cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence That Sea State Bias is Different for Ascending and Descending Tracks

Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) measured sea-surface heights (SSHs) are compared for five regions during the verification tandem phase. The five regions are of similar latitude and spatial extent and include the Gulf of Mexico, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and locations in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans away from land. In all five regions, a bias, defined as Jason SSH—TOPEX-B SSH, exists that is different for ascending and descending tracks. For example, in the Gulf of Mexico the bias for ascending tracks was −0.13 cm and the bias for descending tracks was 2.19 cm. In the Arabian Sea the bias for ascending tracks was −2.45 cm and the bias for descending tracks was −1.31 cm. The bias was found to depend on track orientation and significant wave height (SWH), indicating an error in the sea state bias (SSB) model for one or both altimeters. The bias in all five regions can be significantly reduced by calculating separate corrections for ascending and descending tracks in each region as a function of SWH. Th...
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: a technology for studying noncovalent macromolecular complexes

Abstract Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has demonstrated utility for the detection and study of weakly bound, noncovalent complexes, including protein interactions with inhibitors, cofactors, metal ions, carbohydrates, other peptides and proteins, enzyme–substrate pairings, and nucleic acid complexes. From the measurement of molecular mass of the intact complex and the individual binding partners, the binding stoichiometry can be derived. In many examples, the relative and absolute binding affinities can be deduced by the MS-based method. A review of the experimental principles of the method for studying noncovalent complexes, with emphasis on proteins, and the early studies that aided in the development of ESI-MS for this application are presented. Examples of protein complexes, such as the calcium-bound calmodulin-melittin complex, streptavidin homotetramer, and the enolase protein dimer are used to illustrate important features of the technique. A discussion on current and future applications of ESI-MS, such as the determination of the topology of macromolecular complexes, is provided.
The effects of gas on morphological transformation in mergers: implications for bulge and disc demographics

Transformation of discs into spheroids via mergers is a well-accepted element of galaxy formation models. However, recent simulations have shown that the bulge formation is suppressed in increasingly gas-rich mergers. We investigate the global implications of these results in a cosmological framework, using independent approaches: empirical halo-occupation models (where galaxies are populated in haloes according to observations) and semi-analytic models. In both, ignoring the effects of gas in mergers leads to the overproduction of spheroids:low- and intermediate-mass galaxies are predicted to be bulge-dominated (B/T ∼ 0.5 at < 10 10 M ⊙ , with almost no 'bulgeless' systems), even if they have avoided major mergers. Including the different physical behaviour of gas in mergers immediately leads to a dramatic change: bulge formation is suppressed in low-mass galaxies, observed to be gas-rich (giving B/T ∼ 0.1 at < 10 10 M ⊙ , with a number of bulgeless galaxies in good agreement with observations). Simulations and analytic models which neglect the similarity-breaking behaviour of gas have difficulty reproducing the strong observed morphology-mass relation. However, the observed dependence of gas fractions on mass, combined with suppression of bulge formation in gas-rich mergers, naturally leads to the observed trends. Discrepancies between observations and models that ignore the role of gas increase with redshift; in models that treat gas properly, galaxies are predicted to be less bulge-dominated at high redshifts, in agreement with the observations. We discuss implications for the global bulge mass density and future observational tests.
Microbial Community Responses to 17 Years of Altered Precipitation are Seasonally Dependent and Coupled to Co-Varying Effects of Water Content on Vegetation and Soil C

Abstract Precipitation amount and seasonal timing determine the duration and distribution of water available for plant and microbial activity in the cold desert sagebrush steppe. In this study, we sought to determine if a sustained shift in the amount and timing of precipitation would affect soil microbial diversity, community composition, and soil carbon (C) storage. Field plots were irrigated (+200 mm) during the dormant or growing-season for 17 years. Microbial community responses were assessed over the course of a year at two depths (15–20 cm, 95–100 cm) by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), along with co-occurring changes in plant cover and edaphic properties. Bacterial richness, Shannon Weaver diversity, and composition in shallow soils (15–20 cm) as well as evenness in deep soils (95–100 cm) differed across irrigation treatments during July. Irrigation timing affected fungal community diversity and community composition during the dormant season and most strongly in deep soils (95–100 cm). Dormant-season irrigation increased the ratio of shrubs to forbs and reduced soil C in shallow soils by 16% relative to ambient conditions. It is unclear whether or not soil C will continue to decline with continued treatment application or if microbial adaptation could mitigate sustained soil C losses. Future changes in precipitation timing will affect soil microbes in a seasonally dependent manner and be coupled to co-varying effects of water content on vegetation and soil C.
Parallel Universes: Byzantine art history in 1990 and 1991

AbstractArt history, like many disciplines in the so-called humanities, has engaged in a bout of re-definition over the past decade. Studies of the art of Byzantium have not been immune to this wave of revision and re-assessment. Though it must be said that Byzantine has been affected less than Roman or, especially, nineteenth-century art history, the discipline is nonetheless in a state of transition, and this fact deserves greater recognition than it has received. Byzantinists have, I think, a tendency to compartmentalise scholarship by authors (or occasionally universities) without examining the paradigmatic shifts in the discipline as a whole. Studies that provide such essentially historiographical overviews are normally confined within the limits of a book review or to the preface of a monographic study. In both cases, the scope is necessarily limited by the content. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies has not included book reviews in the past, and my goal here is not primarily to write an extended re...
Finding meaning: Antecedents of uncertainty in illness.

Abstract In this study a portion of the uncertainty in illness model was tested. Antecedents to uncertainty tested were the stimuli frame variables of symptom pattern and event familiarity and the structure provider variables of education, social support, and credible authority. Data were collected on a convenience sample of 61 women with gynecological cancer at the time of major treatment effect. Findings supported the proposed model with an empirically generated revised model presenting the influence of antecedents on specific areas of uncertainty. Divergent paths for reducing uncertainty were found. Social support, credible authority, and event familiarity had the greatest influence on lowering the level of uncertainty. Event familiarity and credible authority were primarily effective in reducing the complexity surrounding treatment and the system of care. Social support functioned to decrease the level of ambiguity concerning the state of the illness. Findings generally support the proposed explantation for uncertainty arousal and have substantive significance in identifying the sources of stimuli leading to uncertainty arousal and modification.
Higher-Precision Determination of the Fine-Structure Interval in the Ground State of Positronium, and the Fine-Structure Density Shift in Nitrogen

The fine-structure interval $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}$ in the ground state of positronium has been remeasured with higher precision to obtain $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{expt}}=203.396\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005$ GHz (24 ppm). The current theoretical value is $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{theor}}=203.4155$ GHz. The difference $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{expt}}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{theor}}=\ensuremath{-}19\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5$ MHz is about 4 standard deviations of the experimental error, indicating the need for calculations of higher-order radiative contributions. Values are given for both the linear and quadratic coefficients of the fine-structure density shift in ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$.
Ion pairing in tetraphenylporphyrin oxidation: a semiquantitative study

In 1,2-difluorobenzene (DFB), electrolyte conductivity measurements and cyclic voltammetric titration on the traditional benchmark tetraphenylporphyrin, H2tpp, permit the first estimate of ion pair association constants for singly- and doubly-oxidized free-base porphyrins. From ion titration cyclic voltammetry and digital simulation, measured association constants for H2tpp+X− were 65, 120, 210, 520 and 730 M−1, for X− = PF6−, ClO4−, NTf2−, BF4− and OTf−, respectively, relative to the association constant for the H2tpp+TFPB− complex. By similar methods it was found that the association constants for the corresponding dication, H2tpp2+, were at least 3.0 × 104 M−1 (PF6−), 2.5 × 106 M−1 (ClO4−), 5.2 × 105 M−1 (NTf2−), 1.9 × 106 M−1 (BF4−) and 2.7 × 106 M−1 (OTf−). We demonstrate that differences in association constants allow the formal potential of the second oxidation of H2tpp to be shifted by more than 800 mV simply by varying the solvent and electrolyte. In addition, calculated electrostatic potential energy maps for porphyrin dications suggest that exposure of the core N–H groups is responsible for the change in ordering of anion affinities that occurs upon oxidation of H2tpp+.
The 12C(α, γ)16O reaction at stellar energies

Abstract The most recent experimental data on the 12 C(α, γ) 16 O reaction at energies E c.m. ≲ 3 MeV have been analysed to determine the astrophysical S -factor. The absolute E2 capture cross section was calculated in a microscopically based direct capture model, while the E1 cross section was described by the hybrid R -matrix model. We find that the E2 rate is less than 4% of the E1 rate at astrophysically important energies. The two sets of data yield S -factors at E c.m. = 300 keV of 0.15 MeV · b and 0.34 MeV · b.
Through the camera's eye: A phenomenological analysis of teacher subjectivity

Abstract The purpose of this study is to understand how preservice teachers experience a common university assignment: the videotaping and analysis of their own instruction. Using empirical data and the thought of the French philosophers Michel Foucault and Emmanuel Levinas, the study examines the difficulties in transitioning from student subjectivity to teacher subjectivity within the context of university-based teacher education. The paper ends by considering the role teacher educators can play in helping student teachers grow through their preservice experiences.
The foliar fungal endophytes of the Amazonian palm Euterpe oleracea

A survey of the fungal endophytes in leaves of trees and saplings of Euterpe oleracea was carried out over two years. An average of 25% of the leaf discs taken from 10 trees and 10 saplings over four sam- plings were colonized by endophytic fungi. Overall fungal colonization was positively correlated with leaf age, plant growth stages, site, and the interactive ef? fects of growth stage x season and growth stage x site. Fewer isolates were recovered from younger than from older leaves, and from trees than from saplings. Fifty-seven species and six familial taxa assigned main? ly to the Ascomycotina and Deuteromycotina were isolated. Xylaria cubensis and Letendraeopsis palmarum were the most common species. Significant differences in the number of isolates of the 21 most frequent species were observed with respect to plant growth stages, season and site. A community ordination anal? ysis showed that depending upon the host tissue, vein or intervein, trees and saplings located at different sites were characterized by distinct endophytic com? munities.
Close Relationships at Work: Perceptions of the Motives and Performance of Relational Participants

For a variety of reasons it is likely that romantic relationships between members of the same organization will become increasingly common. However, there exists very little information about persons' reasons for entering close relationships with other employees, how non-involved parties view the relationships, and what the outcome of such pairings might be for the host organization. Interviews were conducted with persons who had either observed or been a part of an intimate relationship with a member of the same organization. The data suggest that (1) several different motives exist for becoming involved with a fellow employee, (2) these motives are attributed differently depending upon whether one is a participant in the relationship or an outside observer, (3) organizational romance does not inevitably cause performance decrements in the involved couple, and (4) while gossip about the relationship is to be expected, the tone of it depends upon the reasons why the involved persons initiated the relation...
Advances in systems analysis and simulation

Abstract Analysis and simulation of advanced energy systems are best investigated using a comprehensive systems code. This paper will discuss the advanced concepts embodied in the SALT (Systems Analyses Language Translator) systems code. In particular, the concepts to be discussed are general system theory, preprocessing, precompilation of models, multi-dimensioned equation solving, optimization, dynamic systems and language translation. Some of the specific methods of implementation included in the above concepts are: hierarchical decomposition, inverse calling, and polyalgorithmic optimization. Although the SALT systems code was developed for use in energy systems, the concepts apply to any system which can be defined by components and flow streams (or information streams) connecting the components. The SALT systems code has been used in the analysis of the following energy systems: fuel cells, magnetohydrodynamics, pulverized coal-fired boilers, district heating, fluidized-bed combustion, flue gas desulfurization, coal gasification combined cycles, fusion, solar systems, ocean thermal energy conversion, nuclear power, cogeneration, retrofit, and municipal solid waste. Furthermore, the SALT systems code was extended to do dynamic simulation for the analysis of transient conditions in nuclear power plants. The determining factor in deciding if the SALT systems code can be used for a particular problem is the existence of adequate component models and property routines for the flow streams. Each of the technologies analyzed with the SALT code required minor revisions, or extensions, to models (performance and economic) and property libraries; a comparatively minor effort compared to the development of the executive routine. Finally, the elusive characteristics of a powerful systems code which are considered when evaluating its usefulness by non-expert users will be discussed. The characteristics to be discussed are code generality, user friendliness, robustness, modularity, size, speed, accuracy, modifiability, documentation, and user support facilities.
Exact solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for two spheres with fixed surface potentials

Abstract An iteration scheme for the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for two spheres with constant surface potentials is devised. The scheme yields an exact solution to this problem, and it is uniformly convergent.
Pharmacogenetics in neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arise from cells distributed throughout the endocrine system. Although, NETs are heterogeneous in their behavior, they tend to be more aggressive when arising in the pancreas. Pancreatic NET (panNET) represents three percent of all primary pancreatic neoplasms. Symptomatic and progressive panNETs are generally treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy, whereas molecular targeted therapy is used for nonfunctional tumors without aggressive features. Pharmacogenetics has increasingly been used recently to better identify potential targets for therapy and help select patient-specific therapy. In this review, we discuss two abstracts (Abstracts #4113 and #e15169) presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago this year, outlining the potential role of tumor gene and gene product profiling in disease management. We describe what is known about the pathogenesis of these tumors, role of decreased gene product expression (MGMT, RRM1, MET) and its application in cytotoxic therapy selection, as well as genetic mutations that can be used for molecular targeted therapy. With an overall shift towards personalized medicine, it has become ever more important to identify the molecular signature of a tumor as it appears to dictate the clinical behavior and response to therapy. Image: Cellular processing and repair of alkylating agent induced O6meG lesions in DNA by MGMT. From: Fu et al. Nature Reviews Cancer 2012; 12:104-20.
Volumetric array prewhitening

Direction finders such as MUSIC experience loss of resolution and increased bias in the presence of nonwhite noise. This paper presents two versions of a steepest descent gradient algorithm that prewhiten the signal received by an arbitrarily oriented volumetric sensor array, minimizing these undesirable effects. The algorithms optimize a whiteness functional over a surface with desirable properties including low dimensionality, unimodality, and concavity. Two ambient noise models facilitate algorithm development through succinct parameterization. The first, which is a novel linear matricial ambient noise model based on a spherical harmonic expansion, places no constraints on array geometry. The second model requires a spatially uniformly sampled sensor array and reduces problem dimensionality associated with exact multidimensional autoregressive modeling. The algorithms estimate a stacked vector arrangement of the model parameters. Application with MUSIC demonstrates enhanced performance in terms of angular resolution and detection of low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) sources.
Pass-transistor adiabatic logic using single power-clock supply

We present a new pass-transistor adiabatic logic (PAL) that operates from a single power-clock supply and outperforms the previously reported adiabatic logic techniques in terms of its energy use. PAL is a dual-rail logic with relatively low gate complexity: a PAL gate consists of true and complementary NMOS functional blocks, and a pair of cross-coupled PMOS devices. In simulation tests using a standard 1.2 /spl mu/ CMOS technology, the circuit has been found to operate up to 160 MHz clock frequency and down to 1.5 V peak-to-peak sinusoidal power-clock supply. Operation of a 1600-stage PAL shift register fabricated in the 1.2 /spl mu/ CMOS technology has been experimentally verified.
Acute cellular rejection following human heart transplantation is associated with increased expression of vitronectin receptor (integrin αvβ3)

The vitronectin receptor (integrin αvβ3), a cell-surface adhesion receptor, has been shown to play a significant role in endothelial cell migration, apoptosis, atherosclerosis, and T-lymphocyte activation. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that cardiac allograft rejection is associated with increased expression of αvβ3. We also determined whether fibronectin receptor (α5β1) and tissue factor are up-regulated in the presence of acute cellular rejection. We evaluated endomyocardial biopsy specimens with histologic evidence of different degrees of acute cellular rejection (grade 0, n = 10; grade 1A, n = 10; grade 2, n = 10; grade 3A, n = 10). Biopsies were obtained 2–4 weeks after cardiac transplantation. Immunoperoxidase staining was performed for αvβ3, tissue factor, and α5β1, and protein levels were further determined by Western blot analysis. Specimens with grade 2 and grade 3A rejection showed positive staining of αvβ3 in lymphocytic aggregates and vascular endothelial cells. By immunoblotting, we identified significantly increased expression of αvβ3 in the presence of acute rejection, grade 2 (3-fold, p = 0.01) and grade 3A (3.6-fold, p = 0.005) compared to grade 0 and 1A specimens. There was no evidence of increased expression of α5β1 or tissue factor. Acute cellular rejection, a process characterized by T-lymphocyte activation and release of inflammatory cytokines, is associated with increased expression of αvβ3.
Carcass, meat quality, and sensory characteristics of heavy body weight pigs fed ractopamine hydrochloride (Paylean)

Carcass characteristics, meat quality traits, and sensory attributes were evaluated in late-finishing barrows and gilts, weighing between 100 to 130 kg of BW, fed 0, 5, or 7.4 mg/kg of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) for the final 21 to 28 d before slaughter. Carcass data were collected from carcasses from barrows and gilts (n = 168), and all primal cuts from the right sides of these carcasses were fabricated to calculate primal yields as a percentage of the HCW. Subjective (National Pork Producers Council and Japanese) color, firmness, and marbling scores were determined on the LM of each loin and the semimembranosus muscle (SM) of the ham, whereas the moisture, extractable lipid, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and trained sensory evaluations (juiciness, tenderness, and pork flavor) were measured on the LM samples only. Gilts produced heavier (P < 0.05) HCW than barrows, whereas feeding RAC increased (P < 0.05) HCW over pigs fed diets devoid of RAC. Carcasses from gilts also had greater (P < 0.02) primal cut and lean cut (P < 0.01) yields than barrows, and dietary inclusion of 5 mg/kg of RAC increased (P < 0.05) total boneless cut and lean cut yields when compared with carcass from pigs fed 0 or 7.4 mg/kg of RAC. Warner-Bratzler shear forces values were greater (P < 0.05) in the LM of gilts than barrows, but only juiciness scores were greater (P < 0.03) in LM chops from barrows than gilts. The LM from barrows had greater intramuscular lipid (P < 0.001) than the LM from gilts, and even though the LM from pigs fed 5 mg/kg of RAC had greater (P < 0.04) WBSF values than the LM from pigs fed 0 or 7.4 mg/kg of RAC, including RAC in the late-finishing diets for 21 or 28 d did not affect sensory panel rating or percentages of moisture and intramuscular lipid. In summary, addition of RAC in the late-finishing diet improved carcass and primal cut yields when it was fed at 5 and 7.4 mg/kg without altering pork quality traits regardless of whether RAC was fed for 21 or 28 d.
X-Ray Analysis of Sulfur-Containing Colchicine Derivatives

The crystal and molecular structures of deacetylthiocol-chicine hydrochloride dihydrate and thiocolchicine hexahydrate were determined by X-ray diffraction. The replacement of oxygen by sulfur on the C ring methoxy group causes greater puckering of the troponoid ring. The conformation of one A ring methoxy group differs from that of colchicine derivatives that do not contain sulfur.
A time-warping framework for speech turbulence-noise component estimation during aperiodic phonation

The accurate estimation of turbulence noise affects many areas of speech processing including separate modification of the noise component, analysis of degree of speech aspiration for treating pathological voice, the automatic labeling of speech voicing, as well as speaker characterization and recognition. Previous work in the literature has provided methods by which such a high-quality noise component may be estimated in near-periodic speech, but it is known that these methods tend to leak aperiodic phonation (with even slight deviations from periodicity) into the noise-component estimate. In this paper, we improve upon existing algorithms in conditions of aperiodicity by introducing a time-warping based approach to speech noise-component estimation, demonstrating the results on both natural and synthetic speech examples.
This is not a c#: What my computer means

Computers contain layers of abstraction between the raw audio bits and the user experience; each layer requires a method of traversal that reflects the attitudes of the programmer/composer/performer. The navigation of this hierarchy results in modes of thought that affect notions of how musical signifiers can be subverted and redefined. This explosion of individualistic technological systems defines meaning for new sonic results, devoid of traditional communicative signs; the manipulations within these systems directly assail the traditional signification of artistic value and of institutional canonisation. A few pieces and scenarios are presented as examples. Additionally presented are two opposing tendencies (with some empirical manifestations) in the creation of live performances systems, here labelled as extensional and algorithmic. The article posits that a performance system cannot amplify human expression without necessarily having either predefined processes or predefined limitations, and that the choice in this design is reflected in the composer's attitude towards layer-traversal.
STUDIES OF THE HUMAN LYMPHOCYTE RECEPTOR FOR HEAT-AGGREGATED OR ANTIGEN-COMPLEXED IMMUNOGLOBULIN

The lymphocyte receptor for complexed immunoglobulin was shown not to bind heat-aggregated human serum albumin, bovine serum albumin, transferrin, F(ab')2, reduced and alkylated Ig, and mildly oxidized Ig, which indicated that the receptor is specific for a site dependent on disulfide bond(s) on the Fc portion of complexed Ig. Inhibition experiments provided evidence that the same receptor binds both heat-aggregated Ig and antigen-antibody complexes. Lymphocytes treated with pronase were no longer able to bind Ig complexes, which suggested that the receptor is a protein or glycoprotein. Additional evidence was obtained that lymphocyte surface Ig and the receptor for complexed Ig are distinct since the former could be capped without affecting the distribution of the latter, and surface Ig was not detectable after trypsinization of lymphocytes, whereas the binding of Ig complexes was unaffected by such treatment. Incubation of lymphocytes which had bound Ig complexes in tissue culture medium at 37°C revealed that the complexes remained on the surface membrane for several hours, and that only a minority of lymphocytes binding complexes showed cap formation. Lymphocytes which had heat-aggregated IgG specifically bound to their receptors for complexed Ig were markedly inhibited in their ability to mediate antibody-dependent cytotoxicity, thus providing strong evidence for the necessity of the receptor in this immune activity. Titration of this inhibition with varying amounts of complexes revealed distinct plateaus in the dose-response curve. This suggested that there may be more than one kind of receptor and/or different populations of lymphocytes which bear the receptor.
Indigenous Sovereignty Scenarios in Latin America and Hawaii: Parallels and Possibilities

What are the conditions and considerations that predispose a state or national government to grant autonomy to �Fourth World� peoples? What political and rhetorical tactics do encapsulated native groups employ to legitimize particular sovereignty scenarios in national discourse? In their strategies, rhetoric, and fundamental structural issues, indigenous political struggles have become strikingly similar throughout the world. This paper examines public debate and activism over the design and extent of sovereignty for native Hawaiians, in comparison with Colombia's granting of indigenous self-determination rights through the 1991 Constitution. The destiny of native lands is a crucial issue in both cases, but so, too, is the symbolic value of indigenous culture in the construction of identity.
The Use of the Copper-Oxide Rectifier for Instrument Purposes

Mention is made of the need for high sensitivity a-c measuring instruments and the development of the copper-oxide rectifier as a ready means of obtaining high sensitivity without sacrificing other desirable characteristics. Possibilities and limitations of half-wave rectification are discussed. An analysis is made of the copper-oxide full-wave instrument rectifier. Characteristics of this rectifier and of rectifier instruments under varying conditions of current, temperature, frequency, and wave-form are discussed. A study is made of the interrelation of range and sensitivity in determining temperature coefficients of rectifier voltmeters. Methods of compensation are developed for offsetting errors due to temperature or frequency. The chief limiting factors in the use or manufacture of rectifier instruments are set forth.
Concurrent program development and correctness: S2S game strategies and constructive dynamic logic

The author summarizes work done in two areas: games for concurrency and constructive dynamic logic for concurrency. Two questions are also addressed: (1) what can be concluded in a language like dynamic logic about machine behavior if one has only partial knowledge of machine states, such as the contents of a few registers and stacks; and (2) can these computations be made naturally in constructive logic by term extraction and therefore be implementable. >
Evidence for a deep acceptor level in p-InSb from the variation of hole density with uniaxial stress

Abstract The hole density of Cd doped p-InSb has been studied as a function of uniaxial compressive stress along [001] at T = 77 K. Analysis implies the presence of a deep acceptor level whose activation energy decreases with compressive stress, dEA/dχ = −3.9 meV/kbar.
Kinetic analysis of hexose transport to determine the mechanism of amygdalin and prunasin absorption in the intestine.

Evidence is accumulating that glucose-conjugated compounds may be carried across the gut mucosa via the epithelial sodium-dependent monosaccharide transporter SGLT1. A modification of the everted intestinal sac technique was utilized to study the transport of the cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin (D-mandelonitrile beta-D-gentiobioside) and its metabolite D-mandelontrile beta-D-glucoside (prunasin). Everted sacs of rat jejunum and ileum were bathed in isotonic oxygenated sodium chloride-potassium phosphate buffer containing 2.8 microCi D-[(3)H]-mannose and 0.187 microCi D-[(14)C]-glucose. For treatment groups, buffers contained phloridzin, galactose, amygdalin or prunasin. The rate constant (k) for the transport process was calculated. Compared with the control (n = 33), phloridzin (n = 25) significantly reduced the rate constants of both D-[(14)C]-glucose and D-[(3)H]-mannose. Substitution of sodium with choline and incremental galactose treatments similarly reduced D-[(14)C]-glucose influx, indicating that a fraction of the transport is carrier-mediated. Treatment with amygdalin did not significantly affect the rate constants of D-[(14)C]-glucose or D-[(3)H]-mannose transport. However, treatment with 1 mM prunasin (n = 16) did reduce the influx of D-[(14)C]-glucose without affecting D-[(3)H]-mannose values. This is consistent with the reports finding that glycoside absorption may be mediated by SGLT1.
Unintentionally Released Chaetorellia succinea (Diptera: Tephritidae): Is This Natural Enemy of Yellow Starthistle a Threat to Safflower Growers?

Abstract In mid-1996, we detected an unintentionally introduced seed-head fly, Chaetorellia succinea (Costa), destroying seeds of yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis L., one of the worst weeds in the western United States. In overseas studies, Chaetorellia succinea had been considered as a potential biological control agent for yellow starthistle, but had been rejected because of fears that it might become a pest of safflower, Carthamus tinctorius L., in the United States. From mid-1996 through early 2000, we conducted both laboratory and field evaluations to determine whether this fly could cause significant damage to safflower, a widely planted crop in California. In laboratory no-choice host range evaluations, adult females would oviposit, and the larvae completed development, on all five varieties of safflower that we tested. However, in choice tests, only one head each of two varieties of safflower was attacked. No safflower was attacked at three sites in California and Oregon, with large popu...
Rice yield and quality as affected by cultivar and red rice (Oryza sativa) density

Abstract Previous research has examined the extent to which red rice affects both yield and grain quality of cultivated rice. However, this research was conducted over 15 yr ago. Modern long-grain rice cultivars have the potential to produce yields above 10,000 kg ha−1; however, it is unknown whether modern rice cultivars sacrifice competitiveness to achieve higher yields, or if, in fact, they are more competitive. Field studies were conducted in 2002 and 2003 at the Southeast Research and Extension Center near Rohwer, AR, and at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Research Farm near Lonoke, AR, to investigate the effect of red rice density on interference between red rice and five rice cultivars (‘CL161’, ‘Cocodrie’, ‘LaGrue’, ‘Lemont’, and ‘XL8’). White rice yield reductions were between 100 and 755 kg ha−1 for every red rice plant m−2. The hybrid rice, XL8, had higher yields than the conventional cultivars. Red rice contamination in milling samples increased linearly as a function of red rice density...
Aging Reconsidered: Strategies to Promote Health and Prevent Disease in Old Age

The inexorable increase in the number and proportion of elderly people in Western countries and their disproportionate utilization of health care resources has fueled interest in gerontology and geriatrics [1]. On the clinical side, a body of important scholarship has"focused on the organization and financing of long-term care services, the risks for institutionalization, etc. But despite heavy utilization by the elderly of acute care services, especially in hospitals, study of the acute care needs of the elderly has been less intensive and strategies devoted to health promotion and disease prevention have been relatively neglected. Somehow advanced old age is not seen as the appropriate place for prevention. This is unfortunate, since the dramatic increases in life span in this century now provide both a challenge and an opportunity for increases in health span and decreases in morbidity. If our goal is to enhance active life expectancy, initiatives to reduce morbidity and increase function are clearly needed. On the biomedical research scene, there has been a major emphasis on identifying and explaining the influence of 'normal aging' in the absence of disease. The rationale for this body of work emphasizes that the physiologic changes that accompany aging may influence the presentation of disease, its response to treatment, and the complications that ensue. Numerous carefully conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of this type have demonstrated major effects of age on a number of clinically relevant variables, including pulmonary function, renal function, and immune function [2, 3]. In much of this work, investigators have carefully excluded individuals identified as having diseases and have thus lumped the remaining individuals into a large category of 'normal aging'. This dichotomy of findings into 'disease-related' versus 'normal aging' phenomena, which has dominated the field, has important limitations. It neglects the sustantial heterogeneity amongst older persons with regard to many physiological variables and implies that the physiological changes that occur in older individuals, in the absence of disease, are harmless and do not carry significant risk [4]. In short, the tendency to define these changes as 'normal' suggests that they represent the natural state of affairs and thus should not or cannot be modified. However, recent research suggests that the physiological changes that occur with 'normal age', in the absence of disease, are highly variable, in many cases are associated with
LPS stimulates bactericidal activity in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum (37.47)

Innate immune cells use evolutionarily-conserved pattern-recognition machinery to detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The conservation of pattern-recognition machinery allows for its characterization in various model organisms. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a unique model system that can exist as single-celled amoebae that phagocytize bacteria for nutritional uptake. Although D. discoideum has been used to study bacterial phagocytosis, it has not been determined whether D. discoideum uses pattern-recognition machinery to detect bacterial PAMPs. Here we show that D. discoideum mounts responses against the bacterial cell wall PAMP, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS treatment of D. discoideum results in more efficient uptake of bacteria and more efficient clearance of phagocytized bacteria. In addition, as shown by qRT-PCR, D. discoideum treated with LPS upregulate expression of putative pattern-recognition and phago-lysosomal genes. Both LPS-enhanced bactericidal activity and gene expression are dependent on MAPK signaling. We currently are determining the mechanisms by which LPS stimulates D. discoideum by studying intracellular trafficking of phagocytized bacteria and by creating D. discoideum cells that overexpress or are deficient for pattern-recognition and phago-lysosomal genes. The characterization of pattern recognition in D. discoideum should provide insight into conserved molecular mechanisms underlying microbial detection.
Concentration changes in urinary electrolytes produced by mercurial diuretics.

Summary1. The mercurial diuretics increase sodium and chloride concentration in the urine when these ions are hypotonic to plasma. The mercurial induced increase in the urinary sodium and chloride concentrations can exceed those of plasma by a significant amount. 2. When urinary sodium and chloride concentrations are above those of plasma the mercurials reduce the concentration of these ions significantly. The ability of the kidney to produce hypertonic urine is not inhibited by mercurial diuretics. 3. Pituitrin induced antidiuresis and hypertonicity of the urine are not abolished by maximally effective doses of mercurial diuretics.
Temporal patterns of activities potentially related to pesticide exposure

Longitudinal information on human activity patterns is required to perform reliable assessments of chronic exposure to pesticides in nonoccupational settings. As part of a longitudinal, multimedia exposure survey in Maryland, USA, we collected 2521 person-days of information on the frequency of five activities that are potentially important to pesticide exposure in residential settings: preparation of pesticides; application of pesticides; contact with soil on the skin; contact with grass on the skin; and contact with carpet. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the data for variability by time of year, day of week, and several demographic factors. Eight percent of the population reported preparing pesticides on at least one occasion over the year, while 24% of the population applied pesticides at least once. The majority of the population reported contact with soil (68%), grass (72%), and carpet (64%) over the course of a year. Skin contact with soil and grass was found to occur approximately twice as frequently (p<0.001) in spring and summer periods than in fall and winter periods. Similarly, contact with soil and grass was about 50% (p<0.05) more likely to occur on weekend days than on weekdays. These results indicate that short-term measurements (e.g., 1-day or 1-week) of these activities for an individual may not be equivalent to long-term average patterns. We also found that selected demographic characteristics were significant predictors of several of these activities. Thus, some demographic characteristics may be useful in categorizing exposure although it is unlikely that a single short-term measurement will suffice to describe annual average activity or multiple short-term activity periods.
An Analysis on the Epidemic Characteristics and Trend for Malignancies in 10 City Residents in Yunnan Province from 2004 to 2005

[Purpose] To analyze the epidemic characteristics and trend for malignancy in 10 city residents in Yunnan province from 2004 to 2005. [Method] Descriptive statistical method was employed,the crude mortality,age-standardized mortality,age-specific and gender-specific mortality of main cancer(nasopharyngeal,esophageal,stomach,colorectum,liver,lung,breast,cervical,bladder and leukemia) were calculated.[Result] According to the cause of death retrospective investigation in 2004~2005,the crude mortality and age-standardized mortality of main malignancy was 93.94/ 105and 107.30/105respectively in Yunnan province. The highest mortality was from the lung cancer(with crude mortality 40.39/105and age-standardized mortality 46.75/105),the next was from of the liver cancer and stomach cancer(with age-standardized mortality 15.59/105and 9.71/105respectively). The age-standardized mortality in urban area was higher than that in rural area(146.98/105vs 61.09/105). The mortality of malignancy showed a trend of increasing with age in 10~65 years old residents. [Conclusion] The mortality of malignancy in Yunnan province is lower than the national average mortality;all kinds of malignant tumor mortality are below the national level except lung cancer. The mortality of main cancer in urban area was higher than that in rural area,and higher in male than that in female.
Treatment of Diamond-Blackfan anemia with recombinant human interleukin- 3 [see comments]

This report describes the response of eighteen Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) patients to recombinant human interleukin-3 (rhIL-3). rhIL-3 was administered subcutaneously once daily on an escalating dose schedule (0.5 to 10 micrograms/kg/d). The rhIL-3 dose was escalated every 21 days until erythroid response was attained, grade III or IV nonhematologic toxicity was observed, or the maximum rhIL-3 dose was reached. Four patients experienced clinically significant erythroid responses. Two of the responders were steroid-dependent and transfusion- independent, while two were steroid-independent and transfusion- dependent. Baseline clinical or laboratory parameters, in particular in vitro bone marrow erythroid progenitor assays, were not useful in predicting rhIL-3 response. rhIL-3 administered at 5 to 10 micrograms/kg/d was associated with an increase in total white blood cell count, secondary to increases in neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes. Patients experienced a dose-dependent elevation in absolute eosinophils across the entire dose range. Two of the responding patients remain on maintenance rhIL-3, without diminution of effect at 244 and 370 + days. rhIL-3 was discontinued in the other two responders, because of the development of deep venous thrombi.
Attenuation of the blood pressure response to exogenous angiotensin I after oral administration of benazepril to healthy adult horses.

SummaryBackground Benazepril has been shown to inhibit circulating angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in horses but the optimal dosage is unknown. Objectives To determine the lowest tested dose of benazepril that results in ≥75% attenuation in the response of arterial blood pressure (BP) to exogenous angiotensin I (ANG-I) administration. Study design Prospective experimental study. Methods A total of 5 healthy horses were instrumented for the direct measurement of BP. Each horse received 4 intragastric doses of benazepril (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg bwt) with a washout period of 7 days between doses. Prior to and 2, 12 and 24 h after benazepril administration, each horse received intravenous (i.v.) boluses of ANG-I at 20, 60 and 200 ng/kg. Attenuation of the systolic arterial pressure (SBP) response to ANG-I and serum ACE activity were quantified and expressed as percentage of inhibition. Results There was a significant effect of benazepril dose (P = 0.004) and time (P = 0.004) on the percentage of inhibition of the systolic pressor response to ANG-I. Regardless of benazepril dose, the percentage of inhibition was significantly greater 2 h after administration of benazepril compared with 12 and 24 h. At an ANG-I dose of 20 ng/kg, the percentage of inhibition after administration of benazepril at 1 mg/kg bwt (46.6 ± 18.9%) was significantly greater than that achieved after 0.5 mg/kg bwt (19 ± 14%) but not significantly different from that achieved at higher doses of benazepril. Benazepril doses ≥1 mg/kg bwt resulted in serum ACE inhibition of at least 90%. Main limitations Small sample size and resulting low statistical power. Conclusions Attenuation of the rise in SBP in response to ANG-I after administration of benazepril is modest in horses despite adequate serum ACE inhibition. A dose of 1 mg/kg bwt would be recommended for future investigations of benazepril for the management of cardiovascular diseases in horses.
SU-F-J-71: Improving CT Quality for Radiation Therapy Planning and Delivery Guidance Using a Non-Linear Contrast Enhancement Technique

Purpose: Advanced image post-processing techniques which enhance soft-tissue contrast in CT have not been widely employed for RT planning or delivery guidance. The purpose of this work is to assess the soft-tissue contrast enhancement from non-linear contrast enhancing filters and its impact in RT. The contrast enhancement reduces patient alignment uncertainties. Methods: Non-linear contrast enhancing methods, such as Best Contrast (Siemens), amplify small differences in X-ray attenuation between two adjacent structure without significantly increasing noise. Best Contrast (BC) separates a CT into two frequency bands. The low frequency band is modified by a non-linear scaling function before recombination with the high frequency band. CT data collected using a CT-on-rails (Definition AS Open, Siemens) during daily CT-guided RT for 6 prostate cancer patients and an image quality phantom (The Phantom Laboratory) were analyzed. Images acquired with a standard protocol (120 kVp, 0.6 pitch, 18 mGy CTDIvol) were processed before comparison to the unaltered images. Contrast and noise were measured in the the phantom. Inter-observer variation was assessed by placing prostate contours on the 12 CT study sets, 6 enhanced and 6 unaltered, in a blinded study involving 8 observers. Results: The phantom data demonstrate that BC increased the contrast between the 1.0% supra-slice element and the background substrate by 46.5 HU while noise increased by only 2.3 HU. Thus the contrast to noise ratio increased from 1.28 to 6.71. Furthermore, the variation in centroid position of the prostate contours was decreased from 1.3±0.4 mm to 0.8±0.3 mm. Thus the CTV-to-PTV margin was reduced by 1.1 mm. The uncertainty in delineation of the prostate/rectum edge decreased by 0.5 mm. Conclusion: As demonstrated in phantom and patient scans the BC filter accentuates soft-tissue contrast. This enhancement leads to reduced inter-observer variation, which should improve RT planning and delivery. Supported by Siemens