cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diversifying maize genomic selection models

Genomic selection (GS) is one of the most powerful tools available for maize breeding. Its use of genome-wide marker data to estimate breeding values translates to increased genetic gains with fewer breeding cycles. In this review, we cover the history of GS and highlight particular milestones during its adaptation to maize breeding. We discuss how GS can be applied to developing superior maize inbreds and hybrids. Additionally, we characterize refinements in GS models that could enable the encapsulation of non-additive genetic effects, genotype by environment interactions, and multiple levels of the biological hierarchy, all of which could ultimately result in more accurate predictions of breeding values. Finally, we suggest the stages in a maize breeding program where it would be beneficial to apply GS. Given the current sophistication of high-throughput phenotypic, genotypic, and other -omic level data currently available to the maize community, now is the time to explore the implications of their incorporation into GS models and thus ensure that genetic gains are being achieved as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Fake News Analysis and Graph Classification on a COVID-19 Twitter Dataset

In this work we aim to study the spread of fake news compared to real news in a social network. We do that by performing social network analysis to discover various characteristics, and formulate the problem as a binary classification one, where we have graphs modeling the spread of fake and real news. For our experiments we rely on how news are propagated through a popular social media service such as Twitter during the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. In the past, several other approaches classify news as fake or real by deploying various graph embedding techniques and deep learning techniques.We focus on developing a dataset that contains tweets specific to COVID-19 by using the content of the tweets. Further, we create graphs of the fake and real news along with their retweets and followers and work on the graphs. We perform social network analysis and compare their characteristics. Additionally, we study the propagation of fake and real news among users using community detection algorithms on the graphs. Finally, we create a model by deploying the Weisfeiler Lehman graph kernel for graph classification on our labeled dataset. The model is able to predict whether a news article is real or fake based on how the corresponding graph of the retweets and followers are connected.
Robustly detecting imaging model mismatches and reconstruction artifacts in single-molecule localization microscopy

We demonstrate Wasserstein-induced flux (WIF) for measuring localization stability in localization microscopy. Without knowing the ground truth structure being im- aged, WIF detects model mismatch within reconstruction algorithms and nanoscale imag- ing artifacts with high sensitivity.
The Constitution of Risk

The Constitution of Risk is the first book to combine constitutional theory with the theory of risk regulation. It argues that constitutional rulemaking is best understood as a means of managing political risks. Constitutional law structures and regulates the risks that arise in and from political life, such as an executive coup or military putsch, political abuse of ideological or ethnic minorities, or corrupt self-dealing by officials. The book claims that the best way to manage political risks is an approach it calls 'optimizing constitutionalism' - in contrast to the worst-case thinking that underpins 'precautionary constitutionalism', a mainstay of liberal constitutional theory. Drawing on a broad range of disciplines such as decision theory, game theory, welfare economics, political science and psychology, this book advocates constitutional rulemaking undertaken in a spirit of welfare maximization, and offers a corrective to the pervasive and frequently irrational distrust of official power that is so prominent in American constitutional history and discourse.
Monitoring Autoimmune Reactivity within the Retina

This chapter deals with the identification of antiretinal immune reactivity in patients with retinal diseases. An extraordinary feature of the eye is its immune status. The immune response that occurs within the eye is different from the systemic immune response, and this unique characteristic has been referred to as immune privilege. Retinal autoimmunity exists as a naturally occurring disease in humans and as an experimentally designed animal model system. Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is an ocular inflammatory (autoimmune) disease that occurs after a perforating injury to one eye. Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) is most commonly associated with small-cell carcinoma of the lung, but it has also been reported for patients with breast, endometrial, and other cancers. Posterior ocular onchocerciasis is characterized by atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and as lesions advance, subretinal fibrosis occurs. Toxoplasmosis, which occurs in over 500 million humans worldwide, is caused by the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii is also the most frequently identified infectious agent in posterior uveitis, and Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis is an important cause of blindness in young adults. Measurement of antiretinal immune reactivity is difficult to perform in the clinical laboratory. Analysis of immunocytochemical or immunofluorescent staining of retina tissue sections requires special training for interpretation.
The Lower Esophageal Sphincter

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a complex area of circular muscle on the distal esophagus and proximal stomach several centimeters in length. Together with the diaphragmatic crura and the structure of the angle of His, the LES makes up the backbone of the gastroesophageal reflux barrier. Competency of the LES is a function of pressure and length. When the barrier is defective, reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus ensues. When the barrier cannot relax, food cannot pass into the stomach leading to Achalasia. This chapter focuses on the structure and function of the LES.
Odontogenic keratocyst. Report of a case.

Abstract The solitary keratocyst must be differentiated from multiple keratocysts. Its origin is still in doubt, but it should be regarded as a separate entity. Its recurrence rate is high. A case of solitary odontogenic keratocyst is presented; the literature is reviewed; the abnormalities, treatment, and significance of the lesion are discussed.
HSF: the iOpt's framework to easily design metaheuristic methods

The Heuristic Search Framework (HSF) is a Java object-oriented framework allowing to easily implement single solution algorithms such as Local Search, population-based algorithms such as Genetic Algorithms, and hybrid methods being a combination of the two. The main idea in HSF is to break down any of these heuristic algorithms into a plurality of constituent parts. Thereafter, a user can use this library of parts to build existing or new algorithms. The main motivation behind HSF is to provide a "well-designed" framework dedicated to heuristic methods in order to offer representation of existing methods and to retain flexibility to build new ones. In addition, the use of the infra-structure of the framework avoid the need to re-implement parts that have already been incorporated in HSF and reduces the code necessary to extend existing components.
Application of the ripley's k-function for image segmentation

In this paper the method of image segmentation by application of point pattern characteristic is shown.
Why doesn't Canada have an American-style Christian Right? A Comparative Framework for Analyzing the Political Effects of Evangelical Subcultural Identity

Political commentators have asked if Canada could see the rise of an American-style “Culture War,” where evangelical Protestants are rallied by moral issues to support the Conservative party. This paper argues that even though Canadian evangelicals are just as morally conservative as American evangelicals, they work from very different understandings about the relationship between religious morality and national identity. We predict that rank-and-file Canadian evangelicals will be less responsive to political mobilization around moral issues because they construct their subcultural identity differently than American evangelicals. This paper uses a multimethod strategy to analyze the political impact of evangelical subcultural identity, a cultural mechanism that mediates the political effects of moral attitudes. We illustrate this multidimensional concept of subcultural identity through survey data, in-depth interviews, and comparative-historical data. This comparative framework for studying subcultural identity helps explain why the content of evangelical Protestant morality becomes linked to political behaviour in some national contexts and historical periods but not others. Resume. Les commentateurs politiques se sont demande si le canada pouvait voir l’emergence d’une « Guerre culturelle » de type americain, qui verrait les Protestants evangeliques soutenir le parti conservateur sur la base de questions morales. Dans cet article, nous soutenons que bien que les evangeliques canadiens soient tout aussi conservateur sur le plan moral que les evangeliques americains, ils comprennent de facon tres differente la relation entre morale religieuse et identite nationale. Nous predisons que la base des evangeliques canadiens est peu susceptible de repondre a une mobilisation politique sur des questions morales, parce que son identite sous-culturelle est construite differemment de celle des evangeliques americains. Cet article mets en œuvre des methodes croisees pour analyser l’impact politique de la sous culture evangelique, comprise comme un mecanisme culturel qui influence l’effet politique de dispositions morales. Nous illustrons le concept multidimensionnel d’identite sous-culturelle en mobilisant des donnees quantitatives, des entretiens approfondis, et des donnees historiques comparatives. Une utilisation comparative du cadre de l’identite sous culturelle permet d’expliquer pourquoi le contenu de la morale evangelique protestante n’affecte les comportements politiques que dans certains contextes nationaux et periodes historiques.
Impact of ice microphysics on multiscale organization of tropical convection in two-dimensional cloud-resolving simulations

This paper documents the impact of ice microphysics on the multiscale organization of tropical convection as simulated in two-dimensional cloud-resolving model simulations. Results from simulations which apply warm-rain microphysics are compared with results from a simulation which includes ice processes presented previously in this journal. In these simulations, moist convection and large-scale dynamics interact on an unprecedented range of spatial and temporal scales, albeit within a limited two-dimensional dynamical framework. In general, the large-scale organization of convection is similar in all simulations, although the scale and propagation speed of convectively-coup led gravity waves are different between the warm-rain and ice simulations. The most striking differences are on the mesoscale. The warm-rain simulations feature mesoscale convective systems with a reduced stratiform component and shorter life cycle than mesoscale systems in the simulation with ice microphysics. These impacts are consistent with previous modelling studies of the impact of ice microphysics on organized convection. It is hypothesized that the shorter life cycle of mesoscale convective systems in warm-rain simulations influences scale selection of the large-scale convectively-coup led gravity waves. Moreover, the vertical transport of horizontal momentum is affected as well. To the author's knowledge this is the first time the impact of cloud microphysics on mesoscale convective systems is shown to affect the coupling between deep convection and large-scale perturbations in the tropics. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Electrodeposition of radioactive rhenium onto stents to prevent restenosis

Abstract Radioactive stents are currently being evaluated for preventing restenosis. A major difficulty to overcome is the need to load any pre-manufactured stents with defined amounts of radioactivity at the time of use. Using stents that are preloaded by the manufacturer is not ideal because the stent length usually differs from the length needed for a specific lesion and the amounts of radioactivity varies widely due to ongoing decay of the source. Thus, we have developed a novel method that allows any currently used stainless steel or tantalum stent to be coated with radioactive rhenium. The method involves placing the stent in a series of rinsing and electroplating solutions, one containing radioactive rhenium ( 186 Re, 188 Re, or both). The overall processing time is 15 min and the procedure may be conveniently applied just prior to the stent insertion. The plated stent contains radioactive rhenium in a 1.2 μm-thick cobalt layer, with an outer 2 μm layer of gold. The gold layer gives the radioactive stent excellent radiochemical stability, good bending and biocompatibility properties, and improves stent visibility during fluoroscopy.
Customers, knowledge management, and intellectual capital

A modern business is a knowledge business. What it can do depends on what it knows, the preponderance of which resides in the skills of employees, their experiences, insights and intuitions, and their relationships. Knowledge management has therefore increasingly recognized workers as important contributors to the intellectual capital of businesses. Customers, too, can add to what companies know, but to learn from them, businesses must listen attentively to what they have to say. Unfortunately, an increasing reliance on technology impedes conversations between companies and those they serve to the detriment of both. By expanding the scope of its knowledge management effort to include its customers, however, a company can gain new knowledge to bolster its service, improve its operation, and accelerate its innovation. Much of what has been learned about gathering knowledge in the workplace can facilitate this undertaking.
Memory functions for kinetic theory models of density fluctuations in fluids

Abstract Space-time memory functions for density correlation functions are derived from several simple kinetic equations and found to be simply expressed in terms of the memory functions for a free-particle system. Spectral and temporal behavior which illustrate the effects of free molecular flow, mean-field interactions, and intermolecular collisions are examined, and the manner in which improvements over linearized hydrodynamics are obtained is discussed.
Being a Bodhisattva at Work: Perspectives on the Influence of Buddhist Practices in Entrepreneurial Organizations

This article explores the fit between the lived reality in entrepreneurial organizations and the Buddhist concept of the bodhisattva in order to see whether the juxtaposition of these two very different realities can shed light on the impact of spiritual values in the workplace. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an array of entrepreneurs who have been practising Buddhists for over three years to see whether they were using core elements of this concept in their daily work and, if so, how they experienced the value and impact of these notions. The interviews showed that it was very much a part of the participants’ daily work lives and seems to be a force in creating a happier, more nourishing work environment. All participants brought up the notion unasked and provided stories describing how their relationships at work were influenced by this and other fundamental aspects of their spiritual practice. The data have implications at the levels of both individual action and societal change. Buddhi...
Animal models of osteosarcoma

Appendicular osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary mesenchymal tumor arising from malignantly transformed osteoblasts. In people, OS is the most common nonhematopoietic, primary skeletal neoplasm diagnosed in adolescents and is the second leading cause of cancer-related fatalities within this age group. Despite aggressive therapeutic management, including limb-sparing surgeries and dose-intense systemic chemotherapies, 30-40% of patients will experience progressive metastatic disease within 5 years of diagnosis. In order to reduce the fatality rate associated with recurrent or metastatic OS, a more thorough understanding of OS pathogenesis and biology is required. Towards this pursuit, comparative animal models of OS have been developed and are actively being studied to expand our fundamental understanding of OS. It is anticipated that specific animal models of OS, which most accurately recapitulate the natural disease process in people, will be most useful for advancing our understanding of OS biology, and will facilitate the discovery of disease pathogenesis and the identification of novel therapeutic strategies for managing this lethal metastatic bone sarcoma.
Propagating radial waves of travel cost in a grid

To calculate the minimum cost of travel to each location within a geographical area from a specified set of locations, most geographic information systems represent that area as a rectangular grid of discrete cells, each indicating the cost of traversing that cell's particular location. These increments of cost are then accumulated by proceeding from cell to adjacent cell in a manner that resembles the propagation of waves. Because this propagation is limited to the eight directions associated with each cell's eight neighbors, however, it is often misdirected, and travel costs are therefore often overestimated. This article discusses the context, precedent, design, implementation, performance, and implications of a new algorithm that eliminates such problems in a straightforward manner. It does so by retaining the octangular propagation mechanism of earlier algorithms while keeping track of the particular locations at which propagated waves of accumulating travel cost either refract or diffract. The approach also holds promise for significant improvement in areas ranging from dispersion modeling and shape analysis to interpolation and the delineation of cost-minimizing paths.
Reconstructability analysis using probability intervals

It is proposed that probability intervals be used in reconstructability analysis. A probability interval is a subinterval of the real interval [0,1]. Regarded as “interval-valued probabilities”, these intervals generalize real-valued probabilities and arise naturally in many situations. They may represent confidence intervals resulting from sampling; imprecisely stated subjective probabilities; known linear equality or inequality constraints; etc. Thus, probability intervals are sometimes a more realistic characterization of uncertainty than are real-valued probabilities. Furthermore, the problem of inconsistency can often be avoided by their use Although the utility of interval-valued probability distributions for the identification problem is emphasized, a reconstruction technique is also developed. This reconstruction method employs a metric distance for interval distributions that is monotonic with respect to model refinement.
Gender-specific association between iron status and the history of attempted suicide: implications for gender paradox of suicide behaviors.

Abstract Purpose Iron deficiency (ID) has been linked with high impulsivity, and an increased risk of ID was reported among suicide attempters. We hypothesized that poor iron status might be prevalent among suicide attempters, who have high impulsivity. Methods As a part of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994), a set of iron indices were measured in 2598 men and 2975 women aged 17–39 years, who completed a mental disorder diagnostic interview. Results Using non-attempters as reference within each gender, we observed a gender-dependent association between poor iron status and the history of attempted suicide. For male attempters (n = 74), the prevalence ratios (PR) of abnormal serum ferritin, serum iron and protoporphyrin were 18.3 (95%CI = 3.3–101.7), 3.2 (1.1–9.4) and 5.4(1.8–15.6). In contrast, the PR of abnormal serum ferritin for female attempters (n = 217) was 0.3 (0.1–0.6). The hematological indices did not differ significantly between attempters and non-attempters among either men or women. Compared with non-attempters, male attempters were prone to a higher odds [17.5 (4.2–72.4)] while female attempters to a lower odds [0.6 (0.3–1.1)] of ID. Conclusion These data suggest new opportunities for exploring biological bases of gender paradox of suicidal behaviors and a novel way to enhance therapeutic and preventive interventions against suicide.
Neuroprotective effect of volatile anesthetic agents: molecular mechanisms.

Abstract Introduction: Intra-operative cerebral ischemia can be catastrophic, and volatile anesthetic agents have been recognized for their potential neuroprotective properties since the 1960s. In this review, we examine the neuroprotective effects of five volatile anesthetic agents in current or recent clinical use: isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane, halothane and enflurane. Methods: A review of publications in the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health database from 1970 to 2007 was conducted. Results: Volatile anesthetic agents have been shown to be neuroprotective in multiple animal works of ischemic brain injury. Short-term neuroprotection (<1 week post-ischemia) in experimental cerebral ischemia has been reported in multiple works, although long-term neuroprotection (≥1 week post-ischemia) remains controversial. Comparison works have not demonstrated superiority of one specific volatile agent over another in experimental models of brain injury. Relatively few human works ha...
The Composing Process for Computer Conversation

Computer conversation provides a writing context in which both process and product are mediated via the computer terminal and the product is semipermanent. This 8-month study of the use of computer...
Severe Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Magnitude of the Problem and Consequences

The aim of this study was to characterize patients requiring hospitalization for severe chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) at the local and national levels and to analyze factors related to primary amputation. An administrative database (Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 1988-2000) and a single institution (1992-2000) were reviewed using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th ed., Clinical Modification, codes for CVI, excluding phlegmasia and concomitant peripheral vascular occlusive disease codes. Demographics, clinical course, and outcomes were assessed. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate statistical analyses were used; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Nationally, CVI occurred with a mean incidence of 92/100,000 admissions, of which 55% were women, having a mean age of 65 years and a median length of stay of 7 days. Mean hospital charges were $13,900 and did not change significantly over time. Acute deep vein thrombosis affected 1.3%, amputation was performed in 1.2%, and in-hospital mortality was 1.6% The local cohort included 67 patients with a mean age of 51 years; a majority were men (60%), and 85% were C6 (of Clinical-Etiologic-Anatomic-Pathophysiology [CEAP]). Patients averaged 23 clinic visits and a median of one hospitalization for CVI care over a 44-month follow-up. Twelve patients (18%) underwent a CVI-related amputation (one transmetatarsal amputation, nine below-knee amputations, and two above-knee amputations). They had fourfold more CVI-related hospitalizations, greater preoperative chronic narcotic use than nonamputee patients (85% vs. 58%), but less ongoing wound care needs (25% vs. 89%) (all p values < 0.05). However, no significant difference in long-term mortality, number of clinic visits, duration of symptoms, antibiotic courses, or prior venous-related surgeries was found. In those with amputation, ambulatory status was maintained in 75% at 15-month follow-up. The physiological and economic costs of severe CVI are significant and have not decreased over more than a decade. Amputation for CVI-related nonhealing wounds has a reasonable outcome. Future therapy must focus on prevention of CVI sequelae.
ESTIMATING NONLINEAR INTERACTION STRENGTHS : AN OBSERVATION-BASED METHOD FOR SPECIES-RICH FOOD WEBS

Efforts to estimate the strength of species interactions in species-rich, reticulate food webs have been hampered by the multitude of direct and indirect interactions such systems exhibit and have been limited by an assumption that pairwise interactions display linear functional forms. Here we present a new method for directly measuring, on a per capita basis, the nonlinear strength of trophic species interactions within such food webs. This is an observation-based method, requiring three pieces of information: (1) species abundances, (2) predator and prey-specific handling times, and (3) data from predator-specific feeding surveys in which the number of individuals observed feeding on each of the predator's prey species has been tallied. The method offers a straightforward way to assess the completeness of one's sampling effort in accurately estimating interaction strengths through the construction of predator-specific prey accumulation curves. The method should be applicable to a variety of systems in which empirical estimates of direct interaction strengths have thus far remained elusive.
Design and fabrication of multifunctional structural batteries

Abstract A new design of lithium ion batteries with tunable mechanical properties has been developed. Depending on the material design of the battery components, the battery can range from elastic to structurally rigid. Elastic battery electrodes have been fabricated by utilizing elastic polymer binders in the electrode construction. The design of structural batteries capable of carrying load is based on a fiber reinforced polymer composite structure. The first generation structural battery has been fabricated based on a high molecular weight polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix achieving a modulus of 3.1 GPa and an energy density of 35 Wh kg−1. Remaining challenges in fully realizing a multifunctional structural battery are outlined.
The site of acute myocardial infarction is related to the coronary territory of transient defects on prior myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background Prior studies have established the prognostic value of myocardial perfusion imaging. In particular, the presence and extent of transient defects have been shown to predict future cardiac events including acute myocardial infarction. However, the relationship between the location of the perfusion defect and the site of subsequent myocardial infarction remains unclear.
Family strategies and the migration of women: migrants to Dagupan City, Philippines.

PIP: This study of women migrants to Dagupan, a 2ndry city in the Philippines, finds complex occupational and migration patterns with women in informal sector occupations as well as in professional/clerical ones. A large number of those in professional or clerical positions, who are also better educated, had moved away from home previously to study, whereas for a majority of those in the informal sector, including salesworkers, the move to Dagupan was the 1st in their life. While a majority of the former had moved with a definite job offer, the latter usually had come to Dagupan at the suggestion of relatives to look for work. Decision to move, usually made by the father, occurs within a cultural context which upholds strong expectations regarding the obligations of family members to 1 another, in this case, in the form of remittances. Daughters are expected to support families to a greater extent than sons, though both are encouraged to migrate to cities. 3 types of family strategies emerge in the analysis of migration pattersns: 1) rural households, usually poor and with little education, send their daughters out in the hope that remittances would help attain the basic necessities of life; 2) in an attempt to follow a strategy leading to upward mobility, some rural families educate their daughters, especially for occupations in the formal sector, whose remittances are used to educate other siblings; and 3) for those families with higher levels of education and income, encouraging daughters to migrate is done with a view to enhancing their position in society, rather than for the purpose of remittance. Women are encouraged by their families to migrate to cities with the expectation, based on strong cultural values, that such migration would help maintain the family as a unit through, among other things, financial support recieved.
Alterations in HIV expression in AIDS patients with psoriasis or pruritus treated with phototherapy

Abstract Background: Ultraviolet light (UVL) upregulates HIV transcription in vitro and in transgenic mice. AIDS-associated psoriasis and pruritus respond to phototherapy. Objective: Our goal was to determine the effect of phototherapy on viral load and immunologic parameters in HIV-positive patients. Methods: T cell subsets, p24, plasma cytokines, serum or plasma HIV-RNA, dosage, and antivirals were assessed in HIV-positive patients and negative controls receiving 6 weeks of phototherapy with UVB and in untreated controls. Results: Phototherapy improved skin conditions without significantly affecting T cell numbers. Plasma p24 increased 2-fold ( P = .055) and HIV-RNA levels 4-fold ( P = .022) 6 weeks from baseline in patients who entered the trial before March 1995. Later patients who were mostly receiving combination antiviral therapy showed a 4-fold reduction in serum HIV-RNA ( P = .012) at 2 weeks. The effect of UVB on viral load at 6 weeks was dependent on the baseline level ( P = .006). IL-10 increased and was inversely related to HIV-RNA levels ( P = .0267). Conclusion: Phototherapy is associated with HIV load alterations, depending on patients' initial HIV-RNA, antiviral therapy, skin type, and UVL dosage. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;40:48-60.)
Contrasting effects of insect exclusion on wood loss in a temperate forest

Experimental efforts to determine how insects influence terrestrial wood decomposition are few, especially in temperate regions. To address this need, a five-year exclusion study was conducted in northern Mississippi, U.S.A., to quantify insect contributions to wood decay using one-meter loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) bolts. The study included three treatments: (1) “partially protected” bolts that were placed on cypermethrin-treated soil to exclude subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae: Reticulitermes spp.) while permitting colonization by beetles (Coleoptera) and other saproxylic taxa, (2) “fully protected” bolts that were placed on cypermethrin-treated soil and enclosed within screen cages to protect against all insects and (3) “unprotected” bolts that were not subjected to either exclusion treatment. The full insect community consumed approximately 15–20% of wood volume in unprotected bolts, about six times more than in partially protected bolts from which termites were excluded. There were no differences in specific gravity (based on initial wood volume) or mass loss among treatments, however. It is not clear whether these findings are due to an inhibition of microbial decomposers by insects (e.g., antimicrobial compounds secreted by termites or ants), a stimulatory effect of the exclusion treatments (e.g., cypermethrin stimulating fungal growth or cages favorably altering wood moisture), or some combination of both. When based on final water-displaced volume, specific gravity was significantly higher for unprotected bolts than for those fully protected, probably because termites selectively consume the least dense wood. By the end of the study, about 20% of the final dry weight of unprotected bolts consisted of termite-imported soil. Wood volume consumed and soil content decreased with distance from the ends of the bolts whereas water content exhibited the opposite pattern. We detected a significant negative relationship between water content and volume consumed by termites, possibly because water content decreases with increasing wood density and termites tend to avoid high density wood. While insects clearly consume large volumes of wood in southeastern U.S. forests, our results suggest they do not act to accelerate mass loss beyond what is achieved by microbial decomposers. More research is needed to confirm this, however—especially given the uncertainties inherent to exclusion studies.
The relation of cortisol levels with hippocampus volumes under baseline and challenge conditions

Several studies using animal models have revealed an inverse relation between gluco-corticoid levels and hippocampus volumes. This inverse relation has been interpreted as reflecting the role of the hippocampus in modulating glucocorticoid secretion, as well as the effect of glucocorticoids on the hippocampus. The objective of this study was to examine the relation between hippocampus volumes and baseline and post-challenge salivary cortisol levels in healthy young adults. A double-blind, placebo controlled design was used in which 14 males between 18 and 30 years of age received either 100 mg hydrocortisone or placebo on separate occasions approximately 1 week apart. Baseline and post-challenge cortisol levels were assessed prior to and after magnetic resonance imaging. Volumetric analyses of the hippocampus revealed no differences between the hydrocortisone and placebo conditions; however, post-challenge cortisol levels were inversely associated with total and right hippocampus volumes. Cortisol levels were not associated with the volume of the hippocampus in the placebo condition (i.e. under baseline conditions). The present findings are consistent with other evidence that the hippocampus, as reflected in volume, partially determines the efficacy of negative feedback in modulating cortisol levels.
Melatonin receptors and signal transduction in photorefractory siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

In seasonally breeding mammals, seasonal alterations in day length are perceived via the pineal hormone melatonin. When exposed to short day lengths, hamsters and other long-day breeders undergo gonadal regression. With chronic exposure (>20 weeks) to short days, however, the animals become photorefractory, or insensitive to the inhibitory influence of short-day melatonin patterns, and gonadal recrudescence occurs. In this report, we examined photorefractory Siberian hamsters and long-day housed control hamsters to examine whether this apparent insensitivity to melatonin is due to alterations in melatonin receptors or signal transduction. In vitro autoradiographic assessment of melatonin receptors using 125Ilabeled 2-iodomelatonin (I-MEL) revealed that melatonin receptor distribution, affinity, density, and G protein coupling are unaltered in photorefractory animals. In each animal, highaffinity (dissociation constant -40 pM) 2-iodomelatonin binding sites were observed in the hypophysial pars tuberalis, i...
The electrochemistry of metal oxide additives in pasted zinc electrodes

Abstract The effect of small additions (2 w/o–4 w/o) of HgO, Tl2O3, PbO, CdO, In2O3, In(OH)3, In and Ga2O3 to pasted zinc oxide electrodes has been evaluated using chronopotentiometry, cyclic voltammetry, polarization measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Additives such as PbO, In(OH)3 and In increase the density and the polarizability of the deposit whereas additives such as Ga2O3 and CdO yield finely divided deposits of low polarizability. The results are attributed to a substrate effect on zinc deposition. The beneficial effect of some additives (eg a mixture of 0.5 w/o In(OH)3 and 1 w/o PbO) is attributed to an improvement in the secondary current distribution due to an increase in electrode polarizability.
Indoor fungi as part of the cause of recalcitrant symptoms of the tight building syndrome

Abstract As buildings are tightened to conserve energy, moisture and fungi as well as outgasing xenobiotics are trapped. It becomes necessary to have a method that will differentiate whether complaints blamed on poor indoor air quality are due to chemicals or molds, especially since many of the symptoms are identical. Patients whose symptoms were unrelieved by regular medical treatments were tested to the fungi chosen on the basis of previous research. Of 100 random cases out of 2000 that are annually asked to review their progress, 61% rated themselves as having markedly reduced symptoms while at the same time being able to reduce or completely discontinue all symptomatic medications. Case examples will demonstrate the diverse symptoms that improved, many of which had previously exhausted all that medicine had to offer. For some, double-blind placebo substitution was used and symptoms recurred. Upon reinstitution of injections, symptoms again were relieved. This therapy provides a method with potential to help differentiate whether complaints regarding indoor air quality are due to chemical hypersensitivity or an individual's mold sensitivity.
Stoichiometry, structure and conductivity of Nasicon

Abstract The crystal structures of two near stoichiometric NASICONS were determined from powder neutron diffraction data. The compound prepared by Hong's solid state reaction had a composition Na3.17Zr1.93Si1.9P1.1O12 and a sol-gel preparation heated at 1080°C gave Na3Zr1.93Si2PO11.86. These compositions, obtained from refinement of the occupancy factors, were found to agree with elemental analysis carried out by X-ray fluorescence. The foregoing compositions are considerably different from that of a NASICON obtained by a hydrothermal route, Na3.2Zr1.68Si1.84P1.16O11.54, and their unit cell parameters are somewhat larger. This difference results from the incorporation of approximately 0.32 moles of Na+ in the Zr4+ sites for the hydrothermal preparation. Solid state MAS NMR data are presented to support this finding, and in one sample, trapped electrons were detected. The hypothesis is proposed that the exact stoichiometry of NASICON cannot be represented by a simple solid solution series, but rather, depends on the method of preparation.
TRANSFECTION WITH PROTEIN KINASE C ALPHA ANTISENSE DOWNREGULATESβ1 INTEGRIN-DEPENDENT ADHESION TO FIBRONECTIN IN K-562 CELLS.▴ 954

β1 integrin receptors for fibronectin (Fn) are widely expressed on human leukocytes. Inside-out activation of β1 integrin-mediated adhesion appears to involve protein kinase C (PKC), but the exact isoforms involved have not been defined. We previously showed that intracellular calcium is required for β1 integrin activation in granulocytic HL60 cells(Ped Res 37:165, 1995) suggesting a role for calcium-dependent PKC isoform(s). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of various PKC isoforms in the activation of β1 integrin-mediated adherence to Fn. We chose the K-562 cell line because it expresses α5β1 as its principle Fn receptor. The K-562 cells were transfected with liposome(DOTAP®) encapsulated antisense oligonucleotides to the calcium-dependent PKC isoforms α and β. Cells transfected with PKC α antisense showed a marked decrease in adhesion to Fn compared to controls, both without stimulation (11±2% vs. 21±3%), and following stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) @ 1 ng/ml (23±2% vs. 42±5%) and 10 ng/ml (35±4% vs. 60±5%). Cells transfected with PKC β antisense, PKC α sense, or PKC β sense showed no difference when compared to controls, both without stimulation (19±5%, 23±2%, and 18±5% respectively), and following stimulation with PMA @ 1 ng/ml(36±8%, 43±1%, and 41±3% respectively), and 10 ng/ml(56±7%, 63±4%, and 69±3% respectively). Transfection with PKC α and β antisense did not significantly change the level ofβ1 integrin receptors on the cell surface, as analyzed by flow cytometry of unstimulated and PMA-stimulated cells. Substitution of Mn++ for Ca++ and Mg++ induced a level of adhesion in the PKC α antisense-transfected cells equal to nontransfected cells, implying that theβ1 integrin receptors retain their ability to bind to Fn. These data suggest a role for the PKC α isoform in the inside-out activation ofβ1 integrins on K-562 cells. We hypothesize that cells transfected with PKC α antisense are less able to change the conformation of β1 integrins to a higher affinity state.
Synthesis of a cleavable heterobifunctional photolabelling reagent: Ring‐labelled 3‐[(4‐azidophenyl)dithio]propionic acid‐14C

An efficient synthesis of ring-labelled 3-[(4-azidophenyl)dithio]propionic acid-^(14)C is described. Chlorosulfonation of uniformly ring-labelled acetanilide-^(14)C followed by reductive dimerization of the sulfonyl chloride with HI afforded 4-acetamidophenyl disulfide. Hydrolysis and diazotization then gave 4-azidophenyl disulfide, which was converted to the title compound via the sulfur transfer reagent N-(4-azidophenylthio)phthalimide. The overall yield of 3-[(4-azidophenyl)dithio]propionic acid-^(14)C was 22%. 3-[(4-Azidophenyl)dithio]propionic acid-^(14)C is a cleavable heterobifunctional photolabelling reagent of potential utility in studies of biomembrane structure and intermacromolecular interaction.
Expression of the dihydroorotate dehydrogenase gene, dhod, during spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

The dhod gene encodes dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHOdehase), which catalyzes the fourth step of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. In addition to the common 1.5 kb dhod RNA expressed by embryos and females, adult males produce a group of slightly longer RNAs. Evidence is presented that the latter RNAs arise through transcription initiation at sites upstream from that of the common RNA and expression of these male-specific RNAs is limited to spermatogenesis. In situ hybridization analysis shows that these RNAs accumulate during spermatocyte growth and persist through meiosis and early spermatid differentiation. In contrast, DHOdehase activity is virtually absent in spermatocytes, meiotic cells, and in early spermatid cysts, then it becomes highly abundant in elongated spermatid cysts and disappears in late spermatogenesis. Thus, testis-limited expression of dhod conforms to a model proposed for other genes that function during spermiogenesis : transcription in spermatocytes, storage of translationally inactive RNA through meiosis, translation of the RNA during spermiogenesis. Very similar expression of a testis promoter-lacZ fusion transgene indicates that sequences required for the spermatogenesis transcription and translation patterns are confined to the 5′ end of the dhod gene. Deletion analysis of that 5′ region delimits all sequences necessary for spermatid expression of the transgene to a 89 by fragment. These results are discussed in the contexts of known mechanisms of gene regulation during spermatogenesis and potential roles of DHOdehase during spermiogenesis.
Terahertz wave source via difference-frequency mixing using cross-Reststrahlen band dispersion compensation phase matching: a material study

A novel phase-matching technique for coherent THz-wave generation was proposed. This approach uses cross- Reststrahlen band dispersion compensation phase-matching in a collinear optical mixing technique using isotropic, semiconductor nonlinear crystals. The pump and signal sources are in the near-IR transmission window of the nonlinear crystal and the generated idler wave is in the far-IR transmission window, on the other side of the crystal's Reststrahlen band. The choice of the nonlinear crystal for frequency conversion from the near-IR to the far-IR is highly dependent on the optical properties of the nonlinear crystal being used as the frequency converter element. We evaluate the use of the proposed phase-matching technique with a variety of III-V and II-VI compounds taking into account their optical dispersion and their phase- matching properties. Theoretical projections of the device performance such as perfect phase-matching conditions, coherence length and wavelength tuning range for different nonlinear crystals are compared.
Dysfunction in School Administration

The school adminis trator must strive to maintain a proper per spective of his role— an increasingly diffi cult task in today's large, busy schools where the temptation is strong to bog down in details. He must, in short, guard against "administrative dys function."
Reliability Based Maintenance in the Industrial/Manufacturing Sector(s)

Reliability Based Maintenance (RBM) programs are commonplace in the Aviation, Power Generation and Chemical / Petrochemical industries. In these sectors, Equipment Failure is not an option. The Industrial / Manufacturing sector(s) have not fully embraced the RBM concept and for the most part routinely suffer loss of production output and the subsequent loss of revenue associated with equipment failures. Two of the Key Elements to the successful implementation of the RBM process in the Industrial / manufacturing sector(s) is the establishment of Reliability and Maintainability Specification and a viable Machinery / Equipment Lubrication and General Preventive Maintenance Program. This Paper will outline procedures for establishing an RBM Program. Methods to evaluate the results will be outlined as well.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Abstract A34: Nucleosome dynamics of cell differentiation

Nucleosome occupancy is fundamental for establishing chromatin architecture. However, little is known about the relationship between nucleosome dynamics and initial cell lineage specification. Here, we determine the mechanisms that control global nucleosome dynamics during embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation into endoderm. Both nucleosome depletion and de novo occupation occur during the differentiation process, with higher overall nucleosome density after differentiation. The variant histone H2A.Z and the winged helix transcription factor Foxa2 both act to regulate nucleosome depletion and gene activation, thus promoting ES cell differentiation, whereas DNA methylation promotes nucleosome occupation and suppresses gene expression. Nucleosome depletion during ES cell differentiation is dependent on Nap1l1-coupled SWI/SNF and INO80 chromatin remodeling complexes. Thus, both epigenetic and genetic regulators cooperate to control nucleosome dynamics during ES cell fate decisions. Currently, we determine whether chromatin remodeling complexes are involved in nucleosome occupation. Citation Format: Zhaoyu Li. Nucleosome dynamics of cell differentiation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Jun 19-22, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A34.
Femtosecond dynamics of dissociation and recombination in solvent cages

For chemical reactions in solution, the solvent exerts an important influence on the elementary processes of bond making and breaking. The solvent may, for example, enhance bond formation by trapping reactive species in a 'solvent cage' on the reaction timescale, or it may act as a 'chaperone' that stabilizes energetic species. Ultrafast reaction dynamics in solvent shells can be probed using laser spectroscopic techniques developed to resolve atomic motion on the femtosecond (fs) timescale. Here we report on a study of the femtosecond dynamics of the dissociation of neutral iodine molecules encaged in clusters of around 40–150 argon atoms, which form a solvent shell. We find that, when dissociation occurs from the A-type excited electronic state of I_2, the iodine atoms exhibit coherent motion on a sub-picosecond (<10^(−12)s) timescale, rebounding from the 'frozen' solvent cage and recombining. The 'hot' I_2 molecule is then cooled over by collisions with the argon atoms. We provide support for these interpretations using molecular-dynamics simulations. Dissociation from the B state, meanwhile, involves slower bond-breaking and slower recombination of the fragments—there is no coherent 'rebound' from the solvent cage. The dissociation pathway therefore depends critically on the timescale of bond breaking relative to that of solvent rearrangement.