cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFICACY OF AN IMMUNO‐MAGNTIC SEPARATION SYSTEM FOR RECOVERING CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OOCYSTS FROM SOILS

Studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of the commercially available immuno-magnetic system by DynalTM to recover C. parvum oocysts from silty clay, sandy clay loam and clay soils. Each soil type was spiked with known numbers of oocysts and their recovery using percoll-sucrose gradient centrifugation in combination with immuno-magnetic separation system was evaluated. The recoveries varied significantly. The silty clay loam soil had the highest recovery ranging between 91% and 26%, while the sandy clay loam had the lowest recovery ranging between 30% and 2%. The results indicate that though the DynalTM IMS system is capable of recovering oocysts from soils, the recovery efficiencies can vary significantly.
Organ reactive autoantibodies from non-immunized adult BALB/c mice are polyreactive and express non-biased VH gene usage.

Abstract To examine the naturally activated autoreactive B cell repertoire, we analyzed a panel of hybridomas from unmanipulated adult BALB/c spleen cells for reactivity patterns and V H gene usage. We found a pattern of V H usage that was diverse and appeared to reflect the germline repertoire. Although all but one natural antibody hybridoma (NAb) were initially selected for organ rather than antigen binding, the majority of organ reactive IgM NAbs were poly reactive, expressing a broad range of reactivity patterns for both self and foreign antigens, that were unique for each NAb and were not indiscriminate. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that many naturally activated adult B cells are highly polyreactive and that autoreactivity is a consequence of polyreactivity. We suggest that the population of NAbs exhibiting organ reactivity overlaps the populations of other IgM autoantibodies that have been described previously, and that these all derive from a pool of polyreactive IgM antibodies which are polyclonally activated in the early immune response. These polyreactive natural antibodies may represent a first line of defense and offer protection for the host against a variety of foreign agents.
Update on idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Purpose To provide an update on various features of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Design Perspective. Methods Selected articles on the epidemiology, clinical and imaging features, natural history, pathophysiology, and treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension were reviewed and interpreted in the context of the authors' clinical and research experience. Results Idiopathic intracranial hypertension primarily is a disease of obese women of childbearing age, but it can affect patients of any weight, sex, and age. Although a relatively rare disorder, idiopathic intracranial hypertension's associated costs in the United States entail hundreds of millions of dollars. Even after treatment, headaches frequently are persistent and may require the continued involvement of a neurologist. Quality-of-life reductions and depression are common among idiopathic intracranial hypertension patients. However, visual dysfunction, especially visual field abnormalities, represents the major morbidity of this disorder, and serial automated perimetry remains the primary method of patient monitoring. Patients who are men, black, very obese, or anemic are at higher risk of visual loss. Vitamin A metabolism, adipose tissue as an actively secreting endocrine tissue, and cerebral venous abnormalities are areas of active study regarding the pathophysiology of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Treatment studies show that lumbar puncture is a valuable treatment (in addition to its crucial diagnostic role), and that weight management is critical. However, open questions remain regarding the efficacy of acetazolamide, cerebrospinal fluid diversion procedures, and cerebral venous stenting. Conclusions Many questions remain unanswered about idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Ongoing studies, especially an ongoing National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial of acetazolamide, should provide more insight into this important, yet poorly understood, syndrome of isolated intracranial hypertension.
Polyculture of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, Either Confined in Cages or Unconfined in Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Ponds

Polyculture of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, confined in cages suspended in prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, ponds has been shown to reduce phytoplankton densities, pH levels, and increase prawn production when compared to prawn monoculture ponds. However, as filter feeders, tilapia grazing might be more efficient if allowed free access to all portions of the water column, positively impacting both phytoplankton control and tilapia growth. This study was designed to compare the effects of confined and unconfined tilapia, in polyculture with freshwater prawns, on prawn growth, tilapia growth, algae populations, and water quality. Juvenile prawns were stocked into each of nine, 0.04 ha ponds as 60 d nursed juveniles (0.8 ± 0.3 g) at 62,000/ha. Three control ponds contained only prawns (MONO). In three other ponds, monosex (male) Nile tilapia (89.2 ± 23.6 g) were stocked unconfined into three ponds at 4400/ha (POLY-UNC). In three additional ponds, the same size and number of tilapia were stocked but confined in two, 1 m3 cages at 100 fish/cage (POLY-CON). Prawns were fed a sinking pellet (28% protein) twice daily at a standardized rate for 114 d. Tilapia were fed a floating pellet (32% protein) twice daily to apparent satiation for 106 d. In the POLY-UNC treatment, average prawn harvest weight (26 g) and prawn production (1625 kg/ha) were significantly lower (P 0.05) between the MONO and POLY-CON treatments in terms of prawn harvest weight, production and feed conversion ratio with combined averages of 38 g, 2465 kg/ha, and 1.9, respectively. Average harvest weight and production of adult tilapia were not significantly different (P > 0.05) in the POLY-CON and POLY-UNC treatments averaging 485 g and 2293 kg/ha, respectively. Tilapia in the POLY-CON treatment had a significantly higher (P 0.05) among water quality variables or phytoplankton populations. Lower prawn production in the POLY-UNC is likely due to competition for food with the large number of tilapia juveniles. Despite the use of Genetically Modified Tilapia (GMT) monosex males, several cohorts of juvenile tilapia were produced in each of the POLY-UNC ponds, resulting in over 2500 kg/ha of juveniles in the POLY-UNC treatment. No wild spawn tilapia juveniles were found in the POLY-CON ponds. In summary, confinement of tilapia in cages appears preferable when tilapia are polycultured with freshwater prawn.
Inverse sandwich compounds

Abstract Inverse sandwich compounds are defined as compounds with central anions and π-cationic ligands. A series of such compounds in which oxide, sulfide, carbonate and trithiocarbonate anions are combined with two cyclopropenyl cation rings containing H, CH3 and NH2 substituents have been studied by MNDO computations. With one exception the alternative σ structures are found to be by far the more stable. HOMO—LUMO interactions of the type important in metallocenes are not significant in these inverse sandwiches.
Conditioned place preference after single doses or "binge" cocaine in C57BL/6J and 129/J mice

The rewarding effect of cocaine as reflected by the development of conditioned place preference was examined in C57BL/6J and 129/J mice. Cocaine was administered in a single daily dose (2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg ip) or in a "binge" pattern (15 mg/kg ip x3, hourly). Mice remained in the conditioning compartment for 30 min immediately after each injection. Single injections of cocaine from 5 to 20 mg/kg induced conditioned place preference in each strain of mice. Only C57BL/6J mice developed conditioned place preference after "binge" cocaine administration. Both strains showed significantly greater locomotion in the conditioning compartment across the range of single doses of cocaine and after "binge" cocaine administration, but only 129/J mice showed sensitization. When mice that had received the single 10 mg/kg dose were retested 4 weeks later, the amount of time spent in the preferred side was significantly reduced compared to the initial test in the 129/J, but not in C57BL/6J mice. Thus, the persistence of conditioned place preference is strain dependent. The fact that 129/J mice did not develop conditioned place preference after "binge" cocaine administration, but did after single doses, suggests that the rewarding effects of cocaine are influenced by pattern of administration, a factor that may be relevant to the development of human cocaine addiction.
Case presentation: long-term treatment.

The long-term (14 years) psychodynamic psychotherapy and pharma- cotherapy of a depressed, suicidal, self-mutilating female patient is described. Her diagnoses included Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Recurrent Major Depression. Treatment was punctu- ated with repeated hospitalizations for self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal ideation. A major determinant for her psychopathology was sexual abuse by her father from ages 6 to 14. This resulted in feelings of guilt and rage that she repressed and acted out through self-mutilating and suicidal behavior. A pro- longed negative transference gradually became ambivalent, then positive. This was associated with her internalization of the healing qualities of the therapeu- tic relationship. She also gained insight into the reasons for her need to punish herself. Her initial self-representation as unworthy and bad was transformed into perceiving herself as a worthwhile, loving person. This case illustrates the role of long-term treatment for a complex, life-threatening, psychiatric disorder.
EFFECTS OF DEBT ON OPTIMAL ASSET DURATION AND INVESTMENT

The question whether the use of an asset will be terminated before its physical life expires is of interest to financial managers. In other words, purchasing an asset does not necessitate its use until the end of its physical life. An asset might be terminated because it is inefficient to continue operating, or because it can be replaced. Thus, in a single cycle problem, the objective is to determine how long an asset should be employed before termination. In a replacement problem, the focus is on determining how long the asset should be held before being replaced with a similar one.
Number of stable points for spin-glasses and neural networks of higher orders.

We study the number of stable points for spin-glasses and neural networks of higher orders, i.e., with Hamiltonians given by an algebraic form of degree d. For spin-glasses, we derive a rigorous exact expression, in the thermodynamic limit, assuming long-range independent exchange Gaussian interactions among sets of d spins. For neural networks we introduce several upper bounds on the number of programmable stable states, according to different storage schemes.
Reirradiation of recurrent skin cancer of the face. A successful salvage modality

Background. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of full doses of reirradiation to salvage previously irradiated recurrent skin cancer of the face. Methods. As of December 1990, 17 patients at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology were reirradiated for recurrent skin cancer in previously irradiated areas of the face. There were eight basal cell and nine squamous cell carcinomas. The interval between the two treatments ranged from 6 months to 15 years (median, 4 years). The dosimetry was reviewed, and the radiation doses were recomputed by the biologic effective dose (BED) formula. Results. The accumulated BED from the two irradiation regimens ranged from 48.78 to 143.5 Gy on the skin surface (median, 103 Gy) and 80.93 to 160.68 Gy at 5 mm depth (median, 108 Gy). Local control was achieved in ten patients ; two of them had skin defects that required reconstruction. Six of seven patients with persistent tumors had squamous cell carcinoma. Those patients with BED of previous treatment at 5 mm depth less than 55 Gy, and accumulated BED on skin surface of no more than 110 Gy had the best outcome. The residual damage of skin from previous treatment is a function of fraction size and total dose. Conclusions. Reirradiation is a feasible treatment alternative for recurrent skin cancer of the face when cosmesis is a concern. Cancer 1995 ;75 :2351-5.
Hydrometallurgically treating antimony-bearing industrial wastes

In many instances, by-products or wastes containing antimony are generated during metallurgical processes. Although these materials pose environmental, recycling, and marketing challenges worldwide, the use of antimony hydrometallurgical leaching principles and technologies may provide a remedy. This paper outlines techniques for treating antimony-containing wastes and offers examples of applications for those wastes and by-products.
Integrating Climate Change into Habitat Conservation Plans Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are an important mechanism for the acquisition of land and the management of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. HCPs have become a vital means of protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats throughout the United States, particularly on private land. The scientific consensus that climate is changing and that these changes will impact the viability of species has not been incorporated into the conservation strategies of recent HCPs, rendering plans vulnerable biologically. In this paper we review the regulatory context for incorporating climate change into HCPs and analyze the extent to which climate change is linked to management actions in a subset of large HCPs. We conclude that most current plans do not incorporate climate change into conservation actions, and so we provide recommendations for integrating climate change into the process of HCP development and implementation. These recommendations are distilled from the published literature as well as the practice of conservation planning and are structured to the specific needs of HCP development and implementation. We offer nine recommendations for integrating climate change into the HCP process: (1) identify species at-risk from climate change, (2) explore new strategies for reserve design, (3) increase emphasis on corridors, linkages, and connectivity, (4) develop anticipatory adaptation measures, (5) manage for diversity, (6) consider assisted migration, (7) include climate change in scenarios of water management, (8) develop future-oriented management actions, and (9) increase linkages between the conservation strategy and adaptive management/monitoring programs.
Second language acquisition of English questions: an elicited production study

The present study investigates the role of the syntactic properties of the first and the target language on second language (L2) learners' production of English main and embedded clause questions. The role of the first language (L1) was investigated by comparing the production of L2 learners whose L1s (Chinese and Spanish) differ from English and each other in terms of word order in main and embedded clause questions. The role of the target language was investigated by comparing L2 learners' production of yes/no and adjunct and argument wh-questions. The results indicate that the L1 is not a predictor of L2 learners' production patterns for either main or embedded clause questions. The linguistic properties of the target language, on the contrary, predict learners' accuracy and inversion profiles. In line with data from the English L1 acquisition literature, L2 learners produced higher inversion rates in main clause yes/no than in wh-questions, and particularly low inversion rates with why-questions. In line with data from nonstandard varieties of English and preliminary evidence from L1 acquisition, L2 learners produced higher nonstandard inversion rates in embedded clause wh-questions than in yes/no questions. Taken together, these results highlight that L2 production is affected and constrained by the same factors at play in L1 acquisition and dialectal variation.
Toward cropping systems that enhance productivity and sustainability

The defining features of any cropping system are (i) the crop rotation and (ii) the kind or intensity of tillage. The trend worldwide starting in the late 20th century has been (i) to specialize competitively in the production of two, three, a single, or closely related crops such as different market classes of wheat and barley, and (ii) to use direct seeding, also known as no-till, to cut costs and save soil, time, and fuel. The availability of glyphosate- and insect-resistant varieties of soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola has helped greatly to address weed and insect pest pressures favored by direct seeding these crops. However, little has been done through genetics and breeding to address diseases caused by residue- and soil-inhabiting pathogens that remain major obstacles to wider adoption of these potentially more productive and sustainable systems. Instead, the gains have been due largely to innovations in management, including enhancement of root defense by antibiotic-producing rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria inhibitory to root pathogens. Historically, new varieties have facilitated wider adoption of new management, and changes in management have facilitated wider adoption of new varieties. Although actual yields may be lower in direct-seed compared with conventional cropping systems, largely due to diseases, the yield potential is higher because of more available water and increases in soil organic matter. Achieving the full production potential of these more-sustainable cropping systems must now await the development of varieties adapted to or resistant to the hazards shown to account for the yield depressions associated with direct seeding.
Obesity and Poverty: Are Food Stamps to Blame?:

Sixty-six percent of adults in the United States are overweight, and 32% of Americans are obese. Although poverty is usually associated with being underfed and underweight, in the United States, the paradoxical relationship between poverty and overweight exists. This article examines the relationship between Food Stamp Program (FSP) participation, food choices, and overweight status. This article examines the practicality of an individual in New York adhering to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommendations for a diet rich in whole grains, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables on a FSP budget. The authors concluded that a diet that consists of more processed, high-calorie foods is significantly more agreeable with a FSP budget than a diet that meets USDA recommendations.
RECRUITMENT COMMUNICATION MEDIA: IMPACT ON PREHIRE OUTCOMES

An unanswered question in recruitment research is whether and how the media used to communicate recruitment messages influence important outcomes. Drawing from research and theory on persuasive communication and media richness and features, we propose and test a model of the effects of media and media features (amount of information, opportunities for 2-way communication, personal focus, social presence, symbolism) on communication outcomes (credibility and satisfaction), attitudes, intentions, and behavior associated with joining the organization. Results of an experiment with 989 undergraduate students show that a constant recruitment message delivered via different media (face-to-face, video, audio, text) influenced perceptions of featares, and perceptions of features were related to important pre-hire outcomes.
Toll-like receptor 2-mediated peptidoglycan uptake by immature intestinal epithelial cells from apical side and exosome-associated transcellular transcytosis†‡

Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a potent immune adjuvant derived from bacterial cell walls. Previous investigations suggest that intestinal epithelium may absorb PGN from the lumen. Nonetheless, how PGN is taken up and crosses intestinal epithelium remains largely unclear. Here, we first characterized PGN transport in vitro using IEC-18 and HT29-CL19A cells, which represent less mature epithelial cells in intestinal crypts. With fluorescent microscopy, we visualized internalization of dual-labeled PGN by enterocytes. Engulfed PGN was found to form a complex with PGN recognition protein-3, which may facilitate delivering PGN in vivo. Utilizing electronic microscopy, we revealed that uptake of apical PGN across intestinal epithelial monolayers was involved in phagocytosis, multivesicular body formation, and exosome secretion. We also studied transport of PGN using the transwell system. Our data indicated that apically loaded PGN was exocytosed to the basolateral compartment with exosomes by HT29-CL19A cells. The PGN-contained basolateral exosome extracts induced macrophage activation. Through gavaging mice with labeled PGN, we found that luminal PGN was taken up by columnar epithelial cells in crypts of the small intestine. Furthermore, we showed that pre-confluent immature but not post-confluent mature C2BBe1 cells engulfed PGN via a toll-like receptor 2-dependent manner. Together, our findings suggest that (1) crypt-based immature intestinal epithelial cells play an important role in transport of luminal PGN over the intestinal epithelium; and (2) luminal PGN is transcytosed across intestinal epithelia via a toll-like receptor 2-mediated phagocytosis-multivesicular body-exosome pathway. The absorbed PGN and its derivatives may facilitate maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis.
Reducing Cesarean Section Infections in a Tertiary Care Teaching Facility through Standardization of Surgical Processes

adherence to hand hygiene practices, the use of maximal barriers precautions, switching to chlorhexidine based skin antisepsis, empowering the nurses to intervene during central line insertion procedures whenever there was a breach in sterile techniques, instituting ICU Daily Goals Checklist during daily rounds on the unit to manage the care of all critical care patients. The Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) conducted prospective chart review of the suspected CLAB cases which was confirmed by an Infectious Disease physician, if there were any discrepancies the case was further reviewed by the ICU Medical Director. The teammet on a weekly basis to review the outcomes of the implemented measures and to strategize improvement interventions.
Low concentrations of dopamine increase cytosolic calcium in lactotrophs.

Dopamine (DA) plays a dual role in the neuroendocrine regulation of PRL secretion from the anterior pituitary gland. DA normally exerts a tonic inhibitory effect on PRL secretion. However, DA at concentrations much lower than those required for maximal inhibition of PRL secretion actually stimulates PRL secretion. In this study, the effects of stimulatory concentrations of DA on common second messenger systems were examined in pituitary cells enriched for lactotrophs in an attempt to identify the signal transduction mechanisms used in DAergic stimulation of PRL secretion. Rat pituitary cells were enriched for lactotrophs (88% lactotrophs) by differential sedimentation on a discontinuous Percoll gradient. Enriched cells in monolayer culture were responsive to both inhibitory and stimulatory doses of DA; 10 microM DA inhibited PRL secretion by 80%, and 0.1 nM DA stimulated PRL secretion by 40% after a 4-h incubation. No dose of DA (10 pM to 10 microM) had an effect on phosphatidylinositol turnover. However,...
Comparative gene expression profiles between heterotic and non-heterotic hybrids of tetraploid Medicago sativa

Background Heterosis, the superior performance of hybrids relative to parents, has clear agricultural value, but its genetic control is unknown. Our objective was to test the hypotheses that hybrids expressing heterosis for biomass yield would show more gene expression levels that were different from midparental values and outside the range of parental values than hybrids that do not exhibit heterosis.
10. Drug allergy

Abstract Adverse drug reactions are common, but only 6% to 10% are immunologically mediated. Unlike most adverse drug reactions, allergic drug reactions are unpredictable. Whereas some drug-induced allergic reactions may be easily classified into one of the four Gell and Coombs hypersensitivity categories, many others that appear to have an immunologic component cannot be classified because of our lack of mechanistic information. Theoretically, any drug can induce an immune response. However, some drugs are more likely to elicit clinically relevant immune responses than are others. Drugs in this category include antimicrobial drugs, anticonvulsants, chemotherapeutic agents, heparin, insulin, protamine, and biologic response modifiers. After a drug-disease connection is established, it must be determined whether the reaction was immunologically mediated. Subsequently, confirmatory tests, if available, should be used to determine the allergic status of the patient. If these tests are not available, a graded challenge or desensitization may be considered, depending on the type of clinical reaction previously demonstrated and the need for drug readministration. Education of the patient and primary care physician is an important component of patient management. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;111:S548-59.)
Regulation of vesicular trafficking and leukocyte function by Rab27 GTPases and their effectors

The Rab27 family of GTPases regulates the efficiency and specificity of exocytosis in hematopoietic cells, including neutrophils, CTLs, NK cells, and mast cells. However, the mechanisms regulated by Rab27 GTPases are cell-specific, as they depend on the differential expression and function of particular effector molecules that are recruited by the GTPases. In addition, Rab27 GTPases participate in multiple steps of the regulation of the secretory process, including priming, tethering, docking, and fusion through sequential interaction with multiple effector molecules. Finally, recent reports suggest that Rab27 GTPases and their effectors regulate vesicular trafficking mechanisms other than exocytosis, including endocytosis and phagocytosis. This review focuses on the latest discoveries on the function of Rab27 GTPases and their effectors Munc13-4 and Slp1 in neutrophil function comparatively to their functions in other leukocytes.
Testing the autoregressive process of a cross-country demand system against a higher-order alternative☆

Abstract The first-order autoregressive process used by Fiebeg (1987) for pooled estimation from three successive rounds of the International Comparison Project is tested against the alternative of a second-order process. The test yields a moderate degree of support for the alternative hypothesis, but the estimated demand parameters are virtually the same under both hypotheses.
OS-MAC: An Efficient MAC Protocol for Spectrum-Agile Wireless Networks

Wireless networks and devices have been rapidly gaining popularity over their wired counterparts. This popularity, in turn, has been generating an explosive and ever-increasing demand for, and hence creating a shortage of, the radio spectrum. Existing studies indicate that this foreseen spectrum shortage is not so much due to the scarcity of the radio spectrum, but due to the inefficiency of current spectrum access methods, thus leaving spectrum opportunities along both the time and the frequency dimensions that wireless devices can exploit. Fortunately, recent technological advances have made it possible to build software-defined radios (SDRs) which, unlike traditional radios, can switch from one frequency band to another at little or no cost. We propose a MAC protocol, called Opportunistic Spectrum MAC (OS-MAC), for wireless networks equipped with cognitive radios like SDRs. OS-MAC (1) adaptively and dynamically seeks and exploits opportunities in both licensed and unlicensed spectra and along both the time and the frequency dimensions; (2) accesses and shares spectrum among different unlicensed and licensed users; and (3) coordinates with other unlicensed users for better spectrum utilization. Using extensive simulation, OS-MAC is shown to be far more effective than current access protocols from both the network's and the user's perspectives. By comparing its performance with an Ideal-MAC protocol, OS-MAC is also shown to not only outperform current access protocols, but also achieve performance very close to that obtainable under the Ideal-MAC protocol.
The Effect of Hyperglycemia on the Progression of Vasogenic Edema Following Cold Injury

Increased glucose availability can enhance cerebral ischemic damage (Pulsinelli et al. 1979; Rehncrona et al. 1981) and edema development (Myers 1979; Pulsinelli et al. 1979; Warner et al. 1987). Hyperglycemia is associated with poor prognosis following head injury (Merguerian et al. 1981) and the level of consciousness in head-injured patients has been correlated with fasting blood glucose levels (Pentelenyi et al. 1979). Traumatized brain may be susceptible to alterations in glucose availability as is ischemic brain. This study examined whether or not regional vasogenic edema development was altered over 24 hours in cold-injured rats of different glycemic states.
Big Data Options For Small And Medium Enterprises

The terms Cloud Computing and Big Data are often used in the media. Small and medium sized businesses are realizing that the amount of data they handle could be very large and important in their decision making and planning. This paper explores the options for handling large amounts of, or “Big” data in small and medium-sized enterprises. This research considers not just the volume of data, but the variety of types of data, the velocity in which data is created and transmitted, as well as the importance of data veracity. Cloud computing is a potential solution.
Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Oviposition: A Variant’s Response to Maize Phenology

We evaluated the potential effect of phenological differences in maize, Zea mays L., and soybeans, Glycine max L. Merr., on adult densities and oviposition of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. Maize and soybean varieties were planted at various planting dates in Urbana-Champaign (east central Illinois) and Monmouth (northwestern Illinois) during 2000 and 2001. Historically, maize is grown in rotation with soybean in east central Illinois and is not rotated (continuous maize) in northwestern Illinois. Results from our research in the Urbana-Champaign phenology trial indicated that adult captures increased in soybean plots after the maize developed past the R2 stage of development. Significantly more D. v. virgifera eggs were deposited in the soil of soybean plots than in early planted maize plots. However, maize was not abandoned as an egg-laying site. In fact, the soil in late-planted maize plots was a competitive sink for D. v. virgifera eggs compared with soybean treatments. Results from our research in the Monmouth phenology trial indicated adult captures increased in late-planted maize after the R2 stage of development. Significantly more D. v. virgifera eggs were deposited in late-planted and early planted maize as compared with soybean. Soybean plots were not an egg-laying target at the Monmouth experimental site. We believe this documents different field level responses in ovipositional behavior of D. v. virgifera populations that inhabit east central and northwestern Illinois. We also hypothesize the intensive selection pressure that resulted from decades of crop rotation in east central Illinois resulted in a variant D. v. virgifera that responds to the phenology of maize by expanding its ovipositional range of crops, most notably to include soybeans.
The value of routine pharmacogenomic screening—Are we there yet? A perspective on the costs and benefits of routine screening—shouldn't everyone have this done?

Although there are several examples in which pharmacogenomic testing seems to provide clinical and economic value, use of pharmacogenomics as a tool to improve drug therapy through routine screening of unselected patients is currently tentative. An informal evaluation of the clinical benefits and economic costs of pharmacogenomic screening suggests that improving the evidence base, addressing uncertainty, and facilitating implementation can lead to practical and cost-effective pharmacogenomic screening programs.
The Civil War: Setting the Stage (Chapter 9)

This is Chapter Nine of Law in American History: Volume One, From the Colonial Years Through the Civil War.The book’s purpose is to explore the relationship of law to some central themes of American history from the initial colonial settlements through the conclusion of the Civil War. The themes singled out in the book include the displacement of Amerindian tribes from land they occupied on the North American continent; the emergence of agricultural householding as the principal form of family life in colonial British America; the detachment of the American colonies from the British Empire and the theories of sovereignty and grievance that accompanied that development; the evolution of American forms of government from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution; the emergence of the Supreme Court of the United States as a major institution of American grievance; the westward movement of enterprise and population in the decades between the 1830’s and the 1850’s; the central role of slavery and westward expansion and the gradual dissolution of the Union during these decades; and the role of the Civil War as a culmination of the central themes of early American history and as a force in transforming the subsequent course of that history.
Pre-Treatment of Calcium Carbonate with Meso Tartaric Acid to Induce Acid Resistant Surface Coatings

Hypothesis Depending upon the matrix composition near a CO2 injection well, the mineralogy may be acid soluble. This study presents a discussion on the expected changes to the near well bore mineralogy in carbonate formations. A tartaric acid pre-wash is tested to determine if it can prevent dissolution of the matrix in an acidic environment. Experiments Calcium carbonate, ground and sieved to about 250µm, was used to study the impact of acidified (pH~3) brine on carbonate formation material similar to near well bore conditions. The calcite was tested in stirred batch systems (at atmospheric conditions of 1 atm and approximately 25° C) in solutions containing 0.015, 0.08, and 0.15M meso tartaric acid. One experiment also involved gas phase CO2 being sparged in the solution to generate an elevated CO2 content environment. pH was monitored to determine extent of dissolution that occurred; these results were verified by solution composition and SEM images of the calcite grains. Findings The results of batch ...
Stimulatory effect of calcium on metabolism and its sensitivity to pH in kidney mitochondria

The relationship between mitochondrial matrix free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]m) and pH was evaluated by incubating isolated rat kidney mitochondria with different extramitochondrial Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]e) at medium pH (pHe) 7.0 and 7.4. [Ca2+]m was monitored using the fluorescent signal from mitochondria loaded with the Ca2+ indicator fura 2. The changes in [Ca2+]m were compared with alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (alpha-KGDH) flux, measured as O2 consumption (nmol.min-1.mg protein-1) from 185 microM alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG). The apparent dissociation constant of the matrix fluorescent probe for Ca2+ was determined in each experiment and was 323 +/- 45 nM (n = 14). When mitochondria were exposed to [Ca2+]e below 160 nM, [Ca2+]m was greater at pHe 7.0 than at pHe 7.4. However, above 160 nM [Ca2+]e, [Ca2+]m plateaued at pHe 7.0 but rose progressively at pHe 7.4. Increasing [Ca2+]m by consecutive additions of Ca2+ to the medium had a significantly more pronounced acceleratory effect on alpha-KG oxidation at pHe 7.0 than at pHe 7.4. Kinetic analysis of alpha-KGDH revealed a 45% decrease in the Michaelis constant (Km) for alpha-KG at pHe 7.0, but the Km was unchanged at pHe 7.4 with elevation of [Ca2+]m from 32 to 751 nM. Maximal velocity (Vmax) increased significantly at both pHe values. Half-maximal alpha-KG oxidation occurred at [Ca2+]m of 76 +/- 11 nM and 105 +/- 31 nM at pHe 7.0 and 7.4, respectively. These studies demonstrate a direct, pH-sensitive correlation between [Ca2+]e and [Ca2+]m; [Ca2+]m changed over a range that may regulate alpha-KGDH flux in intact kidney mitochondria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Pseudospin Symmetry as a Bridge between Hadrons and Nuclei

Atomic nuclei exhibit approximate pseudospin symmetry. We review the arguments that this symmetry is a relativistic symmetry. The condition for this symmetry is that the sum of the vector and scalar potentials in the Dirac Hamiltonian is a constant. We give the generators of pseudospin symmetry. We review some of the predictions that follow from the insight that pseudospin symmetry has relativistic origins . We show that approximate pseudospin symmetry in nuclei predicts approximate spin symmetry in anti-nucleon scattering from nuclei. Since QCD sum rules predict that the sum of the scalar and vector potentials is small, we discuss the quark origins of pseudospin symmetry in nuclei and spin symmetry in hadrons.
Spectroscopic observations of the displacement dynamics of physically adsorbed molecules—CO on C 60

In this paper, we observed physically adsorbed CO molecules on C60 surface being displaced by impinging noble gas atoms (He, Ne, Ar, Kr), either through a dynamic displacement process or an exothermic replacement process, depending on their adsorption energies. This displacement mechanism could shift from one to the other depending on the surface coverage and temperature. Furthermore, rotational energy of the impinging molecules may also contribute to the dynamic displacement process by supplying additional energy.
Appraisal of Teachers: Letters of Recommendation

(1935). Appraisal of Teachers: Letters of Recommendation. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 6, No. 8, pp. 455-455.
A Simple Method for Preparing Ferruginous Bodies for Electron Microscopic Examination

A new method for preparing ferruginous (asbestos) bodies for electron-optical examination is described. Pulmonary tissue is dissolved in bleach and the residue collected on a Millipore® filter. The ferruginous bodies are localized by light microscopy, and a portion of the filter containing a body is cut out and mounted on a coated electron microscope grid. The filter is dissolved in acetone vapor in a condensation washer, leaving the bodies, as well as uncoated submicroscopic fibers, on the grid. This method can be used to obtain bodies from the lungs of individuals after all degrees of asbestos exposure, but it is particularly useful when dealing with minimally exposed or non-exposed individuals whose lungs contain very few bodies. The procedure allows easy identification of body cores by electron diffraction or electron microprobe analysis.
Emerging controversies in the treatment of osteoarthritis in older individuals.

OBJECTIVE To discuss emerging controversies in the treatment of osteoarthritis, particularly as they apply to older individuals. DATA SOURCES A MEDLINE search covering articles from 1966 to July 2003 was conducted for English-language literature on clinical trials comparing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen for osteoarthritis treatment. Search terms were NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, osteoarthritis, and acetaminophen. STUDY SELECTION All controlled trials comparing acetaminophen and NSAIDs were reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION Data from therapeutic end points comparing drugs being studied were extracted and summarized. DATA SYNTHESIS Early studies comparing ibuprofen and acetaminophen for knee osteoarthritis identified that therapeutic end points were similar for these two drugs. These data were the basis for clinical practice guidelines published by the American College of Rheumatology in 1995 and updated in 2000. More recent clinical trials using validated instruments to measure osteoarthritis outcomes showed that NSAIDs are better than acetaminophen. There are also recent data that showed acetaminophen is equivalent to placebo in osteoarthritis outcomes. The mean age of study subjects in all the controlled trials of NSAIDs and acetaminophen was less than 65 years, making extrapolation of data from these studies to an elderly population risky. Furthermore, use of NSAIDs in older people has more risks than acetaminophen. CONCLUSIONS Current clinical practice guidelines for osteoarthritis are based on questionable data, and new data contradicts the guideline recommendations. More studies using a geriatric population are needed to clarify if acetaminophen or NSAIDs is the better choice for initial management of osteoarthritis.
The Highest, Heaven, Aeon, Time, etc., in Semitic Religion

The writer's interest has been much aroused by two important monographs appearing in this Review: (I) ‘A Vision of Mandulis Aion,’ by A. D. Nock (vol. xxviii, 53–104); and (II) ‘The Gild of Zeus Hypsistos,’ by C. Roberts, T. C. Skeat, A. D. Nock (xxix, 39–88). The evidence is of necessity predominantly drawn from Graeco-Roman sources, while the Oriental background or parallels figure less because of the lack of material.
Experimental research on heat transfer enhancement characteristics of a new type by flow-induced vibration elastic tube bundle

A comprehensive heat transfer experimental platform was set up to investigate heat transfer characteristics of a new type elastic tube bundle under different experimental conditions.In the experiment,variations of the external,internal and overall heat transfer coefficients with Reynolds number were obtained.The experimental results show that the average convective heat transfer coefficient outside the tube for the new type elastic tube bundle is 3 times more than that of the stationary tube bundle at the same Reynolds numbers,which indicates a significant heat transfer enhancement.From comparison of experimental results under different conditions,it can be concluded that the best heat transfer performance can be obtained for the steam-water heat transfer,which is better than that of the water-water heat transfer,and the constant heat flux heat transfer exhibits the poorest performance.The reason is that the fluid medium inside the tube has great influence on vibration characteristics of the new type elastic tube bundle and the intensification of tube bundle vibration leads to the enhancement of heat transfer performance.
Schleimhautschutz und Ulkusheilung durch Antacida

Aluminiumhaltige Antacida konnen die Magenschleimhaute gegen verschiedene ulzerogene und nekrotisierende Agenzien, zu denen auch 0,6 M HC1 und absoluter Alkohol zahlen, schutzen. Da eine durch Alkohol hervorgerufene Magenschleimhautnekrose nicht von der Magensaure abhangt und nicht durch H2-Rezeptorantagonisten vermindert werden kann, wird die schutzende Wirkung der Antacida nicht durch die Fahigkeit zur Saureneutralisierung hervorgerufen, sondern durch andere Mechanismen. Da angesauerte Antacida die Magenschleimhaut sogar wirksamer schutzen konnen als Antacida mit intakter Neutralisierungsfahigkeit, wird deutlich, das dieser Mechanismus nicht von der Neutralisierungskapazitat abhangt und daher alle Merkmale eines zytoprotektiven Effektes aufweist. Wahrend die Mechanismen des durch Antacida induzierten Schleimhautschutzes nicht bekannt sind, wird angenommen, das die Stimulierung der Mukus-, Bikarbonat- und Prostaglandinsekretion die Schutzwirkung vermittelt.
Effect of power amplifier impairments in designing OFDM based wireless communication system

New generation wireless local area network (WLAN) standards (like 802.11a and HIPERLAN/2) use the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation technique because of its ability to offer high data rates while combating the multipath effects encountered in high speed wireless channels. However, OFDM modulated signals have high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), and thus can be distorted easily due to the nonlinearity of power amplifiers in transmitters, leading to significant performance loss, large error-vector-magnitude (EVM) high bit error rate (BER) and frame-error-rate (FER). The paper clarifies the relationship between the impairments of the received signal and the nonlinear performance parameters of power amplifiers. Both computer-aided system simulation (using Matlab) and a WLAN test-bed system setup using the Prism V chipset from Intersil are considered. First, a system simulation using computer aided tools characterizes the effect of the number of carriers and modulation size on peak-to-average-power-ratio (PAPR), power amplifiers, receiver EVM, BER and FER.
The complete mitogenome of Achalarus lyciades (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae).

AbstractWe obtained a complete mitochondrial genome of a skipper butterfly Achalarus lyciades (Hesperiidae, Eudaminae) from next generation sequencing reads. The 15,612 bp mitogenome covers 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and an A + T rich region. Its gene order is typical for mitogenomes of Lepidoptera. Phylogenetic analysis placed A. lyciades as a sister to Lobocla bifasciatus, the only other Eudaminae with available mitogenome.
Variations in the Usability of Independent Web-Based Personal Health Records

ABSTRACTPrevious research on personal health records (PHRs) has focused on applications that are “tethered” to a specific electronic health record (EHR). However, there is a gap in research on the usability of unaffiliated, independent PHRs, as well as research on college-aged PHR users. Therefore, we performed a comparative usability study with 18 college-aged participants on three popular, freely available, independent PHRs. Participants completed the same six tasks in three different PHRs. Dependent variables included task time, mouse movement, mouse clicks, keystrokes, errors, and user satisfaction ratings based on the Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significance in the difference of the means for each dependent variable. Results showed statistically significant differences in CSUQ survey categories, errors, and keystrokes. Results supported one of the three PHRs (“System A”) as having better usability than its tested counterparts;...
D-LSM: Deep Liquid State Machine with unsupervised recurrent reservoir tuning

The Liquid State Machine (LSM) is a biologically plausible model of computation for recurrent spiking neural networks, which offers promising solutions to real-world applications in both software and hardware based systems. At the same time, deep feedforward rate-based neural networks such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved great success in many computer vision related applications. However, a systematic exploration of deep recurrent spiking neural networks is lacking. We propose a new model of Deep Liquid State Machine (D-LSM), which simultaneously explores the powers of recurrent spiking networks and deep architectures. D-LSM consists of multiple basic LSM processing and pooling stages. Recurrent reservoir networks across different LSM stages act as nonlinear filters capable of extracting spatio-temporal features of increasingly higher levels from the input. We propose to train the D-LSM practically by adopting unsupervised training (e.g. through STDP) for recurrent reservoirs and spike-based supervised rules for the final readout stage. The perspective of realizing D-LSM based hardware processors is also presented.
High frequency moments via max-stability

We present a new, simple algorithm for sketching the k > 2 frequency moment of a dynamic stream, or simply the l k norm of a vector in the linear sketching model.