cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parasitism and ecological relationships among deep-sea benthic fishes

We have studied the metazoan parasite fauna of 52 species of deep-living benthic fishes from depths of 53 to 5000m off the New York Bight (39–49°N; 70–72°W). 17144 parasites were recovered from 1712 fishes. The infestation rate was 80%, with an average of 12.5 worms per host. Percentage occurrence by group among all fishes was Monogenea 12.9%, Digenea 48%, Cestoda 22.1%, Nematoda 54.5%, Acanthocephala 3.8%, and Copepoda 4.5%. Differing composition of the parasite fauna in different fish species reflects differences in diet. Specialized feeders are rather distinct; generalized feeders, which predominate, show overlaps in parasite fauna. In individual species, changes in diet with growth are reflected in changes in the parasite fauna. Infestation rate is directly related to abundance of the free-living fauna; hence, fish from within the submarine canyon are more heavily infested than those living without. Although it contains fewer families and genera than shallow faunas, the deep-sea parasite fauna is not extremely unusual in terms of its abundance, diversity, or host specificity. At the greatest depths, parasite abundance and diversity dramatically decline.
Using the Higher Education General Information Survey

Once a data base that appears suitable is located, considerable work must still be done to make it ready for analysis. In particular, one must learn as much as possible about the data elements. To illustrate the importance of this point, the HEGIS data base and its uses are discussed in detail.
Dimethyl Sulfoxide-Mediated Primer Tm Reduction - a Method for Analyzing the Role of Renaturation Temperature in the Polymerase Chain-Reaction

We report a method for optimizing the specificity of product formation in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This technique is based on the use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and takes into account primer Tm. The reduction in Tm by DMSO is directly correlated with renaturation temperature such that a DMSO gradient reflects a temperature gradient. We use this relationship to show that optimum product formation usually occurs at or within several degrees of the midpoint Tm of a given primer pair. We illustrate these correlations using three examples deriving PCR products from a human cDNA library, representing the casein kinase II alpha and beta subunits as well as the 5' untranslated region for the beta subunit. By following product formation as a function of renaturation temperature, we postulate rules for cycle design based on primer Tm. Implications for the use of degenerate primers are discussed.
Effect of Dexamethasone on Pituitary-Adrenal Activation Following Intrahypothalamic Implantation of “Neuro transmitters”

Intrahypothalamic implantation of “neuro transmitter” substances (carbachol and norepinephrine) has previously been found to result in pituitary-adrenal activation. The present studies demonstrate that such activation is not abolished by the prior systemic administration of dexamethasone. These studies therefore support the hypothesis that the terminal hypothalamic neurosecretory neuron is steroid insensitive. (Endocrinology 87: 179, 1970) THERE IS still disagreement as to whether steroid feedback regulation of adrenocortical secretion is accomplished by a direct action on the adenohypophysis (1–3), on the hypothalamus, on limbic system sites (4–6), or on all these structures. We have shown (7) that chemical implantation of minute amounts of “ neurotransmitter” substances (carbachol, an acetylcholine-like agent, and norepinephrine), when placed into the median eminence, but not in the adenohypophysis, is effective in producing an acute rise in plasma corticosteroid levels. The present studies describe the...
Ticking Bombs and Moral Luck: An Analysis of Ticking Bomb Methodology

In this paper, I take up the task of further examining the ticking bomb argument in favor of the use of torture. In doing so, I will focus on some recent scholarship regarding ticking bomb methodology introduced by Fritz Allhoff. I will then propose a set of ticking bomb variations which, I believe, call into question some of Allhoff's conclusions. My goal is to show that ticking bomb methodology is misguided in its attempt to justify torture insofar as its proponents seem to ignore certain nonconsequentialist factors that are latent in the various types of uncertainty in real-world ticking bomb cases. Once this fact is recognized, I claim, the normative claims about torture that follow can be denied by appealing to it. I then argue that, even if we grant a certain level of uncertainty within the ticking bomb argument, torture is not justified. Rather, the implementation of torture, even if it yields positive results, is nothing more than a case of moral luck. In other words, the supposed "success" of torture in the ticking bomb cases lies entirely outside the agent's control. Thus, if the outcome of the use of torture is in no way controlled by the agent, then the agent's actions cannot be justified by appealing to that outcome.
Optimization of Device Structures for Bright Blue Semipolar (1011) Light Emitting Diodes via Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

The device structures of semipolar (1011) GaN blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) were optimized to achieve high power and high efficiency via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The quantum well (QW) width, barrier thickness and last barrier (LB) thickness were varied in order to optimize device performances and achieve the best growth conditions. Additional optimization methods such as Mg doping for the LB and p+ contact layers were also investigated. This study resulted in a LED with an output power of 22.75 mW and an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 39.5% at a driving current of 20 mA, which is a significant improvement over previous results.
Geosynthetic-reinforced soil wall design

Abstract A number of diverse methods are available for the design of geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls. The various methods yield widely varying results. This study involved reviewing six published design methods, comparing design concepts; comparing the results of designs for various wall heights and geometries using each of the methods, and comparing two case histories of test walls which were tested to failure with the results predicted by each of the methods. It was found that the differences in the design results stem primarily from a significant disparity in defining allowable reinforcement strength and safety factors, and to a lesser degree, from discrepancies among the methods of analysis.
Work and community

Work can affect psychological well being, one's sense of personal identity, and provide a psychological sense of community. Work today is a major locus of social change and a reflection of our social values. Work and community are not separate domains, but are interconnected and interdependent. The possible sources of the psychological sense of the community at work are considered. Then influences flowing from work to family and community, including emotional spillover, indirect socialization, and the effects of workplace participation are discussed. Contemporary changes in families and communities suggest needed shifts in the boundary between work and family, the allocation of work, and even its definition. I would like to propose that community psychologists consider work and the connection between work and community as an important and exciting domain for research and action. The experience of work and the interrelationship between work and community touch on the major themes and preoccupations of our field. Work is a potential source of psychological well being, identity, and psychological sense of community. It is now a locus of dramatic social change and it is an expression of our social values as well. Finally, work and community are interconnected in important ways that we are only beginning to understand. Let me be more specific.
Undermanning theory and the workplace: Implications of Setting Size for Job Satisfaction and Social Support

Undermanning theory has been identified as a useful tool for organizational and community psychologists. The research described here demonstrated the utility of this theory in two ways. First, it e...
Observations on equine strongyle control in southern temperate USA.

Summary A program of rotational anthelmintic treatments at eight-week intervals had failed to provide satisfactory equine strongyle control at a stable in southern USA. Anthelmintic resistance had rendered benzimidazoles ineffective, and intervals between treatments with other drugs were too great to prevent environmental contamination with ova. Ivermectin treatments at eight week intervals or pyrantel pamoate treatments at four week intervals successfully reduced egg counts for the majority of the summer grazing period. In southern temperate USA, translation of strongyle ova to larvae was most efficient during autumn and winter. Minimal larval translation occurred during summer when meteorological conditions limited pasture infectivity as effectively as anthelmintic treatments.
Competitive facilitated transport of acid gases in perfluorosulfonic acid membranes

Facilitated transport membranes were used to fractionate binary mixtures of CO2 and H2S and to remove the acid gases from ternary mixtures with CH4. The facilitated transport membranes were prepared by exchanging singly protonated ethylene diamine for Na+ counterions in perfluorosulfonic acid membranes. Carbon dioxide was preferentially transported over H2S for all mixture compositions studied. Separation factors for CO2 over CH4 of 503 to 1170 were observed which agree very well for those previously observed for binary mixtures. The presence of CO2 decreased the CH4 flux over the flux observed during pure gas measurements presumably due to differences in ionic strength of the membrane. The numerical solution of the steady-state transport equations was in good agreement with the experimental data.
On schema matching with opaque column names and data values

Most previous solutions to the schema matching problem rely in some fashion upon identifying "similar" column names in the schemas to be matched, or by recognizing common domains in the data stored in the schemas. While each of these approaches is valuable in many cases, they are not infallible, and there exist instances of the schema matching problem for which they do not even apply. Such problem instances typically arise when the column names in the schemas and the data in the columns are "opaque" or very difficult to interpret. In this paper we propose a two-step technique that works even in the presence of opaque column names and data values. In the first step, we measure the pair-wise attribute correlations in the tables to be matched and construct a dependency graph using mutual information as a measure of the dependency between attributes. In the second stage, we find matching node pairs in the dependency graphs by running a graph matching algorithm. We validate our approach with an experimental study, the results of which suggest that such an approach can be a useful addition to a set of (semi) automatic schema matching techniques.
Chordoma of the thoracic spine in an 89-year-old

Case report and literature review. Report the highly unusual presentation of thoracic spine chordoma in an 89-year-old and review existing literature as it impacts treatment in the elderly. Chordomas are infrequent tumors of the spine that commonly present during mid-adulthood at the spheno-occipital or sacrococcygeal junctions. The mobile spine is affected in 10–15% of cases but chordomas are extremely rare in the thoracic spine. Chordoma rarely enters the differential diagnosis of spinal tumors in elderly patients, for whom metastases and multiple myeloma are by far the most common. A case report is detailed of an 89-year-old male presenting with incapacitating pain and early signs of thoracic myelopathy. A lytic, expanding lesion of the T10 vertebral body with epidural spinal cord compression was identified. In the absence of evidence of other primary tumor, a CT-guided needle biopsy revealed chordoma. A literature review of reported thoracic spine chordomas was also performed. An intralesional posterolateral resection and reconstruction was performed with good results and no recurrence at 13 months’ follow-up. 30 reports of thoracic spine chordomas were identified in the literature since 1902. Mean age of presentation at 35.7 years is earlier than for most chordomas. The oldest previously reported patient was 68-year-old. Neurological impairment at presentation is rare with the usual presenting symptom being pain. Response to radiation and chemotherapy is limited. 5-year survival rates range from 50 to 60%. Chordoma is a highly uncommon epidural neoplasm of the thoracic spine and is vanishingly rare in elderly patients. This report documents the oldest reported patient with thoracic spine chordoma at 89-year-old. Their locally aggressive behavior typically prompts consideration of aggressive surgical resection. When tailored to the individual patient, such procedures are feasible without excessive morbidity even in elderly patients.
Ethical Issues in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Cost-effectiveness analysis provides important information about the economic efficiency of health-related programs that can help health care decision makers choose between competing alternatives. Ethical concerns (such as equity and other issues of fairness) are critical to any discussion of health care resource allocation, as are the political and societal context in which such decisions are made and implemented. Here, we present an overview of ethical and other concerns raised by the use of cost-effectiveness analysis in health care resource allocation decision-making. We review the philosophical and theoretical foundations of cost-effectiveness analysis and describe some of the ethical assumptions and implications that are embedded in, and result from, the use of this economic analysis technique. Finally, we consider how the social and political context of health-related decision affects the usefulness of the results derived from cost-effectiveness analyses.
Structure of layered WSe2 thin films with ultralow thermal conductivity

Crystallographic ordering and defects in WSe2 thin films with ultralow thermal conductivity are characterized by electron imaging and diffraction in cross-sectional geometry. The results show that the film consists of oriented, coherent crystallites that are a few nanometers in diameter. Two films of different thickness with different thermal conductivity are compared. We show that the film with a lower thermal conductivity is characterized by less coherent crystallites with a greater degree of misorientation.
Tolerance of Some Imported Vegetables to Methyl Bromide Fumigation and Hot Water Treatments

Moroccan cipollini, Israeli or domestic cabbage, domestic celeriac and parsnips, and European, Japanese, and domestic horseradish showed a good margin of tolerance to methyl bromide fumigation well above usual quarantine schedules. Injury developed only after extreme schedules near 5 lb for 4 hours at 15-inch vacuum at 70°F for cipollini; 6 lb for 5 hours at normal atmospheric pressure (NAP) at 42°F for cabbage; 5 lb for 3 hours under 15-inch vacuum near 50°F for celeriac and parsnips; and 8 lb for 3 hours under 15-inch vacuum at 50°F for horseradish. The tolerance of cipollini appeared to be less at 26-inch vacuum and of parsnips greater at NAP. Cuban yams, Dioscorea spp., also showed good fumigation tolerance at warm, but were injured at cool temperatures. Their injury threshold appeared to be near 4.5 lb for 4 hours NAP at 87°F. Bromide residues were found to be near or well below the 50-ppm tolerance for cabbage and cipollini and 30 ppm for yams. No off-flavors were noted in any of the vegetables fumigated at quarantine schedules. Hot water dips of 118° for 30 minutes caused severe injury to parsnips and celeriac, but were well tolerated by horseradish roots. Preliminary insecticidal results with Baris lepidii Germar in horseradish are reported.
Exploring the Implications of the Internet for Consumer Marketing

Past commentaries on the potential impact of the Internet on consumer marketing have typically failed to acknowledge that consumer markets are heterogeneous and complex and that the Internet is but one possible distribution, transaction, and communication channel in a world dominated by conventional retailing channels. This failure has led to excessively broad predictions regarding the effect of the Internet on the structure and performance of product and service markets. The objective of this article is to provide a framework for understanding possible impacts of the Internet on marketing to consumers. This is done by analyzing channel intermediary functions that can be performed on the Internet, suggesting classification schemes that clarify the potential impact of the Internet across different products and services, positioning the Internet against conventional retailing channels, and identifying similarities and differences that exist between them. The article concludes with a series of questions designed to stimulate the development of theory and strategy in the context of Internet-based marketing.
Acute Cholesterol-induced Anti-natriuretic Effects ROLE OF EPITHELIAL Na+ CHANNEL ACTIVITY, PROTEIN LEVELS, AND PROCESSING

The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is modulated by membrane lipid composition. However, the effect of an in vivo change of membrane composition is unknown. We examined the effect of a 70-day enhanced cholesterol diet (ECD) on ENaC and renal Na+ handling. Rats were fed a standard chow or one supplemented with 1% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid (ECD). ECD animals exhibited marked anti-diuresis and anti-natriuresis (40 and 47%), which peaked at 1–3 weeks. Secondary compensation returned urine output and urinary Na+ excretion to control levels by week 10. During these initial changes, there were no accompanying effects on systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, or urinary creatinine excretion, indicating that the these effects of ECD preceded those which modify renal filtration and blood pressure. The effects of ECD on ENaC were evaluated by measuring the relative protein content of α, β, and γ subunits. α and γ blots were further examined for subunit cleavage (a process that activates ENaC). No significant changes were observed in α and β levels throughout the study. However, levels of cleaved γ were elevated, suggesting that ENaC was activated. The changes of γ persisted at week 10 and were accompanied by additional subunit fragments, indicating potential changes of γ-cleaving proteases. Enhanced protease activity, and specifically that which could act on the second identified cleavage site in γ, was verified in a newly developed urinary protease assay. These results predict enhanced ENaC activity, an effect that was confirmed in patch clamp experiments of principal cells of split open collecting ducts, where ENaC open probability was increased by 40% in the ECD group. These data demonstrate a complex series of events and a new regulatory paradigm that is initiated by ECD prior to the onset of elevated blood pressure. These events lead to changes of renal Na+ handling, which occur in part by effects on extracellular γ-ENaC cleavage.
Common genetic variants in the 8q24 region and risk of papillary thyroid cancer

Objectives/Hypothesis: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 8q24 chromosomal region identified from genome-wide scans have been associated with the risk of several cancers, including breast (rs1562430), prostate (rs1447295), and colon (rs6983267). A genome-wide scan in 26 families with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) also found susceptibility loci in 8q24, supporting a closer evaluation of this chromosomal region in relation to the risk of sporadic PTC. Study Design: Case-control study. Methods: We evaluated 157 tag SNPs in the 8q24 chromosomal region between 120.91 Mb and 128.78 Mb (including rs1562430, rs1447295, and rs6983267) in a case-control study of 344 PTC cases and 452 age and gender frequency-matched controls. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios and compute P values of linear trend for PTC with genotypes of interest. To account for multiple comparisons, we applied the false discovery rate (FDR) method. Results: We did not find a significant association between rs1562430, rs1447295, or rs6983267 and PTC risk. We found that one SNP (rs4733616) was associated with PTC risk at P = .003, and 12 other SNPs were associated with PTC risk at P < .05. However, no SNPs remained significant after FDR correction. Conclusions: Our findings do not support a strong association between SNPs in the 8q24 chromosomal region and risk of sporadic PTC, but several SNPs with small effects might exist.
Cofactor Regeneration of NAD+ from NADH: Novel Water-Forming NADH Oxidases

Dehydrogenases with their superb enantio- selectivity can be employed advantageously to pre- pare enantiomerically pure alcohols, hydroxy acids, and amino acids. For economic syntheses, however, the co-substrate of dehydrogenases, the NAD(P)(H) cofactor, has to be regenerated. Whereas the problem of regenerating NADH from NAD can be consid- ered solved, the inverse problem of regenerating NAD from NADH still awaits a definitive and practical solution. A possible solution is the oxidation of NADH to NAD with concomitant reduction of oxygen catalyzed by NADH oxidase (E.C. 1.6.-.-) which can reduce O2 either to undesirable H2O2 or to innocuous H2O. We have found and cloned two novel genes from Borrelia burgdorferi and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis with hitherto only machine-annotat- ed NADH oxidase function. We have overexpressed the corresponding proteins and could prove the annotated function to be correct. As demonstrated with a more sensitive assay than employed previously, the two novel NADH oxidases reduce O2 to H2O.
Temperature-sensitive mutants of reovirus type 3 features of genetic recombination

Abstract A statistical analysis of the recombination frequencies resulting from mixed infection with temperature-sensitive mutants of reovirus type 3 has been performed. The results approach random values, consistent with the biochemical data that the reovirus genome is segmented.
Psychiatric and medical problems in rural communities

Abstract To delineate the health needs of rural communities, this household survey of 713 adults in nine rural counties of the southern United States examined: (1) the prevalence of psychiatric impairment and of various medical problems in the rural population, (2) demographic correlates of psychiatric and medical problems, and (3) the interplay between psychiatric and medical problems. A 70-minute interview provided data on psychiatric symptoms (HOS, CES-D, and GWB scales), chronic medical problems, self-ratings of health, days of work missed, and demographic characteristics. Approximately 12% of the rural adults were psychiatrically impaired, with impairment higher among females, non-married, and low SES individuals. Medical problems were reported most frequently by females, older, and less educated respondents. Older and low SES respondents also perceived themselves to be in poorer health. Chronic medical problems were strongly associated with psychiatric impairment. When the effects of medical problems were controlled, education was much less strongly related to psychiatric impairment and higher levels of impairment were observed among younger respondents. The data suggest that the differential prevalence of psychiatric symptoms among lower class and older individuals may reflect the differential prevalence of medical problems in those groups. Implications for both health screening and planning of rural health care delivery systems are discussed.
Artificial introgression of a large chromosome fragment around the rice blast resistance gene Pi-ta in backcross progeny and several elite rice cultivars

Studying the size of genomic introgressions should lead to a better understanding of linkage disequilibrium in crop breeding. In this study, progeny of the cross between a tropical japonica rice cultivar Katy containing the rice blast resistance gene Pi-ta and a temperate japonica cultivar M202 (pi-ta)' [corrected]. were inoculated with the race IB49 of Magnaporthe oryzae that recognizes Pi-ta. The resistant progeny were identified during backcrossing for five generations. Two progeny of each of the 22 BC(5)F(1) were genotyped using 12 simple sequence repeat markers around the Pi-ta genomic region on chromosome 12. Unlinked DNA in 43 BC(5)F(2) individuals was found primarily from the recurrent parent M202 as expected. However, unexpectedly, various sizes of genomic fragments around Pi-ta ranging from half (14 Mbp) to the entire chromosome (27 Mbp) were found from the donor. Similarly, large segments of comparable sizes of the Pi-ta genomic region originating from a landrace indica variety Tetep from Vietnam were also identified in Pi-ta containing US rice cultivars, Katy, Madison, Kaybonnet, and Drew. It was also determined that Tetep had an identical chromosome 12 to another landrace cultivar Tadukan from the Philippines. The most widely grown indica cultivar IR64 was found to contain the same 6.4 Mbp around Pi-ta. This study demonstrates that a large portion of the chromosome was maintained by artificial selection for blast resistance during crop breeding.
Semi-empirical model for polyelectrolyte intrinsic viscosity as a function of solution ionic strength and polymer molecular weight

Abstract Elements of Odijk-Skolnick-Fixman and Yamakawa-Fujii polymer solution theories have been modified to create a new model that correlates flexible coil polyion intrinsic viscosity behavior with solvent and polymer properties. A new dimensionless viscosity is derived and is successfully related to the dimensionless ratio of Debye-Huckel screening length to polyion charge spacing and the degree of polymerization. The model has been applied to intrinsic viscosity data reported in the scientific literature and to data collected in our laboratory, all using sodium chloride solutions ranging in ionic strength. Multiple molecular weight fractions of six compositionally different polyelectrolytes were used to obtain 73 intrinsic viscosity versus ionic strength data points for model analysis. Regression analysis was applied to empirically determine the relationships between the dimensionless groups. The resulting model equation was found statistically adequate in describing the entire data set.
Design of sequential circuits by quantum-dot cellular automata

This paper proposes a detailed design analysis of sequential circuits for quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA). This analysis encompasses flip-flop (FF) devices as well as circuits. Initially, a novel RS-type FF amenable to a QCA implementation is proposed. This FF extends a previous threshold-based configuration to QCA by taking into account the timing issues associated with the adiabatic switching of this technology. The characterization of a D-type FF as a device consisting of an embedded wire is also presented. Unique timing constraints in QCA sequential logic design are identified and investigated. An algorithm for assigning appropriate clocking zones to a QCA sequential circuit is proposed. A technique referred to as stretching is used in the algorithm to ensure timing and delay matching. This algorithm relies on a topological sorting and enumeration step to consistently traversing only once the edges of the graph representation of the QCA sequential circuit. Examples of QCA sequential circuits are provided.
Artificial plasmonic metamaterial fabricated by micro-stereolithography

Micro-structured materials, which contain engineered subwavelength components, can be designed to have positive or negative e and μ at desired frequency. In this paper, we demonstrate a high pass Terahertz (THz) filter which utilizes the lowered plasma frequency of thin metal wire structures. This high pass filter may have applications in the THz imaging systems. The filter is formed by two-dimensional cubic lattice of thin metal wires. The diameter of the wire is 30 μm, the lattice constant is 120 μm, and the length of the wire is 1mm. Micro-stereolithography technique is applied to fabricate this high aspect ratio cylinders. The reflection property of the filter is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and a plasma frequency at 0.7 THz is observed, which agrees with the approximate theory.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Computational fluid dynamic simulations for determination of ventricular workload in aortic arch obstructions

Objective The cardiac workload associated with various types of aortic obstruction was determined using computational fluid dynamic simulations. Methods Computed tomography image data were collected from 4 patients with 4 distinct types of aortic arch obstructions and 4 controls. The categorization of arch hypoplasia corresponded to the "A, B, C" nomenclature of arch interruption; a type "D" was added to represent diffuse arch hypoplasia. Measurements of the vessel diameter were compared against the normal measurements to determine the degree of narrowing. Three-dimensional models were created for each patient, and additional models were created for type A and B hypoplasia to represent 25%, 50%, and 75% diameter narrowing. The boundary conditions for the computational simulations were chosen to achieve realistic flow and pressures in the control cases. The simulations were then repeated after changing the boundary conditions to represent a range of cardiac and vascular adaptations. The resulting cardiac workload was compared with the control cases. Results Of the 4 patients investigated, 1 had aortic coarctation and 3 had aortic hypoplasia. The cardiac workload of the patients with 25% narrowing type A and B hypoplasia was not appreciably different from that of the control. When comparing the different arch obstructions, 75% type A, 50% type B, and 50% type D hypoplasia required a greater workload increase than 75% coarctation. Conclusions The present study has determined the hemodynamic significance of aortic arch obstruction using computational simulations to calculate the cardiac workload. These results suggest that all types of hypoplasia pose more of a workload challenge than coarctation with an equivalent degree of narrowing.
Ultra sensitive quantitation of endogenous oxytocin in rat and human plasma using a two-dimensional liquid chromatography―tandem mass spectrometry assay

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide with an extremely low endogenous level (low pg/ml) in human plasma. It is very challenging to develop a highly sensitive assay to measure endogenous OT, including radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Electrospray ionization (ESI) liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can provide high-throughput and selective methods for quantification of peptides in biological samples. A novel and highly sensitive two-dimensional LC-MS/MS (2D-LC-MS/MS) assay combining solid-phase extraction (SPE) has been developed and validated for the determination of endogenous OT in both human and rat plasma. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1.00 pg/ml for human and 50.0 pg/ml for rat. Human plasma diluted with water (1:6, v/v) was successfully optimized as a surrogate matrix for human to prepare standard curves without endogenous interference. The extraction efficiency and absolute recovery were above 65.8% using the HLB SPE procedure, and matrix effects were lower than 12%. The method was validated in the range of 1.00-250 pg/ml for human plasma and 50.0-10,000 pg/ml for rat plasma with precision less than 12.7% and accuracy less than 7%.
Germ cell regulation of Sertoli cell transferrin mRNA levels.

Sertoli cells cultured in the presence of germ cells responded by increasing the level of transferrin mRNA 3-fold as determined by solution hybridization and Northern blot analysis. In contrast, the steady state levels of other mRNAs, including sulfated glycoprotein 1 (SGP-1), sulfated glycoprotein 2 (SGP-2), transferrin receptor, regulatory subunit of cAMP dependent protein kinase, and ferritin light chain, were not influenced by coculture with germ cells. The transferrin mRNA stimulatory activity was found in conditioned medium from germ cells but was not associated with germ cell membrane components. The activity was abolished by treatment of the medium with trypsin. Partial characterization and isolation of the protein(s) from conditioned medium indicated that it has an apparent mol wt between 10 and 30 K. Studies using inhibitors of protein and nucleic acid synthesis indicated that the stimulation of transferrin mRNA by germ cell conditioned medium required both transcription and translation. Sertoli...
Resonance fluorescence from two identical atoms in a standing-wave field

We investigate the resonance-fluorescence spectrum from two identical atoms driven by a strong standing-wave field. We find interesting modifications of the Mollow spectrum, caused by interferences between the two atoms, and in particular a succession of «dark» and «bright» states as one of the atoms is moved to successive nodes of the field. Large enough separation between the atoms leads to their decorrelation and the disappearance of these interferences, the atoms acting then as independent radiators. From a technical viewpoint, we also illustrate how the use of superoperators in Liouville space keeps the discussion transparent and provides a convenient tool for numerical calculations
Diagnosis of swine trichinosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using an excretory-secretory antigen

An excretory--secretory (ES) antigen was used in a serodiagnostic enzyme-linke immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for swine trichinosis. ELISA procedures included a double-antibody test, using either an anti-swine IgG or a protein A enzyme conjugate, and a triple-antibody test using a pig IgG heavy-chain specific second antibody with a conjugated third antibody. The ES antigen was effective in eliminating all false-positive reactivity in sera from farm-raised hogs. The triple-antibody procedure was more sensitive and demonstrated a greater efficiency in detecting positive animals and early seroconversions. Naturally-infected pigs with worm burdens as low as 0.01 larvae per gram (LPG) of diaphragm were seropositive using these procedures. Seroconversion in experimentally-infected animals receiving low doses of muscle larvae (500) occurred considerably later than in animals receiving high doses (10000). This might account for false-negative reactions in naturally-infected animals with very low (less than 0.1 LPG) worm burdens.
ON THE CAUCHY PROBLEM FOR THE GENERALIZED POROUS MEDIUM EQUATION

We prove the existence of a weak solution of the Cauchy problem in classes of growing functions for the generalized porous medium equation u t = Δϕ(u) under broad assumptions on ϕ. In particular, functions ϕ(s) ∼ s m ln p s, m ≥ 1, p ≥ −1, and ϕ(s) ∼ exp(s p ), p > 0, (as s → +∞) are included. We give sufficient conditions on the growth of the initial data as |x| → ∞, which, in general, can not be improved, as we illustrate by examples. A lower bound on the existence time is also obtained. Under the convexity assumption on ϕ we prove the uniqueness of a weak solution.
Monjolo: an energy-harvesting energy meter architecture

Conventional AC power meters perform at least two distinct functions: power conversion, to supply the meter itself, and energy metering, to measure the load consumption. This paper presents Monjolo, a new energy-metering architecture that combines these two functions to yield a new design point in the metering space. The key insight underlying this work is that the output of a current transformer -- nominally used to measure a load current -- can be harvested and used to intermittently power a wireless sensor node. The hypothesis is that the node's activation frequency increases monotonically with the primary load's draw, making it possible to estimate load power from the interval between activations, assuming the node consumes a fixed energy quanta during each activation. This paper explores this thesis by designing, implementing, and evaluating the Monjolo metering architecture. The results demonstrate that it is possible to build a meter that draws zero-power under zero-load conditions, offers high accuracy for near-unity power factor loads, works with non-unity power factor loads in combination with a whole-house meter, wirelessly reports readings to a data aggregator, is resilient to communication failures, and is parsimonious with the radio channel, even under heavy loads. Monjolo eliminates the high-voltage AC-DC power supply and AC metering circuitry present in earlier designs, enabling a smaller, simpler, safer, and lower-cost design point that supports novel deployment scenarios like non-intrusive circuit-level metering.
From thought to expression

Genius: Richard Feynman and Modern Physics. By James Gleick. Pantheon/ Little, Brown: 1992. Pp. 532. $27.50, £18.99.
Surgical palliation for malignant disease requiring locoregional control.

Background: Surgical palliation of cancer is best defined as procedures performed with non-curative intent to improve quality of life or control symptoms of advanced malignancy. Soft tissue involvement of advanced malignancies may produce symptoms such as pain, bleeding, or odor that significantly reduce quality of life. Literature on outcomes of palliative resection of soft tissue malignancy for local or regional control is lacking. Methods: Soft tissue resections performed with palliative intent for locoregional control were identified from a prospectively maintained palliative surgery database at a tertiary care center from January 2004 to July 2013. Tumor type, presenting symptom, procedure performed, and symptom recurrence were recorded. Patients were followed for at least 60 days or until death. Results: Thirty-one patients who underwent palliative soft tissue resection for local control were identified. Primary tumor types included melanoma (n=9, 29.0%), squamous cell carcinoma (n=9, 29.0%), sarcoma (n=5, 16.1%), breast (n=3, 9.7%), and other (n=5, 16.1%). Eighteen of 31 patients (58.1%) underwent resection for pain, two (6.5%) for bleeding, and eleven (35.5%) for local control or other symptoms. Procedures were performed on the trunk (n=17, 54.8%), extremities (n=7, 22.6%), head/neck (n=5, 16.1%), or multiple areas (n=2, 6.5%). Eleven of 31 patients (35.5%) underwent axillary, inguinal, or neck lymph node dissection, seventeen (54.8%) radical resection, and three (9.7%) wound excision. Split-thickness skin graft was performed in 6 of 17 radical resections (35.3%). Five patients (16.1%) had symptom recurrence at the site of the initial palliative procedure, of whom four (12.9%) underwent a second palliative procedure. Seven patients (22.6%) had new disease-related symptoms develop during follow-up. Thirty-day morbidity was 29.0%; mortality was 3.2%, which was associated with progression of disease. Conclusions: Palliative surgery for local control of advanced soft tissue malignancy can provide durable symptom relief and improved quality of life. These procedures positively impact patients regardless of primary tumor type or tumor extent. Careful patient selection is important in order to maximize benefit of surgical palliation and minimize morbidity and mortality.
The nature of genetic variation among viruses.

Abstract Genetic variation among viruses may seem unimportant and academic — related only to pedagogical classification of things — but accurate determination of genetic relationships can have important implications, from characterizing the molecular basis of attenuation of viral vaccines to furthering knowledge about origins of viruses and even of life itself. It can even help to establish priority in the discovery of viruses when properly applied (1). The purpose of this brief review is to demonstrate how viruses change and what implications these changes can have on the delicate balance between the viral parasite and its host. Examples will be drawn from the hepatitis viruses when possible.
Use of Gravity Gradiometry in Precision Inertial Navigation Systems

Gravity gradiometry can be employed to reduce the gravity modeling error in high precision inertial navigation systems (INSs) in free-inertial navigation. e beneĕt of a gravity gradient instrument is that the measurement is completely passive and not subject to interference from external sources, and gravity formulae or tables will no longer be needed to obtain the INS solution. In line with the inertial navigation paradigm, as long the initial gravity vector is known, the local acceleration of gravity g(x, z) can be estimated autonomously and accurately on the Ęy using onboard accelerometer measurements, provided that the acceleration measurements are very accurate, as is the case in cold atom interferometry-based instruments. e beneĕt of combining measurements from multiple INSs is also addressed, and a free-inertial aircra navigation scenario is presented.
Regulation of stem cell differentiation in adipose tissue by chronic inflammation

1. Recent studies suggest that a local hypoxic response leads to chronic inflammation in the adipose tissue of obese individuals. The adipose tissue hypoxia may reflect a compensatory failure in the local vasculature system in response to obesity. 2. Studies suggest that inflammation stimulates angiogenesis and inhibits adipocyte activities in a feedback manner within the obese adipose tissue. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) are able to differentiate into multiple lineages of progenitor cells for adipocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts and pericytes. Differentiation of ASC into those progenitors is regulated by the adipose tissue microenvironment. 3. As a major factor in the microenvironment, inflammation may favour ASC differentiation into endothelial cells through the induction of angiogenic factors. At the same time, inflammation inhibits ASC differentiation into adipocytes by suppressing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ activity and the insulin signalling pathway. In this context, inflammation may serve as a signal mediating the competition between adipocytes and endothelial cells for the limited source of ASC. 4. It is a new concept that inflammation mediates signals in the competition between adipocytes and endothelial cells for the limited ASC in obesity. There is a lot of evidence that inflammation promotes endothelial cell differentiation. However, this activity of inflammation remains to be established in adipose tissue. The present article reviews the literature in support of this conclusion.
Predicting woodrat ( Neotoma ) responses to anthropogenic warming from studies of the palaeomidden record

Aim The influence of anthropogenic climate change on organisms is an area of great scientific concern. Increasingly there is recognition that abrupt climate transitions have occurred over the late Quaternary; studies of these shifts may yield insights into likely biotic responses to contemporary warming. Here, we review research undertaken over the past decade investigating the response of Neotoma (woodrats) body size and distribution to climate change over the late Quaternary (the last 40,000 years). By integrating information from woodrat palaeomiddens, historical museum specimens and field studies of modern populations, we identify potential evolutionary responses to climate change occurring over a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Specifically, we characterize climatic thresholds in the past that led to local species extirpation and/or range alterations rather than in situ adaptation, and apply them to anticipate potential biotic responses to anthropogenic climate change.
P/sup 3/: a process planner for manufacturability analysis

In complex practical domains, such as manufacturing, plans generated must not only be feasible, they must also be of high quality (i.e., efficient, reliable, etc.). The particular quality criterion used is determined according to the objectives and needs of the planner. This paper describes P/sup 3/, an automated process planner for generating manufacturing plans for prismatic machining processes. P/sup 3/ is constraint-based, and it utilizes the LCOS (least commitment to operator selection strategy) to facilitate the construction of efficient, high quality plans. The ability to develop high quality plans depends on the ability to make trade-offs at a global level among factors that are frequently conflicting. LCOS is a search strategy that facilitates these objectives by making the appropriate information available so as to allow globally efficient plans to be constructed. P/sup 3/ implements the LCOS strategy in an algorithm called MACHINE, which combines LCOS with a variety of search pruning strategies to construct globally efficient plans while avoiding rapid combinatorial explosion. Lastly, P/sup 3/'s operation is illustrated through the construction of an illustrated example manufacturing plan, and its performance will be evaluated. The result is a planner which is more scalable to problems containing large numbers of goals, while still maintaining high solution quality. It is hoped that the general strategies presented can provide useful and scalable frameworks for modeling planning problems in other complex practical domains.
Family-Controlled Corporations: Defining Corporate Governance Best Practices to Add Firm Value

European family-controlled public companies tend to perform less well in the stock market than their American counterparts. Also, while more and more investment funds that focus on family-firm opportunities are being formed in the United States, data indicates that institutional investors remain somewhat reluctant to invest in continental European family-controlled businesses. These trends suggest that best practices followed by family firms in the United States may provide helpful examples for similar enterprises in Europe.The paper touches on the major trends in the area of corporate governance for family-controlled corporations, and explores the correlations between such trends and firm value. A comparison of best practices in the United States and continental Europe is made with respect to the following: (a) effective leadership succession planning; (b) participation in an efficient market for corporate control; (c) partnership with a strategic institutional investor; and (d) improvements in the relation with minority shareholders.The paper is partly based on deliberations made at the June 2005 European Council on Corporate Governance and Board Effectiveness, hosted by the Swedish Corporate Governance Forum in Stockholm.
Patterns of Flight Behavior and Capacity of Unmated Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Adults Related to Age, Gender, and Wing Size

The navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a key pest of almond, pistachio, and walnut tree crops in California. Understanding dispersal of adults between orchards is important to improving management options. Laboratory flight behavior of unmated navel orangeworm of ages 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 d posteclosion was examined using flight mills. As a group, females flew farther and longer than males, but the differences were not statistically significant. Flight speed did not differ between sexes. Flight duration and distance did not differ with age, except that 7-d-old adults performed worse for these parameters than did 1- and 2-d-old adults. Females began their flights ≍1.5 h after the onset of dusk, and ≍1.5 h earlier in the night than males. Flight capacity and propensity were substantial for both sexes and all age classes tested. At least 20% of adults (except 7-d-old males) made a continuous flight ≥5.5 h, and median total distances flown during the 10.5-h night ranged from 7 to 15 km depending on age class. Thus navel orangeworm flight mill performance was greater than that of most pests tested from the families Pyralidae and Tortricidae. Surface area and length of forewings and hindwings were greater in females than males, but had little effect on flight performance. The results are generally consistent with field observations of navel orangeworm dispersal, but it will be important to characterize the effects of mating on flight, and flight on fecundity.