this process differs from previously reported mechanisms, with the hope that it will foster increased awareness of the diversity of regulatory mechanisms that await discovery.
Closed-Form Analytic Solution of Cloud Dissipation for a Mixed-Layer Model

AbstractStratocumulus clouds play an important role in climate cooling and are hard to predict using global climate and weather forecast models. Thus, previous studies in the literature use observations and numerical simulation tools, such as large-eddy simulation (LES), to solve the governing equations for the evolution of stratocumulus clouds. In contrast to the previous works, this work provides an analytic closed-form solution to the cloud thickness evolution of stratocumulus clouds in a mixed-layer model framework. With a focus on application over coastal lands, the diurnal cycle of cloud thickness and whether or not clouds dissipate are of particular interest. An analytic solution enables the sensitivity analysis of implicitly interdependent variables and extrema analysis of cloud variables that are hard to achieve using numerical solutions. In this work, the sensitivity of inversion height, cloud-base height, and cloud thickness with respect to initial and boundary conditions, such as Bowen ratio, ...
A symmetric fully optimized second-order method for nonlinear homogenization

We consider an alternate formulation of the recently developed ‘fully optimized second-order’ (FOSO) nonlinear homogenization method, which is based on a stationary variational principle for the macroscopic energy function. In this method, the trial fields are the properties of a suitably designed linear comparison composite (LCC), thus allowing for the estimation of the effective response and field statistics of the nonlinear composite in terms of available estimates for the corresponding quantities in the LCC. The formulation considered in this paper makes use of an alternative choice for the linear comparison composite, leading to homogenization estimates that are more symmetric with respect to Legendre duality than earlier FOSO estimates. The new ‘symmetric’ FOSO method is applied to a class of two-phase power-law composites with fibrous microstructures subjected to plane strain loading. The resulting estimates for the effective response and field statistics are found to improve on earlier estimates, and to be in good agreement with full-field numerical simulations for nonlinear composite cylinder assemblages, as well as with available results for sequentially layered composites.
The Effect of Targeted Vaccination Against Mycobacterium Avium ssp. Paratuberculosis (MAP) in a Multiple Sclerosis Mouse Model: Implications for Causation

Epidemiologic evidence relating to the causation of Multiple Sclerosis, based upon twin concordance studies, implicates both genetic and environmental contributions. The HLA-DRB1/ HLA-A haplotype confers a 23 fold increase in MS prevalence above its baseline of 1 per 1,000 persons. Epigenetic factors, such as an aberrant response to Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) and Vitamin D deficiency can increase that risk 36 and 2 fold respectively. Evidence of an association between elevated MAP antibodies and Multiple Sclerosis has been reported. A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed in SJL mice exposed to the myelin-related oligopeptide PLP139-151; a relapsing-remitting Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis (EAE) model. 100 mice were randomized into five groups of 20. Group 1- Unimmunized prior to disease induction. Group 2- Immunized twice with a 74 kDa fusion protein vaccine against MAP; delivered 28 days and 7 days prior to disease induction. Group 3- 1 dose of 74 kDa vaccine 10 days post-disease induction. Group 4- Attenuated whole cell MAP vaccine (∆SigH) 28 days prior to disease induction. Group 5- ∆SigH vaccine 10 days post disease induction. Disability was quantified using a EAE disability scoring reference ranging from 0 to 5. Significant decreases in peak disability were seen in the bimodal peaks of this relapsing-remitting model 38% (p<0.006) and 40% (p<0.001). ∆sigH immunized mice lost half as much weight as controls post disease induction. The results suggest that environmental MAP antigen exposure may play an etiologic role in the development of EAE.
Safety and feasibility of immuno-cryotherapy.

34Background: To investigate the safety and feasibility of image guided immuno-cryotherapy in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor failure. Methods: Consecutive patients with primary or acquired failure to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy were studied following treatment with concomitant image-guided cryotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibition. In addition to demographic features, type of malignancy, size of targeted metastatic lesion, number of cycles of cryotherapy, systemic immunotherapy, and adverse events in a 90 day post procedural window were extracted. The primary end point was safety and adverse events stratified by the common terminology for adverse events (CTCAE) criteria. As a secondary endpoint, efficacy of the cryotherapy was assessed by iRECIST. Results: Ten patients underwent combined image-guided cryotherapy and checkpoint immunotherapy between 2015 and 2017. Five patients received CTLA 4 blockade with cryotherapy, and 8 patients received PD1 axis blockade and cryotherapy. Six pa...
The Digital Transformation

We commence the text with an introduction to the latest technological innovations in financial transactions, namely, the development of virtual currencies as exemplified by Bitcoin. The question arises concerning the nature of money with a brief historical overview followed by the reasons for the advent and rise of virtual currencies We examine the types of virtual currencies, the key actors that constitute the innovations, and the benefits and risks thereof in substantial detail. We close with the views expressed by two Nobel laureates of economics.
Substrate-Dependent Photoconductivity Dynamics in a High-Efficiency Hybrid Perovskite Alloy

Films of (FA0.79MA0.16Cs0.05)0.97Pb(I0.84Br0.16)2.97 were grown over TiO2, SnO2, indium tin oxide (ITO), and NiO. Film conductivity was interrogated by measuring the in-phase and out-of-phase forces acting between the film and a charged microcantilever. We followed the films’ conductivity versus time, frequency, light intensity, and temperature (233–312 K). Perovskite conductivity was high and light-independent over ITO and NiO. Over TiO2 and SnO2, the conductivity was low in the dark, increased with light intensity, and persisted for 10’s of seconds after the light was removed. At an elevated temperature over TiO2, the rate of conductivity recovery in the dark showed an activated temperature dependence (Ea = 0.58 eV). Surprisingly, the light-induced conductivity over TiO2 and SnO2 relaxed essentially instantaneously at a low temperature. We use a transmission-line model for mixed ionic–electronic conductors to show that the measurements presented are sensitive to the sum of electronic and ionic conductiv...
A Humble Justice: Rethinking the 'Cruelty' of Justice Clarence Thomas

Media and scholarly critics often claim that Justice Thomas's criminal law opinions reflect intentional cruelty or callousness, and dismiss his opinions without engaging seriously with their substance. This Essay contends that judicial humility is a far more plausible explanation for Justice Thomas's criminal case decisions. If observers recognize that his approach to the law is guided by humility, rather than his own cruel or callous views, they will be more likely to consider the substance of his opinions and will benefit from wrestling with his challenging jurisprudential and historical perspective - even if they do not agree with the conclusions to which it leads.
(Re)telling Stories of Middle School Student-Led Bands: How One Music Teacher Becomes a Narrative Researcher

Finely polished prose and clean analysis is abundant in scholarly publications. Yet the academic writing process of drafts, peer review, and revisions that lead to these polished papers is one of trials, triumphs, discovery, and self-doubt rarely revealed to new scholars. This paper is one attempt to demystify the writing as inquiry process through the lens of narrative inquiry. Using three drafts of the same researched text, this paper tells the story of twin journeys: my journey from music teacher to narrative researcher and my middle school music students’ journeys through a student-led curricular unit.
Clinical impact of intraoperative hyperlactatemia during craniotomy.

Object Patients often develop markedly elevated serum lactate levels during craniotomy although the reason for this is not entirely understood. Elevated lactate levels have been associated with poor outcomes in critically ill septic shock patients, as well as patients undergoing abdominal and cardiac surgeries. We investigated whether elevated lactate in craniotomy patients is associated with neurologic complications (new neurological deficits) as well as systemic complications. Methods We performed a cohort study of elective craniotomy patients. Demographic and intraoperative data were collected, as well as three timed intraoperative arterial lactate values. Additional lactate, creatinine and troponin values were collected immediately postoperatively as well as 12 and 24 hours postoperatively. Assessment for neurologic deficit was performed at 6 hours and 2 weeks postoperatively. Hospital length-of-stay and 30-day mortality were collected. Results Interim analysis of 81 patients showed that no patient had postoperative myocardial infarction, renal failure, or mortality within 30 days of surgery. There was no difference in the incidence of new neurologic deficit in patients with or without elevated lactate (10/26, 38.5% vs. 15/55 27.3%, p = 0.31). Median length of stay was significantly longer in patients with elevated lactate (6.5 vs. 3 days, p = 0.003). Study enrollment was terminated early due to futility (futility index 0.16). Conclusion Elevated intraoperative serum lactate was not associated with new postoperative neurologic deficits, other end organ events, or 30 day mortality. Serum lactate was related to longer hospital stay.
Laparoscopic nephrectomy with ex vivo repair of aneurysm and autotransplantation.

Abstract The perceived prevalence of renal artery aneurysms is increasing, probably because of the widespread use of cross-sectional imaging. The majority of these aneurysms are found incidentally and are asymptomatic. There are no clear guidelines for when to repair these aneurysms, although most practitioners recommend intervention around the 2- to 3-cm size cutoff. These can be managed endovascularly or with open surgery; however, aneurysms at the hilum may require a complex repair to avoid nephrectomy. We present a case of a hilar renal artery aneurysm managed with laparoscopic nephrectomy with ex vivo aneurysm resection and repair followed by autotransplantation.
Recent advances in the treatment of neurogenic bladder in children

Neurogenic bladder is a class of diseases in the damage of normal urine and storage function that are resulted from any cause of central or peripheral nerve damage, which is also called neurogenic bladder dysfunction (neuropathic bladder dysfunction, NBSD). Children's neurogenic bladder is a common cause of congenital spinal cord dysplasia with high morbidity, and progressive development can cause the urine impaired even life-threatening. The treatment of neurogenic bladder cannot obtain satisfactory results yet. This review summarizes the recent advances in the treatment of neurogenic bladder. Key words: Urinary bladder, neurogenic/TH; Child; Review
Biocompatibility of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Rat Inner Ear following Trans-Tympanic Administration

Recent advancements in stem cell therapy have led to an increased interest within the auditory community in exploring the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of inner ear disorders. However, the biocompatibility of MSCs with the inner ear, especially when delivered non-surgically and in the immunocompetent cochlea, is not completely understood. In this study, we determined the effect of intratympanic administration of rodent bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs) on the inner ear in an immunocompetent rat model. The administration of MSCs did not lead to the generation of any oxidative stress in the rat inner ear. There was no significant production of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-12, due to BM-MSCs administration into the rat cochlea. BM-MSCs do not activate caspase 3 pathway, which plays a central role in sensory cell damage. Additionally, transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining determined that there was no significant cell death associated with the administration of BM-MSCs. The results of the present study suggest that trans-tympanic administration of BM-MSCs does not result in oxidative stress or inflammatory response in the immunocompetent rat cochlea.
Voluntary Disclosure Around Asset Divestitures

The existence of many markets that a firm simultaneously accesses creates information transfers, wherein the price formed in one market reveals information to another. Specifically, when the firm divests an asset, facilitating the information transfer from the firm's stock market to the divestiture market may be valuable to the firm. With such interaction between markets, the usual intuition of disclosures enhancing information does not always hold. Disclosures may create distracting noise and obscure information signals revealed by the firm's stock price and suppress the information transfer. In such a situation, the firm may withhold disclosure -- even ones whose content may have a positive effect on its valuation -- not to hide anything, but to facilitate the information transfer.
The cooling of light rains in a warming world

Recent changes to how clouds are represented in global models, especially over the Southern Ocean, resulted in increased climate warming. Correcting rain processes in a model shows improved cloud representation but leads to a greatly enhanced negative feedback, offsetting documented increases in model climate sensitivity.
Boundary Elements and Perturbation Theory for Vibrating Plates

In this work, classical techniques from perturbation theory will be applied to develop a boundary integral formulation for low frequency forced vibrations of elastic plates. The functional form of the applied load and the plate deflection are assumed to be products of a temporal function and corresponding spatial functions. The separation of variables approach removes the difficulties associated with transient analysis. The resulting boundary element formulation requires consecutive solutions to a set of coupled non-homogeneous biharmonic equations. The domain integral normally associated with each non-homogeneous equation is transformed to a set of boundary integrals using the Rayleigh-Green identity. Numerical solutions of the perturbation-based expansion equations of forced vibrations using the boundary element method (BEM) are presented and compared with analytical analysis.
Energy conservation programmes: The analysis and measurement of their effects

Abstract Over the past decade, energy conservation programmes have been used extensively by US utilities. However, during much of this period, their popularity has been uncritical — insufficient programme evaluation was available to indicate whether the programmes were economically reasonable or not. In the past three years, however, a substantial array of evaluation results have become available. Much of this evaluation has been stimulated by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). EPRI's initial contribution to the process was a watershed workshop in 1982 on the effects of utility residential conservation programmes. Since then, EPRI and a variety of utilities, public agencies and private consulting groups have continued to refine and extend the evaluation process. This paper reviews the programme evaluation process begun with the 1982 EPRI workshop and discusses the extent and validity of its methods and findings.
Integrated GIS for Building Control in Small Sized Cities — from DOS to Web

The idea at the basis of our work is to build an integrated system to support local government officials’ activity in the field of building development control. This paper illustrates the evolution of the urban information systems implemented by our Institute, in relationship both to the potentialities offered by the integration with hypertext and expert systems modules, and to the simplicity of use, having as a goal the adoption of these systems in small-sized Centres for building development control. The possibility to also access the urban information systems through Internet makes besides possible to extend their use to the building professionals and to the citizens, strengthening, in conclusion, the possibilities of a democratic control of the urban development. The research is actually involved in testing different techniques to develop our prototype on the Internet.
Multimodal Sensory Integration of Courtship Stimulating Cues in Drosophila melanogaster

Mechanisms for identifying appropriate mating partners are required for any species to survive. In many types of animals, males employ multiple sensory modalities to initially search for females and to subsequently determine if they are fit and/or receptive. In this paper we will detail the multiple types of sensory information that are used to initiate and drive courtship in Drosophila melanogaster and discuss the importance of context in the interpretation of chemosensory cues. We find that food-related olfactory cues increase the salience of the aversive pheromone cis-vaccenyl acetate.
Flow cytometry: principles and instrumentation.

The standard benchtop flow cytometer is very similar to a hematology cell counter. In fact, flow cytometers can trace their origins back to the early hematology counters [...]
Incidence of Salmonellae in Meat and Meat Products

Standard enrichment, plating, and biochemical techniques were used to assess the incidence of Salmonella species on beef and pork carcasses and processed meat products. The incidence of Salmonella in pork carcasses was 56% and in beef carcasses, 74%. These figures are about the same as previously reported for pork but much higher than previously reported for beef carcasses; however, they represent only three to five abattoirs in Georgia and do not necessarily represent contamination levels throughout the country. Examination of carcasses by area did not indicate greater incidence of Salmonella in any one area. Two areas suggested for representative sampling are the cervical and anal areas of the carcass. Of the sausage samples examined, 38% of the fresh pork sausage, 9% of the smoked pork sausage, and 1 sample (souse) of 16 samples of miscellaneous sausage products were contaminated. Examination of subsamples indicated that Salmonella, when present in sausage products, could be found in any section of the entire sample.
How Timely is Financial Reporting in China? An Empirical Study

Timeliness of financial reporting is one of the attributes of good corporate governance identified by the OECD and World Bank. Shareholders and other stakeholders need information while it is still fresh and the more time that passes between year-end and disclosure, the more stale the information becomes and the less value it has. This paper examines the timeliness of financial reporting in the People's Republic of China. The timeliness of financial reporting was measured by counting the number of days that elapsed between year-end and the date of the independent auditor's report for a number of Chinese companies. Those results were then compared to data of non-Chinese companies in developed market economies to determine whether there was a significant difference. This study also examines which independent audit firms issued the audit opinion to determine which audit firms dominate.
Auditory evoked potentials of adults who do or do not show a significant right ear advantage in dichotic listening.

The Halwes Fused Dichotic Words Test was used to divide a sample of university students into a group having a statistically significant right ear advantage (REA) and a group having either a significant left ear advantage or a non-significant ear asymmetry (NREA). Of these participants, 30 (14 REA, 16 NREA) had electrical potentials measured from temporal, central, and frontal sites as series of brief tones were presented monaurally. No behavioural response was required. Group differences were found in the latency but not the amplitude of the averaged event-related responses. The REA group showed faster conduction to the right hemisphere than to the left hemisphere. In both groups the amplitude of left hemisphere responses was greater for right ear stimulation than for left ear stimulation. The results for amplitude indicate that the crossed auditory pathway is a superior conductor of information to the left hemisphere but not to the right hemisphere. Group differences, however, are related only to the spe...
THE ANTIPROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF SERUM : II. PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE. THE INFLUENCE OF PURIFIED TRYPSIN INHIBITOR ON THE COAGULATION OF THE BLOOD.

1. Serum antitrypsin and pancreatic trypsin inhibitor inhibited the coagulation of plasma in vitro. 2. This could be largely prevented by trypsin. 3. The anticoagulant action of the trypsin inhibitor was apparently due to its antiprothrombic action. It had no appreciable antithrombic action. 4. Examination of the blood of two hemophiliacs indicated that the prolonged coagulation time of their blood is not due to an excess of trypsin inhibitor. 5. Examination of the blood of heparinized dogs indicated that heparin does not appreciably contribute to the antiproteolytic activity of the serum.
Expression of mRNAs in human thymus coding for the α3 subunit of a neuronal acetylcholine receptor

Abstract We report the isolation of clones from a human thymus cDNA library that code for the α3 subunit of a neuronal acetylcholine receptor (AcChR). The clones hybridize to one major 3.0-kb mRNA thymic species and four minor ones of approximately 2.3, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.5 kb, but they do not hybridize to human muscle mRNA. These clones may be of value in defining the cholinergic thymic makeup and the putative role that a thymic AcChR may have in the triggering and/or maintenance of an anti-AcChR response in the autoimmune condition myasthenia gravis.
Number of siblings and educational attainment

Family background continues to be closely related to individuals' educational attainment in the United States. A notable change in one aspect of this background, number of siblings, is occurring as fertility is becoming extremely low. Examination of the negative relation between individuals' sibling number and years of schooling indicates that education among those with many siblings is disproportionately cut short before high school graduation. Because there is a strong negative relation between number of siblings and scores on tests measuring verbal ability, recent reductions in sibling number would be expected to contribute to enhanced verbal ability and increasing years of schooling for those born now in the United States.
Microtubule assembly in clarified Xenopus egg extracts

Crude cytoplasmic extracts made from Xenopus eggs have proven to be uniquely useful in the studies of the mechanism of spindle microtubule assembly dynamics and chromosome movement during progression through the cell cycle. We examined microtubule dynamic instability in the Xenopus system using video-enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy (VE-DIC), which required high-speed centrifugation in order to clarify crude Xenopus extracts of refractile particles. Surprisingly, the resultant clarified, undiluted extracts exhibited virtually no microtubule catastrophe, even in the presence of high MPF (cyclin B/p34cdc2 kinase) activity and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity, a down-stream kinase also implicated in regulating microtubule dynamics. Microtubule elongation occurred at plus ends, and interphase microtubules grew at 17-30 microns/min while metaphase [meiotic, myelin basic protein kinase activity which is diagnostic for cytostatic factor (CSF)-arrested] microtubules grew at about 10 microns/min. Plus-end shortening rates for both interphase and metaphase extracts were > 50 microns/min. Addition of okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor known to activate MAP kinase activity and cause an increase in microtubule turnover in extracts made from sea urchin eggs, had no effect on microtubule catastrophe in either interphase or metaphase Xenopus extracts. In addition, the microtubules assembled in interphase extracts were less sensitive to dilution than those in metaphase. This study is the first to describe the dynamic instability of microtubules in Xenopus extracts without the addition of exogenous tubulins or other buffer contaminants.
Asymmetric Information, Incentives and Intrafirm Resource Allocation

This paper considers the question: How should a firm allocate a resource among divisions when the productivity of the resource in each division is known only to the division manager? Obviously if the divisions as represented by their managers are indifferent among various allocations of the resource, the headquarters can simply request the division managers to reveal their private information on productivity knowing that the managers have no incentive to lie. The resource allocation problem can then be solved under complete or at least symmetric information. This aspect is a flaw in much of the recent literature on this topic, i.e., there is nothing in the models considered which makes divisions prefer one allocation over another. Thus, although in some cases elaborate allocation schemes are proposed and analyzed, they are really unnecessary. In the model we develop, a division can produce the same output with less managerial effort if it is allocated more resources, and effort is costly to the manager. We further assume that this effort is unobservable by the headquarters, so that it cannot infer divisional productivity from data on divisional output and managerial effort. Given these assumptions, we seek an optimal resource allocation process. Our results show that certain types of transfer pricing schemes are optimal. In particular, if there are no potentially binding capacity constraints on production of the resource, then an optimal process is for each division to choose a transfer price from a schedule announced by the headquarters. Division managers receive a fixed compensation minus the cost of the resource allocated to them at the chosen transfer price. Resources are allocated on the basis of the chosen transfer prices. If there is a potentially binding constraint on resource production, a somewhat more complicated, but similar, scheme is required.
Topicity of vertices and edges in the möbius ladders: a topological result with chemical implications

Abstract It is shown that for uncolored Mobius ladders with n rungs, if n=3 all vertices and edges are constitutionally equivalent, while if n>3 all vertices are equivalent but two heterotopic classes of edges appear. Possible chemical consequences of these facts are discussed.
Immobilization stress affects oxytocin and vasopressin levels in hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic sites.

Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) have been localized in various sites within the central nervous system outside the classic hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal axis. This study investigated the effect of immobilization stress on the levels of OT and VP in the hypothalamus, pons-medulla, and the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral segments of the spinal cord. Male Long Evans rats were immobilized for 1 min and sacrificed by guillotine. The tissues were dissected out and homogenized in 0.1 N HCl. The hormone content was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in Sep-pak extracted samples. The data show a decrease in OT content of 33.6% (P < 0.02) and 42.4% (P < 0.01) in the hypothalamus and pons-medulla, respectively. In the spinal cord, however, OT levels were increased by 39.1% (not significant), 51.1% (P < 0.05), and 87.6% (P < 0.001) in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral segments respectively. The VP content of the hypothalamus and pons-medulla did not change. However, in the spinal cord, the VP content was also increased by 101.4% (P < 0.01) and by 143.7% (P < 0.01) in the cervical and lumbosacral segments. The levels of VP in the thoracic segment did not change. The data demonstrate that stress can alter hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic levels of OT as well as spinal cord levels of VP. The exact physiological effects of these changes, particularly within the spinal cord, remain to be elucidated.
Serotonin-induced contraction of canine basilar artery: mediation by 5-HT1 receptors

Serotonin and related agonists cause a marked contraction of canine basilar artery segments. These contractions can be inhibited by a variety of serotonergic antagonists. Absolute potencies of both serotonin agonists and antagonists in chamber contraction studies significantly correlate (P < 0.01) with their potencies for 5-HT1, but not 5-HT2, receptors as defined by central nervous system radioligand binding studies. Serotonin-induced contractions of canine basilar artery segments appear to be mediated by 5-HT1 receptors.
Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Associated With Retinal Embolism

Ischemic optic neuropathy occurred in three patients (a 55-year-old man and two women, 64 and 68 years old). Visual loss followed coronary bypass surgery in two patients who also had diffuse atherosclerotic disease. Retinal emboli were present in both eyes of each. The third patient developed ischemic optic neuropathy with evidence of ipsilateral retinal emboli shortly after cardiac catheterization. Her only other risk factor for ischemic optic neuropathy was systemic hypertension. Although highly unusual, ischemic optic neuropathy may be associated with and possibly caused by a shower of emboli to the eye
Sustained chemical waves in an annular gel reactor: a chemical pinwheel

Past experiments on the formation of chemical spatial structures1–4 (mainly chemical waves) have been conducted in closed, batch systems such as Petri dishes5–15, and not in open chemostats such as those usually employed in the study of temporal structures. As a consequence, the observed spatial patterns change uncontrollably and ultimately decay as the mixture evolves towards thermody-namic equilibrium. We have overcome this problem in a novel type of open reactor: the reaction occurs in an annular inert gel that is fed at the inner and outer rims. The reaction that we have studied is the Belousov–Zhabotinskii (BZ) reaction, which has become the paradigm for studies of spatial and temporal structures in nonlinear systems. In the ring reactor we observe sustained travelling azimuthal waves for a wide range of conditions.
Guidelines for the use of topical tretinoin (Retin-A) for photoaged skin

Topical tretinoin (Retin-A) enhances the appearance of photoaged skin by effacing fine wrinkles, bleaching pigmented "age spots," improving surface texture, and inducing a rosy glow. A media blitz about Retin-A has resulted in a rush of patients to physicians, many of whom have had little experience with this drug. As a result, many patients receive too little information and often improper instructions regarding the best way to apply tretinoin. Misuse and misconceptions are common. Tretinoin is not a cosmetic preparation to be applied according to individual whims. Patients require detailed instructions to obtain maximal benefits, as well as an appreciation of the time frame for these to appear. This article presents current guidelines for the proper use of Retin-A.
Reliability of the maximum derivatives of left ventricular pressure and internal diameter as indices of the inotropic state of the depressed myocardium

The effects of inotropic stimulation and increases in end-diastolic diameter, aortic pressure, left ventricular end diameter size, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate on maximum rate of change of left ventricular pressure (dP/dtmax) and diameter (dD/dtmax) were studied in eight dogs. Responses were studied in the normal conscious state, during myocardial depression due to high doses of pentobarbital or propranolol, and after bilateral cardiac sympathectomy. In all states studied, both dP/dtmax and dD/dtmax were substantially augmented by inotropic stimulation with isoprenaline and were less influenced by changes in end-diastolic diameter, mean arterial pressure and heart rate. It is concluded that both indices are highly sensitive to the contractile state of the left ventricle and relatively insensitive to haemodynamic alterations in both normal and depressed hearts.
Optimal Selection of Workholding Devices for Rotational Parts

Abstract This paper outlines a methodology for selecting the optimal sequence of workholding devices for manufacture of rotational parts, in order to minimize the total workholding time. The algorithm is based on dynamic programming and takes into account the holding surface, the machining surface and the direction of machining in order to specify the optimal plan.
Lateral dominance and aesthetic preference.

Abstract Left and right handers were found to differ in their preferences for mirror versions of vacation slides. Preferences of one group of right handers were predictive of preferences for another group of right handers, but not of left handers. In a second study, it was found that slides strongly prefered by dextrals were those with the more important content, or the greater heaviness on the right, and that slide asymmetry was highly correlated with dextral, but not sinistral preferences. Results were interpreted as reflecting a left field perceptual bias induced by selective right hemisphere activation in right handers.