cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal Current Allocation Rendering 3-D Magnetic Force Production in Hexapole Electromagnetic Actuation

This article presents the optimal current allocation and the magnetic force production associated with the hexapole electromagnetic actuation, wherein six electromagnets are used to control the magnetic field and exert the 3-D magnetic force on a specified microscopic magnetic particle in the 3-D workspace of the actuating system. It addresses four major issues in the inverse modeling of the multipole electromagnetic actuation, i.e., 1) redundancy; 2) coupling; 3) nonlinearity; and 4) position-dependency, and leads to the accurate and effective 3-D magnetic force production within the specified workspace. Specifically, the optimal inverse modeling of the hexapole electromagnetic actuation is derived to minimize the 2-norm of the $6 \times 1$ input current vector when applied to produce the desired 3-D magnetic force to propel the magnetic particle in aqueous solutions. The inverse model is implemented in a high-speed field programmable gate array system to realize the real-time current allocation, which is used to render the feedback stabilization of the magnetic trap. The accurate and effective 3-D force production through the optimal current allocation is experimentally validated.
EdU incorporation to assess cell proliferation and drug susceptibility for the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri

Abstract Naegleria fowleri is a pathogenic free-living amoeba that is commonly found in warm, freshwater and can cause a rapidly fulminant disease known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). New drugs are urgently needed to treat PAM, as the fatality rate is >97%. Until recently, few advances have been made in the discovery of new drugs for N. fowleri and one drawback is the lack of validated tools and methods to enhance drug discovery and diagnostics research. In this study we aimed to validate alternative methods to assess cell proliferation that are commonly used for other cell types and develop a novel drug screening assay to evaluate drug efficacy on N. fowleri replication. EdU (5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine) is a pyrimidine analog of thymidine that can be used as a quantitative endpoint for cell proliferation. EdU incorporation is detected via a copper catalyzed click reaction with an Alexa Fluor linked azide. EdU incorporation in replicating N. fowleri was validated using fluorescence microscopy and quantitative methods for assessing EdU incorporation were developed by using an imaging flow cytometer. Currently used PAM therapeutics inhibited N. fowleri replication and EdU incorporation in vitro. EdA (5′ethynyl-2′-deoxyadenosine), an adenine analog, also was incorporated by N. fowleri, but was more cytotoxic than EdU. In summary, EdU incorporation could be used as a complimentary method for drug discovery for these neglected pathogens.
Asymmetric instability in thin-film flow down a fiber

Experiments show that thin film flow down a fiber exhibits beading patterns whose symmetry about the fiber depends upon the fiber diameter and liquid surface tension. Both symmetric and asymmetric morphologies exhibit absolute (isolated, Plateau-Rayleigh) and convective instabilities, with the asymmetric beading dynamics resembling that of the free viscous jet indicating a minimal interaction between the liquid and fiber.
Localizing hot spots in Poisson radiation data matrices: nonnegative tensor factorization and phase congruency

Detecting and delineating hot spots in data from radiation sensors is required in applications ranging from monitoring large geospatial areas to imaging small objects in close proximity. This paper describes a computational method for localizing potential hot spots in matrices of independent Poisson data where, in numerical terms, a hot spot is a cluster of locally higher sample mean values (higher Poisson intensity) embedded in lower sample mean values (lower background intensity). Two numerical algorithms are computed sequentially for a 3D array of 2D matrices of gross Poisson counts: (1) nonnegative tensor factorization of the 3D array to maximize a Poisson likelihood and (2) phase congruency in pertinent matrices. The indicators of potential hot spots are closed contours in phase congruency in these matrices. The method is illustrated for simulated Poisson radiation datasets, including visualization of the phase congruency contours. The method may be useful in other applications in which there are matrices of nonnegative counts, provided that a Poisson distribution fits the dataset.
What’s the Hold Up? The FDA’s Delayed Implementation of Menu-Labeling Policy:

Calorie labeling on menus became a federal law in 2010 but was not implemented until 2018, 8 years after adoption. This study reconstructs the history of the federal menu-labeling mandate using a p...
An Analysis of Financial and Nonfinancial Prepayment of GNMA Securities with a Varying Coefficient Model

This paper develops a model that examines the financial and nonfinancial prepayment of GNMA securities. A varying coefficient model depicts prepayment as a dynamic process, allowing for changes in factors, reflecting differences in time, debt and borrowers' characteristics. This model provides a means for systematically incorporating hypothesized effects of nonfinancially motivated prepayment while isolating financially induced calls on the debt. Also, the model captures the impact on prepayment of interactions between financial and nonfinancial variables.
Telemedicine and Pediatric Obesity Treatment: Review of the literature and lessons learned.

Pediatric obesity is more prevalent in rural areas, yet rural families may not have access to pediatric obesity treatment programs. Use of new technologies, particularly telemedicine, has proven effective in other behavioral fields, such as psychiatry. This paper reviews the literature on the use of telemedicine in pediatric obesity treatment, and describes one tertiary-care pediatric obesity telemedicine program. We performed a systematic review of the literature from 1990–2011 using the following criteria: pediatric age group, overweight or obesity care or treatment, and use of telemedicine technology. Of 2873 abstracts identified, four studies met all inclusion criteria; all were published after 2008. The limited evidence suggests that telemedicine to be a promising approach to pediatric weight management, particularly for rural families with limited access to treatments. We also provide important lessons learned from one pediatric obesity treatment clinic offering services to rural families via telemedicine. Few studies have examined the use of telemedicine for pediatric obesity treatment, but the available data favor this method for treating rural patients. There are several unique key factors influencing successful delivery of a pediatric obesity telemedicine treatment program. This review identifies a potential avenue for expanded treatment, and highlights the need for further investigation.
Mechanism of stress ulcer: influence of hypovolemic shock on energy metabolism in the gastric mucosa.

The pathogenesis of stress ulceration remains unexplained. In preliminary experiments on rats we found that nonlethal hemorrhagic shock induced by removing a volume of blood equivalent to 2.0% of body weight caused severe gastric epithelial necrosis within 15 min and gross erosions within 45 min. The application of the "energy-deficit" hypothesis to the explanation of this experimental model of stress ulceration formed the basis of our studies. Experiments were carried out on rats. Levels of adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, and adenosine monophosphate, glucose-l-P, glucose-6-P, lactate, pyruvate, and glycogen in "stop-frozen" tissues (gastric glandular mucosa, liver, and skeletal muscle) were estimated 15, 30, 45, or 60 min after the induction of shock, as described above. Identical tissue sampling was done in nonbled rats. In another series of experiments, the same estimations were done on these tissues after 30 or 60 sec of complete, warm ischemia. This degree of hypovolemia caused within 15 min a 75% ( P
The problem of large search space in stochastic optimization

We have demonstrated that the problem of large search space in stochastic optimization can be effectively attacked. A great deal of computational burden can be shared if we are simulating a set of parametrically different but structurally similar systems. The metaphor here is the data compression scheme used in the transmission of moving pictures; one transmits the first frame followed by the difference in succeeding frame to minimize transmission channel capacity requirements. Similarly, the evaluation of the performances of a set of experiments involve a great deal of commonality that can be shared and leveraged for maximal efficiency. In particular, the computation is well adapted to SIMD massively parallel computers. Also, softening the strict requirement of optimality can often transform an infeasible problem (in terms of computation burden) into a tractable one. >
Cooperative control of a semi-autonomous mobile robot

Multiagent control systems for robots are considered. A robot is described that is based on treating the existing behavioral agents as simply an enhanced effector command language and designing a higher-level control structure that switches them on and off. It is shown how supervisory control can be added to such a reactive multiagent system. >
Sarcomatoid Renal Cell Carcinoma: Biologic Behavior, Prognosis, and Response to Combined Surgical Resection and Immunotherapy

PURPOSE: Sarcomatoid variants of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are aggressive tumors that respond poorly to immunotherapy. We report the outcomes of 31 patients with sarcomatoid RCC treated with a combination of surgical resection and immunotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were identified from the database of the University of California Los Angeles Kidney Cancer Program. We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 31 consecutive patients in whom sarcomatoid RCC was diagnosed between 1990 and 1997. Clinical stage, sites of metastasis, pathologic stage, and type of immunotherapy were abstracted from the medical records. The primary end point analyzed was overall survival, and a multivariate analysis was performed to distinguish any factors conferring an improved survivorship. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of patients were male and 74% were female, and the median age was 59 years (range, 34 to 73 years). Length of follow-up ranged from 2 to 77 months (mean, 21.4 months). Twenty-eight patients (84%) had known...
Control of the arrangement of self-organized Ge dots on patterned Si(001) substrates

Abstract We report the controlled arrangement of self-organized Ge dots on patterned Si(001) substrates. Selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of Si was first carried out in a molecular-beam epitaxy system with a Si2H6 gas source and a Ge Knudsen cell. Si SEG mesas were formed in 〈110〉-oriented Si windows followed by subsequent Ge growth. The atomic force microscopic (AFM) results showed that Ge dots with a regular spacing were perfectly aligned on the ridges of Si stripe mesas. Only one row of dots was seen on each ridge of a stripe mesa with a mesa base width ranging from 0.5 to 0.9 μm. The formation of regularly spaced Ge dots may be attributed to the balance between the strain energy of the dots and the repulsive interaction of the neighboring dots. Using preferential nucleation scheme, we demonstrate the placement of the dots at the predetermined sites. We also discuss the mechanism of the self-registration of the self-organized Ge dots.
The cyanelle of Cyanophora paradoxa: almost a cyanobacterial chloroplast

The cyanelle of Cyanophora paradoxa is an endosymbiont derived from a cyanobacterial progenitor. The photosynthetic properties of the cyanelle resemble those of cyanobacteria, but the genome size of the cyanelle is about 10% of those reported for cyanobacteria. Because of its photosynthetic properties, genetic simplicity and function, the cyanelle can be considered to be almost a cyanobacterial chloroplast.
A parallel stochastic computing system with improved accuracy

Stochastic computing (SC) is an attractive computing paradigm because of its fault tolerance and hardware efficiency. Unfortunately, existing SC systems suffer from large latency and inaccuracy problems. In this paper, we propose a new parallel stochastic computing (PSC) system which has higher computing accuracy and faster processing speed compared to existing SC systems. It uses the nibble serial data organization to reduce the latency and a combination of memory based weighted binary generator and data shuffling to improve the accuracy. Simulations on finite impulse response (FIR) filters show that the proposed system with 4 nibbles achieves 35% improvement in accuracy with about 3.5 times increase in processing speed compared to traditional SC. Like SC systems, PSC is also more tolerant of soft errors compared to conventional 2's complement implementations. For a 4-tap FIR filter a 10% injected error causes the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) of PSC to be 0.053 compared to RMSE of 0.188 for 2's complement implementation.
Comparison between different papillary recession classification systems

Abstract Background/purpose Traditional classification systems to assess interdental papillary levels are based only on the vertical relationship among the papilla tip, contact point, and cementoenamel junction. However, the width of papilla recession (PR) is highly visible in terms of dental esthetics. A new classification system is presented to assess central PR and compare differences between the new system and existing systems. Materials and methods Thecentral papillawas visually assessed in 450 adults using standardized periapical radiographs of the maxillary central incisors. The PR classification system presented here is based on vertical and horizontal dimensions of the PR area. Central PR was classified according to the PR system and the system of Nordland and Tarnow (TC). Results Ninety individuals who had no PRs were classified as degree 0 according to the classification of both TC and Chang. A total of 330 individuals (73.3%) were classified as TC I (Tarnow), and 46, 89, 16, and 183 participants were classified as PR I, PR II, PR III, and PR IV (Chang). Thirty individuals were classified as TC II, and all were classified as PR IV. Conclusion This study confirmed a significant correlation between the two existing classification methods. The proposed PR classification system characterizes open embrasures in greater detail than previous systems.
A metabolic force for gene clustering.

Bacterial chromosomes frequently contain arrays of contiguous genes that group according to related metabolic roles. We propose that clustering of genes for metabolically related functions confers thermodynamic advantage to the organism based upon our protein immobility model (PIM) of intracellular diffusion. This thermodynamic effect provides the selection force argument that is missing from previous models of gene clustering. The PIM posits that clustered genes produce local clusters of enzymes in bacteria owing to the co-linearity of transcription and translation, and to the relative immobility of large proteins released into the cytosol. We maintain that the resulting physical proximity of enzymes for related pathway steps minimizes the steady state level of reaction step intermediates and thus conserves the energy and material required for rapid growth and maintenance. Support for this idea comes from in silico experiments using the PIM applied to a model metabolic pathway $$A\xrightarrow{{E_1 }}B\xrightarrow{{E_2 }}C.$$ The metabolites A, B, and C are small molecules that diffuse freely in a cytosol crowded with macromolecules, whereas the large enzyme molecules, E 1 and E 2, tend to remain in the vicinity of their point of release. Modeling E 1 as a source of B from A, and E 2 as a sink for B, numerical experiments suggest that the steady state concentration of B in the cytosol increases approximately in proportion to the square of the distance of the E 1 and E 2 separation. A further model prediction is that the steady state concentration of B is influenced by the geometric effects of the spatial location and orientation of E 1 relative to E 2. These results suggest that: (i) gene clustering reduces the energy and material costs of enzyme reactions linked by metabolic intermediates; (ii) gene clusters near ori, the origin of replication, utilize the geometric effect to conserve free energy by further reducing the steady state concentration of the intermediate; (iii) gene organization on a chromosome influences the organism’s capacity to accelerate into steady state growth and is, in turn, influenced by the abundance and frequency of access to nutrients.
Relativistic many-body results for the hyperfine structure of the ground state of the Ag I isoelectronic sequence

Relativistic many-body results (in MHz) for the magnetic dipole coupling constants of $^{107}\mathrm{Ag}$, $^{111}\mathrm{Cd}$, $^{115}\mathrm{In}$, $^{119}\mathrm{Sn}$, and $^{121}\mathrm{Sb}$ are -1682, 14 446, 21 349, -48 407, and 39 637. Experimental results for Ag and Cd are -1712.56 and -14 700.
Effect of reaction media on the growth and photoluminescence of colloidal CdSe nanocrystals.

Using cadium oxide (CdO) as the Cd precursor and tri-n-octylphosphine selenide (TOPSe) as the Se source, TOP-capped and TOP/tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO)-capped CdSe nanocrystals were synthesized without the use of an acid. The synthetic approach involved the addition of a TOPSe/TOP solution into a CdO/TOP solution with or without TOPO at one temperature and subsequent growth at a lower temperature. The temporal evolution of the optical properties, namely, absorption and luminescence, of the growing nanocrystals was monitored in detail. A comprehensive examination on the control of the photoluminescence (PL) properties was performed by systematically varying the TOP/TOPO weight ratio of the reaction media. Surprisingly, a rational choice of 100% TOP or 80% TOP was found to produce “quality” nanocrystals when monitored under the present experimental conditions and growth-time scale. The term “quality” is mainly based on the sharp features and rich substructure exhibited in the absorption spectra of the...
Radical responses to neoliberalism: immigrant rights in the global era

Contemporary debate about immigrants provides an opportunity to expand the conversation about race and class. Immigrants in the US complicate racial categories and class formation, putting them in flux, while simultaneously opening possibilities to address historical and contemporary racial and social inequalities. Migrants affect class relations within and across borders, contributing to the conversation and activity around global justice. The convergence of the immigrant rights struggle with the global justice movement has furthered strategies that do both—confront racism and class oppression.
Short‐wave aerosol radiative efficiency over the global oceans derived from satellite data

Using 5 yr (December 2000–November 2005) of satellite data from the clouds and the earths radiant energy system (CERES) and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), we examine the instantaneous short-wave radiative efficiency ( E τ ) of aerosols during the morning Terra satellite overpass time over the global oceans (60°N–60°S). We calculate E τ using two commonly used methods. The first method uses the MODIS aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 0.55 μm with radiative transfer calculations, whereas the second method utilizes the same AOT values along with a new generation of aerosol angular distribution models to convert the CERES-measured broad-band radiances to fluxes. Over the 5 yr, the global mean instantaneous E τ between the methods is remarkably consistent and within 5 W m -2 τ -1 with a mean value of –70 W m -2 τ -1 . The largest differences between the methods occur in high-latitude regions, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, where AOT is low. In dust dominated regions, there is an excellent agreement between the methods with differences of <3 W m -2 τ -1 . These differences are largely due to assumptions in aerosol models and definition of clear sky backgrounds. Independent assessments of aerosol radiative effects from different satellite sensors and methods are extremely valuable and should be used to verify numerical modelling simulations. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00353.x
Tumor histology helps to identify Lynch syndrome among colorectal cancer patients

Objective To determine the value of histology in identifying Lynch syndrome among those patients with early onset of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods Demographic, clinical and cancer history data from patients diagnosed with CRC before 60 years of age, and treated at our institution between 1997 and 2005, were collected from medical records and direct interview. Their tumors were assessed to identify histological features suggestive of high frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H): tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, Crohn’s like inflammatory reaction, mucinous, signet ring cells, medullary growth pattern and then, tested for microsatellite instability (MSI) and MLH1/ MSH2 protein expression. Results Sixty-five patients were included in the study. The mean age at diagnosis was 48 ± 9.9 years. Overall, 28 (43%) patients, including 13 of 35 diagnosed between ages 50 and 60, had tumor demonstrating one or more histological features suggestive of MSI-H. These patients were younger (45 vs. 50 years, P = 0.02) and more commonly had family history of Lynch syndrome-related cancers (36 vs. 19%), though the latter feature did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.07). Eleven of 25 tumors with MSI-H histology, but only 1 of 29 tumors without special histological features were found to be MSI-H (P < 0.0001). Histology had a positive predictive value of 44% and a negative predictive value of 97% for identifying MSI-H tumors. Conclusions Limiting MSI analysis only to those tumors with suggestive histology would have reduced the need for testing by nearly 60% of all tumors from patients that met the revised Bethesda guidelines.
Preproenkephalin mRNA in spinal dorsal horn neurons is induced by peripheral inflammation and is co-localized with Fos and Fos-related proteins.

Abstract Increased levels of preproenkephalin mRNA in spinal cord neurons induced by peripheral tissue inflammation were examined using in situ hybridization histochemistry. In addition, in situ hybridization histochemistry was combined with immunocytochemistry to determine whether increases in preproenkephalin mRNA were co-localized in spinal cord neurons with increases in immunoreactivity for Fos and Fos-related proteins coded by the immediate-early proto-oncogene, c-fos, and related genes. Dorsal horn laminae I–II, V–VI and VII showed a greater than 200% increase in preproenkephalin mRNA-labeled neurons on the inflamed side as compared to the contralateral control. Inflammation also induced Fos-like immunoreactivity in cell nuclei, mainly in the superficial laminae I–II and the neck of the dorsal horn (laminae V–VI). Few labeled nuclei were detected on the contralateral side. Inflammation resulted in double-labeling of neurons ipsilateral to the inflamed limb whereas they were almost completely absent on the contralateral side. Double-labeled neurons were most frequently found in laminae V–VI. Double-labeled laminae I–II neurons were concentrated in the medial two-thirds of the dorsal horn, the site that receives innervation from the inflamed limb. There were also many double-labeled neurons in laminae VII. Over 90%, 82% and 69% of all neurons expressing preproenkephalin mRNA co-localized Fos immunoreactivity in laminae V–VI, I–II, and VII, respectively. However, the number of neurons expressing increased Fos immunoreactivity was substantially greater than the subpopulation of doublelabeled neurons. Our findings indicated that peripheral inflammation induces an increase in preproenkephalin mRNA levels in spinal cord neurons and that most neurons exhibiting preproenkephalin mRNA labeling also co-localized Fos and Fos-related immunoreactivity. These data are consistent with evidence supporting the role of Fos and Fos-related proteins in the regulation of transcription of the preproenkephalin gene in spinal neurons.
Retrospective review of multilevel spinal fusion combined with spinal cord transection for treatment of kyphoscoliosis in pediatric myelomeningocele patients

Study design Retrospective review of cases at a single institution from 1998 to 2005. Objective The authors present their surgical experience, complications, and learned insight in 9 myelomeningocele children with kyphoscoliosis treated with combined spinal cord transection and spinal fusion. Summary of background data Complication rates in spinal fusion for treatment of kyphoscoliosis in myelomeningocele patients are high. Spinal cord transection in combination with fusion can be an appropriate strategy in selected patients, but changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics that may accompany ligation of the distal CSF circulation are not well characterized. Methods Demographic, clinical, and radiologic data were examined in 9 children with myelomeningocele level at or above T12 and no residual urologic function treated at our institution with spinal cord detethering and transection, and multilevel spinal fusion. Seven children underwent kyphectomy with posterior fusion only for severe gibbus deformities, while 2 had anterior and posterior fusions for severe kyphoscoliosis. Results Follow-up of patients ranged from 4 to 92 months (mean, 37.8 months). Eight children (89%) experienced postoperative complications involving wound infection or skin breakdown. One child presented with a CSF leak. Two children (22%) required revision of their ventriculoperitoneal shunts. The average angle of kyphosis before surgery was 122.3 (range, 48 degrees -180 degrees ), and the average postoperative angle was 38.2 (range, 4 degrees -113 degrees ), with average correction being 81.9 degrees (range, 29 degrees -124). Average correction of scoliosis, if present, was 59.5 degrees (range, 35 degrees -92 degrees ). Conclusion Combined spinal cord transection and spinal fusion allowed an average correction of kyphosis by 81.9 degrees . The complication rate was 89%, with wound concerns being the most significant. Additionally, 22% of patients required shunt revision within 6 weeks of surgery. We attribute this to alteration of CSF dynamics resulting from loss of CSF absorption and flow-buffering capacity below the level of the spinal cord transection.
Calculation of communication-network response to arbitrary transients

The use of a digital computer permits the replacement of analytic-function waveforms by lists of equi-interval sample values, while a simple and stable finite-difference routine, which does not assume analyticity, accepts the circuit function in the formal s-polynomial ratio form. The passage of a completely arbitrary waveform through linear, amplitude-modulation, or angle-modulation networks is reduced to a few minutes' computation with a standard program. Nonlinearities, time delays and noise can easily be accommodated, and a special simplification is outlined for servomechanisms.
FEMALE-DIRECTED DISPERSAL AND FACILITATION BETWEEN A TROPICAL MISTLETOE AND A DIOECIOUS HOST

Phoradendron hexastichum is a bird-dispersed mistletoe that infects the dioecious tree Cecropia schreberiana. Because both species share frugivore seed dispersers, we hypothesized that female Cecropia would have a greater probability and intensity of mistletoe infection than males due to more frequent visitation by shared frugivores. Over 50% of female Cecropia were infected, in contrast with 25% of males. On average, female trees had twice as many mistletoes as male trees. Infection probability and intensity increased with basal area in females but not in males, suggesting that lifetime reinfection was also female biased. We found mistletoe frugivores visiting uninfected fruiting females twice as often as males. Although mistletoes were mostly consumed by the mistletoe specialist Euphonia musica, we did not record Euphonia visiting uninfected Cecropia trees. Uninfected Cecropia trees were frequently visited by generalist frugivores (such as Spindalis portoricensis) that used both mistletoes and Cecropia fruits. The Cecropia–frugivores– Phoradendron network of interactions seems to have led to the spatial linkage of the two plant species through directional dispersal, to plant–plant facilitation through shared frugivores, and to bird–bird facilitation in which generalist frugivores start new foci of infection that specialist frugivores can use.
Body composition, energy content, and lipid cycles of four species of rodents.

Gross body composition, energy content, and lipid cycles of Peromyscus maniculatus , Reithrodontomys megalotis, Sigmodon hispidus , and Microtus ochrogaster were studied. Ash values for adults ranged from 14.2 to 16.1 per cent of dry body weight, and water content varied from 61.5 to 74.2 per cent. Lipid content ranged from a low of 14.6 per cent dry body weight in M. ochrogaster to a high of 25.6 per cent in S. hispidus . Annually, kilocalories per gram live weight averaged 1.61 in P. maniculatus , 1.65 in R. megalotis , 1.74 in S. hispidus , and 1.42 in M. ochrogaster . Energy content of subadults and adults of S. hispidus differed significantly during summer, autumn, and winter; no such differences were noted for age categories of the other species. The four species exhibited three different types of lipid cycles: in both P. maniculatus and R. megalotis , lipid content was lowest in summer and highest in winter; in S. hispidus , the lowest readings were in spring and the highest in winter; in M. ochrogaster , lipid content fluctuated on a monthly basis but exhibited no annual cycle. We postulate that annual lipid cycles reflect the Zoogeographic history of the species, and might thus serve as a measure of physiological adaptation to climatic conditions unlike those that existed at the respective times and places of evolution of the four species.
The latency to the onset of nicotine withdrawal: A test of the sensitization-homeostasis theory

The latency to withdrawal (LTW) is the expired time between the last cigarette and when the smoker feels the need to smoke again. The sensitization-homeostasis theory predicts that the LTW is inversely related to the frequency and duration of smoking such that more frequent cigarette consumption and a longer history of tobacco use will be associated with a shorter LTW. An anonymous cross-sectional survey of 1055 10th and 11th grade students of mixed ethnicity was conducted in two schools using self-completed questionnaires. Participants were asked "After you have smoked a cigarette, how long can you go before you feel you need to smoke again?" Of 162 current smokers, 73.5% reported a regular need to smoke and a LTW. Reported values for the LTW ranged from .05 h to "3 weeks or more." Monthly cigarette consumption ranged from 1 to 895. The LTW correlated inversely with monthly cigarette consumption (Kendall's tau b=-.53, P<.001) and the duration of smoking (Kendall's tau b=-.25, P<.001) as predicted by the sensitization-homeostasis theory.
The Frequency of Early Repeat Tests After Colonoscopy in Elderly Medicare Recipients

Background The frequency of early repeat and follow-up tests (RAFTs) occurring after colonoscopy has not been previously examined in the literature. RAFTs incur cost, discomfort, and inconvenience to patients who have undergone colonoscopic examination; therefore, it is important to identify factors associated with their use. Methods We identified elderly Medicare recipients who had colonoscopy performed in 1999 from the 5% Medicare administrative files (N = 69,282). We determined the number of early RAFTs (repeat colonoscopy, barium enema, flexible sigmoidoscopy) occurring within the year of initial colonoscopy. Results Of the study sample, 8.3% required at least one RAFT during the year. Using multivariable analysis, we found that RAFTs varied significantly with age, race, sex, income, comorbidity, provider type, and place of service. RAFTs were 22% higher in African Americans compared to whites. Gastroenterologists used 20–35% fewer RAFTs than the other provider types performing colonoscopy. Conclusions The frequency of early RAFTs after colonoscopy occurs in 8.3% of the Medicare population. Important differences exist in the frequency of RAFTs by race and provider type.
Topological excitations and their contribution to quantum criticality in 2+1 D antiferromagnets

Abstract It has been proposed that there are new degrees of freedom intrinsic to quantum critical points that contribute to quantum critical physics. We study 2 + 1 D antiferromagnets in order to explore possible new quantum critical physics arising from nontrivial topological effects. We show that skyrmion excitations are stable at criticality and have nonzero probability at arbitrarily low temperatures. To include quantum critical skyrmion effects, we find a class of exact solutions composed of skyrmion and antiskyrmion superpositions, which we call topolons. We include the topolons in the partition function and renormalize by integrating out small size topolons and short wavelength spin waves. We obtain a correlation length critical exponent ν = 0.9297 and anomalous dimension η = 0.3381 .
Ultrastructure of the midgut and blood meal digestion in the adult tick Dermacentor variabilis

Digestive cells in the midgut of male and femaleDermacentor variabilis (Say) took up the blood meal in coated vesicles and smooth flask-shaped vesicles, and deposited it in endosomes which were digested via heterophagy. Iron was concentrated in residual bodies.
Molecular assembly of multilayer enzyme: toward the development of a chemiluminescence-based fiber optic biosensor

Abstract We report here on a technique to immobilize a multilayer enzyme assembly on an optical fiber surface. A multilayer of an enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, was immobilized by chemical cross-linking on an optical fiber surface. Chemiluminescence, ellipsometry, and surface plasmon resonance were used to characterize the structure and activity of the assembly. A chemiluminescence-based fiber optic biosensor utilizing this immobilization technique has been developed for the detection of organophosphorus-based pesticides. Detection of pesticide at sub-ppm level has been achieved for paraoxon.
Class Politics and the State during World War Two

The historiography of US labor during the Second World War has shifted away from New Left concerns with the fate of working-class militancy, becoming more attuned instead to the structure and development of the New Deal order. A quarter century ago, historians debated the extent to which the warfare state had emasculated working-class radicalism and constructed in its place a bureaucratized, corporate-liberal labor movement. Few scholars doubted that trade unions were a fixed and permanent feature of the postwar political economy. But in the decades following the presidency of Ronald Reagan, when the legal, ideological, and economic structures sustaining the institutional union movement are so weak, the agenda of most historians and social scientists has shifted to one that problematizes the rise, consolidation, and postwar devolution of the mid-century New Deal settlement. For US labor and other popular social movements, World War Two had a dichotomous character. In both politics and policy, war-era corporatist structures failed to win lasting institutional expressions, either during the war or in the decades following 1945. There was no “labor-management accord,” although labor's strength did generate a kind of armed truce in key oligopolistic sectors of the economy. Anti-New-Deal conservatives in Congress and the corporate hierarchy sought, above all, to divorce industrial relations issues from the larger political universe. This was the meaning of “free” collective bargaining in the years after 1947. But during the war and reconversion years right afterward, elite power at the top of the mobilization apparatus was repeatedly challenged by insurgencies from below that sought to take advantage of the unprecedented demand for labor while at the same time actualizing the pluralist, social-patriotic ethos that was the quasi-official ideology of the World War Two home front. These social movements were a dialectical product of the mobilizing bureaucracies—the War Labor Board, the Fair Employment Practice Com- mission, and the Office of Price Administration—that were among the most remarkable features of the wartime New Deal. Indeed, this increasingly contentious juxtaposition between a state apparatus drifting rightward and a well-organized working class represents the great paradox of the war, a dichotomy that would be resolved in the postwar years by a rapid, politically brutal divorce between popular aspirations and the state policies needed to fulfill them.
Sauropod dinosaur phylogeny: critique and cladistic analysis

Sauropoda is among the most diverse and widespread dinosaurlineages, having attained a near-global distribution by the MiddleJurassic that was built on throughout the Cretaceous. These giganticherbivores are characterized by numerous skeletal specializationsthat accrued over a 140 million-year history. This fascinating evolutionaryhistory has fuelled interest for more than a century, yet aspectsof sauropod interrelationships remain unresolved. This paper presentsa lower-level phylogenetic analysis of Sauropoda in two parts. First,the two most comprehensive analyses of Sauropoda are critiqued toidentify points of agreement and difference and to create a coreof character data for subsequent analyses. Second, a generic-levelphylogenetic analysis of 234 characters in 27 sauropod taxa is presentedthat identifies well supported nodes as well as areas of poorerresolution. The analysis resolves six sauropod outgroups to Neosauropoda,which comprises the large-nostrilled clade Macronaria and the peg-toothedclade Diplodocoidea. Diplodocoidea includes Rebbachisauridae, Dicraeosauridae,and Diplodocidae, whose monophyly and interrelationships are supportedlargely by cranial and vertebral synapomorphies. In contrast, thearrangement of macronarians, particularly those of titanosaurs,are based on a preponderance of appendicular synapomorphies. The purportedChinese clade ‘Euhelopodidae’ is shown to comprisea polyphyletic array of basal sauropods and neosauropods. The synapomorphiessupporting this topology allow more specific determination for themore than 50 fragmentary sauropod taxa not included in this analysis.Their distribution and phylogenetic affinities underscore the diversityof Titanosauria and the paucity of Late Triassic and Early Jurassicgenera. The diversification of Titanosauria during the Cretaceousand origin of the sauropod body plan duringthe Late Triassic remain frontiers for future studies. © 2002The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the LinneanSociety, 2002, 136, 217−276.
Structural characterization of the proteins encoded by adenovirus early region 2A

Abstract Proteins encoded by adenovirus type 2 and type 5 early region 2A isolated from infected HeLa cells were compared to translation products of E2A-specific messenger RNA in a reticulocyte cell-free system and in Xenopus oocytes. The main cell-free translation product is a 72,000 Mr polypeptide which in HeLa cells as well as in Xenopus ooeytes is converted into a 75,000 Mr phosphoprotein capable of binding to single-stranded DNA. Some minor proteins are proteolytic cleavage products of the major protein. In the cell-free system, three E2A polypeptides 32,000, 37,000 and 44,000 Mr, are translated from minor polyadenylated mRNA species that can be separated from the major mRNA. Synthesis of all E2A polypeptides in vitro is inhibited by cap-analogs. The 44,000 Mr protein is also synthesized in Xenopus oocytes. Tryptic peptide maps of [35S]methionine-labeled E2A proteins were constructed using high pressure liquid chromatography and the position of the methionyl residues within each peptide was determined by amino acid sequencing procedures. This information and the DNA sequence of the adenovirus 5 E2A gene published by Kruijer et al. (1981) were used to align the peptides and to construct a map of the E2A proteins. Our data demonstrate that the major 75,000 Mr protein is coded for by a leftward reading frame of 529 amino acid residues located between 62 and 66 map units. The data also map six sites as targets for proteolytic enzymes. The minor E2A translation products have the same carboxy terminus as the major protein. The initiation codons of the 44,000, 37,000 and 32,000 Mr polypeptides probably correspond to amino acids 170, 243 or 244 and 290 of the major protein. Some functional properties of the major E2A protein are shared by the minor proteins and thus could be mapped. Major sites of phosphorylation, the region involved in binding to single-stranded DNA and the antigenic regions recognized by immune sera are located between amino acid residues 50 to 120, 170 to 470 and 170 to 240, respectively.
C/EBP Transcription Factors Mediate Epicardial Activation During Heart Development and Injury

The epicardium encapsulates the heart and functions as a source of multipotent progenitor cells and paracrine factors essential for cardiac development and repair. Injury of the adult heart results in reactivation of a developmental gene program in the epicardium, but the transcriptional basis of epicardial gene expression has not been delineated. We established a mouse embryonic heart organ culture and gene expression system that facilitated the identification of epicardial enhancers activated during heart development and injury. Epicardial activation of these enhancers depends on a combinatorial transcriptional code centered on CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factors. Disruption of C/EBP signaling in the adult epicardium reduced injury-induced neutrophil infiltration and improved cardiac function. These findings reveal a transcriptional basis for epicardial activation and heart injury, providing a platform for enhancing cardiac regeneration.
Chronic Ethanol consumption reduces δ-and μ-opioid receptor-stimulated G-protein coupling in rat brain

BACKGROUND Ethanol consumption is thought to enhance the release of endogenous opioids acting at opioid receptors (ORs) in the central nervous system. Prior studies have shown that chronic ethanol consumption in alcohol-preferring rats uncouples mu-ORs from Gi proteins. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential for uncoupling of the delta- and the mu-OR after chronic ethanol consumption in a nonpreferring rat strain. METHODS We used radiohistochemical methods to study mu- and delta-OR-stimulated G-protein coupling in brain tissue of rats ingesting liquid diets containing 6.7% ethanol (v/v) for 16 days, as compared with 0% ethanol pair-fed control rats. Sections of brain from pair-fed and ethanol-treated rats were incubated with guanylyl 5'-[gamma-[35S]-thio]-triphosphate ([35S]-GTPgammaS) in the absence and presence of d-Pen2,d-Pen5 enkephalin (DPDPE), a delta-OR agonist, or Tyr-d-Ala-Gly-N(me)Phe-Gly-ol-enkephalin (DAMGO), a mu-OR agonist. RESULTS DPDPE significantly stimulated [35S]-GTPgammaS binding in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), CA1, cerebellum, and inferior colliculus of untreated pair-fed controls. By contrast, DPDPE-stimulated [35S]-GTPgammaS binding was reduced significantly in those brain regions in the ethanol-consuming group. DAMGO stimulated [35S]-GTPgammaS binding in cortex, caudate, nucleus accumbens, DG, CA1, and superior and inferior colliculi, whereas the DG, CA1, and colliculi showed a significant reduction of binding after chronic ethanol. Basal [35S]-GTPgammaS binding was not different between the two diet groups. CONCLUSIONS These data are the first to demonstrate functional uncoupling of delta-ORs from G proteins after chronic ethanol consumption. Uncoupling may result from modulation of receptors, possibly by internalization or phosphorylation. Alterations in functional coupling of both delta- and mu-ORs and subsequent effects may contribute to continued ethanol consumption.
Conflict of Multiple Interests in Cost‐Benefit Analysis

Most analytical techniques assign no weight to political factors even though they may have the strongest explanatory power of all variables considered. As they are generally practised, these techniques have the extraordinary deficiency of obscuring the problem of conflict of multiple interests. It is assumed that incorporating political values and weights would destroy the essential objectivity of analysis. This argument ignores the fact that policy analysis must be made relevant to the political process and that this relevance can be achieved in a manner which does not strip it of its potential value to the decision makers, but may even enhance it. Develops some possible methods of incorporating political feasibility into evaluation.
Gold Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nitride: Influence of Surface Hydroxyls on Low Temperature Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

This paper reports the synthesis of 2.5 nm gold clusters on the oxygen free and chemically labile support carbon nitride (C3N4). Despite having small particle sizes and high enough water partial pressure these Au/C3N4 catalysts are inactive for the gas phase and liquid phase oxidation of carbon monoxide. The reason for the lack of activity is attributed to the lack of surface −OH groups on the C3N4. These OH groups are argued to be responsible for the activation of CO in the oxidation of CO. The importance of basic −OH groups explains the well documented dependence of support isoelectric point versus catalytic activity.
Constraints on masses of supersymmetric scalar partners of quarks by parity violating nuclear transitions

Abstract A pair of supersymmetric scalar partners of each quark is, in general, not degenerate in mass. Experimental measurements of parity violating nuclear transitions impose constraints on their masses when they are not degenerate. Specifically, if the mixing of the scalar partners of opposite chiralities is small and the current mass of the gluinos is small, the quantity ( ΔM s 2 − tM s , t 2 ) M s , t 2 ln ( M s , t mλ G 2 ) should be in the range of (100 GeV) −2 or less, where M s,t 2 are the squared masses of a pair of the scalar partners of u or d flavor, ΔM s − t 2 is their splitting, and m λ G is the current mass of the gluinos.
The cyclic stress-strain curves in monocrystalline and polycrystalline metals

Abstract Contrary to a widely-held notion, it is shown that the form of the CSS curve for polycrystalline copper, extending over three decades of strain amplitude, is closely analogous to that of monocrystalline copper. Both monocrystals and polycrystals show plateau behavior at low strain amplitudes. This similarity of deformation behavior strongly supports the earlier suggestion (3) that a true strain fatigue limit should exist in all materials subject to PSB behavior. We suggest that the plateau behavior is general; although the available data are very limited, evidence supporting this can be found for fcc substitutional alloys, cold worked fcc metal, and bcc metal. The effects of prior cold work and the addition of zinc to copper are 1) to increase the plateau stress and 2) limit the plateau regime.
Micropump and venous valve by micro stereo lithography

Micro Stereo Lithography (MSL) is a poor man's LIGA for fabricating high aspect ratio MEMS devices in UV curable semiconducting polymers using either two computer-controlled low inertia galvanometric mirrors with the aid of focusing lens or an array of optical fibers. For 3D MEMS devices, the polymers need to have conductive and possibly piezoelectric or ferroelectric properties. Such polymers are being developed at Penn State resulting in microdevices for fluid and drug delivery. Applications may include implanted medical delivery system, artificial heart valves, chemical and biological instruments, fluid delivery in engines, pump coolants and refrigerants for local cooling of electronic components. With the invention of organic thin film transistor, now it is possible to fabricate 3D polymeric MEMS devices with built-in-electronics similar to silicon based microelectronics.