cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stop the crop: insights into the insecticidal mode of action of cinnamodial against mosquitoes

Cinnamodial (CDIAL) is a drimane sesquiterpene dialdehyde found in the bark of Malagasy medicinal plants (Cinnamosma species; family Canellaceae). We previously demonstrated that CDIAL was insecticidal, antifeedant, and repellent against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The goal of the present study was to generate insights into the insecticidal mode of action for CDIAL, which is presently unknown. We evaluated the effects of CDIAL in vitro on the contractility of the ventral diverticulum (crop) in adult female Ae. aegypti. The crop is a food storage organ surrounded by visceral muscle that spontaneously contracts in vitro. We found that CDIAL completely inhibited spontaneous contractions of the crop as well as those stimulated by the agonist 5-hydroxytryptamine. Several derivatives of CDIAL with known insecticidal activity also inhibited crop contractions. Morphometric analyses of crops suggested that CDIAL induced a tetanic paralysis that was dependent on extracellular Ca2+ and inhibited by Gd3+, a non-specific blocker of plasma membrane Ca2+ channels. Screening of numerous pharmacological agents revealed that a Ca2+ ionophore (A23187) was the only compound other than CDIAL to completely inhibit crop contractions via a tetanic paralysis. Taken together, our results suggest that CDIAL inhibits crop contractility by elevating intracellular Ca2+ through the activation of plasma membrane Ca2+ channels thereby leading to a tetanic paralysis, which may explain the insecticidal effects of CDIAL against mosquitoes. Our pharmacological screening efforts also revealed the presence of two regulatory pathways in mosquito crop contractility not previously described: an inhibitory glutamatergic pathway and a stimulatory octopaminergic pathway. The latter was also completely inhibited by CDIAL.
Wealth Implications of Slavery and Racial Discrimination for African American Descendants of the Enslaved

We compare the 2018 per capita Black–White wealth gap of about US$352,250 with portions of the estimated total cost of slavery and discrimination to African American descendants of the enslaved. Fo...
Network Intrusion Detection using Natural Language Processing and Ensemble Machine Learning

We propose an intrusion detection system (NLPIDS) that utilizes natural language processing and ensemble-based machine learning. The proposed NLPIDS converts natural language HTTP requests into vectors which are then used to train several supervised and ensemble-based machine learning models. The trained models are then used to detect anomalous traffic. We validated our method using HTTP DATASET CSIC 2010. The results show the efficacy of the NLPIDS by producing better F1-score (0.999) and negligible false alarms (0.007) compared to existing methods. The NLPIDS does not depend on attack methods and feature vectors.
Stigma in place: Black gay men's experiences of the rural South

Black gay men (MSM) in the rural United States South are inequitably burdened by stigmatization and the HIV epidemic. Drawing from twelve oral history interviews with middle-aged and older Black gay narrators from rural North Carolina, this research explores the impact of sexual marginalization and the HIV epidemic on lived experiences of the rural South. Despite describing increasingly empowered views of HIV and sexual health, narrators expressed persistent difficulty managing social determinants of HIV vulnerability-sexual stigma and disconnection from LGBTQ collectivity. Narrators reported better managing sexual marginalization over their lifetimes in urban settings and places outside of the South such as New York (NY). This research suggests stressful structural and interpersonal experiences of stigma may define lived experiences of particular settings.
Early mortality benefit with COVID-19 convalescent plasma: a matched control study.

Convalescent plasma can provide passive immunity during viral outbreaks, but the benefit is uncertain for the treatment of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our goal is to assess the efficacy of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). In all, 526 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 at an academic health system were analyzed. Among them, 263 patients received CCP and were compared to 263 matched controls with standard treatment. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality with a subanalysis at 7 and 14 days. No statistical difference in 28-day mortality was seen in CCP cases (25·5%) compared to controls (27%, P = 0·06). Seven-day mortality was statistically better for CCP cases (9·1%) than controls (19·8%, P < 0·001) and continued at 14 days (14·8% vs. 23·6%, P = 0·01). After 72 h, CCP transfusion resulted in transitioning from nasal cannula to room air (median 4 days vs. 1 day, P = 0·02). The length of stay was longer in CCP cases than controls (14·3 days vs. 11·4 days, P < 0·001). Patients with COVID-19 who received CCP had a decreased risk of death at 7 and 14 days, but not 28 days after transfusion. To date, this is the largest study demonstrating a mortality benefit for the use of CCP in patients with COVID-19 compared to matched controls.
"I Want to Be Alone, but I Don't Want to Be Lonely": Uncertainty Management Regarding Social Situations among College Students with Social Anxiety Disorder

Individuals with social anxiety disorder (iSAD) experience adverse outcomes in daily life due to the disorder (e.g., lower educational and work achievement compared to their healthy counterparts). They are prone to social isolation, even though they desire intimate interpersonal relationships. Yet, little research on iSAD is devoted to understanding in detail a) when they interpret social situations as social-anxiety-provoking, b) how this interpretation motivates their assessments of their efficacy and likely interaction outcomes, and c) how they choose specific information-seeking strategies in uncertain social situations. Leveraging the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) and the emotional systems (ES) model, we explored the lived experiences of iSAD. We conducted in-depth interviews (N = 27) and analyzed them using thematic analysis. iSAD perceived discrepancies in a) mutual goals, b) common ground, and c) self-image as social-anxiety-provoking. These interpretations motivated their assessments of a) socializing benefits, b) communication competency, and c) interactant partner's amiability, which led to a mix of information-seeking decisions in social situations. Practical and theoretical implications for future research are discussed.
Sexual Health Education: The Untapped and Unmeasured Potential of US-based Websites

With the exponential growth of online information seeking by young people, it is imperative for health and sexual health educators to consider online information a resource young people will pursue...
Peran Kebijakan Raskin Terhadap Alokasi Pengeluaran Keluarga Petani dalam Mendukung Ketahanan Pangan

Raskin merupakan program pemerintah untuk meningkatkan ketahanan pangan dan perlindungan keluarga petani melalui pendistribusian beras. Kampung Pangodokan terletak di Desa Kuta Bumi Kecamatan Pasar Kemis Kabupaten Tangerang yang mendapatkan Raskin dan semua penerima Raskin adalah petani. Oleh karena itu penelitian ini dilaksanakan untuk mengetahui: tingkat ketahanan pangan keluarga petani, unsur yang mempengaruhi pengeluaran pangan keluarga petani, dan peran Raskin terhadap alokasi pengeluaran keluarga petani. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah studi kasus. Data yang diperoleh adalah data primer dengan metode wawancara, kuesioner, dan studi pustaka. Metode pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah systematic random sampling . Data dianalisis menggunakan analisis deskriptif, persentase pengeluaran pangan, dan analisis regresi linier berganda. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa persentase pengeluaran pangan sebelum menerima Raskin yaitu sebesar 68 persen dan sedangkan setelah menerima Raskin yaitu sebesar 67,87 persen. Besarnya persentase tersebut lebih besar dari 60 persen sehingga tingkat ketahanan pangan rumah tangga petani dikategorikan sebagai rumah tangga rawan pangan.
The Coming of the Holocaust: From Antisemitism to Genocide

The Coming of the Holocaust aims to help readers understand the circumstances that made the Holocaust possible. Peter Kenez demonstrates that the occurrence of the Holocaust was not predetermined as a result of modern history but instead was the result of contingencies. He shows that three preconditions had to exist for the genocide to take place: modern anti-Semitism, meaning Jews had to become economically and culturally successful in the post-French Revolution world to arouse fear rather than contempt; an extremist group possessing a deeply held, irrational, and profoundly inhumane worldview had to take control of the machinery of a powerful modern state; and the context of a major war with mass killings. The book also discusses the correlations between social and historical differences in individual countries regarding the success of the Germans in their effort to exterminate Jews.
Rettungsfolter (“Rescue Torture”): Report on the Gäfgen v. Germany Case Pending Before the European Court on Human Rights

This comment reports on a case pending before the European Court of Human rights which raises the question whether torture can ever be supported to save human life.
Text Area Detection from Video Frames

Text area detection from video frame is an essential step for Video OCR. The key problem is the complex background of the video frames. This paper proposes a novel approach to this problem. First, we use the vertical edge information to detect candidate text areas. The horizontal edge information is then used to eliminate some of the false candidates. Finally, shape suppression technique is applied to further refine the results. Experimental results have shown the proposed approach is very effective in text area detection.
Giant planet formation by disc instability: flux-limited radiative diffusion and protostellar wobbles

Giant planet formation by gravitational disc instabilities has become theoretically and observationally acceptable at large distances, but remains theoretically contentious at distances inside about 20 au. Several new three-dimensional hydrodynamics models are presented, where radiative transfer is handled in the flux-limited diffusion approximation from the very start of the model, rather than being employed only after clumps have begun to form. The three models show that the use of the flux limiter has little appreciable effect on the early evolution of a disc instability, in agreement with the conclusions of the previous models, which studied later phases. In addition, two new models are presented where the central protostar is either held fixed or is allowed to wobble in such a manner as to preserve the centre of mass of the star–disc system. While spiral arms and clumps form in both models, the wobbling protostar model appears to be better able to form self-gravitating clumps that could contract to form gas giant protoplanets. Combined with previous results, the new models imply that disc instability should be able to form self-gravitating clumps inside, as well as outside, 20 au in suitably massive and cool protoplanetary discs.
Substance use and social stability among at-risk HIV-infected persons

Little is known about how substance use patterns affect social stability among persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). This manuscript examines associations, using survey data collected between 2003–2...
Adaptation to the pattern of food intake: changes in adipose tissue.

Abstract As a consequence of periodic hyperphagia, an increase in the total number of fat cells in abdominal adipose tissue of rats occurs. A strikingly increased in vitro sensitivity of adipose tissue from periodically hyperphagic rats to hormonal stimulation has been found. Prelimary experiments show that adenyl cyclase in “ghosts” prepared from isolated fat cells from fasted-refed rats has higher specific activity and increased sensitivity to epinephrine.
Gambling Habits Among Aged African Americans

Abstract In a cross-sectional study we investigated the correlates of gambling habits among a sample of 80 independently living African-American elderly persons. The participants were selected from two Senior Citizen Centers that provide inexpensive or free pleasure trips from Los Angeles, California to gambling sites in Nevada. The data for this study were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted by three trained female middle-aged African-American interviewers in October and November 1998. Our data identified 64% of this sample as non- or occasional gamblers, 19% as light to moderate gamblers and 17% as heavy to pathological gamblers. Our data document a statistically significant relationship between gambling behaviors and psychological well-being, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, perceived health status, health locus of control, religiousness, and stressful life-events. Results of this study point to an urgent need for: (1) publicizing the potentially lethal physical and mental conseq...
Oral stereotypy induced by amphetamine microinjection into striatum: An anatomical mapping study

The ventrolateral striatum has been shown to specifically contribute to expression of psychostimulant-induced orofacial stereotypies. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with bilateral cannulae directed at one of eight striatal subareas, and were injected with saline or amphetamine (20 micrograms/0.5 microliter/side) in a counterbalanced order. Behaviors were observed and scored using a time-sampling procedure. In the middle ventrolateral striatum, amphetamine injections produced intense stereotypy, primarily consisting of bar biting, non-injurious self-biting and repetitive paw-to-mouth movements, while having no effect on locomotion or rearing. Amphetamine injections 2 mm medial or 1 mm dorsal produced no oral stereotypy, while injections 1 mm rostral or caudal to the effective site produced only low levels of stereotypy. Injections into the surrounding sites, particularly in the ventromedial region, also had stimulatory effects on locomotion and rearing. In a separate experiment, animals were given either unilateral or bilateral injection of amphetamine into the ventrolateral striatum. The unilateral injection produced stereotypy half as intense as that observed with bilateral injections. These results suggest that the ventrolateral striatum is a discrete neuroanatomical region which is primarily responsible for expression of psychostimulant-induced orofacial stereotypies, and which is likely to be the striatal region controlling normal oral motor function. Further investigation of this area may provide valuable insights concerning the etiology and treatment of orofacial dyskinesias associated with basal ganglia dysfunction.
Sustained muscle activity minimally influences dynamic position sense of the ankle.

Study Design Cross-sectional study. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if a sustained fatiguing contraction of the dorsiflexor muscles alters the dynamic position sense (proprioception) and the associated central nervous system processing time of information from the ankle. Background Ankle injury has been hypothesized to be related to altered proprioception as a consequence of fatiguing exercise. Previous reports assessing proprioception include tests of motor performance (balance and limb repositioning) or tests of a joint under static conditions. This study used a novel experimental approach to test the effects of exercise on the somatosensory system of the ankle. Methods and Measures Nineteen healthy subjects were tested on their ability to extend the metacarpophalangeal joint of their left index finger when their left ankle was passively plantar flexed (0°–40°, 10 velocities) through a predetermined target angle (20°). Testing occurred before and after a fatiguing contraction of the...
PET studies in the primate brain and biodistribution in mice using (−)-5′-18F-Δ8-THC

Cannabinoids, the active constituents of marijuana, are known to have many therapeutic properties; however, their exact mechanism of action is not well understood. In an effort to obtain more information concerning the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of psychoactive THC analogs we synthesized (-)-18F-delta 8-THC and studied its biodistribution in mice and baboon brains. The analog was obtained by nucleophilic fluorination of the ditriflate ester of (-)-5'-OH-delta 8-THC with K18F/Kryptofix followed by deprotection with LiAIH4 and purification with HPLC in 8% yield in a 90-min synthesis from EOB. The uptake of (-)-5'-18F-delta 8-THC in mouse tissue was high at 5 min, but radioactivity declined rapidly in almost all the tissues studied. Following IV administration, (-)-5'-18F-delta 8-THC uptake in baboon brain was similar in the basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum, and the clearance from these regions was relatively rapid. Also, a study from baboon plasma clearance of (-)-5'-18F-delta 8-THC showed rapid metabolism of the analog.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Propionic Acidemia

Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with propionic acidemia has been accomplished by the detection of methylcitrate, a unique metabolite, in the amniotic fluid by liquid partition chromatography and gas chromatographymass spectrometry. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstration of deficient activity of propionyl-CoA carboxylase in cells cultured from the amniotic fluid and in fetal tissues. In two subsequent pregnancies, methylcitrate was not present in amniotic fluid. Enzyme assay indicated that one fetus was heterozygous and the other was normal, and healthy infants were born at term. The analysis of organic acids in amniotic fluid permits very rapid prenatal diagnosis, usually within 48 hours after obtaining the fluid. It may provide a general method in conditions in which an unusual metabolite can be identified. (JAMA242:1048-1052, 1979)
Optimal-stretch name-independent compact routing in doubling metrics

We consider the problem of name-independent routing in doubling metrics. A doubling metric is a metric space whose doubling dimension is a constant, where the doubling dimension of a metric space is the least value α such that any ball of radius r can be covered by at most 2α balls of radius r/2.Given any δ>0 and a weighted undirected network G whose shortest path metric d is a doubling metric with doubling dimension α, we present a name-independent routing scheme for G with (9+δ)-stretch, (2+1δ)O(α) (log δ)2 (log n)-bit routing information at each node, and packet headers of size O(log n), where δ is the ratio of the largest to the smallest shortest path distance in G.In addition, we prove that for any e ∈ (0,8), there is a doubling metric network G with n nodes, doubling dimension α ≤ 6 - log e, and Δ=O(21/en) such that any name-independent routing scheme on G with routing information at each node of size o(n(e/60)2)-bits has stretch larger than 9-e. Therefore assuming that Δ is bounded by a polynomial on n, our algorithm basically achieves optimal stretch for name-independent routing in doubling metrics with packet header size and routing information at each node both bounded by a polylogarithmic function of n.
Holographic memories: fantasy or reality?

Twelve years have passed since Leith's historic paper which opened the era of modern holography. Although initially investigated for its unusual imaging properties, we have seen about five years of intensive research on the application of holography to digital data storage. Because of its unique properties, it is not surprising that attempts have been made to apply holography to such a broad range of memory and storage hierarchy. Activity has ranged from developing small-capacity, high-speed memories to large-capacity, read-only storage in the multiterabit range. Additionally, significant activity has been directed toward solving the highly specialized problems associated with ultra-high data rate recorders and reproducers. Memory systems are now, and will continue to be, the highest single cost item in the computer hardware structure. This, at least in part, accounts for the intensive research activity in optical alternatives to computer memory and storage.
Structural and theoretical studies suggest domain movement produces an active conformation of thymidine phosphorylase.

Two new crystal forms of Escherichia coli thymidine phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.4) have been found; a monoclinic form (space group P21) and an orthorhombic form (space group I222). These structures have been solved and compared to the previously determined tetragonal form (space group P43212). This comparison provides evidence of domain movement of the alpha (residues 1 to 65, 163 to 193) and alpha/beta (residues 80 to 154, 197 to 440) domains, which is thought to be critical for enzymatic activity by closing the active site cleft. Three hinge regions apparently allow the alpha and alpha/beta-domains to move relative to each other. The monoclinic model is the most open of the three models while the tetragonal model is the most closed. Phosphate binding induces formation of a hydrogen bond between His119 and Gly208, which helps to order the 115 to 120 loop that is disordered prior to phosphate binding. The formation of this hydrogen bond also appears to play a key role in the domain movement. The alpha-domain moves as a rigid body, while the alpha/beta-domain has some non-rigid body movement that is associated with the formation of the His119-Gly208 hydrogen bond. The 8 A distance between the two substrates reported for the tetragonal form indicates that it is probably not in an active conformation. However, the structural data for these two new crystal forms suggest that closing the interdomain cleft around the substrates may generate a functional active site. Molecular modeling and dynamics simulation techniques have been used to generate a hypothetical closed conformation of the enzyme. Analysis of this model suggests several residues of possible catalytic importance. The model explains observed kinetic results and satisfies requirements for efficient enzyme catalysis, most notably through the exclusion of water from the enzyme's active site.
Urinary marking and tendency to investigate novelty in Mus musculus

This research was a study of the relationship between urinary marking behavior and the tendency to investigate novel surroundings in male Swiss—Webster-derived Mus musculus. Mice were free to remain in a dark enclosure, or to emerge from the enclosure and to explore a semiopen field pen. Both the amount that the mice investigated the pen and the rate at which they marked were correlated with total urine marking. Some of the individual differences among mice in characteristic levels of urinary marking may be due to individual differences in their characteristic tendencies to avoid or to investigate novelty.
Are you a Sim

Nick Bostrom argues that if we accept some plausible assumptions about how the future will unfold, we should believe we are probably not humans. The argument appeals crucially to an indifference principle whose content is unclear. I set out four possible interpretations of the principle, none of which can be used to support Bostrom's argument. On the first two interpretations the principle is false; on the third it does not entail the conclusion; and on the fourth it only entails the conclusion given an auxiliary hypothesis which we have no reason to believe.
Characterization of the distribution of sister chromatid exchange frequencies: Implications for research design

Mitoses from 21 individuals were examined to characterize the within and between subjects distributions of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies. The importance of accounting for both the within subjects and between subjects variability in the design and interpretation of research is demonstrated. A computer simulation study was performed to evaluate the estimate of an individual's mean SCE rate. A power analysis was performed using our transformed descriptive data to determine the percentage difference in SCE which could be detected between two groups (with 95% probability) as a function of both the number of mitoses per individual and the number of individuals in each group. Tables are provided as guidelines. Conclusions from our work include: (1) The empirical distribution of SCEs within an individual is best described by a negative binomial distribution; (2) The predominant source of variability in baseline SCE rates is between cells within a given individual rather than between individuals and can be accounted for in experiments by counting adequate numbers of mitoses perindividual; and (3) There is a systematic relationship between the mean and SD for SCEs which should be removed prior to hypothesis testing by taking either a logarithmic transformation or square root transformation of the data.
A tracking approach for targets with measurements containing jamming or clutter signals

The concept of maneuvering target tracking which is presented by K. Demirbas, (see ibid., vol.AES-23, p.757-66, 1987) is used to track maneuvering targets whose observations contain interference representing jamming or clutter signals. The resulting tracking approach produces state estimates that closely follow the actual state values, as in target tracking in a clear environment. >
Proteasome Inhibitors Enhance Gene Delivery by AAV Virus Vectors Expressing Large Genomes in Hemophilia Mouse and Dog Models: A Strategy for Broad Clinical Application

Delivery of genes that are larger than the wild-type adeno-associated virus (AAV) 4,681 nucleotide genome is inefficient using AAV vectors. We previously demonstrated in vitro that concurrent proteasome inhibitor (PI) treatment improves transduction by AAV vectors encoding oversized transgenes. In this study, an AAV vector with a 5.6 kilobase (kb) factor VIII expression cassette was used to test the effect of an US Food and Drug Administration–approved PI (bortezomib) treatment concurrent with vector delivery in vivo. Intrahepatic vector delivery resulted in factor VIII expression that persisted for >1 year in hemophilia mice. Single-dose bortezomib given with AAV2 or AAV8 factor VIII vector enhanced expression on average ~600 and ~300%, respectively. Moreover, coadministration of AAV8.canineFVIII (1 × 1013 vg/kg) and bortezomib in hemophilia A dogs (n = 4) resulted in normalization of the whole blood clotting time (WBCT) and 90% reduction in hemorrhages for >32 months compared to untreated hemophilia A dogs (n = 3) or dogs administered vector alone (n = 3). Demonstration of long-term phenotypic correction of hemophilia A dogs with combination adjuvant bortezomib and AAV vector expressing the oversized transgene establishes preclinical studies that support testing in humans and provides a working paradigm to facilitate a significant expansion of therapeutic targets for human gene therapy.
Porous oxide nanostructure with spiral staircase formed by discrete cross plastic slip

Self-assembled interfaces in nanoscale structure made of metal; oxides and mixed composites have drawn a lot of attention due to its application in from photonics to sensor application. Here we report that for low melting point metals like aluminum, can self-assembly into well separated nanodots even with very high thickness (<150nm) when interface in driven close to their melting point. When electrochemical oxidized the stress causes discrete cross plastic slip without continuous deformation and forms stepped porous oxide nanostructure. The process is a very efficient way to make large-scale oxide or composite nanostructure for wide variety of application ranging from efficient solar cell to photonic devices.
Growth dynamics of mammalian cells monitored with automated cell cycle staining and flow cytometry

To accurately observe high-frequency events during transient cell cycle kinetics, we have implemented a single step 15-min DNA staining protocol using automated flow cytometry. This protocol was used to sample and to analyze a Chinese hamster ovary cell culture for the DNA distribution, viable cell concentration, apoptotic cell concentration, and light scattering properties every 25 min over 4.5 days in response to a nutrient deprivation and a nutrient upshift. After the nutrient deprivation and exposure to fresh growth medium, two populations of cells started proliferating at different times likely corresponding to cells leaving the G0 and G1 cell cycle phases. After a nutrient upshift in late exponential growth, a cell cycle arrest occurred at the G1/S and G2/M boundary. The resulting cell cycle and proliferation kinetics followed damped oscillations that directly reveal the average time cells spend in each cell cycle phase. The observed detailed dynamics of the cell cycle progression is made possible through the high-frequency sampling enabled by automated flow cytometry. The approach should be useful in studying cell cycle perturbations in response to different environmental conditions resulting from exposure to specific nutrients or to drugs.
Contribution of striate cortex and the superior colliculus to visual function in area MT, the superior temporal polysensory area and inferior temporal cortex

Abstract We studied the visual responses of single neurons in three extra-striate visual areas of the macaque following lesions of striate cortex, lesions of the tecto-pulvinar system or both. After striate lesions, there was (a) considerable specific activity remaining in area MT including direction selectivity, (b) only non-specific activity in the superior temporal polysensory area (STP), and (c) no visual responsiveness at all in inferior temporal cortex (IT). In animals with striate lesions, interruption of the tecto-pulvinar pathway eliminated the residual visual activity in MT and STP that survived the striate lesions. Interruption of the tecto-pulvinar pathway alone had little or no effect on visual evoked activity in any of the three areas. These results are related to the relative dependence of visual responsiveness in MT, STP and IT on striate cortex and the superior colliculus, to differences between the dorsal and ventral cortical processing streams, and to neural mechanisms underlying blind sight.
There is limited evidence for using MossTalk Words® to maintain language skills in nonfluent progressive aphasia

Abstracted from: Jokel, R., Cupit, J., Rochon, E., & Leonard, C. (2009). Relearning lost vocabulary in nonfluent progressive aphasia with MossTalk Words®. Aphasiology, 23, 171–191. Source of funding: Toronto Rehabilitation Institute receives funding under the Provincial Rehabilitation Research Program from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Ontario, Canada.
Cell-based studies reveal differences in glutathione S-transferase induction between oltipraz and tert-butylhydroquinone

Selective induction of Phase II over Phase I drug-metabolizing enzymes has been proposed as a mechanism for reduction of chemical carcinogenesis. Enzymes likely to play a role in this amelioration include the glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and among compounds that selectively induce key GSTs are tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) and oltipraz [4-methyl-5-(2-pyrazinyl)-3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione]. In vivo, and in hepatoma cells (H4IIE), these two agents induce rat GSTA2 mRNA to a similar extent. However, with a luciferase reporter construct containing 1651 bp of the proximal 5′ flanking region of the rGSTA2 gene in the same cell line and under similar conditions, luciferase activity was induced to a much greater extent by tBHQ than by oltipraz. A similar large intercompound differential was seen with reporter constructs containing either the rGSTA2 ARE enhancer and HNF1 site (−872 to −582) or XRE enhancer and HNF1 site (−1110 to −812). In H4IIE cells, the rGSTA2 mRNA response to each agent was completely inhibited by 1 μM actinomycin-D cotreatment. With 1 μM cycloheximide cotreatment however, some induction by tBHQ remained, while induction by oltipraz was completely abolished. The induction response to tBHQ but not oltipraz was augmented by pretreatment with PD98059, a MEK1/2 specific inhibitor. Notwithstanding induction characteristics in common, oltipraz, and tBHQ have sufficient dissimilarities to indicate that rGSTA2 upregulation by the two agents is not identical. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 16:154–161, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.10033
Large-scale farming as a cultural dilemma in U.S. rural development— The role of capital

Abstract Although agressive economic traditions have benefited U.S. agricultural fortunes enormously in the past, expanding farming scale now also seriously threatens equally-prized rural traditions extolling the values of family farming. To see in detail how strongly and in what ways large-scale farming is exerting its influence across the nation, a multivariate model was applied to county census data. Emphasized were forces of capital accumulation rather than traditional single criteria like farm size or incorporation. Results uniformly dispute the argument for continued vigor of the family farm. Smaller operators are not only disadvantaged in all production factors, but also are no longer protected by such traditional recourses as labor intensification and production efficiency. Far more farmers are also subjected to large-scale farming pressures well beyond the “factory farm” areas, and in several places to pressures as intense. One of these centers is the Western Corn Belt, a bastion of both technology and rural tradition, and thus quite possibly the place where the foremost dilemma in American agriculture is finally resolved.
A laboratory study of diffussion in stably stratified flow

Abstract This paper investigates the usefulness of the similarity that exists between the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer and a wind tunnel boundary layer developing over a cold plate in regard to mass diffusion phenomenon. Detailed observations of the concentration field downwind of a point source of Krypton-85 were made under different stability conditions in the wind tunnel boundary layer. The concentration characteristics obtained from diffusion experiments show excellent agreement with those observed in the atmosphere. The index m , describing the power law variation of ground level concentration with distance, matches reliable field estimates. The data compares well with the predictions of Lagrangian similarity theory. It appears that the parameters evaluated in the field by Klug (1968) hold also for the wind tunnel data. A comparison of detailed observations with an available numerical solution of the three-dimensional diffusion equation suggests that the detailed diffusion patterns obtained from the wind tunnel experiments may be preferable to numerical solutions requiring arbitrary specification of lateral diffusivity.
The Use of a Modular Titanium Baseplate with a Press-Fit Keel Implanted with a Surface Cementing Technique for Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Little data exists regarding outcomes following TKA performed with surface-cementation for the fixation of modular tibial baseplates with press-fit keels. Thus, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiographic outcomes of 439 consecutive primary TKAs performed with surface cemented tibial components. There were 290 female patients and 149 male patients with average age of 62 years (range 30–84). Two tibial components were revised for aseptic loosening (0.5%) and four tibial components (0.9%) were removed to improve instability (n = 2) or malalignment (n = 2). Complications included 13 deep infections treated with 2-stage revision (12) and fusion (1). These results support the surface cement technique with a modular grit-blasted titanium surface and cruciform stem during primary TKA.
Pseudoparasitism of host Trichoplusia ni by Chelonus spp. as a new model system for parasite regulation of host physiology

Abstract Most host insect species parasitized as eggs by wasps of the subfamily Cheloninae initiate precocious metamorphosis many days later as preultimate—instar larvae. However, development is then suppressed early in the precocious prepupal stage. These events occur even in “pseudoparasitized” hosts containing no live or functional parasite at the time the endocrine lesions become manifest. The endocrine bases for these effects have been determined using a Trichoplusia ni-Chelonus spp. model system. Using hosts pseudoparasitized by C. near curvimaculatus or C. insularis it was determined that the entire feeding stage developmental pattern of the final instar is precociously expressed in penultimate-instar hosts. The precocious expression of the final-instar developmental pattern may be due to alteration or re-programming of tissues involved in establishment of critical growth thresholds. The second endocrine lesion is due to a lower than normal titre of juvenile hormone in precocious prepupae, leading to a lower than normal ecdysteroid titre. The validity of the concept of parasite regulation of host physiology, and its necessary distinction from indirect stress effects, are discussed. In few systems suggestive of parasite regulation of the host has the hypothesis been tested at a biochemical level. It is proposed that the T. ni-Chelonus spp. interaction is an excellent model system for such an analysis. The current results using this system already have implications for basic knowledge on host-parasite interactions, development of chemicals to disrupt insect growth, biological control strategies and new experimental probes for investigations of normal insect physiology.
Immune Responses, and Autoimmune Outcome, during Virus Infection of the Central Nervous System

A combined role of a virus infection of the central nervous system (CNS) and an autoimmune response to myelin basic protein (MBP), an autoantigen of the CNS, is suggested in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). SJL mice are highly susceptible while B6 mice are less susceptible to the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the autoimmune model of MS. Peripheral inoculation of Semliki forest virus (SFV) into SJL and B6 mice resulted in: (1) Higher viral titers, more severe clinical disease, and hence a stronger nonspecific and SFV-specific lymphoproliferation, and production of IFN-gamma and TNF/LT was observed by splenocytes (SPL) of B6 than by those of SJL mice, on Day 7 postinfection. (2) Following viral clearance, however, proliferation to SFV, and to MBP, and the production of IFN-gamma and TNF/LT by SPL of SFV-infected SJL mice were significantly higher, while the production of TGF-beta was significantly lower than by those of B6 mice. In conclusion, the immune responses to SFV, and to MBP, which were triggered by SFV infection were significantly higher and more prolonged in the SPL of SJL mice, the EAE-susceptible mice, than by those of B6 mice after the infection was cleared.
A review of fundamental coating issues for high temperature composites

Abstract This review addresses many of the fundamental issues associated with the use of coatings in high temperature aggressive environments with specific emphasis on multi-component composites. A major concern is damage caused by the permeation of oxygen into matrix cracks causing internal oxidation and attack along fiber/matrix interfaces. In addition, many prospective coatings that might be used to protect composites are susceptible to hot corrosion, particularly by small vanadate concentrations that could degrade the coating and, thereby, enhance the permeation of other aggressive species. The mechanical stability of coating systems is also a major consideration in determining performance. Large differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the coating and the composite substrate are not necessarily ameliorated by the practice of grading interfaces. However, the use of functionally graded coatings can be beneficial in reducing interlaminar shear and across-ply strains. Crack management, including the use of sealants, can be an essential part of a functional design, but the thermochemical stability of the glass sealant must be considered at elevated temperatures.
Phase measurement of a Fourier spectrum by a fringe-scanning phase-conjugate interferometer

We present a novel method for obtaining the phase distribution of an object spectrum by using a fringe-scanning phase-conjugate interferometer. A detailed analysis of the proposed technique is provided, and experimental demonstrations for validating this technique are also given. The major advantages of this method are its potentially high accuracy and its low space–bandwidth-product requirement for the detection system.
rAAV6‐Microdystrophin Rescues Aberrant Golgi Complex Organization in mdx Skeletal Muscles

Muscular dystrophies are a diverse group of severe degenerative muscle diseases. Recent interest in the role of the Golgi complex (GC) in muscle disease has been piqued by findings that several dystrophies result from mutations in putative Golgi-resident glycosyltransferases. Given this new role of the Golgi in sarcolemmal stability, we hypothesized that abnormal Golgi distribution, regulation and/or function may constitute part of the pathology of other dystrophies, where the primary defect is independent of Golgi function. Thus, we investigated GC organization in the dystrophin-deficient muscles of mdx mice, a mouse model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We report aberrant organization of the synaptic and extrasynaptic GC in skeletal muscles of mdx mice. The GC is mislocalized and improperly concentrated at the surface and core of mdx myofibers. Golgi complex localization is disrupted after the onset of necrosis and normal redistribution is impaired during regeneration of mdx muscle fibers. Disruption of the microtubule cytoskeleton may account in part for aberrant GC localization in mdx myofibers. Golgi complex distribution is restored to wild type and microtubule cytoskeleton organization is significantly improved by recombinant adeno-associated virus 6-mediated expression of DeltaR4-R23/DeltaCT microdystrophin showing a novel mode of microdystrophin functionality. In summary, GC distribution abnormalities are a novel component of mdx skeletal muscle pathology rescued by microdystrophin expression.
In situ optical measurement of liquid drop surface tension in gas metal arc welding

The surface tension of detached liquid drops in pulsed gas metal arc welding was determined in situ from the period of the prolate-oblate oscillations initiated by the detachment event. The oscillating drops were imaged by an optical shadowgraph technique utilizing laser illumination. Images obtained during the welding process were recorded with a high-speed video camera and stored for subsequent analysis. For 4047 aluminium alloy wire, surface tension values in the range 0.54-0.7 were obtained for various droplet sizes.
Distribution of glial cells in the auditory brainstem: normal development and effects of unilateral lesion.

Auditory brainstem networks facilitate sound source localization through binaural integration. A key component of this circuitry is the projection from the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), a relay nucleus that provides inhibition to the superior olivary complex. This strictly contralateral projection terminates in the large calyx of Held synapse. The formation of this pathway requires spatiotemporal coordination of cues that promote cell maturation, axon growth, and synaptogenesis. Here we have examined the emergence of distinct classes of glial cells, which are known to function in development and in response to injury. Immunofluorescence for several astrocyte markers revealed unique expression patterns. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 (ALDH1L1) was expressed earliest in both nuclei, followed by S100s, during the first postnatal week. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression was seen in the second postnatal week. GFAP-positive cell bodies remained outside the boundaries of VCN and MNTB, with a limited number of labeled fibers penetrating into the margins of the nuclei. Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (OLIG2) expression revealed the presence of oligodendrocytes in VCN and MNTB from birth until after hearing onset. In addition, ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA1)-positive microglia were observed after the first postnatal week. Following hearing onset, all glial populations were found in MNTB. We then determined the distribution of glial cells following early (P2) unilateral cochlear removal, which results in formation of ectopic projections from the intact VCN to ipsilateral MNTB. We found that following perturbation, astrocytic markers showed expression near the ectopic ipsilateral calyx. Taken together, the developmental expression patterns are consistent with a role for glial cells in the maturation of the calyx of Held and suggest that these cells may have a similar role in maturation of lesion-induced connections.
Laminar Incompressible Flow in the Entrance Region of Ducts of Arbitrary Cross Section

A combination of the numerical technique of Chorin for the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations and a transformation of the initial value problem to a boundary value problem is shown to allow calculation of the laminar hydrodynamic entrance region of ducts of arbitrary cross section. Numerical examples consisting of the solution for ducts of square and triangular cross sections are presented along with the associated friction factors.
Quadratic residue codes and symplectic groups

The extended quadratic residue codes are known to be invariant under a monomial action by the projective special linear group, an action whose permutation part is the ordinary action on the projective line [3, Theorem 3.11 (see also [7], [15], [16]). Th e re p resentations of the special linear group that arise from the codes are among those constructed in [20] (the group coinciding with the symplectic group in the two-dimensional case). It was thought that the algebraic framework used in [20] to produce these representations could also serve as a starting-point for the codes, thus giving the codes and the group action at the same time. The purpose of the present paper is to substantiate that thought. Here is an outline of the paper and its main results: let V be a vector space of even dimension 2n over the finite field GF(p), 4 a power of an odd prime, and let V be endowed with a non-degenerate symplectic (skewsymmetric) form. Let Q(V) be the corresponding symplectic group on V. An algebra A was constructed in [20] that is basically a twisted group algebra of V over a suitable ring, and from A certain representations of Sp( V) were obtained. Section 1 summarizes these results. In Section 2 several functions arising in that development are calculated more explicitly. Their values involve the constant p of 2.1: p2 = 6q, with Q E 6 (mod 4), 6 = 51. To each maximal isotropic subspace of V corresponds a distinct idempotent of A, and the set I of these idempotents is central to the formation of the codes. The multiplication of these idempotents is also considered in Section 2, the most frequently used result being the Lemma 2.3. (2.6 deals with the characters of the representations.) If the symplectic form is scaled by a non-square of GF@), one obtains another algebra A’, and its relation to A is the subject of Section 3. Section 4 contains the construction of the codes and a monomial action
Systematic liquidity, characteristic liquidity and asset pricing

In this article we examine whether the traditional characteristic liquidity premium can be explained by market liquidity risk. We find that after adjusting for Pastor and Stambaugh market liquidity factor, the level of traditional liquidity remains priced. Also, consistent with previous studies on market liquidity and asset pricing, we do not find stock characteristics or Fama–French factors to determine the impacts of liquidity level on stock return. More interestingly, we document that the well-known size-return relationship might simply be a proxy for the liquidity-return relationship. Our results are consistent in both time-series and cross-sectional frameworks as well as robust in both New York Stock Exchange-American Stock Exchange (NYSE-AMEX) and National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) exchanges.