cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The distribution of Factor S in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, and its role in stress paralysis☆

A quantitative bioassay was used to determine that the nerve cord and head of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.), contained the highest concentrations of Factor S; the legs and body contained lesser amounts. A twofold increase in the titre of Factor S was observed by spectrofluorometry and by bioassay in insects subjected to 4 hr of mechanical stress compared with the amounts in unstimulated insects. Houseflies, Musca domestica (L.), injected with 30 μg of the active substance were immediately paralysed: 60 per cent were unable to right themselves within 2 hr; the other 40 per cent showed a marked impairment in motor co-ordination. A substance that caused much the same biological response as Factor S was found in perfusates from electrically stimulated nerve cords of cockroaches. Exposure of the last abdominal ganglion of the cockroach to 8 μg of Factor S caused facilitation of the post-synaptic spike potential followed by after-discharges lasting 30 to 80 msec; 12 μg of the active residue partially blocked synaptic conduction. A parallel was drawn between the synaptic responses with increasing concentrations of Factor S and those occurring at progressive stages in stress paralysis. Factor S showed several properties typical of neurohormones, and an involvement in the mode of action of DDT is suggested.
Immunotherapy for nasal allergy

Controlled studies establish the effectiveness of immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis related to grasses, ragweed, mountain cedar, and birch pollens. Clinical improvement appears to be specific, to require adequate dosage, and to relapse once booster injections are discontinued. Specific immunologic responses increase blocking IgG antibodies in serum and secretions, blunt IgE responses, and reduce lymphocyte reactions. Immediate mediator release is reduced both in basophils challenged in vitro and in nasal secretions after local challenge in vivo. Effects on late-phase inflammatory reactions are still under investigation. Standardization of allergenic extracts by immunologic methods should make useful therapeutic responses more frequent.
Nonadiabatic ponderomotive barriers

Summary form only given. A ponderomotive potential is an effective potential seen by a particle in AC field in average over the fast oscillations. It is not a true potential though, and, if the field scale is small enough, the particle drift center exhibits irreversible motion. In particular, such nonadiabatic dynamics is observed if the AC field is in resonance with particle natural oscillations. An approximate integral of particle motion is found for this case, and a new ponderomotive potential is introduced accordingly. The new potential is non-local, which makes the particle drift similar to the motion of a quantum object in a conservative field. Because of the irreversibility of the effective potential, a resonant barrier can also produce a ratchet effect by asymmetrically transmitting thermal particles in a preferential direction. Possible applications of this and related effects comprise current drive, selective separation and cooling of plasma species, and others
Work and pregnancy: the role of fatigue and the "second shift" on antenatal morbidity.

Abstract Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate factors at home and work associated with antenatal morbidity (emergency department visits and hospitalizations) among employed pregnant women. Study Design: This prospective study of 213 women included 3 antenatal interviews at about 16, 24, and 30 weeks' gestation with questions on health history, lifestyle, housework, working conditions, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Work scores and home scores were formulated from each interview. Fatigue was defined as being very tired or extremely tired at the end of a typical workday. The risk of antenatal morbidity was modeled by means of logistic regression; results are presented as adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The risk of antenatal morbidity, which was greatest during the second trimester, was increased by stress (adjusted odds ratio, 2.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-4.57), fatigue (adjusted odds ratio, 3.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.98-7.18), work plus home score (adjusted odds ratio, 1.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.97), and the interaction of fatigue and work plus home score (adjusted odds ratio, 4.61; 95% confidence interval, 2.02-10.50). Conclusions: These findings suggest that maternal fatigue contributes significantly to antenatal morbidity. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:1172-9.)
A Lagrangian formulation of the Boltzmann-Vlasov equation for plasmas

A variational principle is found for the Boltzmann-Vlasov equation for an ionized gas in an electromagnetic field. The principle leads to a new formulation of the problem of small oscillations about equilibrium.
Properties of [3H] prostaglandin F2α binding to dispersed bovine luteal cells

Abstract Intact viable bovine luteal cell suspensions prepared by collagenase digestion of luteal tissue were used in studying the selected properties of [ 3 H] prostaglandin (PG) F 2α binding and compared with those observed in plasma membranes. [ 3 H]PGF 2α specific binding to luteal cells was a rapid (K 1 = 8.4 × 10 4 M −1 2 α S −1 ), reversible (K −1 = 1.8 × 10 −4 S −1 ) and saturable process at 24°. There was a single class of receptors with an apparent dissociation constant of 10.6 nM and 1.8 × 10 5 receptors per cell. The presence of increasing amounts of unlabeled PGs inhibited [ 3 H]PGF 2α binding in a dose-dependent manner. The potency order for this inhibition was: (15S) 15-methyl-PGF 2α methyl ester > ICI-80,996 > PGF 2α > ICI-81,008 > PGF 1α > PGE 2 , (15S) 15-methyl-PGE 2 methyl ester > PGF 2α metabolites > other PGs, PGF 1α metabolites and PGE metabolites. Other than the homegeneous nature of binding and a greater association rate in cells, the rest of the [ 3 H]PGF 2α binding properties in cells were in good agreement with those observed in plasma membranes.
CASE productivity perceptions of software engineering professionals

Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) is moving into the problem-solving domain of the systems analyst. The authors undertook a study to investigate the various functional and behavioral aspects of CASE and determine the impact it has over manual methods of software engineering productivity.
Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic activity of Rh-based lanthanum zirconate pyrochlores for higher alcohol synthesis

Abstract Two Rh-based lanthanum zirconate pyrochlores (La2Zr2O7; LZ) were prepared by the Pechini method and tested for the synthesis of higher alcohols via CO hydrogenation. In one, Rh was substituted into the pyrochlore lattice (LRZ, 1.7 wt%) while for the second, Rh was supported on an unsubstituted La2Zr2O7 (R/LZ, 1.8 wt%). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR) results show that the surface reducibility depends on whether the Rh is in (or supported on) the LZ pyrochlore. The total hydrogen consumption in TPR for LRZ (0.28 mg H2/gcat) is much greater than R/LZ (0.07 mg H2/gcat), likely due to the presence of a perovskite phase in the LRZ (LaRhO3; identified by XRD), in which rhodium is more reducible than in R/LZ. The formation of the perovskite accompanies that of the pyrochlore in the synthesis process, which includes heat treatment up to 1000 °C. CO hydrogenation results show higher ethanol selectivity for R/LZ than LRZ, possibly due to the strong interaction between Rh and LZ on the R/LZ, forming atomically close Rh+/Rh0 sites, which have been suggested to favor ethanol production.
Growth and water relation responses to salinity stress in halophytic seashore paspalum ecotypes

Abstract This study was to assess selection criteria for salt tolerance in halophytic seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz) ecotypes, and to determine influence of salinity on water status. Nine seashore paspalums exhibiting the widest range of salinity tolerance were grown in a greenhouse using nutrient/sand culture. Comparative salinity tolerance was determined by measuring shoot, root, and verdure dry weights at six salinity levels (1.2–49.7 dS m−1). Threshold ECw (electrical conductivity of water), ECw50%, ECw25%, and leaf firing (LF50) were also measured. Total water potential (Ψw), solute potential (Ψs), turgor pressure (Ψp), and relative water content (RWC) were determined as measures of water status across salinity levels. Based on the number of times in the top (best) statistical category for growth measurements, SI 93-2 and HI 101 were the most salt-tolerant ecotypes, while Adalayd was least tolerant. Results indicated that comprehensive assessment of salt tolerance using different tissues across salinity levels up to ECw50 were desirable and repeatable in halophytic seashore paspalums. The criteria ECw50%, ECw25%, and LF50 were also useful in ranking of salt tolerance, but threshold ECw was not reliable in halophytic turfgrass. Shoot Ψw and Ψs decreased continuously in all ecotypes as salinity increased. Trends in shoot growth of salt-tolerant SI 93-2 and HI 101 and least tolerant Adalayd paralleled responses of shoot Ψp with the more tolerant ecotypes maintaining more favorable Ψp and growth. Among parameters of water relations, shoot Ψw and Ψp were found to have the largest effects, which accounted for 82% and 22% of variations of shoot and root growth of seashore paspalums, respectively.
Commissural Closure for Repair of Mitral Commissural Prolapse

With traditional mitral valve repair techniques, prolapse at a commissure presents a surgical challenge. When commissural prolapse is identified, simple closure of the commissure combined with annuloplasty enables rapid and reliable mitral valve repair.
Ability of code leaders to recall CPR quality errors during the resuscitation of older children and adolescents.

Aim Performance of high quality CPR is associated with improved resuscitation outcomes. This study investigates code leader ability to recall CPR error during post-event interviews when CPR recording/audiovisual feedback-enabled defibrillators are deployed.
Relative partial photoionization cross-section of methylacetylene to the X2E ion state over the photon energy range 11–26 eV

Abstract Relative partial cross-sections for photoionization to the X 2 E ground state of the methylacetylene ion over the photon energy range 11–26 e V have been determined using synchrotron radiation. The observed cross-sections show a broad resonance feature similar to the results for photoionization to the X 2 II u ground state of the acetylene ion. An explanation involving autoionization from a π * (e) excited state is proposed.
Experiences in publishing peer-reviewed research with undergraduate accounting and finance students

Abstract This paper describes an educational program involving joint research projects undertaken between faculty and undergraduate accounting and finance students. The goal of the program was to provide undergraduate accounting and finance students a valuable educational experience resulting in a joint peer-reviewed journal publication. The paper discusses issues, concerns, and strategies that were successfully and unsuccessfully employed in conducting and publishing research with undergraduate students. The program was conducted over a six-year period, resulting in ten publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as several conference presentations, proceedings, and awards. Administrators should consider the program described here as one tool in their arsenal to help faculty maintain academic qualifications while simultaneously benefiting students.
Theoretical Probabilities of Predicted Occurrences and Amounts of Precipitation

Abstract In a statistical-dynamical study of the atmosphere, the dependent variables of the dynamic equations constitute the continuous coordinates of a phase space in which an ensemble of possible states develops with time, according to the equations. However, the prediction of precipitation requires upward, not downward, winds and saturated, not unsaturated, air. These dichotomous features introduce first-order discontinuities in the dynamics at the time of condensation. It is shown that these discontinuities do not prevent the continuous transformation of a model ensemble with time, so that theoretical probabilities of atmospheric states are still possible both before and after precipitation begins. By means of the probability calculus, a model is developed to predict a theoretical probability of precipitation occurrence. Examples are given to illustrate these methods.
ALK Inhibitor PF02341066 (Crizotinib) Increases Sensitivity to Radiation in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Expressing EML4-ALK

Crizotinib (PF02341066) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) that has been shown to selectively inhibit growth of cancer cells that harbor the EML4-ALK fusion found in a subset of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While in clinical trials, PF02341066 has shown a significant therapeutic benefit as a single agent; the effectiveness of combining it with other therapeutic modalities including ionizing radiation remains unknown. To further elucidate the role of PF02341066 in tumor inhibition, we examined its effects alone and in combination with radiation on downstream signaling, apoptosis, and radiosensitivity in two NSCLC cell lines in vitro: H3122, which harbors the EML4-ALK fusion, and H460, which does not. We also examined the in vivo effects of PF02341066 in H3122 mouse xenografts. In the H3122 cell line, PF02341066 inhibited phosphorylation of ALK and its downstream effectors: AKT, ERK, and STAT3. H3122 cells treated with a combination of PF02341066 and radiation showed an increase in cellular apoptosis and were sensitized to radiation therapy (dose enhancement ratio, 1.43; P < 0.0001). Moreover, in an H3122 xenograft model, the combined treatment resulted in greater tumor growth inhibition than either treatment alone (P < 0.05). None of these effects was observed in the EML4-ALK-negative H460 cells. Our findings indicate that PF02341066 acts as a radiation sensitizer in cells harboring the EML4-ALK fusion, providing a rationale for a clinical trial combining ALK inhibitor with radiation in the NSCLCs expressing ALK.
MINIMUM WEIGHT DESIGN OF A STRUCTURE WITH DYNAMIC CONSTRAINTS AND A COUPLING OF BENDING AND TORSION

The problem of minimizing the weight of a structure subject to coupled bending and torsional vibrations and frequency constraint has been studied in this paper. Stationary values of an appropriate objective function with both linear and nonlinear contraints have been discussed. Optimal designs of thin walled open section, with and without coupling effects have been compared. The results have also been compared with those of the associated primal problem.
Fusing binary and continuous output of multiple classifiers

This paper describes a fusion architecture and implementation for classifiers with binary as well: as continuous output. The fusion scheme is represented as a multi-layered architecture which structures the approach into pre-processing, analysis, and post-processing. All components are partitioned into layers where each layer performs logical tasks. In particular, the pre-processing component is partitioned into a temporal layer and a scaling layer. The analysis component is partitioned into strengthening and weakening layers. The post-processing component is structured into suppression and exception handling layers. Manipulations within these layers transform the binary classifier output as well as continuous output into a single continuous domain. Because the fusion architecture is designed in a modular fashion,. additional modules can be relatively easily. be added or removed. The modular design also allows re-use of the core fusion engine for other domains. We show results of this architecture applied to a system monitoring environment of industrial equipment.
Wide-band TD-CDMA MAC with minimum-power allocation and rate- and BER-scheduling for wireless multimedia networks

A wide-band time-division-code-division multiple-access (TD-CDMA) medium access control (MAC) protocol is introduced in this paper. A new minimum-power allocation algorithm is developed to minimize the interference experienced by a code channel such that heterogeneous bit-error rate (BER) requirements of multimedia traffic are satisfied. Further, from analysis of the maximum capacity of a time slot, it is concluded that both rate and BER scheduling are necessary to reach a maximum capacity. Based on the new minimum-power allocation algorithm as well as on rate and BER scheduling concepts, a new scheduling scheme is proposed to serve packets with heterogeneous BER and quality of service (QoS) requirements in different time slots. To further enhance the performance of the MAC protocol, an effective connection admission control (CAC) algorithm is developed based on the new minimum-power allocation algorithm. Simulation results show that the new wide-band TD-CDMA MAC protocol satisfies the QoS requirements of multimedia traffic and achieves high overall system throughput.
Adaptive weighted norm linear prediction for sinusoids incorporating a priori frequency information

A new adaptive autoregressive spectral estimator which incorporates prior frequency location information in frequency estimation from noisy data is developed. This method is formulated to exploit some of the same structural features of the problems as the principal component modified covariance (PCMC) technique. When the given samples are corrupted by noise and the extra information is available, the minimum norm least squares solution given by the PCMC is not chosen; instead, a frequency weight function is defined from prior information and then used to find the minimum weighted norm least squares solution for the autoregressive parameters. Adaptive modification of the frequency weight further enhances the performance of the estimator. Examples are included to illustrate the improvement achieved with the use of prior information. >
The single-electron transistor as an ultrasensitive microwave detector

We have measured single-electron tunneling transistors with superconducting islands and conclude that they may be used as ultrasensitive detectors of microwave radiation for frequencies /spl ges/80 GHz. These devices contain a small superconducting Al island that is weakly coupled to a bias circuit through two small-capacitance tunnel junctions and a capacitive gate. At low bias voltages and temperatures, a single quasiparticle may only be introduced to the island through photon-assisted tunneling. Once this occurs, the quasiparticle is trapped on the island for /spl sim/1 /spl mu/s because it takes a relatively long time for this specific quasiparticle to tunnel off. While it is trapped, charge is transported through the system two electrons at a time. Since the photon-assisted transition merely switches the detector current on, this device is not limited to one electron tunneled through the system per absorbed photon. Measurements indicate that at least 100 electrons can tunnel for every absorbed photon, which corresponds to a noise-equivalent power of 3/spl times/10/sup -20/ W//spl radic/Hz at 80 GHz if the current is measured with a commercial current amplifier. >
The development of the human amygdala during early embryonic life

The development of the human amygdaloid complex is described beginning at the time that it first appears, when the cerebral hemispheres begin to evaginate (approximately 8--9 mm), and including a fetus of 27.4 mm CR length Both Nissl and protargol silver series, transversely and sagittally sectioned, were used. The earliest cell migration representing the striatal complex is from the germinal epithelium in the region of the interventricular foramen, lateral to the primordial hippocampal formation. This is the characteristic topographic location of the amygdala, which, therefore, is the first portion of the human striatal complex to appear embryologically. All of the amygdaloid nuclei identified develop by the migration of neuroblasts from the germinal epithelium. The three main subdivisions of the amygdaloid complex (anterior amygdaloid area, corticomedial complex and basolateral nuclear group) are identifiable almost immediately after the primordial amygdala appears (9.5 mm in the material studied). In this embryo the cortical and medial nuclei are identifiable, but the central nucleus was not seen until 22.2 mm and the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract was not identified even in the oldest fetuses. The basolateral complex differentiates much later than the corticomedial complex and all of the nuclear components became identifiable at the same time (20.7 mm embryo). However the basal nucleus is best represented, the accessory basal next in size, and the lateral only just appearing. In the oldest fetus the subdivisions of the basal and accessory basal nuclei seen in the adult brain are recognizable. Even before the individual nuclei appear, the basolateral complex is much larger than the corticomedial complex. The lateral to medial rotation of the amygdaloid complex has not yet begun in the oldest fetuses, but the posterior end of the lateral ventricle is beginning to turn anteriorly. During early development, all cells of the amygdala are derived from the lateral striatal ridge, the only one present until 14.0 mm. At 20.7 mm and later neuroblasts are contributed from the medial striatal ridge also. Although the greater part of the basolateral amygdaloid complex is derived from the lateral ridge, some cells are contributed from the medial ridge, particularly to the accessory basal nucleus. By contrast, the corticomedial complex is derived in part from the medial striatal ridge, after it appears, even though the early development is from the lateral ridge. Comparisons between the amygdala at different developmental stages and the amygdala in fishes, in amphibians, in reptiles and in lower mammals are made. The amygdala in fishes, in amphibians, in reptiles and in lower mammals are made. The topographic relationships between the amygdala and the hippocampal formation, the piriform cortex and the caudate, the putamen and the globus pallidus are considered.
Coronary artery disease: the magnificent fifty?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death in the US. Altered cholesterol metabolism and proinflammatory mechanisms have been associated with the development of atherosclerotic plaques [1]. Only recently, large-scale genetic approaches using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified novel genetic markers and unsuspected pathways have been exposed along with their potential application to CAD. In the review article in this issue of the Journal titled “A genetic basis for coronary artery disease,” Dr. Robert Roberts provided a synopsis of the recent GWAS that identified 50 different variants that potentially predispose individuals to CAD [2]. This collection of 50 variants can explain the heritability of CAD for 15–20% of cases [3]. Moreover, only 15 out of 50 variants presented in the review article identify known pathways, while the majority of the remaining variants belong to pathways currently unknown to be linked to CAD. In the “future directions” paragraph of his article, Dr. Roberts seconds the possibility that in the 21st century CAD would be attenuated, if not eliminated, and genetic variants identified using GWAS could lead to the development of targeted therapies such as in PCSK9 [4]. In fact, the discovery that loss-of-function mutations in PCSK9 led to lower LDL levels, and therefore was protective, prompted a novel therapy based on PCSK9 inhibition [5]. In addition to dyslipidemia, chronic inflammation contributes to CAD and genetic variants in loci implicated in the immune and inflammatory systems appear to be involved in increased risk of CAD, thus suggesting another potential therapeutic route. Finally, the genetic variants significantly associated with CAD are very common in the general population, with more than half occurring at frequency greater than 50%. Although their relative risk increase is low, this line of evidence supports the idea that
Gas-phase Californium ion chemistry

Abstract The gas-phase chemistry of Cf + was examined, this now being the heaviest element with which such studies have been performed. The emphasis was on the efficiency of dehydrogenation of alkenes by naked Cf + ; direct comparison was made between the reactivities of Cf + and those of Cm + , Pr + , and Tm + . The results with alkenes indicated that Cf + is inefficient at CH bond activation, in accord with a standard mechanistic model, and the reported electronic structure and predicted energy levels for Cf + . No participation of the quasivalence 5 f electrons of Cf + was indicated, and essentially lanthanidelike behavior was manifested. Other types of reactions were studied, including those of Cf + with butryonitrile, butylamine, ethanedithiol, dimethylether, and perfluorocarbons. Several new Cf complex ions were identified, and novel aspects of Cf + chemistry were assessed.
Distributed time-aware provenance

The ability to reason about changes in a distributed system's state enables network administrators to better diagnose protocol misconfigurations, detect intrusions, and pinpoint performance bottlenecks. We propose a novel provenance model called Distributed Time-aware Provenance (DTaP) that aids forensics and debugging in distributed systems by explicitly representing time, distributed state, and state changes. Using a distributed Datalog abstraction for modeling distributed protocols, we prove that the DTaP model provides a sound and complete representation that correctly captures dependencies among events in a distributed system. We additionally introduce DistTape, an implementation of the DTaP model that uses novel distributed storage structures, query processing, and cost-based optimization techniques to efficiently query time-aware provenance in a distributed setting. Using two example systems (declarative network routing and Hadoop MapReduce), we demonstrate that DistTape can efficiently maintain and query time-aware provenance at low communication and computation cost.
CD40 Ligand: Not Bad to the Bone (Marrow), After All

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process that affects arteries selectively and results from imbalance between injury and repair. The complex etiology of atherosclerosis has proved formidable, indeed.1,2 Although linked to the presence of microorganisms, the atherosclerotic inflammation does not seem to result from infection; specifically, not the type of infection that can be treated with adequate antibiotics.3,4 Infections can nevertheless promote atherosclerotic inflammation indirectly by augmenting the release of cytokines in the bloodstream, such that local arterial intimal lesions can be affected.5 Furthermore, some antiinflammatory drugs like COX-2 inhibitors appear to worsen the risk of patients for cardiac events, rather than antagonize atherosclerotic inflammation and its thromboembolic consequences.6,7 Hence, the development of vascular specific antiinflammatory therapies is limited by the necessity of a basal inflammatory response to maintain arterial homeostasis by constitutive arterial repair involving both local and distant processes, such as the production of vascular precursor cells by the bone marrow. There is an exquisite need for selective antiinflammatory drugs, drugs that do not alter the limited form of inflammation required for arterial repair signaling but do control the unchecked inflammation that occurs in patients who are unable, for a variety of reasons, to mount a successful repair response. See page 1244 In such context, the dyad of CD40 and its extracellular ligand (CD40L, also called CD154) appears an ideal target for more specific antiatherosclerotic therapies. The proinflammatory dyad (CD40/CD40L) is expressed on the surface of endothelial and smooth muscle cells, macrophages, lymphocytes, megakaryocytes, and platelets—all progeny of bone marrow stem cells—and the cellular constituents of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. The CD40/CD40L system is considered an important mediator of atherosclerogenesis, because inhibition of CD40 signaling …
Egg maturation, oosorption, and wing wear in Gonatocerus ashmeadi (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Egg maturation and oosorption in Gonatocerus ashmeadi were investigated in the laboratory and the rela- tionship between hind tibia length (HTL) and <12 h egg load, and wing wear and parasitoid age were determined. G. ashmeadi given access to honey-water and hosts, on average, matured 77 eggs in excess of those they were born with. The number of mature eggs in female G. ashmeadi provided honey-water with no hosts significantly declined after 163 degree-days eggs, while the number of 'dissolved' eggs (partially disintegrated mature eggs) increased by nine eggs after 163 degree-days. These results are con- sistent with oosorption. There was a significant positive correlation between HTL and <12 h egg load. The ovigeny index (the number of mature eggs at female emergence divided by potential lifetime fecundity) for G. ashmeadi was calculated as 0.22 indicating that this parasitoid is a syn-ovigenic species when stud- ied under laboratory conditions. There was a significant positive correlation between wing wear (mea- sured as the number of broken setae per wing) and parasitoid age in the laboratory. The practical implications of these results for G. ashmeadi on the biological control of Homalodisca vitripennis are discussed.
New-onset atrial fibrillation and warfarin initiation: High risk periods and implications for new antithrombotic drugs

Atrial fibrillation is a common condition that increases the risk of stroke in many patients. Although warfarin has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, many patients who might benefit from anticoagulation do not receive this therapy. Fear of bleeding is the most often cited reason. Several new anticoagulant medications are being studied to determine their efficacy and safety relative to warfarin. Unlike earlier trials that established the superiority of warfarin over placebo, recent trials in atrial fibrillation have enrolled a disproportionate number of patients already taking warfarin. This review suggests that the risk of both haemorrhage and stroke are highest when atrial fibrillation is newly diagnosed and during the initiation of anticoagulant medication. Randomised controlled trials designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new anti-thrombotic agents should include substantial numbers of patients without prior exposure to anticoagulation since these individuals are at the highest risk for bleeding and thromboembolism.
Interactions of allelic variance of PNPLA3 with nongenetic factors in predicting nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and nonhepatic complications of severe obesity.

Objective: Allelic variation (rs738409CG) in adiponutrin (patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3, PNPLA3) has been associated with hepatic steatosis and liver fibrosis. The physiologic impact of the PNPLA3 G allele may be exacerbated in patients with severe obesity. In this study, we investigated the interactions of PNPLA3 rs738409 with a broad panel of metabolic and histologic characteristics of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in patients with medically complicated obesity. Design and Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing bariatric surgery were selected for a prospective study. They underwent extensive laboratory and histologic (liver biopsy) assessment, as well as evaluation of rs738409 polymorphism by TaqMan assay. Results: Only 12 (8.3%) of the 144 patients had normal liver histology, with 72 (50%) NASH, of whom 15 (10.4% of total patients) had fibrosis stage 2-3. PNPLA3 GG genotype correlated positively (P 145 IU/l, glucose >100 mg/dl, and C-reactive protein (CRP) >0.8 mg/dl. The probability of NASH increased from 9% (no risk factor) to 82% if all four risk factors were present. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with medically complicated obesity, PNPLA3 rs738409 G allelic expression is associated with hepatic (NASH) and nonhepatic complications of obesity, such as insulin resistance. These novel findings may be related to a greater impact of PNPLA3 variant in magnitude and scope in patients with severe obesity than in less obese populations. Further studies are needed to characterize the nature of these associations.
Intracellular Localization of Hyaluronan in Proliferating Cells

Hyaluronan is a high molecular weight glycosaminoglycan found in the extracellular matrix of many tissues, where it is believed to promote cell migration and proliferation. It was recently shown th...
Symbolic providers help people regulate affect relationally: Implications for perceived support

Relational regulation theory (Lakey & Orehek, 2011) predicts that the correlation between perceived support and mental health emerges through ordinary conversation and shared activities rather than through conversations about stress and how to cope with it. Observing the conversations and activities of others also helps regulate mental health. Symbolic providers (known only through media) mimic how real providers regulate affect in that recipients observe the conversations and shared activities of symbolic providers. Thus, many perceived support findings obtained for real providers should also be found for symbolic providers. We found the same links between perceived support and affect when recipients rated symbolic providers as when recipients rated real providers. When participants' affect was worsened, viewing symbolic providers helped restore affect.
Inferring mobile trajectories using a network of binary proximity sensors

Understanding human mobility in an environment can be approached in many forms, one of which is to recover the underlying structure of user movement. In our work, we show that we can use a network of binary proximity sensors to detect paths between nodes and also extract highly popular trajectories users take. We show that with sufficient amount of these binary data, even with no prior knowledge of the location of these sensors, we can capture a correlation between the detection timestamps in the case where a physical path exists between any two nodes. Our algorithm also generates characteristics of the path, such as the distribution of transition times and volume. We further show that with sampling techniques we can estimate the underlying trajectories that generated the time stamps. We have tested our algorithm on a simulator and two sensor network deployments. We found that, despite the lack of position information about the sensor nodes, with timestamps alone our algorithm can accurately detect the trajectories and is robust enough to use in a real-world office building.
Statistical Behavior of ALACE Floats at the Surface of the Southern Ocean

Abstract Autonomous Lagrangian Circulation Explorer (ALACE) floats were designed to measure subsurface velocities throughout the global ocean. In order to transmit their data to satellite, they spend 24 h at the ocean surface during each 10–25-day cycle. During this time the floats behave as undrogued drifters. In the Southern Ocean, floats tend to advect downwind and, in accordance with Ekman theory, slightly to the left of the wind during their time at the surface. Mean displacements are likely to carry floats northward and, correspondingly, with each cycle, the Southern Ocean floats will move into warmer water with higher dynamic height. Because of large variability, the northward trend may not be discernible for any single float: in 2 years' worth of 10-day cycles, a typical float will be displaced 100 ± 270 km northward relative to a float that never surfaces. Float surface velocities and wind speed are statistically correlated at the 95% confidence level. Compared with drogued drifters, floats tend ...
Jet Streak Dynamics and Geostrophic Adjustment Processes During the Initial Stages of Lee Cyclogenesis

In the absence of friction and diabatic effects, the temporal evolution of atmospheric flow is governed by the conservation of two quantities: potential temperature and potential vorticity. This is particularly easy to demonstrate in the case of quasi-geostrophic flow where the potential vorticity equation reduces to a three-dimensional elliptic equation for the mass field tendency. In isentropic coordinates, the variable representing the mass field is the Montgomery potential M≡gz + cPT, and the elliptic equation for the M field tendency Mt≡(∂M/∂t)θ is (1) The coefficients A and B in (1) are positive-valued functions of x,y,θ (rendering the differential operator on the left-hand side elliptic), and is the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity. A derivation of (1) is given in Appendix A.
Wave pattern in the wake of an arbitrary moving surface pressure disturbance

We study the problem of wave pattern in the wake of an arbitrary surface pressure disturbance that moves forward at constant speed U in deep water. We seek the dependence of the location of the maximum amplitude of waves upon the pressure distribution and the Froude number F≡U/gL, where L is the characteristic length of the pressure disturbance and g is the gravitational acceleration. We show by theoretical analysis and direct numerical evaluation that half of the included angle (ϕmax) of the V-shape corresponding to the maximum amplitude of the waves in the wake at large Froude numbers behaves asymptotically as ϕmax=CF−a for F>Fc, with the constant a, coefficient C, and threshold value of Froude number Fc all being functions of the pressure distribution. It is found that for most pressure disturbances, a equals 1, but a can equal 2 for special non-smooth pressure disturbances. The condition in terms of the order of discontinuity and distribution shape of the pressure disturbance for the result of a = 2 i...
Black hole boundary conditions and coordinate conditions

This paper treats boundary conditions on black hole horizons for the full (3+1)D Einstein equations. Following a number of authors, the apparent horizon is employed as the inner boundary on a space slice. It is emphasized that a further condition is necessary for the system to be well posed; the ``prescribed curvature conditions'' are therefore proposed to complete the coordinate conditions at the black hole. These conditions lead to a system of two 2D elliptic differential equations on the inner boundary surface, which coexist nicely to the 3D equation for maximal slicing (or related slicing conditions). The overall 2D-3D system is argued to be well posed and globally well behaved. The importance of ``boundary conditions without boundary values'' is emphasized. This paper is the first of a series.
The inhibitory properties of new non-protein amino acids and the screening of effective analogs of L-amino acids for the selection of highly active strain-producers

We studied the antimicrobial properties of 32 new non-protein compounds synthetized in the Scientific and Production Center “Armbiotechnology” by the method of asymmetric synthesis; new analogs of L-histidine and L-isoleucine were found. Via chemical mutagenesis, we obtained new mutants of the wild strain of Brevibacterium flavum 14067 resistant to (S)-β-[4-phenyl-3-(3’-hydroxypropyl)-5-thioxo-1,2,4-thiazole-1-yl]-α-alanine (an analog of histidine) and to (2S,3R)-oxyleucine (an analog of isoleucine). It was found that the synthesis rate of histidine and isoleucine in some mutants is higher than that of most active strain-producers resistant to one of these amino acids analogs described in literature. Our data prove the efficacy of the use of new analogs as selective agents for the screening of highly active strains producing histidine and isoleucine.
Antidepressants and pediatric depression--the risk of doing nothing.

There is great concern that antidepressants used in children and adolescents may paradoxically increase their risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Is this concern valid, and if so, how should it...
Pirfenidone: is it tolerable?

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains the commonest and most lethal of all the fibrotic lung diseases. Until recently, clinical studies identifying effective treatments have largely been lacking. Two agents, pirfendione and nintedanib have recently demonstrated clinical efficacy in slowing the rate of physiological decline in patients and improve progression-free survival after 52 weeks of treatment in those who were rigorously diagnosed with IPF.1–3 Pirfendione, an oral pyridine compound, exerts it's effect by targeting multiple pathways that have been implicated in the pathophysiology of IPF.4 The clinical efficacy of pirfendione was evaluated in several phase 3 randomised control trials, which led to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use and has demonstrated a clear improvement in physiological metrics of disease as well as clinically relevant outcomes including reduction in mortality as well as decrease in IPF associated exacerbations and death. Though pirfendione has clearly been proven as a treatment for IPF, the long-term side effects …
The Relevance of Firm-size in the Informal Sector

Using newly collected on informal firms in 11 countries in Africa, we explore whether firm-size matters at all for the structure, conduct and performance of the firms. While firm-size is known to be an important attribute of the firms in the formal sector, it is not obvious what the relevance of firm-size is for the informal sector. Informal firms are small, many of them run alone by the owner, and have limited variation in size. Notwithstanding the limited variation in firm-size, our results show that firm-size is highly correlated with a number of firm characteristics such as job growth, labor productivity, gender composition of the workforce and ownership, proclivity to register, access to finance and use of electricity and vehicles. Of course, there are firm characteristics such as perceived benefits from registering, quality of power supply faced by the firms and crime against businesses that show no variation by firmsize. Overall, we conclude that distinction between small and large firms is relevant for the informal sector, at least to an extent that it cannot be neglected by researchers and policy makers.
Phenotypic and genetic effects of hybridization in Darwin's finches

Morphological consequences of hybridization were studied in a group of three interbreeding species of Darwin's finches on the small Galapagos island of Daphne Major in the inclusive years 1976 to 1992. Geospiza fortis bred with G. scandens and G. fuliginosa. Although interbreeding was always rare (< 5%), sufficient samples of measurements of hybrids and backcrosses were accumulated for analysis. Five beak and body dimensions and mass were measured, and from these two synthetic (principal-component) traits were constructed. All traits were heritable in two of the interbreeding species (G. fuliginosa were too rare to be analyzed) and in the combined samples of F, hybrids and backcrosses to G. fortis. In agreement with expectations from a model of polygenic inheritance, hybrid and backcross classes were generally phenotypically intermediate between the breeding groups that had produced them. Hybridization increased additive genetic and environmental variances, increased heritabilities to a moderate extent, and generally strengthened phenotypic and genetic correlations. New additive genetic variance introduced by hybridization is estimated to be two to three orders of magnitude greater than that introduced by mutation. Enhanced variation facilitates directional evolutionary change, subject to constraints arising from genetic correlations between characters. The Darwin's finch data suggest that these constraints become stronger when species with similar proportions hybridize, but some become weaker when the interbreeding species have different allometries. This latter effect of hybridization, together with an enhancement of genetic variation, facilitates evolutionary change in a new direction.
Dedolomitization as a driving mechanism for karst generation in Permian Blaine Formation, Southwestern Oklahoma, USA

Cyclic deposits of Permian shales, dolomites, and halite and gypsum-bearing strata in the Blaine Formation of Southwestern Oklahoma contain abundant karst features. The present study shows that an important mechanism of karst development in these sequences is dedolomitization, wherein gypsum and dolomite in close spatial proximity dissolve and supersaturate groundwaters with respect to calcite. The net loss of mass accompanying this process (dolomite and gypsum dissolution minus calcite precipitation) can be manifest in secondary porosity development, while the coupled nature of this set of reactions results in the retention of undersaturated conditions of groundwater with respect to gypsum. The continued disequilibrium generates karst voids in gypsum-bearing aquifers, a mineral-water system that would otherwise rapidly equilibrate.
Phenotypic plasticity in Polygonum persicaria. II: Norms of reaction to soil moisture and the maintenance of genetic diversity

Adaptive phenotypic plasticity is the predicted evolutionary response to fine-grained fluctuation in major environmental factors, such as soil moisture in plant habitats. This study examines genotypes from two natural populations of Polygonum persicaria, one from a relatively homogeneous, moderately moist site, and one from a site in which severe drought and root flooding occur within single growth seasons. Norms of reaction (phenotypic response curves) were determined for a random sample of eight and ten cloned genotypes, respectively, from each of the populations over a controlled moisture gradient ranging from drought to flooding.
Analysis of mental heath of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Pudong District of Shanghai

Objective To analyze the status of mental health of tuberculosis patients.Methods A questionnaire survey of confirmed tuberculosis patients registered from November 1,2011 to October 30,2012 was conducted using the scale(SCL-90).The data were analyzed by Chi-square test and t test.Results The score of hostility factor in male patients was higher than that in females(t=-2.318,P0.05).The detection rates of depression and anxiety of smear negative patients were higher than those of smear positive patients(P0.05).The total scores of SCL-90 went up along with the increase of age and frequency of tuberculosis infection(P0.05).Conclusion Psychological support male senile and retreated sputum- negative TB patients should be strengthened to improve their compliance.