cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phylogenetic relationships of the tilefish family Branchiostegidae (Pereiformes) based on comparative myology

The adductor mandibulae complex of the tilefish family Branchiostegidae contains five major subdivisions (A1α, A1β, A2, A3α and A3β). No other group of fishes among those examined exhibited the degree of complexity found among the branchiostegids. The closely related sand tilefishes (Malacanthidae) have a less complex adductor mandibulae musculature, lacking an A3β muscle. The proposed phylogeny of the branchiostegids is based upon: (1) the A3β′, A3β″ and A1β subdivisions, (2) overall degree of development of the adductor mandibulae (distinctness, origins, insertions, and degree of aponeurotic development). The phylogenetic implications of the adductor mandibulae complex are discussed.
Effects of short-term, diet-induced hypercholesterolemia on systemic hemodynamics, myocardial blood flow, and infarct size in awake dogs with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUNDShort-term cholesterol feeding has been shown to affect vasomotor tone and increase infarct size in anesthetized rabbits. The purpose of the study was to determine whether acute hypercholesterolemia reduced collateral flow to ischemic myocardium and increased infarct size in the awake dog.METHODS AND RESULTSAcute myocardial infarction was produced in awake dogs by a 4-hour left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by 6-hour reperfusion after either a cholesterol-supplemented diet (n = 14) or a control diet of dog chow (n = 15) for 10 days. Infarct size was determined using nitroblue tetrazolium staining. In two subgroups, a 15-minute transient occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery was produced before the diet treatments and was compared with occlusion after diet treatments, so that the effects of hypercholesterolemia of collateral flow could be determined by paired comparisons. Cholesterol feeding increased plasma cholesterol to 288 +/- 52 mg/dl, which was t...
Requirement for Invariant Chain in B Cell Maturation and Function

Previously the role of invariant chain (Ii) had been described only as a chaperone that facilitates folding and transport of major histocompatability complex class II molecules; here it is shown that Ii is required for B cell development. B cells from mice lacking Ii were found to have a low response to T-independent type II antigen and could not proliferate after the mice were injected with antigen. Study of cell surface markers revealed a developmental arrest that prevented immature virgin B cells from becoming mature B cells in the periphery. This block was independent of major histocompatability complex class II expression and was an intrinsic feature of B cells that correlated with the amount of Ii. Thus, Ii participates by an unknown mechanism in B cell maturation.
OPTICAL ABSORPTION INTENSITIES OF RARE-EARTH IONS

Electric dipole transitions within the $4f$ shell of a rare-earth ion are permitted if the surroundings of the ion are such that its nucleus is not situated at a center of inversion. An expression is found for the oscillator strength of a transition between two states of the ground configuration $4{f}^{N}$, on the assumption that the levels of each excited configuration of the type $4{f}^{N}{n}^{\ensuremath{'}}d$ or $4{f}^{N}{n}^{\ensuremath{'}}g$ extend over an energy range small as compared to the energy of the configuration above the ground configuration. On summing over all transitions between the components of the ground level ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{J}$ and those of an excited level ${{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{{J}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$, both of $4{f}^{N}$, the oscillator strength $P$ corresponding to the transition ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{J}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{{J}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$ of frequency $\ensuremath{\nu}$ is found to be given by $P=\ensuremath{\Sigma}{T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}\ensuremath{\nu}{({\ensuremath{\psi}}_{J}\ensuremath{\parallel}{U}^{(\ensuremath{\lambda})}\ensuremath{\parallel}{{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{{J}^{\ensuremath{'}}})}^{2},$ where ${\mathrm{U}}^{(\ensuremath{\lambda})}$ is a tensor operator of rank $\ensuremath{\lambda}$, and the sum runs over the three values 2, 4, and 6 of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$. Transitions that also involve changes in the vibrational modes of the complex comprising a rare-earth ion and its surroundings, provide a contribution to $P$ of precisely similar form. It is shown that sets of parameters ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ can be chosen to give a good fit with the experimental data on aqueous solutions of Nd${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$ and Er${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$. A calculation on the basis of a model, in which the first hydration layer of the rare-earth ion does not possess a center of symmetry, leads to parameters ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ that are smaller than those observed for ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ and ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ by factors of 2 and 8, respectively. Reasons for the discrepancies are discussed.
Methotrexate-induced oral mucositis and salivary methotrexate concentrations

We examined the plasma and saliva levels of methotrexate (MTX) achieved during the treatment and rescue periods of ten patients receiving 42-h MTX infusions followed by citrovorum rescue. Saliva MTX levels were generally 1%--2% of the simultaneous plasma levels. Four patients developed severe oral mucositis; three patients developed mild to moderate oral toxicity, and three others had no evidence of mucositis. MTX levels in the patients with severe mucositis were not higher and did not persist longer than the levels achieved in patients with mild or absent toxicity. Attempts at reducing the severity of oral mucositis with topical citrovorum mouthwashes or with atropine to suppress salivation were unsuccessful. MTX-induced oral mucositis is not related to salivary MTX concentrations, and the use of topical citrovorum therapy or the suppression of salivation does not appear to ameliorate this toxicity.
Theoretical study of modes of adsorption of water dimer on H-ZSM-5 and H-Faujasite zeolites.

Modes of adsorption of water dimer on H-ZSM-5 and H-Faujasite (H-FAU) zeolites have been investigated by a quantum embedded cluster approach, using the hybrid B3LYP density functional theory. The results indicate that there are two possible adsorption pathways, namely the stepwise process where only one water binds strongly to the (−O)3-Al-O(H) tetrahedral unit while the other weakly binds to the zeolite framework and the concerted process where both water molecules form a large ring of hydrogen-bonding network with the Bronsted proton and an oxygen framework. With inclusion of the effects of the Madelung potential from the extended zeolite framework, for adsorption on H-ZSM-5 zeolite, both the neutral and ion-pair complexes exist with adsorption energies of −15.13 and −14.73 kcal/mol, respectively. For adsorption on the H-FAU, only the ion-pair complex exists with the adsorption energy of −14.63 kcal/mol. Our results indicate that adsorption properties depend not only on the acidity of the Bronsted acidi...
Plasmonic Materials and Devices

I will discuss a few recent experiments demonstrating intriguing phenomena associated with Metamaterials. These include subdiffraction limit imaging and focusing, low-loss and broad-band negative-refraction of visible light, negative-index metamaterials and the first cloak operating at optical frequencies; an alldielectric “carpet cloak” with broad-band and low-loss performance. I will also present our recent demonstration of a deep sub-wavelength plasmonic laser. Article not available.
Industrywide technical product standards

Technology, by its very nature, creates a high degree of interdependence in the industrial marketplace. Customers buy products for use with other products in a production system. The consequent requirement for technical compatibility constrains managers' freedom in developing products and marketing programmes. lndustrywide product standards, and the process of setting them, play a complex and little discussed role in enabling managers to deal with these constraints. This article provides a market-based examination of product standards and that role.
Correlation of radiation response with tumor oxygenation in the Dunning prostate R3327-AT1 tumor.

Purpose: To investigate the application of pretreatment oxygenation to the AT1 subline of the Dunning R3327 prostate tumor, which is more hypoxic and faster growing than the H1 subline previously studied. Methods and Materials: Dunning prostate R3327-AT1 tumors growing on Copenhagen rats were administered 30 Gy of X-ray radiation either with or without oxygen inhalation. Tumor oxygenation was sampled by 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance echo planar imaging relaxometry of the reporter molecule hexafluorobenzene, no more than 24 h before irradiation. Results: Large tumors (>3.0 cm 3 ) exhibited significantly greater hypoxic fractions and lower mean partial pressure of oxygen (pO 2 ) than their smaller counterparts ( 3 ). However, unlike the R3327-HI subline, large AT1 tumors generally did not respond to oxygen inhalation in terms of altered hypoxic fraction or response to irradiation. Although the tumors did not respond to oxygen inhalation, each tumor had a different pO 2 , and there was a clear trend between level of oxygenation at time of irradiation and tumor growth delay, with considerably better outcome when mean pO 2 > 10 mm Hg. The comparatively small baseline hypoxic fraction in the group of small tumors was virtually eliminated by breathing oxygen, and the growth rate was significantly reduced for tumors on rats breathing oxygen during irradiation. Conclusions: These results further validate the usefulness of nuclear magnetic resonance oximetry as a predictor of response to radiation therapy.
Effects of Testosterone and Testosterone Propionate Administration on Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in the Male Mongrel Dog

Studies were carried out to determine the effect of either multiple or single s.c. injections of oil, testosterone (T) (500 Mg/kg) or testosterone propionate (TP) (500 Mg/kg) on resulting T and LH concentrations in the plasma of intact and castrated male mongrel dogs. The multiple injections were given once daily for 7 days with daily blood samples collected prior to, during and after injections. In the single injection study, blood samples were collected I h before injection, every 20 mm for 3 h after injection and every 3 h thereafter for a total of 24 h. In both studies T and LH were determined by RIA. The results of these experiments indicate that T, in contrast to TP, induces a more rapid but shorter-lived increase in plasma T and consequently a more rapid inhibition of LH secretion. These data suggest that sample interval following either T or TP administration is important when testing their effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
Programmable spectral design using the binary supergrating (BSG)

We present the binary supergrating (BSG), a digital approach to spectral engineering that allows for the near-arbitrary control of optical amplitude and phase response in a wavelength-dependent manner, and uses a simple and practical form.
Speech perception skills of deaf infants following cochlear implantation: a first report

Summary Objective: We adapted a behavioral procedure that has been used extensively with normal-hearing (NH) infants, the visual habituation (VH) procedure, to assess deaf infants’ discrimination and attention to speech. Methods: Twenty-four NH 6-month-olds, 24 NH 9-month-olds, and 16 deaf infants at various ages before and following cochlear implantation (CI) were tested in a sound booth on their caregiver’s lap in front of a TV monitor. During the habituation phase, each infant was presented with a repeating speech sound (e.g. ‘hop hop hop’) paired with a visual display of a checkerboard pattern on half of the trials (‘sound trials’) and only the visual display on the other half (‘silent trials’). When the infant’s looking time decreased and reached a habituation criterion, a test phase began. This consisted of two trials: an ‘old trial’ that was identical to the ‘sound trials’ and a ‘novel trial’ that consisted of a different repeating speech sound (e.g. ‘ahhh’) paired with the same checkerboard pattern. Results: During the habituation phase, NH infants looked significantly longer during the sound trials than during the silent trials. However, deaf infants who had received cochlear implants (CIs) displayed a much weaker preference for the sound trials. On the other hand, both NH infants and deaf infants with CIs attended significantly longer to the visual display during the novel trial than during the old trial, suggesting that they were able to discriminate the speech patterns. Before receiving CIs, deaf infants did not show any preferences. Conclusions: Taken together, the findings suggest that deaf infants who receive CIs are able to detect and discriminate some speech patterns. However, their overall attention to speech sounds may be less than NH infants’. Attention to speech may impact other aspects of speech perception and spoken language development, such as segmenting words from fluent speech and learning novel words. Implications of the effects of early auditory deprivation and age at CI on speech perception and language development are discussed. – 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fabrication and Characterization of Antimony Tin Oxide Nanoparticle Networks Inside Polystyrene

Recently, there has been much interest in the creation of 3D networks of nanowires. One possible way to do this is to encase the nanowires inside transparent polymer matrices since there is also a demand for obtaining conducting transparent composites. If the filler of the composite is made from a strongly conducting material, the degree of connectivity of the networked nanowires can be tested by measuring its conductivity. Though much work has been done with ITO (Tin-doped indium oxide), little has been done with the chemically similar, but cheaper, ATO (Antimony-doped tin oxide). In this study, ATO nanoparticles were added into a polystyrene matrix and simultaneously pressed and heated so that a 3D network of the nanoparticles would form. The effecti veness of the conducting pseudo-nanowire networks was measured as the concentration of ATO in polystyrene was varied. Another variable utilized was the temperature at which the samples were pressed. The optical transmittance of the composites was also measured in order to quantify their transparency. It was found that, once the nanowire networks had percolated at a concentration of about 1.25 PHR, the conductivity and, consequently, the coherence of the networks increased at a decreasing rate as the concentration was increased. The effect of the pressing temperature was complex and required many additional sets of specimens to understand. Samples pressed at the highest temperature had the least coherent networks, as the polystyrene became too fluid and disrupted the ATO networks while at lower temperatures the opposite occurred. The optical transmittance dropped sharply as the concentration of ATO reached and surpassed 1.0 PHR. Nanowire networks were, indeed, formed through this process using these materials, but use as a conducting transparent composite in the visible range is unlikely as the percolation threshold occurs at a concentration greater than that of the optical transmittance drop, creating a trade-off between conductivity and transparency. The resistivity did drop as much as six orders of magnitude and may be useful for other applications.
Resident Transitions to Assisted Living: A Role for Social Workers

This study explored key aspects of resident transitions to assisted living (AL), including the frequency and importance of preadmission resident education and the potential role of social workers in this setting. To examine the factors that may help or hinder resident transitions to AL, a written survey was administered to a statewide, geographically representative purposive sample of Medicaid Assisted Living Waiver providers (N = 28). Findings suggest a positive relationship between the availability of a social worker and the frequency and importance of resident preadmission education in several areas. Results also suggest a gap between what AL providers believe is important for resident transitions and what is actually happening in their facilities. Social workers may play a significant role in providing preadmission education and are well positioned to address the unmet psychosocial needs of residents and family members during the transition to AL. Future studies should specifically examine the contributing role of social workers during the period of adjustment to AL and the effect of social work services on the well-being of AL residents and families in AL settings.
Distributed-feedback coupling in Ga(1-x)Al(x)As double-heterostructure lasers: effect of aluminum concentration.

The variation of the feedback coupling coefficient in Ga1−xAlxAs distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers as a function of the Al concentration surrounding the GaAs optical confinement waveguide is considered. An optimum thickness for which the feedback coupling is maximum is determined for each transverse mode. The largest such maximum occurs for the lowest order mode. Fractional Al concentrations that yield symmetrical optical waveguides are found to be most effective in minimizing threshold current density, with the maximum Al concentrations being limited by doping and lattice mismatch considerations.
Elasticity, shell theory and finite element results for the buckling of long sandwich cylindrical shells under external pressure

Abstract The buckling of a sandwich cylindrical shell under uniform external hydrostatic pressure is studied in three ways. The simplifying assumption of a long shell is made (or, equivalently, ‘ring’ assumption), in which the buckling modes are assumed to be two-dimensional, i.e. no axial component of the displacement field, and no axial dependence of the radial and hoop displacement components. All constituent phases of the sandwich structure, i.e. the facings and the core, are assumed to be orthotropic. First, the structure is considered a three-dimensional (3D) elastic body, the corresponding problem is formulated and the solution is derived by solving a set of two linear homogeneous ordinary differential equations of the second-order in r (the radial coordinate), i.e. an eigenvalue problem for differential equations, with the external pressure, p the parameter/eigenvalue. A complication in the sandwich construction is due to the fact that the displacement field is continuous but has a slope discontinuity at the face-sheet/core interfaces, which necessitates imposing ‘internal’ boundary conditions at the face-sheet/core interfaces, as opposed to the traditional two-end-point boundary value problems. Second, the structure is considered a shell and shell theory results are generated with and without accounting for the transverse shear effect. Two transverse shear correction approaches are employed, one based only on the core, and the other based on an effective shear modulus that includes the face-sheets. Third, finite element results are generated by use of the ABAQUS finite element code. In this part, two types of elements are used: a shear deformable shell element and a solid 3D (brick) element. The results from all these three different approaches are compared.
Methods for Treatment of Animal Manures to Reduce Nutrient Pollution Prior to Soil Application

For centuries, animal manures have been a traditional source of nutrients in agriculture. However, disposal of animal manure has become an environmental problem in recent times as a result of increased concentration of animal production within small geographic areas. Manure nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) applied in excess of the assimilative soil capacity have the potential to reach and pollute water resources through soil leaching or runoff. Yet, conservation and recovery of N and P is a concern in modern agriculture because of the high cost and future limited supply of commercial fertilizers, particularly P which is extracted from mineral deposits. Therefore, N and P recovery methods are necessary to reduce their excess prior to manure soil application and recover them as valuable products. This article is a review of existing technologies for animal waste treatment and additional new methods for recycling manure N and P and possible recovery as valuable byproducts.
Characterization of Arsenic-Implanted Amorphous Silicon

In this study, amorphous silicon and polycrystalline silicon films were implanted with arsenic and subjected to varied low temperature (<900°C) anneal conditions and characterized using TEM. The microstructure is of interest for later correlation with electrical measurements. The amorphous deposition produces larger, more irregular grains with more strain than does the polysilicon deposition for a single-step rapid thermal anneal (RTA) cycle. This can be explained by the number of critical nucleii and the rate of grain growth. The sheet resistivity, as measured by four-point probe, correlates to the deposition conditions. A two-stage anneal makes the grains less irregular by reducing the roughness of the grains and decreasing the strain in the grains. For a given deposition condition, the final microstructure is most strongly influenced by the first anneal. The second anneal produces no clear change in grain size. 800°C anneals result in larger grains than 900°C anneals. This is explained by the presence of less critical nucleii for 800°C anneals. In comparing short and long durations of RTA, the short duration produced slightly larger grains than the long duration RTA due to greater nucleation in the longer RTA wafers. In the case of RTA versus furnace anneals, RTA produces larger, more irregular grains, with more strain in the grains. A model in terms of the size of critical nucleii is used to explain the difference.
Perception markup language: towards a standardized representation of perceived nonverbal behaviors

Modern virtual agents require knowledge about their environment, the interaction itself, and their interlocutors' behavior in order to be able to show appropriate nonverbal behavior as well as to adapt dialog policies accordingly. Recent achievements in the area of automatic behavior recognition and understanding can provide information about the interactants' multimodal nonverbal behavior and subsequently their affective states. In this paper, we introduce a perception markup language (PML) which is a first step towards a standardized representation of perceived nonverbal behaviors. PML follows several design concepts, namely compatibility and synergy, modeling uncertainty, multiple interpretative layers, and extensibility, in order to maximize its usefulness for the research community. We show how we can successfully integrate PML in a fully automated virtual agent system for healthcare applications.
Optical/UV single-photon imaging spectrometers using superconducting tunnel junctions

We present preliminary test results of optical/UV single-photon imaging spectrometers using superconducting tunnel junctions. Our devices utilize a lateral trapping geometry. Photons are absorbed in a Ta thin "lm, creating excess quasiparticles. Quasiparticles di!use and are trapped by Al/AlO x /Al tunnel junctions located on the sides of the absorber. The Ta/Al interface does not overlap the junction area. Imaging devices have tunnel junctions on two opposite sides of the absorber. Position information is obtained from the fraction of the total charge collected by each junction. We have fabricated high-quality junctions with a ratio of subgap resistance to normal state resistance greater than 100 000 at 0.22 K. We have measured the single-photon response of our devices. For photon energies between 2 and 5 eV, we measure an energy resolution between 1 and 1.6 eV. We can estimate the number of pixels the device can resolve from the energy resolution. We "nd that these early devices have as many as 4 pixels per strip. ( 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Impact of the Bethesda System.

Background. Although the Bethesda System provides concise, specific descriptions for classifying cervical cytology, its usefulness has been questioned in the United States and abroad. The author attempted to evaluate the impact of the Bethesda System on cervical screening and subsequent management decisions. Methods. A MedLine search provided statistical information for comparison of screening procedures and results before and since introduction of the Bethesda System. The effect of the Bethesda System was evaluated by specimen adequacy, inclusion of human papillomavirus changes in the squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) category, and effect on the number of abnormal Pap smears. Results. By 1992, 85% of cytology laboratories were using Bethesda system terminology. Diagnosis and treatment of patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were reviewed. In women with ASCUS smears, follow-up studies showed that between 5% and 13% actually had high grade cervical lesions. For patients with a cytologic diagnosis of low grade SIL, one study found an 18.6% incidence of high grade lesions demonstrated by colposcopically directed cervical biopsy. An estimated 2% increase has occurred in the number of women with abnormal Pap smear results who require additional evaluation costing more than $1 billion. Conclusions. The Bethesda System has improved the quality of Pap smear diagnosis in the United States, but the number of women with abnormal Pap smear results has increased. Although this increase is partly due to the terminology of the Bethesda System, other factors play a role. Whether this has improved cancer prevention is unknown.
Degeneracy in model parameter estimation for multi‐compartmental diffusion in neuronal tissue

The ultimate promise of diffusion MRI (dMRI) models is specificity to neuronal microstructure, which may lead to distinct clinical biomarkers using noninvasive imaging. While multi-compartment models are a common approach to interpret water diffusion in the brain in vivo, the estimation of their parameters from the dMRI signal remains an unresolved problem. Practically, even when q space is highly oversampled, nonlinear fit outputs suffer from heavy bias and poor precision. So far, this has been alleviated by fixing some of the model parameters to a priori values, for improved precision at the expense of accuracy. Here we use a representative two-compartment model to show that fitting fails to determine the five model parameters from over 60 measurement points. For the first time, we identify the reasons for this poor performance. The first reason is the existence of two local minima in the parameter space for the objective function of the fitting procedure. These minima correspond to qualitatively different sets of parameters, yet they both lie within biophysically plausible ranges. We show that, at realistic signal-to-noise ratio values, choosing between the two minima based on the associated objective function values is essentially impossible. Second, there is an ensemble of very low objective function values around each of these minima in the form of a pipe. The existence of such a direction in parameter space, along which the objective function profile is very flat, explains the bias and large uncertainty in parameter estimation, and the spurious parameter correlations: in the presence of noise, the minimum can be randomly displaced by a very large amount along each pipe. Our results suggest that the biophysical interpretation of dMRI model parameters crucially depends on establishing which of the minima is closer to the biophysical reality and the size of the uncertainty associated with each parameter.
Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty for Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy: Five-Year Results of a Prospective Study.

Purpose To determine 5-year outcomes of Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) for Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). Design Prospective cohort study. Participants Fifty-two eyes of 45 subjects with FECD undergoing primary DSEK. Methods Subjects were examined before and at fixed intervals through 60 months after DSEK. At each visit, graft survival was determined by slit-lamp examination; best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was measured using the electronic Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) protocol; total anterior corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) were derived from corneal topography; and corneal backscatter, corneal thickness, and endothelial cell density were measured from confocal microscopy images. Corneal thickness also was measured by ultrasonic pachymetry. Changes after DSEK were analyzed using generalized estimating equation models. Main Outcome Measures Best-corrected visual acuity, HOAs, endothelial cell loss, corneal thickness, and corneal backscatter. Results Complete 60-month follow-up was possible in 34 eyes. Mean BSCVA±standard deviation improved from 0.45±0.19 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) (Snellen equivalent, 20/56) before DSEK to 0.09±0.13 logMAR (Snellen equivalent, 20/25) at 5 years ( P P P ≤ 0.002). Six grafts failed, of which 4 were primary (iatrogenic); mean endothelial cell loss±standard deviation was 55±15% at 5 years. Conclusions Between 1 and 5 years after DSEK, BSCVA continues to improve such that at 5 years, more than half of eyes see better than 20/25 with a mean total corneal thickness of 700 μm. Improvement in vision is accompanied by continued reduction in corneal haze and aberrations, suggesting ongoing remodeling of the cornea after restoration of endothelial function.
Damage to vegetable and forage seedlings by overwintering lygus hesperus heteroptera miridae adults

Feeding damage by Lygus hesperus Knight to seedlings of onions, radishes, turnips, rape, clovers, alfalfa, lentils, peas, beans, dill, and carrots ranged from slight with full recovery to relatively heavy damage and mortality of young seedlings. Crucifer, forage, and umbellifer seedlings were the most heavily damaged, whereas damage to bean, pea and lentil seedlings was light or quickly outgrown.
The Genus Drepanaphis Del Guercio (Homoptera: Aphididae)

The genus Drepanaphis Del Guercio is known only from North America. The usual host is Acer; however, 1 species occurs on Aesculus. The 17 described species, 4 of which are new, can be grouped into 5 homogeneous groups of 3 species each. The remaining 2 species seem to be more closely related to the monelli-group than any other. The utahensis -group includes utahensis Knowlton and Smith, granovskyi Smith and Knowlton, and simpsoni Smith. These are the only species which have pleural setae on the sixth abdominal segment of the nymphs and 2 pairs of frontal setae in the adults. The monelli-group includes monelli (Davis), spicata Smith, and knowltoni, new species, which are very similar morphologically in both nymphal and adult stages, but are distinctly separated from one another by locality and host. A fourth species, keshenae Granovsky, does not fit the monelli group very well but is probably more closely related to it than to any other group. The acerifoliae-group contains acerifoliae (Thomas), carolinensis Smith, and sabrinae Miller. They differ from other species in bearing 4 pairs of conspicuous dorsal abdominal tubercles, but only 1 pair of frontal setae in the adults. The species in the parva -group, consisting of idaboensis, new species, saccbarini, new species, and parva Smith, are very similar morphologically as adults and nymphs but have distinct hosts. The most specialized group is the nigricans -group, which contains nigricans Smith, tissoti Smith, and choanotricha, new species. The nymphs in this group show a strong tendency toward loss of setae. All 3 species look quite alike when alive, and are small with relatively long antennae. The dorsal abdominal setae are distinctly expanded distally. D. kanzensis Smith is difficult to place with any certainty. It shares characteristics with the monelli -group as well as the parva -group. It is probably most closely related to the monelli -group. Keys and descriptions are given for all species. A closely related genus, Shenahweum Hottes and Frison, is similar to Drepanaphis but the siphunculi are truncate rather than swollen at the base as in Drepanaphis. Also, in Shenahweum the flange is weak and inconspicuous, and the sensorial pattern of a.s. VI is different. S. minutum Davis has the same habits as Drepanaphis species, and the nymphs have the same basic chaetotaxy.
Analysis of examination results of smear- positive TB in sputum of patients in Dachuan during 2010- 2012

Objective To understand the influence of properties and acquisition time of sputum specimens from smear-positive TB patients on the detection results in Dachuan from 2010 to 2012,so as to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of TB. Methods In accordance with detection methods in"China guide for prevention and control of TB",the sputum specimens were tested by direct sputum smear,Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining and optical microscope examination. Results The sputum specimens with different acquisition time and properties had significant difference in detection rate of mycobacterium tuberculosis,and the positive rate was mainly found in young adults. Conclusion The positive rate of sputum samples from morning is higher than those from night and timely; the positive rate of gobbet phlegm samples is higher than other sputum samples. So it is key to select sputum samples of morning and gobbet phlegm samples for TB detection.
Emergence of Biomolecular Pathways to Define Novel Asthma Phenotypes. Type-2 Immunity and Beyond

Asthma is increasingly recognized as a heterogeneous entity, encompassing a variety of different subgroups, or phenotypes, which share clinical and inflammatory characteristics. However, it is only recently that molecular pathways have been both identified and successfully targeted in association with these clinical-inflammatory phenotypes. This integration of clinical-inflammatory and molecular pathways has enabled the broad differentiation of "asthma" into those with and without type-2 inflammation, on the basis of elevations in pathways downstream of type-2 cytokines, such as periostin, exhaled nitric oxide, and blood eosinophils. Although these rather general downstream biomarkers can identify patients more likely to respond to novel type 2-targeted therapies, they may have limited ability to determine which patients respond best to which type 2-targeted therapy, or even who will respond less than optimally, despite elevation in the biomarkers. In addition, new biomarkers and targets are required for the 50% of patients with asthma without elevations in these type-2 biomarkers. The path forward will require integrated 'omics approaches, development of more complex mouse models of asthma, as well as identification and validation of novel biomolecular pathways.
Do Demographics Matter

This study examines individual differences in perceived news media corruption (PNMC), by conducting a face-to-face survey on a representative sample of the Serbian population (N = 544). Extremely high levels of PNMC were found, as well as significant differences in PNMC scores for gender, education level, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, and membership in majority ethnic and religious groups. Corruption perception persona types are created and results are discussed in terms of importance of societal integration for PNMC.
Green microwave electronics for the coming era of flexible electronics

Novel fabrication techniques to manufacture various high performance devices, using both Si and III–V nanomembrane-form materials, that are essential for portable electronics on a biodegradable cellulose nanofibril (CNF) paper are presented. We have introduced a concept of natural biodegradation of the discarded electronic chips that could help reduce the accumulation of the massive amount of persistent electronic waste disposed of daily using CNF that is derived from wood, a natural sustainable resource. CNF paper offers properties as a flexible substrate for high performance electronics. Essential microwave electronic systems, such as Si-based transistor and GaAs-based transistor and diode, were fabricated to demonstrate the feasibility of our novel approach on the CNF substrate. A novel releasable device fabrication technology, along with deterministic assembly printing technique for these high-performance devices, that significantly decreased the amount of GaAs used compared to conventional chip based manufacturing are presented.
Biomechanical Responses of the Brain in Swine Subject to Free-Field Blasts.

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a signature wound of modern warfare. The current incomplete understanding of its injury mechanism impedes the development of strategies for effective protection of bTBI. Despite a considerable amount of experimental animal studies focused on the evaluation of brain neurotrauma caused by blast exposure, there is very limited knowledge on the biomechanical responses of the gyrenecephalic brain subjected to primary free-field blast waves imposed in vivo. This study aims to evaluate the external and internal mechanical responses of the brain against different levels of blast loading with Yucatan swine in free field. The incident overpressure (IOP) was generated using 3.6 kg of C4 charge placed at three standoff distances from the swine. Five swine were exposed to a total of 19 blasts. The three average peak IOP pressure levels in this study were 148.8, 278.9, and 409.2 kPa as measured by a pencil probe. The duration of the first positive wave was in the range of 2.1 - 3 ms. Pressure changes in the brain and head kinematics were recorded with intracranial pressure (ICP) sensors, linear accelerometers and angular rate sensors. The corresponding average peak ICPs were in the range of 79-143, 210-281, and 311-414 kPa designated as low, medium, and high blast level, respectively. Peak head linear accelerations were in the range of 120-412 g. A positive correlation between IOP and its corresponding biomechanical responses of the brain was also observed. This experimental data can be used to validate computer models of bTBI.
Laboratory aids in the diagnosis of malabsorption in pediatrics: II. Xylose absorption test

The value of d -xylose absorption in assessing intestinal absorption of simple sugars was studied in the pediatric age group. Twenty per cent or more of the oral dose of xylose is recovered in a 5 hour urine collection from normal control subjects. Abnormal values for the xylose absorption are found primarily in the diseases with impaired absorption of both fat and carbohydrates from the upper small intestine, such as gluten-induced enteropathy. The xylose absorption test is of particular use in conjunction with a determination of fecal fat content or the Lipiodol absorption test in the differential diagnosis of the diseases leading to malabsorption and is recommended in patients with gluten-induced enteropathy as a simple and sensitive method for evaluating improvement in intestinal function on dietary therapy.
Enabling Efficient Creation of Long-Lived Charge-Separation on Dye-Sensitized NiO Photocathodes

The hole-injection and recombination photophysics for NiO sensitized with RuP ([RuII(bpy)2(4,4′-(PO3H2)2-bpy)]2+) are explored. Ultrafast transient absorption (TA) measurements performed with an external electrochemical bias reveal the efficiency for productive hole-injection, that is, quenching of the dye excited state that results in a detectable charge-separated electron–hole pair, is linearly dependent on the electronic occupation of intragap states in the NiO film. Population of these states via a negative applied potential increases the efficiency from 0% to 100%. The results indicate the primary loss mechanism for dye-sensitized NiO is rapid nongeminate recombination enabled by the presence of latent holes in the surface of the NiO film. Our findings suggest a new design paradigm for NiO photocathodes and devices centered on the avoidance of this recombination pathway.
Substituent effects on the spectroscopic properties of Criegee intermediates.

Restricted coupled cluster RCCSD(T) and explicitly correlated coupled cluster RCCSD(T)-F12 methods have been applied to investigate the electronic structures, rotational constants, and harmonic vibrational frequencies of the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH2OO) and its methyl and vinyl substituted analogs. The vinyl substitution of hydrogen in CH2OO slightly increases the C=O bond length but does not affect the OO bond, whereas the methyl substitution of hydrogen increases the OO bond but does not affect the CO bond. Vertical excitation energy for the four low-lying singlet electronic states for each Criegee intermediate has been calculated at the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method inclusive of single and double excitations and two different basis sets, aug-cc-pVXZ (X = T and Q). The results suggest that the 21A′ electronic state of C2H3CHOO is stabilized relative to the 21A′ electronic state of CH2OO and CH3CHOO, whereas the 21A′ state of syn-CH3CHOO is destabilized relative to the 21A′ state of CH2OO. The simulated UV spectra of these species show that there are bathochromic and hyperchromic effects for C2H3CHOO. Finally, the absorption spectra of syn-CH3CHOO, anti-C2H3CHOO, and syn-C2H3CHOO has been red-shifted relative to CH2OO whereas anti-CH3CHOO was blue-shifted.
Comparative Study of Low Energy C and O Atoms Impact in a Hydrocarbon Surface

Molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction of low energy (1–10 eV) carbon atoms with a hydrogenated diamond (110) surface are performed. The goal is to examine similarities and differences in interaction of carbon and oxygen atoms with hydrocarbon surfaces. Comparison of the results obtained with the experimental data appears that scattering of C atoms from the hydrogenated diamond surface is qualitatively similar to O+ scattering from a saturated hydrocarbon liquid, squalane.
Tabletop Femtosecond M-edge X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure of FeTPPCl: Metalloporphyrin Photophysics from the Perspective of the Metal.

Iron porphyrins are the active sites of many natural and artificial catalysts, and their photoinduced dynamics have been described as either relaxation into a vibrationally hot ground state or as a cascade through metal-centered states. In this work, we directly probe the metal center of iron(III) tetraphenyl porphyrin chloride (FeTPPCl) using femtosecond M2,3-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Photoexcitation at 400 nm produces a (π,π*) state that evolves in 70 fs to an iron(II) ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) state. The LMCT state relaxes to a vibrationally hot ground state in 1.13 ps, without involvement of (d,d) intermediates. The tabletop extreme-ultraviolet probe, combined with semiempirical ligand field multiplet calculations, clearly distinguishes between metal-centered and ligand-centered excited states and resolves competing accounts of Fe(III) porphyrin relaxation. This work introduces tabletop M-edge XANES as a valuable tool for measuring femtosecond dynamic...
S-nitrosylation of NOS pathway mediators in the penis contributes to cavernous nerve injury-induced erectile dysfunction.

cGMP-independent nitric oxide (NO) signaling occurs via S-nitrosylation. We evaluated whether aberrant S-nitrosylation operates in the penis under conditions of cavernous nerve injury and targets proteins involved in regulating erectile function. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent bilateral cavernous nerve crush injury (BCNI) or sham surgery. Rats were given a denitrosylation agent N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 300 mg/kg/day) or vehicle in drinking water starting 2 days before BCNI and continuing for 2 weeks following surgery. After assessment of erectile function (intracavernous pressure), penes were collected for measurements of S-nitrosylation by Saville–Griess and TMT-switch assays and PKG-I function by immunoblotting of phospho (P)-VASP-Ser-239. Erectile function was decreased (P < 0.05) after BCNI, and it was preserved (P < 0.05) by NAC treatment. Total S-nitrosothiols and total S-nitrosylated proteins were increased (P < 0.05) after BCNI, and these were partially prevented by NAC treatment. S-nitrosylation of sGC was increased (P < 0.05) after BCNI, and it was prevented (P < 0.05) by NAC treatment. S-nitrosylation of eNOS was increased (P < 0.05) after BCNI, and showed a trend towards decrease by NAC treatment. Protein expression of P-VASP-Ser-239 was decreased (P < 0.05) after BCNI, and showed a trend towards increase by NAC treatment. In conclusion, erectile dysfunction following BCNI is mediated in part by S-nitrosylation of eNOS and its downstream signaling mediator GC, while denitrosylation protects erectile function by preserving the NO/cGMP signaling pathway.
Circadian and Circannual Rhythms and Hormones

Daily rhythms that ebb and flow in amplitude over the course of the day can be seen in almost any behavioral or physiological response that one cares to measure. Intuitively, it seems that these rhythmic responses are caused by the changing light–dark cycle or by responses to the alarm clock signaling that it is time to go to work or school. In fact, daily cycles are orchestrated by an internal timing system in the body, and these endogenously driven responses are termed circadian rhythms. This timing system consists of oscillators or ‘clock cells’ located in many tissues, whose timing ( period and phase) is synchronized by a master clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamic area of the brain. The SCN is set to local time by signals from the light–dark cycle, and the output of this nucleus determines the timing of activity in various bodily functions. Impressively, a diffusible signal is sufficient to determine activity cycles, while a neural output signal controls endocrine rhythms. In this article, we consider the evolution, adaptive significance, development, and mechanisms of the circadian timing system. We also consider the fascinating story of how this system determines annual rhythms in anticipation of changing seasons.
Holes in the Quantum Antiferromagnet: The Theory of Small Polarons

The spin-hole coherent states path integral is used to generate a systematic large-spin expansion of the t-J model on the square lattice. The single hole’s classical energy is minimized by small polarons with short ranged interactions. We derive the polarons’ low energy Lagrangian in which inter-sublattice hopping has been eliminated. The polarons’ interaction with the Neel gauge field was argued to produce superconductivity in the magnetically disordered phase. We discuss the relevance of this model to experiments in slightly doped copper oxides.