cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phylogenetic relationships within the Eurasian catfish family Siluridae (Pisces: Siluriformes), with comments on generic validities and biogeography

Abstract A numerical cladistic analysis, based on 23 terminal groups and 63 morphological characters, was done to infer phylogenetic relationships within the Eurasian catfish family Siluridae. Nine hundred and forty-five equally most parsimonious trees (134 steps, consistency index 0.634) were found that differ in their resolutions of four polychotomies. Strict consensus of these trees includes ten internal nodes, does not support monophyly of Silurus , Ompok and Kryptopterus , as usually defined, and offers ambiguous support for monophyly of Wallago. Silurus and Kryptopterus are each composed of two non-sister group clades, and Ompok is composed of at least two such clades. Heuristic searches constrained by monophyly of Silurus , Ompok or Kryptopterus yielded trees five or six steps longer than the shortest trees free of constraints. The strict consensus also infers a basal dichotomy that separates the Siluridae into a temperate Eurasian clade with about 20 nominal species and a subtropical/tropical south and southeast Asian clade with about 75 nominal species. The distributions of these clades overlap in a relatively narrow region of east Asia. A heuristic search for trees 1 step longer than the shortest trees yielded 253890 trees. A strict consensus of these trees also infers a basal dichotomy between the above-mentioned clades. This analysis revealed four additional putative synapomorphies of the Siluridae, pending further resolution of the family's outgroup relationships.
The Justification of Violence: Social Problems and Social Solutions.

This paper proposes four functions in terms of which social indicators can be judged successful or unsuccessful: description, explanation, valuation, and utilization. These criteria are applied to the findings of a current nation-wide study on the attitudes of American men toward violence. Two indexes—the level of force that men consider justifiable for social control and the level of force that they consider justifiable for social change—are shown to be essentially uncorrelated and to present very different descriptive patterns. Most men consider injury or property damage to be unnecessary for social change, but are prepared to justify substantial force for social control. The explanation of these attitudes is sought in terms of background and demographic characteristics, and in terms of such psychological characteristics as values, group identification, semantics, and perception of social issues.
Subtypes of constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome based on rectal perception

Background—Patients who complain of constipation can be divided into those who have lost the natural call to stool, but develop abdominal discomfort after several days without a bowel movement (no urge); and those who experience a constant sensation of incomplete evacuation (urge). Aims—To determine whether the two groups diVer in symptoms, colonic transit, and perceptual responses to controlled rectal distension. Methods—Forty four patients with constipation were evaluated with a bowel symptom questionnaire, colonic transit (radiopaque markers), and rectal balloon distension. Stool (S) and discomfort (D) thresholds to slow ramp (40 ml/min) and rapid phasic distension (870 ml/min) were determined with an electronic distension device. Fifteen healthy controls were also studied. Results—All patients had Rome positive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); 17 were no urge and 27 urge. Mean D threshold to phasic rectal distensions was 28 (3) mm Hg in no urge, 27 (3) mm Hg in urge (NS), but higher in the control group (46 (2) mm Hg; p<0.01). Sixty seven per cent of no urge and 69% of urge were hypersensitive for D. Slow ramp distension thresholds were higher in no urge (S: 26 (3); D: 45 (4) mm Hg) compared with urge (S: 16 (2); D: 31 (3) mm Hg; p<0.01), or with controls (S: 15 (1); D: 30 (3); p<0.01). Conclusions—Hyposensitivity to slow rectal distension is found in patients with IBS who complain of constipation and have lost the call to stool even though their sensitivity to phasic distension is increased. (Gut 1998;43:388‐394)
Effects of bicarbonate alkalinity and calcium on the acute toxicity of copper to juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the relative importance of calcium hardness and bicarbonate alkalinity to the acute response of juvenile channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) exposed to a toxic concentration of copper sulfate. A preliminary bioassay revealed 28 mg·l −1 copper sulfate caused 50% mortality within 48 h (48-hLC 50 ) in juvenile channel catfish placed in water with calcium hardness and bicarbonate alkalinity, set at 75 mg·l −1 CaCO 3 . Catfish were then exposed to 28 mg·l −1 copper sulfate concentrations in environments where hardness or alkalinity concentrations were varied. Bicarbonate alkalinities above 75 mg·l −1 CaCO 3 , with calcium hardness held at 20 mg·l −1 CaCO 3 , significantly reduced catfish mortalities from 97–100% to 63–70%. Copper-induced mortalities were 100% for all fish placed in calcium hardness treatments (20–250 mg·l −1 CaCO 3 ) in which bicarbonate alkalinity was held at 20 mg·l −1 CaCO 3 . When bicarbonate alkalinity was held constant at 75 mg·l −1 CaCO 3 and calcium hardness was varied from 20 to 250 mg·l −1 CaCO 3 , copper related catfish mortalities displayed high variability and means ranged from 6.7 to 60%. Mortalities decreased as calcium concentrations increased. Although differences in mortalities were not statistically significant, the latter hardness findings appear to suggest a biologically significant calcium effect on copper toxicity in the presence of sufficient alkalinity concentrations.
Lunar orbital mass spectrometer

Abstract The Apollo 15 flight carried the first mass spectrometer to be flown beyond the earth's atmosphere. As part of the Lunar Orbital Science Experiments Package it was designed to measure the composition of the atmosphere of the moon. The instrument, a dual colletor, single-focusing sector-field spectrometer, was mounted on a 7.3 meter bi-stem boom extended from the service module and operated by a crew member fro the command module during the lunar orbit and trans-earth coast phases of the mission. Approximately 90 hours of data were obtained showing many mass peaks of significant magnitude in lunar orbit, but with much reduced amplitude during trans-lunar coast. Pre-flight absolute calibration was done at the Langley Research Center Molecular Beam Facility.
THE INFLUENCE OF UNSTEADY ACCELERATION AND TURBULENCE INTENSITY ON TRANSITION IN LOW-PRESSURE TURBINES

Wakes generated by upstream airfoil rows cause an unsteady flow field at the downstream rows in a Low Pressure Turbine (LPT). The pressure gradients and the local turbulence intensity levels experienced by the airfoil surface boundary layers change as the wakes pass through the passage. Laminar-toturbulent transition onset, transition path characteristics and separation and reattachment locations (if the flow separates) also change during the wake passing cycle. In this paper, the effects on transition onset and transition path of unsteady acceleration (composed of spatial acceleration and temporal acceleration), as well as turbulence intensity, are described. Results come from an experiment in which the wakes and passage flow of an LPT are simulated. Spatial acceleration and temporal acceleration are influenced by both the geometry and the instantaneous flow field. Thus, both are dynamic, driven by the change in streamwise momentum associated with the passing wakes. The total acceleration is the sum of the spatial acceleration and the temporal acceleration. Since the boundary layer responds to the instantaneous total acceleration field, this is the term to monitor. However, it is instructive to study its two components separately. Another feature of the wakes which is important to transition is the turbulence field. The local turbulence intensity increases then drops as the wake passes overhead. Deceleration and high turbulence levels, as experienced by the boundary layer as the wake approaches, promote transition whereas acceleration and a low level of turbulence, as experienced as the wake departs, can delay transition. Also, it is well documented that immediately behind a strip of transitional flow (a turbulent strip or turbulent spot), the boundary layer is especially calm (the calmed region), a feature which adds to the dynamics of transition in the LPT. Nomenclature
Letrozole in the neoadjuvant setting: the P024 trial

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy trials have consistently reported lower response rates in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer when compared with HR− cases. Preoperative endocrine therapy has therefore become a logical alternative and has gained considerable momentum from the finding that aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are more effective than tamoxifen for HR+ breast cancer in both the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. The most convincing neoadjuvant trial to demonstrate the superiority of an AI versus tamoxifen was the P024 study, a large multinational double-blind trial in postmenopausal women with HR+ breast cancer ineligible for breast-conserving surgery. The overall response rate (ORR) was 55% for letrozole and 36% for tamoxifen (P < 0.001). Significantly more letrozole-treated patients underwent breast-conserving surgery (45 vs. 35%, respectively; P = 0.022). In addition, ORR was significantly higher with letrozole than tamoxifen in the human epidermal growth factor receptor HER1/HER2+ subgroup (P = 0.0004). The clinical efficacy of letrozole in HER2+ breast cancer was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis and was found to be comparable to that of HER2− cases (ORR 71% in both subsets). Biomarker studies confirmed the superiority of letrozole in centrally assessed estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors and found a strong relationship with the degree of ER positivity for both agents. Interestingly, letrozole was effective even in marginally ER+ tumors and, unlike tamoxifen, consistently reduced the expression from estrogen-regulated genes (progesterone receptor and trefoil factor 1). Furthermore, when analyzed by Ki67 immunohistochemistry, letrozole was significantly more effective than tamoxifen in reducing tumor proliferation (P = 0.0009). Thus, neoadjuvant letrozole is safe and superior to tamoxifen in the treatment of postmenopausal women with HR+ locally advanced breast cancer.
Structural basis for microtubule binding and release by dynein.

Cytoplasmic dynein is a microtubule-based motor required for intracellular transport and cell division. Its movement involves coupling cycles of track binding and release with cycles of force-generating nucleotide hydrolysis. How this is accomplished given the ~25 nanometers separating dynein’s track- and nucleotide-binding sites is not understood. Here, we present a subnanometer-resolution structure of dynein’s microtubule-binding domain bound to microtubules by cryo–electron microscopy that was used to generate a pseudo-atomic model of the complex with molecular dynamics. We identified large rearrangements triggered by track binding and specific interactions, confirmed by mutagenesis and single-molecule motility assays, which tune dynein’s affinity for microtubules. Our results provide a molecular model for how dynein’s binding to microtubules is communicated to the rest of the motor.
Decision-Making Style and Acquisition of Information: Further Exploration of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

This study examined whether the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Thinking-Feeling Scale, which measures the preferred method of judging, is useful in explaining preference for different types of information among intuitive perceivers. Data from 40 graduates indicated that intuitive thinking types and feeling types do differ in their information preference with the principal difference being that thinking types prefer more objective, quantitative data than feeling types.
DSM-IV, Culture and Mood Disorders: A Critical Reflection on Recent Progress:

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Edition IV (DSM-IV) represents a significant advance over past editions in terms of attention to the role of culture in the assessment process. A major share of this accomplishment is due to the work of the National Institute of Mental Health Group on Culture and Diagnosis which orchestrated a large body of knowledge and diverse array of scientists to argue for a more culturally informed approach. This paper focuses on the nature and form of the debate as it unfolded with respect to the mood disorders. Specifically, it considers the Culture and Diagnosis Group's recommendations as to the cultural features of mood disorders to be included in DSM-IV, critically appraises the outcomes and suggests directions for future efforts along these lines.
Risk as Reproductive Variance

Abstract In economics, normative utility theories of decision-making under risk use a single number (expected value) to index subjective utility at the cost of losing information about risk distribution. This paper examines how people make use of risk distributions (that is, variations in expected payoffs) to maximize the probability of reaching a goal and to minimize the likelihood of falling below a minimum requirement (MR). The author proposes and tests a Bounded Risk Distribution model using both hypothetical life–death problems and real reproductive and parental decision problems. Study 1 demonstrated that a given degree of increase in expected number of saved lives had a significant effect on the respondents' risk preference when the increase was likely to cross the average MR of the respondents (in a small group context), but the same increase in expected value had little effect when the change was within a range below the average MR (in a kinship context) or above the MR (in a large group context). Study 2 examined alternative hypotheses for hypothetical risk acceptance with respect to kinship groups and found that whether the decision-maker was responsible or not had little effect on the setting of the MR and risk preference. The MR setting was mainly determined by the kinship context itself and was further fine-tuned by the framing of the choice outcomes. Study 3 was conducted in four rural villages in northwest China, and assessed real reproductive decisions. Interbirth intervals but not breast-feeding duration varied with a family's wealth, the sex of a child, and the perceived resemblance of a child to a parent. These results are interpreted in terms of the same Bounded Risk Distribution model that was applied in the hypothetical scenario studies.
Isolation and Characterization of Drosophila retinal degeneration B Suppressors

The Drosophila retinal degeneration B protein (RdgB) is a novel integral membrane phosphatidylinositol transfer protein required for photoreceptor cell viability and light response. We isolated one intragenic suppressor (rdgBsu100) and four autosomal suppressors of the hypomorphic rdgBKS222 retinal degeneration phenotype. The rdgBsu100 suppressor dramatically slowed rdgBKS222's photoreceptor degeneration without significantly improving the electroretinogram (ERG) light response. One autosomal recessive suppressor [su(rdgB)69] significantly slowed rdgBKS222 retinal degeneration and restored the ERG light response near to that of the wild type. Unlike all the previously characterized rdgB suppressors, the four new autosomal suppressors do not affect the ERG light response in rdgB+ flies. Only Su(rdgB)116 exhibited a mutant phenotype in a rdgB+ background, which was smaller R1-6 rhabdomeres. We also examined the extent to which two previously identified visual transduction mutations suppressed rdgB retinal degeneration. Absence of one of the light-activated calcium channels (trpCM) slowed the onset of rdgB-dependent degeneration. However, loss of protein kinase C (inaC209), which blocks photoreceptor cell deactivation, desensitization, and light adaptation, failed to suppress rdgB degeneration under normal light conditions. This demonstrates that TRP activity, but not INAC, is required for rapid rdgB-dependent degeneration.
cDNA cloning, purification, properties, and function of a β-1,3- glucan recognition protein from a pyralid moth, Plodia interpunctella

Microorganisms possess distinctive biochemical or molecular patterns on their cell surfaces, such as those formed by the lipopolysaccharides, lipoteichoic acids, and/or peptidoglycans of bacteria and the β-1,3-glucans of fungi. Pattern recognition proteins that bind to these surface moieties have been implicated in the activation of the innate immune response in insects and other invertebrates. We report the purification and cloning of a cDNA for a 53-kDa β-1,3-glucan recognition protein (βGRP) from the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). βGRP cDNA contains an open reading frame that encodes 488 amino acids, of which the first 17 residues comprise the secretion signal peptide. The calculated molecular mass of the 471-residue mature protein is 53,311 Da. The protein consists of a carboxyl-terminal domain that is similar to other recognition proteins from invertebrates, β-1,3-glucanases from bacteria, and a β-1,3-glucanase from the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The amino-terminus of βGRP shares sequence similarity with other invertebrate recognition molecules and the β-1,3-glucanase from S. purpuratus. Affinity purification of a 53-kDa protein and subsequent sequencing of a peptide produced by tryptic cleavage confirmed the presence of the βGRP in P. interpunctella larval hemolymph. RT-PCR analysis indicates that βGRP is constitutively expressed in all life-stages, with no detectable induction following exposure of wandering larvae to microbial elicitors. Northern blot analysis indicates that the 1.8-kb βGRP transcript is transcribed within the fat body. Recombinant βGRP retains β-1,3-glucan-binding activity, binds to lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid in vitro, causes aggregation of microorganisms, and activates the prophenoloxidase cascade in the presence of soluble β-1,3-glucan. These data support the hypothesis that the 53-kDa βGRP functions to recognize pathogen surface molecules as nonself and subsequently activates insect innate immune responses.
Sequential induction of NF-kappa B/Rel family proteins during B-cell terminal differentiation

The NF-kappa B/Rel family of at least five transcription factor polypeptides is thought to function both as a developmental regulator in B cells and as a rapid response system in all cells. To examine this notion in more detail, we determined the protein contents of both the inducible and constitutive NF-kappa B/Rel activities in a pre-B-cell line, 70Z/3, and a mature B-cell line, WEHI 231. NF-kappa B p50/p65 is the major inducible nuclear complex after lipopolysaccharide or phorbol myristate acetate treatment of 70Z/3 cells. The constitutive and inducible complexes in WEHI 231 cells are mainly composed of p50 and Rel. The constitutive or induced activities are all sensitive to I kappa B-alpha, but this inhibitor is very short-lived in WEHI 231 cells, suggesting that the balance between synthesis and degradation of I kappa B-alpha determines whether a particular cell lineage has constitutive activity. A patterned expression of the NF-kappa B/Rel activator proteins emerges from an analysis of other B-lineage cell lines and splenic B cells: mainly p50 and p65 in pre-B (and non-B) cells, a predominance of Rel and p50 in mature B cells, and expression of p52 and RelB in plasmacytoma lines. This ordered pattern of regulators may reflect the requirement for expression of different genes during terminal B-cell differentiation because different combinations of NF-kappa B/Rel family members preferentially activate distinct kappa B sites in reporter constructs.
Coronary Microvascular Pericytes Are the Cellular Target of Sunitinib Malate–Induced Cardiotoxicity

Sunitinib malate is a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of human malignancies. A substantial number of sunitinib-treated patients develop cardiac dysfunction, but the mechanism of sunitinib-induced cardiotoxicity is poorly understood. We show that mice treated with sunitinib develop cardiac and coronary microvascular dysfunction and exhibit an impaired cardiac response to stress. The physiological changes caused by treatment with sunitinib are accompanied by a substantial depletion of coronary microvascular pericytes. Pericytes are a cell type that is dependent on intact platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) signaling but whose role in the heart is poorly defined. Sunitinib-induced pericyte depletion and coronary microvascular dysfunction are recapitulated by CP-673451, a structurally distinct PDGFR inhibitor, confirming the role of PDGFR in pericyte survival. Thalidomide, an anticancer agent that is known to exert beneficial effects on pericyte survival and function, prevents sunitinib-induced pericyte cell death in vitro and prevents sunitinib-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo in a mouse model. Our findings suggest that pericytes are the primary cellular target of sunitinib-induced cardiotoxicity and reveal the pericyte as a cell type of concern in the regulation of coronary microvascular function. Furthermore, our data provide preliminary evidence that thalidomide may prevent cardiotoxicity in sunitinib-treated cancer patients.
Computer operation via face orientation

Computer operation via face orientation provides a means of communication for people with severe physical disability. The authors present a near-real-time computer system to track the eyes and the nose of a subject and compute the direction of the face. As presented by K. Ohmura et al. (1988), the direction can be computed from three natural feature points extracted from the face. The computational approach taken in this system is motivated by the practical requirements of near-real-time performance and accuracy. The approach is based on the reflection characteristic of the cornea. Any bright light source forms a twinkle in the eye that is fixed as long as the light source is fixed. Face direction detection is treated as a 2D tracking problem. The eye twinkles are extracted from the image and used to locate the nose. A final experiment shows that the face direction obtained from the three feature points is precise enough to control the mouse cursor to make selection from a menu with large light buttons. >
The year's progress in volcanology

The progress of volcanology suffered in two important respects as a result of the War. The German undertaking, under the leadership of Branca of the Berlin Academy, which in many respects was the most comprehensive plan for volcano study ever seriously contemplated, was dropped. A second plan, almost equally imposing, was started just before the War by Friedlaender at Naples. A beautiful laboratory overlooking the city and within sight of Vesuvius was constructed and a journal, the Zeitschrift fur Vulkanologie, now in its ninth year, was started. This splendid laboratory was taken over by the Italian Government during the War, and, although its return has been promised, its resources have been so considerably impaired that it will be some years before a full return to the pre-war plan is possible. The Zeitschrift was continued by Friedlaender from Switzerland by the issue of occasional numbers, but here also a considerable time must elapse before its pre-war status is fully re-established. It is altogether likely that Friedlaender's recent visit to the volcanoes of Mexico and Hawaii will give new impetus to the activities both of the laboratory and its journal.
Endogenous Adipose-Derived Factors Diminish Coronary Endothelial Function via Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthase

Adipocytokines may be the molecular link between obesity and vascular disease. However, the effects of these factors on coronary vascular function have not been discerned. Accordingly, the goal of this investigation was to delineate the mechanisms by which endogenous adipose-derived factors affect coronary vascular endothelial function. Both isolated canine coronary arteries and coronary blood flow in anesthetized dogs were studied with and without exposure to adipose tissue. Infusion of adipose-conditioned buffer directly into the coronary circulation did not change baseline hemodynamics; however, endothelial-dependent vasodilation to bradykinin was impaired both in vitro and in vivo. Coronary vasodilation to sodium nitroprusside was unaltered by adipose tissue. Oxygen radical formation did not cause the impairment because quantified dihydroethidium staining was decreased by adipose tissue and neither a superoxide dismutase mimetic nor catalase improved endothelial function. Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase with L-NAME diminished bradykinin-mediated relaxations and eliminated the subsequent vascular effects of adipose tissue. In vitro measurement of NO demonstrated that adipose tissue exposure quickly lowered baseline NO and abolished bradykinin-induced NO production. The results indicate that adipose tissue releases factor(s) that selectively impair endothelial-dependent dilation via inhibition of NO synthase-mediated NO production.
HCV Infection Induces a Unique Hepatic Innate Immune Response Associated With Robust Production of Type III Interferons

Background & Aims Polymorphisms in the IL28B gene have been associated with clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV), indicating a role for type III interferons (IFNs) in HCV infection. Little is known about the function of type III IFNs in intrinsic antiviral innate immunity. Methods We used in vivo and in vitro models to characterize the role of the type III IFNs in HCV infection and analyzed gene expression in liver biopsy samples from HCV-infected chimpanzees and patients. Messenger RNA and protein expression were studied in HCV-infected hepatoma cell lines and primary human hepatocytes. Results HCV infection of primary human hepatocytes induced production of chemokines and type III IFNs, including interleukin (IL)-28, and led to expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Chimpanzees infected with HCV showed rapid induction of hepatic type III IFN, associated with up-regulation of ISGs and minimal induction of type I IFNs. In liver biopsy specimens from HCV-infected patients, hepatic expression of IL-28 correlated with levels of ISGs but not of type I IFNs. HCV infection produced extensive changes with gene expression in addition to ISGs in primary human hepatocytes. The induction of type III IFNs is regulated by IFN regulatory factor 3 and nuclear factor κB. Type III IFNs up-regulate ISGs with a different kinetic profile than type 1 IFNs and induce a distinct set of genes, which might account for their functional differences. Conclusions HCV infection results predominantly in induction of type III IFNs in livers of humans and chimpanzees; the level of induction correlates with hepatic levels of ISGs. These findings might account for the association among IL-28, level of ISGs, and recovery from HCV infection and provide a therapeutic strategy for patients who do not respond to IFN therapy.
The physical context of previous stress exposure modifies hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal responses to a subsequent homotypic stress

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis becomes less responsive to some types of repeated stress over time, a process termed habituation. Many facets of the stressful stimulus can modify such HPA responses to stressors, such as predictability and controllability. However, the physical context in which the stressor occurred may also provide a discriminative stimulus that can affect the HPA response to that stressor. In the present study, we examined whether a change in the context in which stress exposure occurs can alter HPA responses to a subsequent [corrected] homotypic stressor. Three separate contexts were produced by manipulating odor cues. Rats housed in the 3 context rooms exhibited similar HPA responses to acute 30-min restraint or repeated (8th) 30-min restraint in their home environments. However, rats that were restrained for 30 min per day for 7 days in a room in one context and then restrained on day 8 in a novel context exhibited attenuated habituation compared to rats restrained on day 8 in the familiar context. These results provide evidence that repeated stress-induced HPA activity depends, in part, on the context in which the stress is experienced.
The Muse Pixeliope: Digitalization and Media Literacy Education

Most media literacy programs fail to take into account the dramatic nature of digitalization, focusing on analog-native media such as the newspaper or digital-native media such as computers and overlooking the process through which these forms are blending and converging. Those trends and ideas includenew digital aesthetics and new social effects caused by digitalization, both of which need to be taken into account in media literacy programs. The aesthetics of digitalization include prepurposing and repurposing content, virtual experience, sampling, interactivity, and manipulation. The new social effects include nonlinearity and content on demand. Digitalization will not immediately replace analog- and digital-oriented programs but needs to be considered as a part of thorough media literacy education.
Diet of Southern Toads (Bufo terrestris) in Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) Stands Subject to Coarse Woody Debris Manipulations

In the southeastern United States, coarse woody debris (CWD) typically harbors high densities of invertebrates. However, its importance as a foraging substrate for southeastern amphibians is relatively unknown. We examined effects of CWD manipulations on diet composition of southern toads (Bufo terrestris) in upland loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Twelve 9.3-ha plots were assigned one of the following treatments: removal- all CWD ≥10 cm in diameter and ≥60 cm long removed; downed- five-fold increase in volume of down CWD; and unmanipulated control stands. We collected southern toads ≥4 cm snout-vent length (SVL) during 14 d sampling periods in June and October 2002, June 2003 and during a 28 d sampling period in April 2003. We collected 80, 36 and 35 southern toads in control, downed and removal treatments, respectively. We found no difference in relative abundance or frequency of invertebrate groups consumed among treatments (P > 0.05). Average body weight (g), SVL (cm) and stomach content weight (g wet) of individuals also were similar among treatments (P > 0.05). The role of CWD as a foraging substrate for southern toads in loblolly pine stands of the southeastern Coastal Plain may be negligible, at least in the early stages of decay.
Special Section: Opportunities for Small Business in the Global Marketplace

As the chief executive officer of the Small Business Administration , Patricia F . Saiki directs a comprehensive array of programs and services designed to promote and expand U .S. small businesses. She oversees policy development , management , and delivery of financial and business development programs by the agency' s 5 ,000 employees in nearly JOO offices across the country.
A priori analysis of subgrid scale pressure and heat flux in high pressure mixing and reacting shear layers

Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) data on high pressure H2/O2 and H2/air flames using the compressible flow formulation, detailed kinetics, a real fluid equation of state, and generalised diffusion are analysed. The DNS is filtered over a range of filter widths to provide exact terms in the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) governing equations, including unclosed terms. The filtered pressure and the filtered heat flux vector are extensively compared with the pressure and the heat flux vector calculated as a function of the filtered primitive variables (i.e. the exact LES term is compared with its form available within an actual LES). The difference between these forms defines the subgrid pressure and the subgrid heat flux vector. The analyses are done both globally across the entire flame, as well as by conditionally averaging over specific regions of the flame; including regions of large subgrid kinetic energy, subgrid scalar dissipation, subgrid temperature variance, flame temperature, etc. In this work, alth...
Controlled-Release Panel Traps for the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Solid, controlled-release dispensers containing 2 g of the synthetic attractant trimedlure now are used in Jackson traps to detect the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Panel traps consisting of trimedlure mixed in a sticky substance and spread on the surfaces of a plastic panel are used to delineate the limits of discovered insect infestations in California. We describe the development of controlled-release, polymeric panels that prolong release of trimedlure and a highly attractive analog, ceralure. Attractants were incorporated in a polyethylene matrix to form panels and in a polymer coating on cardboard panels that then were evaluated by biological and chemical assay. In addition, commercial polymer matrix panels were evaluated. Field bioassay tests conducted in Hilo, HI, using released flies and in Guatemala in a natural population showed that the polyethylene matrix panel became brittle and cracked during field exposure and that release rates of the attractants were relatively low. The coated cardboard panels were stable under field conditions and yielded high fly captures for up to 6 wk. Farma Tech commercial panels containing 12.3 and 23.4 g of trimedlure remained highly attractive throughout a 134-d test in Hawaii and appear to be a long-lasting alternative to panels coated with trimedlure in Stikem. The cost of the relatively high dose of trimedlure is offset by the prolonged active life of the panel. Commercial panels from AgriSense (10 g trimedlure and 10 g ceralure) released the attractants at a slower rate and were less attractive.
ROLE OF BRAIN NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE IN SCREENING FOR CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS IN MULTIPLE MYELOMA PATIENTS UNDERGOING CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Patients with multiple myeloma have a high incidence of AL amyloidosis. Traditional screening modalities including EKG and echocardiography have limited value. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) level in screening for cardiac amyloidosis and to evaluate
A Method to Estimate Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Concrete Pavement Interiors

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is used in many pavements which reabsorb some of the CO2 emissions from the initial cement production over time in a process commonly referred to as carbonation. Estimating the extent of CO2 sequestration throughout pavements is crucial in understanding their true carbon footprints. Surface carbonation has been classically modeled with a front of extensive carbonation that slowly moves inward with rates on the order of millimeters per year, but provides little sequestration information beyond the front, which was usually assumed to be negligible. This work proposes an isopleth (chart with lines of similar characteristics) method for estimating average CO2 sequestration deeper within pavement samples based on quasi-steady-state equilibrium partitioning at various ages using material and chemical characteristics. Together with the surface carbonation model, the isopleths might provide more comprehensive carbon dioxide sequestration estimates. One inch (25.4 mm) deep hydrated cement samples were prepared, aged for several years with only their top surfaces exposed, and then analyzed for CO2 sequestration along their depths with thermal gravimetric analyses. The results indicate average interior CO2 sequestration levels exceeding 25 % based on moles of calcium in periods under three years, and even higher levels when samples are made with 25 % low calcium supplementary cementitious material. Similar tests on aged concrete samples would be needed to extrapolate the method to pavements.
Species turnover drives β-diversity patterns across multiple spatial and temporal scales in Great Lake Coastal Wetland Communities

β dissimilarity indices have described community variation occurring from unique structuring processes: species turnover and nestedness. However, the importance of scale definition remains critical and challenging during β assessments with a need for simultaneous spatial and temporal assessment to determine ecological phenomena governing biological communities. We aim to examine the contribution of turnover and nestedness structuring processes across multiple spatial and temporal scales to demonstrate the importance of scale consideration in β assessments. Using a site-to-basin-wide spatiotemporal hierarchical design, we examined diversity patterns, testing spatial, and temporal facets of β diversity structuring Laurentian Great Lake coastal wetland fish and macroinvertebrate communities from 2000 to 2012. Both fish and macroinvertebrate communities were analyzed using β dissimilarity indices under the same hierarchical design. Results indicated strong spatial and temporal turnover structuring with increasing β diversity and community turnover as scale localized. We suggest that high turnover is the result of inhospitable winter conditions followed by random re-colonization events in the spring. With relatively unique communities across space and time, biodiversity-oriented management of coastal wetlands should consider an all-inclusive approach as biodiversity hotspots are not apparent.
Conjunctions and the Limits of Truth-Table Logic

The classic and most frequently cited example of tone has to do with the difference in meaning between ‘and’ and ‘but’. According tofrege these two words can be interchanged without affecting the truth-value of an entire sentence in which they occur. He is thinking, of course, of instances in which they function as sentence connectors. In such cases their truth-tables are identical. ‘It is cold outside and Smith is happy’ is true, or false, under the same conditions as ‘It is cold outside, but Smith is happy’. They are thus held to possess the same sense (Sinn). The same holds for ‘Although it is cold outside, Smith is happy’. All three are symbolized in logical idiom as ‘P & Q’. But, as Frege rightly says, they are not synonymous.
Abstract 2519: A novel role for brachyury as a key regulator of sonic hedgehog signaling (Shh) and maintenance of stemness in gliomas

Glioblastomas are the most common and aggressive form of adult primary brain tumors and are associated with a dismal prognosis. Accumulating evidences suggest that a subset of therapy-resistant cancer stem cells are responsible for recurrence in tumors targeting which may help in gliomas. We identified a significant overexpression of Brachyury (T-box transcription factor) in correlation with glioma histological grade when compared to non-tumor brain controls, with the highest expression being in grade IV gliomas. We also observed increased expression of Brachyury in several glioma cell lines and stem cells (GSCs) when compared to normal human astrocytes. Serum-induced differentiation of GSCs resulted in loss of Brachyury expression along with decreased stem-cell marker levels in these cells, which prompted us to study the potential role of Brachyury in glioma stemness and to delineate the underlying signaling mechanisms. Specific shRNA-mediated knockdown of Brachyury significantly decreased proliferation, migration and invasion in glioma cell lines. Brachyury suppression led to inhibition of sphere formation of GSCs and decreased stem cells marker expression including CD133, nestin and Nanog. Brachyury knockdown also inhibited the activation of sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling and decreased Gli1 levels in these cells. On the other hand, stable overexpression of Brachyury resulted in the activation of Shh pathway and elevated stem cell marker expression in GSCs. Based on these in vitro findings, our future studies will be focused on determining the role of Brachyury in orthotopic tumor growth in vivo. In summary, our data reveals a novel role for Brachyury in the regulation of tumor invasiveness and stemness, and indicates a potential for therapeutic targeting of Brachyury in patients with gliomas. Citation Format: Divya Kesanakurti, Alessandro Canella, Jihong Xu, Vinay K. Puduvalli. A novel role for brachyury as a key regulator of sonic hedgehog signaling (Shh) and maintenance of stemness in gliomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2519.
Diagnosis and Management of Tremor.

ABSTRACTPurpose of Review: Tremor, which is a rhythmic oscillation of a body part, is among the most common involuntary movements. Rhythmic oscillations may manifest in a variety of ways; as a result, a rich clinical phenomenology surrounds tremor. For this reason, diagnosing tremor disorders can be
Long-Term Neurologic Problems with Medulloblastoma

All 11 children who presented since 1976 in Cardiff, Wales with medulloblastoma and who had survived at least 5 years were reviewed neurologically.
Sustaining Improvement in Door-to-Balloon Time Over 4 Years The Mayo Clinic ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Protocol

Background— American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines recommend a door-to-balloon time (DTB) <90 minutes for nontransferred patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Systems of care to achieve and sustain this DTB performance over several years have not been previously reported. Methods and Results— The Mayo Clinic STEMI protocol was implemented in April 2004 and included activation of the cardiac catheterization laboratory by the emergency medicine physician; a single call system to activate the catheterization laboratory; catheterization laboratory staff arrival within 20 to 30 minutes of activation; and real-time performance feedback within 24 to 48 hours. Data were collected on nontransferred STEMI patients. The preimplementation group (June 2002 to March 2004) comprised 96 patients with a median DTB of 97 (interquartile range, 82, 130) minutes, and 40% had a DTB <90 minutes. The postimplementation group (May 2004 to March 2008) comprised 322 patients with a median DTB of 67 (interquartile range, 55, 82) minutes, and 81% had a DTB <90 minutes. Postimplementation DTB was significantly shorter than preimplementation DTB ( P <0.001). In the 4-year follow-up after protocol implementation, the DTB performance remained stable over time ( P =0.41). Conclusions— The Mayo Clinic STEMI protocol implemented strategies to reduce DTB for nontransferred patients with STEMI. DTB was significantly reduced, and the results were sustained over the 4-year follow-up period. Our experience demonstrates the effectiveness and durability of process changes targeting timeliness of primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Received November 28, 2008; accepted June 26, 2009.
Fluoxetine and cyclosporine in organ transplantation : failure to detect significant drug interactions or adverse clinical events in depressed organ recipients

Depression and anxiety disorders are common clinical problems in organ transplant recipients, but there is a paucity of clinical data to inform the selection of psychopharmacologic treatment. The authors retrospectively compared 13 depressed organ transplant recipients treated with fluoxetine with 13 nondepressed matched control recipients and 11 transplant recipients treated with tricyclic antidepressants (nortriptyline or desipramine). Blood levetlose ratios and dose-response relationships for cyclosporine were virtually identical in all three groups before and during treatment. No increase in adverse clinical events was detected in either active treatment group compared with the control subjects. Fluoxetine appeared to be well tolerated by this population of transplant patients, and the authors failed to detect significant alterations in cyclosporine levels or graft function.
Christians and Jews in the Roman Empire: A Conversation with Rodney Stark

Rodney Stark's article on the relation of early Christianity to cities produces impressive statistical results showing that population had some relation to where Christianity spread, but that distance from Jerusalem and Romanization were strong negative factors, and that there was a high correlation between presence of a synagogue in a city and the establishment of Christianity there. The statistical base of that study needs to be corrected, and other factors need to be considered. Making these changes leads to the conclusions that both population and the presence of Judaism were irrelevant for the spread of early Christianity, and that Hellenization needs to be investigated.
Factor XI Deficiency Confers a Survival Advantage in a Murine Sepsis Model.

Bacterial sepsis is frequently accompanied by intravascular activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis, resulting in a coagulopathy with thrombotic, hemorrhagic, and inflammatory components (disseminated intravascular coagulation - DIC) that contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. Recently, using vascular occlusion models, the plasma coagulation protease factor XI (FXI) has been shown to contribute to pathologic thrombus formation in primates, mice, and rabbits. These results are supported by epidemiologic studies in human populations that show an association between elevated plasma FXI levels and an increased risk for venous and arterial thrombosis. FXI has also been shown to contribute to the lethal consumptive coagulopathy in protein C deficient mice. To investigate the contribution of FXI to consumptive coagulopathy and mortality in sepsis, we compared wild type (WT) and FXI deficient (FXI −/− ) mice in models of polymicrobial sepsis and endotoxemia. Polymicrobial sepsis was induced in WT and FXI −/− C57Bl/6 mice (n = 24 for each genotype) using an established model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Overall survival was 21% for WT and 42% for FXI −/− mice ( p −/− deaths between days 3 and 6. Average survival for mice succumbing to sepsis was 55 ± 10 hr for WT, and 88 ± 22 hr in FXI −/− mice ( p −/− animals decreased 27 ± 13% and 13 ± 12% ( p = 0.05), and leukocyte counts decreased by 64 ± 13% and 40 ± 23% ( p −/− mice ( p Escherichia coli endotoxin. Mortality 24 hrs after endotoxin administration was identical for WT and FXI −/− mice (n =15 for each dose) at doses of 50 mg/kg (mortality 80%) and 25 mg/kg (mortality 70%). Twelve hours after administering 25 mg/kg endotoxin, the mean platelet counts in WT animals decreased by an average of 60% (from 440 ± 159/mm 3 at baseline to 175 ± 77/mm 3 , n = 10), and by 36% in FXI −/− animals (from 474 ± 218/mm 3 to 303 ± 100/mm 3 ). In summary, prognosis was better for FXI −/− mice in CLP-induced sepsis compared to WT mice, and the CLP and endotoxin data indicate that consumptive coagulopathy is less severe in the absence of FXI. The results suggest that therapeutic inhibition of FXIa activity could be beneficial in treating sepsis-related DIC. Humans with severe congenital FXI deficiency typically have, at most, a mild trauma-induced bleeding disorder. It is possible, therefore, that inhibition of FXIa in DIC may be associated with a lower risk of exacerbating bleeding when compared to anticoagulant therapies such as heparin or activated protein C.