cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The combined effects of pathogens and predators on insect outbreaks

The economic damage caused by episodic outbreaks of forest-defoliating insects has spurred much research1, yet why such outbreaks occur remains unclear2. Theoretical biologists argue that outbreaks are driven by specialist pathogens or parasitoids, because host–pathogen and host–parasitoid models show large-amplitude, long-period cycles resembling time series of outbreaks3,4. Field biologists counter that outbreaks occur when generalist predators fail, because predation in low-density defoliator populations is usually high enough to prevent outbreaks5,6,7,8. Neither explanation is sufficient, however, because the time between outbreaks in the data is far more variable than in host–pathogen and host–parasitoid models1,2, and far shorter than in generalist-predator models9,10,11. Here we show that insect outbreaks can be explained by a model that includes both a generalist predator and a specialist pathogen. In this host–pathogen–predator model, stochasticity causes defoliator densities to fluctuate erratically between an equilibrium maintained by the predator, and cycles driven by the pathogen12,13. Outbreaks in this model occur at long but irregular intervals, matching the data. Our results suggest that explanations of insect outbreaks must go beyond classical models to consider interactions among multiple species.
Relationship of type of growth of M. tuberculosis to antituberculous activity of subtilin.

SummaryIt has been observed that the degree of inhibition of tubercle bacilli by subtilin in vitro parallels the degree of growth dispersion of the organisms. In a medium permitting diffuse growth, subtilin was highly active. Conversely, in a medium in which growth was clumped, whether because of omission of Tween or from antagonism of Tween by serum, no significant inhibition of growth by subtilin was demonstrable. When serum from rabbits injected with subtilin was tested against tubercle bacilli in a medium containing sufficient Tween, the observed antituberculous activity paralleled the activity against streptococci and staphylococci. If the amount of Tween added to such tests was insufficient to produce diffuse growth of tubercle bacilli, subtilin activity was greatly diminished or absent.
Foreword: Convening an international conference on cervical cancer

Received October 31, 2002; accepted January 21, 2003. In 1999, representatives of the National Cancer Institute, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center began discussions concerning sponsoring yearly conferences on cervical cancer. The purpose of these meetings would be to review current knowledge in various aspects of cervical cancer, including epidemiology, prevention, screening, treatment, and quality of life, and make recommendations for further research. The program would cover both preinvasive and invasive cervical disease and span the developed and developing worlds. We also wanted to involve young investigators to encourage their ongoing participation in cervical cancer research. The First International Conference on Cervical Cancer convened in Baltimore, Maryland between April 6–8, 2001, and the second in the series followed 1 year later in Houston between April 11–14, 2002. One of the cosponsors during the first year, the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention, also took the opportunity to hold the Consultative Forum on Cervical Cancer Prevention in Low-Resource Settings on April 5, 2001, in Baltimore. Because these two meetings were thus held back-to-back (and in the same hotel), we were able to strengthen the international representation at our conference. We are particularly grateful to the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention for its cooperation. We also are grateful for the help of the cosponsoring organizations in publicizing the conference and suggesting speakers. In addition, we thank our federal partners for their support in planning and underwriting the costs of the conference, as well as the corporate sponsors for their unrestricted educational grants, which helped make the conference possible. The first day of the initial conference covered epidemiology and cancer biology, the second day discussed screening, and the third day was an examination of health-related quality of life. The expanded second conference included topics concerning decision science, behavioral science, nursing, chemoprevention and biomarkers, imaging the cervix and innovations in imaging technology, and innovations in the biologic understanding of cervical cancer. We are grateful to the speakers and the discussants for their thoughtful presentations. A brief review follows of selected questions raised by the presentations.
Ceramide hexosides in Niemann-Pick disease brain.

In normalem Gehirngewebe und in Gehirngewebe einer Niemann-Pickschen Erkrankung vom Typus A wurden Glykosphingolipide unter Verwendung der Dunnschichtchromatographie und der Flussig-Gaschromatographie bestimmt. Bei der Niemann-Pickschen Erkrankung fand sich eine Zunahme der Ceramid-Trihexoside, die durch Digalactosylglucosylceramide bedingt war. Auch das Glucosylcerebrosid war vermehrt.
Ammonia-sensitive neurones on the first tarsi of the tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Abstract Two types of ammonia-sensitive neurones were found on the first tarsi of the tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. These cells were located in the anterior pit and medial groups of sensilla on the dorsal surface of the tarsus. Ammonia-sensitive neurons showed phasic and/or tonic response patterns that were proportional to the ammonia intensity over the range of 0.2 to 100 × 10−9 moles/sec. Both types of ammonia-sensitive neurones were ‘slow-adapting’ in that they maintained their tonic responses to ammonia during periods of prolonged stimulation. Individual ammonia-sensitive cells varied in sensitivity to ammonia. As a group, the anterior pit neurones were more sensitive than the medial group neurones throughout the concentration range examined. The high degree of specificity for ammonia of ammonia-sensitive neurones was shown by their lack of responsiveness to most other stimuli presented at physiological intensities. Preliminary behavioural studies reveal that low levels of ammonia elicit questing responses from R. sanguineus. This finding, coupled with the electrophysiological evidence for primary afferent neurones sensitive to low levels of ammonia, supports the concept that ammonia plays a role in directing host-seeking or other behaviours of R. sanguineus.
High-altitude pulmonary edema in children with underlying cardiopulmonary disorders and pulmonary hypertension living at altitude.

Background Pulmonary hypertension has not been described as a predisposing risk factor for high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in children. Previous studies have shown an association of HAPE with abnormally increased pulmonary vasoreactivity to hypoxia but generally normal pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) after recovery. Objective To describe HAPE of relatively rapid onset and its management in a series of children residing at moderate to high altitudes, all of whom had underlying pulmonary hypertension. Methods and Results From 1997 to 2003, 30 children came to our center with high-altitude illness. Of these, 10 children (aged 4-18 years; male-female ratio, 8:2) living at moderate to high altitudes (1610-3050 m) underwent cardiac catheterization after recovery from HAPE, and all were found to have chronic pulmonary hypertension (mean PAP, 38 ± 9 mm Hg; pulmonary vascular resistance, 8.6 ± 2.8 U × m 2 ). Increases in PAP and pulmonary vascular resistance to hypoxia (16% oxygen) suggest that these children have a reactive pulmonary pressor response and hence are susceptible to HAPE. Six of the 10 patients had predisposing cardiopulmonary abnormalities, and 5 of these 6 patients did not receive a diagnosis prior to the onset of HAPE. Long-term treatment with calcium channel blockers, bosentan, sildenafil citrate, and/or oxygen lowered PAP, improved symptoms, and prevented the recurrence of HAPE. Conclusion Children living at altitude who develop HAPE should undergo screening for diagnosis of underlying cardiopulmonary abnormalities including pulmonary hypertension.
Crack growth in the through-thickness direction of hydrided thin-wall Zircaloy sheet

Abstract In a reactivity-initiated accident, cladding failure may occur by crack initiation within a defect such as a hydride rim or blister and subsequent crack propagation through the thickness of the thin-wall cladding. In such a circumstance, determining the cladding resistance to crack propagation in the through-thickness direction is crucial to predicting cladding failure. To address this issue, through-thickness crack propagation in hydrided Zircaloy-4 sheet was analyzed at 25 °C, 300 °C, and 375 °C. At 25 °C, the fracture toughness decreased with increasing hydrogen content and with an increasing fraction of radial hydrides. Hydride particles fractured ahead of the crack tip, creating a path for crack growth. At both 300 °C and 375 °C, the resistance to crack-growth initiation was sufficiently high that crack extension was often caused by crack-tip blunting. There was no evidence of hydride particles fracturing near the crack tip, and no significant effect of hydrogen content on fracture toughness was observed at these elevated temperatures.
Comparative performance data for critical access hospitals.

ABSTRACT: Context: Among small rural hospitals, there is a growing recognition of the need to measure and report on the use of resources and the safety and quality of the services provided. Dashboards, clinical value compasses, and balanced scorecards are approaches to performance measurement that have been adopted by many health care organizations. However, there exists very little comparative performance data specific for critical access hospitals. Purpose: To identify how comparative performance data for critical access hospitals (CPD-CAH) might facilitate performance and quality improvement, to assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of such data, and to identify some of the critical issues in the development and implementation of CPD-CAH. Methods: Assessment of discussions by participants at a rural hospital performance improvement summit and authors' analyses. Findings: CPD-CAH potentially could improve quality of care and patient outcomes, provide comparative data and benchmarks, inform policy development, facilitate collaboration, and enhance community relations. However, CPD-CAH could also impose an unaffordable cost, produce poor information, require complex coordination, induce a negative public reaction, and result in perverse hospital behavior. Development and implementation of CPD-CAH would require including stakeholders' assessment of its desirability and feasibility, setting objectives, establishing guiding principles, developing a method, collecting and analyzing data, and disseminating results. Conclusions: CPD-CAH could significantly advance CAH performance and quality improvement. However, development and implementation would be a complicated exercise requiring academic expertise and practitioner consultation. The potential value of CPD-CAH should be carefully weighed against its potential cost.
Soliton States in the Quantum-Chromodynamic Effective Lagrangian

The work of Skyrme has shown that the SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(2) chiral model has nontrivial topological sectors which admit solitons for generic chiral Lagrangians. In this paper, we study such models in the presence of baryon fields. The baryon number and strangeness of the solitons, and the bound states of the nucleon to the soliton are investigated. It is found that long-lived levels with large baryon number $B$ and strangeness (\ensuremath{\gtrsim}6 in magnitude) and masses somewhere in the range 1.8 to 5.6 GeV must exist. Some of these levels have half-integral electric charge and exotic relation between $B$ and spin $s$ (e.g., even $B$ and half-integer $s$). It is speculated that these levels may be related to the anomalous nuclei whose existence has been confirmed in cosmic-ray and LBL Bevalac experiments.
Clinical pharmacology & therapeutics: The next five years

It has been nearly ten years since we joined the editorial organization of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (CPT), as part of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT) family. During that tenure, the primary mandate has been the growth of CPT, recognized as one of the key voices of the discipline and the Society. Set goals were realized in concert with a strong editorial team, a diverse editorial board, a dedicated editorial staff, and outstanding authors, leveraging a leading publishing infrastructure and responding to the needs of a global readership, expanding membership, and the discipline as a whole. The impending decade anniversary, and the transition to a new publisher, offers a natural juncture to reflect on progress, and chart plans for the future of the Journal.
Laboratory investigation of the electrodynamics of rock fracture

Light produced by the failure of rocks subjected to uniaxial compression in various atmospheres has been analysed spectroscopically in the visible and near-infrared. In each case, the observed spectrum was unique to the ambient atmosphere. Spectrographical and electromagnetic investigations support an exoelectron bombardment mechanism to explain the observed light emission. Several implications of this result are discussed.
Learning-for-use : A framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities

Meeting ambitious content and process (inquiry) standards is an important challenge for science education reform particularly because educators have traditionally seen content and process as competing priorities. However, integrating content and process together in the design of learning activities offers the opportunity to increase students' experience with authentic activities while also achieving deeper content understanding. In this article, I explore technology-supported inquiry learning as an opportunity for integrating content and process learning, using a design framework called the Learning-for-Use model. The Learning-for-Use model is a description of the learning process that can be used to support the design of content-intensive, inquiry-based science learning activities. As an example of a technology-supported inquiry unit designed with the Learning-for-Use model, I describe a curriculum called the Create-a-World Project, in which students engage in open-ended Earth science investigations using WorldWatcher, a geographic visualization and data analysis environment for learners. Drawing on the Learning-for-Use model and the example, I present general guidelines for the design of inquiry activities that support content learning, highlighting opportunities to take advantage of computing technologies. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 355–385, 2001
CDM: Teaching discrete mathematics to computer science majors

CDM, for computational discrete mathematics, is a course that attempts to teach a number of topics in discrete mathematics to computer science majors. The course abandons the classical definition-theorem-proof model, and instead relies heavily on computation as a source of motivation and also for experimentation and illustration. The emphasis on computational issues is particularly attractive to computer science majors and increases their involvement and participation.
Mapping Rare and Common Causal Alleles for Complex Human Diseases

Advances in genotyping and sequencing technologies have revolutionized the genetics of complex disease by locating rare and common variants that influence an individual's risk for diseases, such as diabetes, cancers, and psychiatric disorders. However, to capitalize on these data for prevention and therapies requires the identification of causal alleles and a mechanistic understanding for how these variants contribute to the disease. After discussing the strategies currently used to map variants for complex diseases, this Primer explores how variants may be prioritized for follow-up functional studies and the challenges and approaches for assessing the contributions of rare and common variants to disease phenotypes.
Does Organizational Image Matter? Image, Identification, and Employee Behaviors in Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Organizational image, identity, and identification are powerful concepts in terms of understanding members’ behaviors and beliefs. In particular, the term “image” has frequently been used to describe the overall impression of the organization, but most scholars have only focused on organizational image as it is perceived by external audiences. However, organizational image as perceived by members within an organization is critical for determining its impact on individual employees’ motivation, work behaviors, and further performance at work. This article explores the roles of organizational image and identification in explaining organizational behaviors—extra-role behavior and absenteeism—in public and nonprofit organizations. A series of seemingly unrelated regressions were used to analyze survey data from 1,220 respondents. Results show that organizational image is positively related to employee identification, and identification has a significant influence on promoting extra-role behavior and lowering employee absenteeism. Practitioner Points Organizational image as perceived by members of an organization is an aggregate of individual employees’ perceptions of the organization based on their own experiences and judgments (perceived organizational identity) and outsiders’ judgments about the organization (construed external image). Both perceived organizational identity and construed external image influence the extent to which employees are likely to identify themselves as part of their organization. The higher an employee's level of identification, the more he or she is likely to engage in extra-role behavior. Managing organizational image and identification in a positive way can significantly reduce costly voluntary employee absences, which are reasonably avoidable absences.
Disease diversity and FLT3 mutations

In the last decade, much attention in oncology drug development has focused on exploiting “oncogene addiction,” the premise that, despite multiple genetic lesions, some tumors remain reliant on a single oncogene for maintenance of a malignant phenotype associated with cellular proliferation and survival. Compelling evidence for the concept of oncogene addiction arises from genetically engineered mouse models in which an inducible oncogene expressed in a specific target tissue can give rise to tumorgenesis, but tumor regression is observed when the oncogene is effectively turned off again by genetic or pharmacologic means. Convincing support of oncogene addiction can also be found in the diverse array of human tumors targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), in which deep remissions are observed in patients with tumors expressing activated oncogenes, but clinical resistance is clearly associated with reactivation of the target by a mutation that prevents drug binding. This phenomenon was first described in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) (1), but this paradigm has been extended to multiple human cancers responsive to TKI therapy including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung cancer (2), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) driven by c-KIT (3), and, recently, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) associated with mutations in Fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) (4). Many oncogenes effectively targeted by current clinical therapeutics encode kinases constitutively activated by mutation through a variety of mechanisms identified in clinical samples, including point mutations and in-frame deletions or duplications as observed in c-KIT-mutant GIST (5), EGFR-mutant lung cancer (6), and FLT3-mutant AML (7, 8). However, how individual mechanisms activating the same kinase (i.e., point mutation vs. in-frame duplication) may affect disease phenotype and response to therapy remains largely unexplored. In PNAS, Bailey et al. (9) describe a mouse knock-in model of FLT3 activated by a point mutation in the FLT3 kinase activation loop, D835Y, that contrasts phenotypically with their previously described and otherwise genetically identical, knock-in model of FLT3 activated by an in-frame internal tandem duplication (ITD) in the juxtamembrane (JM) domain. This work provides clear evidence that different mutations, although they may result in constitutive activation of the same kinase, may not be equivalent and can result in diverse disease phenotypes.
Dual balloon technique for valvuloplasty of aortic stenosis in adults

A dual balloon technique was studied in 16 patients with aortic stenosis in whom results with a single balloon (up to 20 mm, 5.5 cm or 25 mm, 3.0 cm in diameter and length, respectively) were judged to be suboptimal. Dual balloon valvulopasty was performed using 2 balloons advanced and inflated simultaneously across the stenotic aortic valve orifice. For the group as a whole, the average peak transvalvular gradient was reduced from 79 ± 8 to 57 ± 7 mm Hg (mean ± standard error) using a single balloon (p < 0.0005), and reduced further to 36 ± 4 mm Hg using dual balloons (p < 0.0005 compared with single balloon results). Similarly, calculated aortic valve orifice area was increased from 0.45 ± 0.04 to 0.57 ± 0.05 cm2 using a single balloon (p < 0.0005), and further increased to 0.77 ± 0.06 cm2 using dual balloons (p < 0.0005). Dual balloon dilation caused no complications directly attributable to the use of 2 balloons, including no exacerbation of aortic regurgitation. These results suggest that dual balloon valvuloplasty is safe and efficacious in selected patients with aortic stenosis.
Spark plasma sintering (SPS) consolidated ceramic composites from plasma-sprayed metastable Al2TiO5 powder and nano-Al2O3, TiO2, and MgO powders

Abstract Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was applied to consolidate the nano-Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , MgO powders and plasma-sprayed metastable Al 2 TiO 5 powder. The fully dense ceramics had been prepared successfully. It was found that the starting nano-Al 2 O 3 reacted with nano-TiO 2 powder to form the Al 2 TiO 5 phase after SPS consolidation at 1150 °C under a pressure of 63 MPa. The starting plasma-sprayed Al 2 TiO 5 was stable above 1150 °C after SPS under 63 MPa, though in oxidizing atmospheres under the ambient air pressure, the stable temperature range of Al 2 TiO 5 was above 1280 °C. There was a fast decomposition rate for plasma-sprayed Al 2 TiO 5 at 1000 °C during SPS, whereas in oxidizing atmospheres under the ambient air pressure at 1000 °C its decomposition is very slow. The microstructure of powder, applied pressure, and/or SPS characteristics, etc. obviously had an effect on the stable temperature and/or decomposition rate of Al 2 TiO 5 . The addition of MgO advanced the formation of Mg 0.3 Al 1.4 Ti 1.3 O 5 along with MgAl 2 O 4 in the ceramics prepared both from plasma-sprayed powder and from nano-powder. In comparison with the composition of the ceramics without MgO additive, α-Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and Al 2 TiO 5 , the ceramics with MgO additive consisted of only two phases, Mg 0.3 Al 1.4 Ti 1.3 O 5 and MgAl 2 O 4 spinel. The small equiaxed MgAl 2 O 4 spinel grains were distributed in a matrix of Mg 0.3 Al 1.4 Ti 1.3 O 5 with a large grain size.
Synthesis of polyaniline/polytoluidine block copolymer via the pernigraniline oxidation state

Polyaniline was electrochemically synthesized in the emeraldine oxida- tion state and then converted to the pernigraniline oxidation state by applying an electric potential under optimized conditions. The stability/reactivity of polya- niline in the pernigraniline oxidation state was evaluated in various aqueous media. The products of the reduction of the pernigraniline oxidation state by o-toluidine were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography, ultraviolet-visible and infrared spectroscopies, and cyclic voltammetry. The results are consistent with the synthesis of a diblock copolymer of polyaniline/poly(o-toluidine) and also of some poly(o-toluidine) homopolymer in the emeraldine oxidation state as a side product.
Influence of actinomycin D upon repair of lenticular injuries

When lonses of bullfrogs are injured by needle the associated epithelial cells undergo DNA synthesis followed by mitosis. These events fail to oecur, however, if actinomycin D is injected (0·8–1 μg/g body weight) intraperitoneally at the time of injury. It is probable that the antibiotic, supplied as indicated, gains access to the epithelial cells. When the tritiated form of the molecule is injected in precisely the same fashion, assessment of autoradiograms shows the presence of silver grains over the lens epithelial nuclei. The effect of the actinomycin D appears to be due to a suppression of RNA synthesis, which is normally augmented prior to the manufacture of DNA in healing lens injuries. Thus, injury always leads to an increased uptake of [3H]uridine but in the presence of actinomycin D the increment tends to be diminished.
The effects of acute and chronic morphine treatment on the process of facial nerve regeneration

Prominent cellular responses to axonal interruption include enhanced synthesis of RNA and protein in the neuronal perikaryon, and proliferation of reactive Schwann cells. Since morphine has been shown to significantly depress cellular metabolism, we examined its effect on these and other reparative responses underlying nerve fiber regeneration. Rat facial nerve trunks from saline, acute morphine, and continuous morphine-treated animals were examined by light and electron microscopy at 3, 7 and 14 days after crush injury. The number of axonal sprouts/unit area and the diameters of regenerating axons were quantified at each survival interval. Both saline-treated and acute morphine-treated facial nerves demonstrated myelin degradation and Schwann cell hypertrophy (at 3 days post-axotomy), sprout outgrowth (at 7 days) and axon maturation and myelination (at 14 days). In the chronic morphine-treated animals, a retardation of the regenerative process was evident. Axon sprout outgrowth and axonal diameters were reduced at 3 and 7 days post-axotomy. In treated 14-day animals, axon diameters were normal; however, significantly fewer axon profiles/unit area were observed. After chronic morphine exposure, Schwann cell hypertrophy and proliferation, as well as myelin debris removal, were inhibited at all survival periods.
Abstract A38: Members of the noncanonical WNT pathway confer resistance to the MEK 1/2 inhibitor AZD6244 in colorectal cancer cell lines

Background: The ERK pathway is constitutively activated in several human cancers including CRC. The MAPK/ERK kinase, MEK, occupies a central role in the ERK pathway and therefore, MEK inhibitors constitute a promising class of novel targeted cancer therapies. AZD6244 (ARRY‐142886) is a potent, selective MEK1/2 inhibitor with nanomolar potency against cell lines and activity in several in vivo models of CRC. Despite initial enthusiasm for this class of agents in tumors with a high incidence of RAS or BRAF mutations, clinical studies indicate that resistance to MEK inhibitors remains a problem, and therefore, improved patient selection strategies are needed. The goal of this study was to identify and target predictive markers of resistance to AZD6244 in order to develop a rational basis for patient selection and combination therapy in CRC. Methods and Results: In order to identify predictive markers of responsiveness to AZD6244, 27 CRC cell lines were exposed to the agent, of which five highly sensitive (S) or resistant (R) cell lines were selected with IC50 values of 1.0 µM, respectively, and subjected to Affymetrix U133 plus 2.0 gene array analysis. ANOVA comparison of gene expression profiles between S and R cell lines revealed over 100 differentially expressed genes with a global p‐value of Conclusions: Members of the non‐canonical WNT pathway confer functional resistance to AZD6244 and thereby may represent not only predictive biomarkers of responsiveness to AZD6244, but also the basis for rational combination partners. These biomarkers and combination strategies are currently being validated in vivo with cell line and patient‐derived CRC xenograft models. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):A38.
US‐Japan distribution channel cost structures: is there a significant difference?

The Japanese distribution system is often accused of being inefficient and responsible for high consumer prices. Discusses some critical dimensions that make distribution appear to be less efficient in Japan than the US. An empirical study compares distribution costs at all levels of the channel in the two countries, including the costs of distributing industrial products, which are ultimately borne by the consumer. Provides evidence that cost structures are similar for the two countries. Discusses implications for distribution planners.
STRESS-STRAIN AND FAILURE CHARACTERISTICS OF POTATO TISSUE UNDER CYCLIC LOADING

Cyclic compressive loadings between zero and a fixed peak stress were applied to cylindrical samples of potato flesh. The tissue can eventually fail under stress magnitudes insufficient to cause failure initially. Failure was apparently due to shear rupture, as under ordinary constant-strain-rate loading to failure. An empirical model for the probability distribution for the number of cycles to failure indicates that the likelihood of failure on successive load cycles remains approximately constant with the number of cycles applied. Thus, failure is apparently a random process and not an accumulative one. Normal strain at failure is significantly greater under cyclic loading. It is theorized that failure is due to a random degradation in the shear strength of the tissue. Stress-strain characteristics under cyclic loading are marked by an accumulation of plastic deformation in the first few load cycles, loss of firmness and a hysteresis between loading and unloading. An earlier model for the parenchyma cell is extended to include plasticity in the cell wall in the initial distension. This plasticity is predicted to contribute to the apparent tissue plasticity and loss of turgor pressure in the first load cycle.
Source mechanisms of the Mogod earthquake sequence of 1967 and the event of 1974 July 4 in Mongolia

Summary. We studied the source mechanism of the mainshock (Ms∼ 7.5, Mo∼ 4.8 × 1019 N m) and the largest aftershock (Ms∼ 7.0, Mo∼ 4.7 × 1018 N m) of the 1967 Mogod earthquake sequence, and the 1974 July 4 event (Ms∼ 6.9, Mo∼ 8.5 × 1018 N m) in Mongolia by synthesizing the long-period teleseismic P-wave records of the WWSSN. These are the only events with Ms greater than 5.5 which have occurred in this area since the installation of the WWSSN. In addition to modelling the waveforms, we paid attention to matching the absolute amplitudes for all stations considered because both the waveform and amplitude contain information about the source mechanism. The long-period characteristics of the displacement associated with the main shock of the Mogod sequence show essentially right-lateral strike-slip motion along a north–south trending fault. However, the P-waves for this event are best modelled by a sequence of three subevents with an increasing component of thrust faulting as the rupture propagates southward. The strike of the observed surface rupture changes fairly abruptly from north–south to south-east at the southern end. The largest aftershock of this earthquake sequence occurred as a pure thrust near the bent segment of the fault. An analysis of the theoretical static vertical displacement field generated by an inclined, finite, strike-slip fault in an elastic half-space suggests that the thrust faulting associated with the later part of the mainshock and the aftershock can be interpreted as the combined effect of stress concentrations near the tip of a dipping fracture and an ambient regional stress. Two point sources with slightly different strike-slip focal mechanisms are needed to model the P-waves of the 1974 July 4 event. The centroidal depths for all three events are about 10 ± 5 km. Although the Mogod sequence is relatively small in seismic moment when compared to other major events in the region, its occurrence completed a rectangular pattern of two sets of conjugate, strike-slip faults in Mongolia. Some small normal and thrust faults which occurred in the same area are typically associated with the large events. A regional stress field can be inferred from the large strike-slip faults with NE–SW compression and SE–NW extention. The same stress field also appears to partially control the occurrence of the secondary events.
Stable Isotope-Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM) in Cancer Research with Clinical Application to NonSmall Cell Lung Cancer

Metabolomics provides a readout of the state of metabolism in cells or tissue and their responses to external perturbations. For this reason, the approach has great potential in clinical diagnostics. Clinical metabolomics using stable isotope resolved metabolomics (SIRM) for pathway tracing represents an important new approach to obtaining metabolic parameters in human cancer subjects in situ. Here we provide an overview of the technology development of labeling from cells in culture and mouse models. The high throughput analytical methods NMR and mass spectrometry, especially Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance, for analyzing the resulting metabolite isotopomers and isotopologues are described with examples of applications in cancer biology. Special technical considerations for clinical applications of metabolomics using stable isotope tracers are described. The whole process from concept to analysis will be exemplified by our on-going study of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) metabolomics. This powerful new approach has already provided important new insights into metabolic adaptations in lung cancer cells, including the upregulation of anaplerosis via pyruvate carboxylation in NSCLC.
A Pilot Study Concerning the Early Immunosuppressive Effects of Rifampin in Man

The early effects of rifampin-isoniazid therapy on humoral and cell-mediated immunity were studied in six patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and nine normal control subjects. Humoral antibody responses were tested using two different DNA viral bacteriophages. T2 immunization was performed before and Φ X 174 was administered two weeks after therapy was started. Neutralizing titers for both bacteriophages were measured after incubation of the serum with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), which distinguishes immunoglobulin G antibodies from other immunoglobulins. The total antibody responses to both bacteriophages were higher in the patients, but not statistically different from the control subjects. The 2-ME resistant Φ X 174 antibody titer, which measures mainly immunoglobulin G antibodies, was significantly depressed at 14 and 28 days. Six weeks of rifampin-isoniazid therapy produced no noticeable impairment of cellular immunity when measured by the responses either to antigens, to which pre-existing cellular immunity existed, or by induction of cellular immunity with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene. The data suggest that two weeks of rifampin therapy in the usual recommended dosage is associated with some partial suppression in immunoglobulin G synthesis. From all evidence, it appears that this mild depression is not of clinical significance.
Evidence implicating aromatization of testosterone in the regulation of male Ferret sexual behavior

Abstract We compared the effects of the aromatase inhibitor, 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione (ATD) and castration on the expression of mating behavior in adult male ferrets which were in breeding condition. Males implanted SC with Silastic capsules containing ATD displayed significantly less neck gripping, mounting and intromittive behavior than intact males which received empty capsules, although the ATD-induced reductions in behavior were not as large as those seen after castration. ATD had no effect on mating behavior in castrated males. As reported in another publication [13], brain aromatase activity was significantly reduced in both the intact and castrated males treated with ATD in the present study. Plasma estradiol (E 2 ) levels were uniformly low in intact and castrated males, regardless of whether they received ATD or no steroid. As expected, plasma testosterone (T) levels were significantly lower in castrated than in intact males, and ATD treatment did not affect these values. These results suggest that E 2 formed via the neural aromatization of T contributes to the activation of masculine sexual behavior in intact male ferrets in breeding condition.
Organic matter and sulphur distribution in phosphorites: Relevance to phosphate processing

Organic matter from North Carolina and Idaho phosphorites has been extracted and characterised using humic acid, kerogen and bitumen fractions. Extracts from thermally treated rock showed that the organic matter from the two source rocks responds quite differently to the heat treatment. With current commercial calcination of both North Carolina and Idaho phosphate rock at about 800°C, problems with acid-evolvable sulphide formation have arisen. From the findings made on the thermal behaviour of the organic matter and the associated sulphur redistribution, alternative processing strategies have been suggested for both North Carolina and Idaho phosphorites. Since these two rocks represent extremes in maturity for the contained organic matter, the results should be of relevance to other organic-rich unweathered and low-grade phosphorite or phosphatic shale deposits.
Function unit specialization through code analysis

Many previous attempts at ASIP (application-specific instruction set processor) synthesis have employed template matching techniques to target function units to application code, or directly design new units to extract maximum performance. This paper presents an entirely new approach to specializing hardware for application-specific needs. In our framework of a parameterized VLIW processor, we use a post-modulo scheduling analysis to reduce the allocated hardware resources while increasing the code's performance. Initial results indicate significant savings in area, as well as optimizations to increase FIR filter code performance by 200% to 300%.
Cryptomelane as High-Capacity Sulfur Dioxide Absorbent for Diesel Emission Control: A Stability Study

A high-capacity sulfur oxide absorbent, cryptomelane, has been described previously. Its SO2 capacity can be as high as 70 wt %, which is more than 10 times as high as the capacities of standard metal oxide-based SO2 absorbents. In this study, the stability of cryptomelane under oxidizing, inert, reducing, and lean−rich cycling conditions was determined. Cryptomelane is stable in oxidizing and inert atmospheres. However, it is unstable under reducing atmospheres, converting to lower valent manganese oxide compounds. These low-valent oxides have very low capacity toward SO2. Upon reexposing the reduced cryptomelane products to an oxidizing atmosphere, cryptomelane may re-form. Cryptomelane exposed to the types of lean−rich cycles that have been proposed for NOx traps for diesel emission control, over the temperature range 250−550 °C, remains stable and maintains its very high SO2 capacity. It appears possible to use cryptomelane to protect the NOx traps from sulfur oxide degradation during cyclic lean−rich...
Effect of impurities on the low-temperature nonlinear spin-density-wave transport.

We have measured the low-temperature nonlinear conductivity in the spin-density-wave state of (TMTSF${)}_{2}$X alloys. We find that an expression of \ensuremath{\sigma}(E)=${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{0\mathit{E}}$exp(-${\mathit{E}}_{0}$/E), suggestive of a tunneling process, describes the nonlinear conduction with the characteristic field ${\mathit{E}}_{0}$ increasing with increasing disorder while ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{0\mathit{E}}$ is independent of the impurity concentration within experimental error. We also discuss the implications of our findings.
Lymphomatoid granulomatosis causing central diabetes insipidus : Case report and review of the literature

We report a patient with pulmonary and cutaneous lymphomatoid granulomatosis with central nervous system (CNS) involvement manifesting as central diabetes insipidus and review other cases reported in the literature with attention to presence of endocrine manifestations and response to therapy. Imaging of the pituitary in our patient demonstrated a thickened hypophyseal stalk and empty sella appearance. CHOP chemotherapy proved to be an effective treatment for both the systemic and CNS involvement in our patient, but diabetes insipidus has persisted. We postulate that there was localized involvement of the stalk of the hypophysis by lymphomatoid granulomatosis, which led to a permanent lesion causing diabetes insipidus. We conclude that lymphomatoid granulomatosis may cause endocrine complications that may not resolve despite systemic remission, and while the optimal regimen for CNS involvement with lymphomatoid granulomatosis is unknown, certain patients can have long-term survival after treatment with sy...
Attitudes Towards Potentially Carrying the FMR1 Premutation: Before vs After Testing of Non-Carrier Females with Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) and premature ovarian failure are associated with elevated FMR1 CGG repeat alleles. We assessed pretest attitudes about potentially carrying the FMR1 premutation (FXP) (>55 CGG repeats) among reproductive age women compared with attitudes after learning their non-carrier status. Ninety-two women with DOR, regular menses and no family history of Fragile X Syndrome underwent FMR1 testing and completed attitudinal questionnaires before (T1) and 3 months after learning the test results (T2). The analysis utilized signed rank tests and α = 0.05. Very few women thought they were likely to have a FXP (6.6 %). More participants thought FMR1 premutations were “serious” at T2 (62.9 %) than at T1 (46.1 %, p < 0.0003). When asked at T1 to “describe your feelings when you consider that you are potentially a carrier” of a FXP, 10 % had negative feelings, 50 % felt ambivalent, and 40 % had positive feelings. At T2, feelings about not being a carrier were significantly more favorable (p < 0.0001): negative (0 %), ambivalent (6.5 %), positive (93 %). Corroborating prior reports, few women had a negative view of FXP, perhaps anticipating that carrying the FXP explains their infertility. Perception of the seriousness of FXP increased after learning they did not carry the FXP, which would be predicted by health belief models.
Foundations and Assumptions of the Scientist-Practitioner Model:

The scientist-practitioner model is founded on the ideology that trained professional psychologists should be knowledgeable in both research and clinical practice. Emphasis should be placed on the ...
Vision-Based Trajectory Tracking Approach for Mobile Platforms in 3D World Using 2D Image Space

Vision-based target following using a camera system mounted on a mobile platform has been a challenging problem. A scenario is assumed in which the platform/camera system is required to have a desired trajectory for relative position and orientation (pose) with respect to a target object. It is assumed that the actual pose of mobile platform with respect to the target is not measured by a Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). For trajectory tracking feedback control, the error in the relative pose of the mobile platform with respect to the target needs to be computed. In the absence of GPS/IMU signals, the error in relative pose must be calculated using a vision-based approach. In this paper, we introduce a fast alternative vision-based approach for real-time calculation of the error in the relative pose of the mobile platform and the target. The proposed vision-based tracking approach is called PIVOT: Positioning and Orienting Using Vision-Based Object Tracking. The PIVOT system calculates the pose errors of the mobile platform in the 3D world based on a 2D image space. The only information required is “the desired 3D pose” and the coordinates of selected feature points on the target in order to track properly. The PIVOT forms a desired target image, compares it with the current target image and outputs the required 3D translation and rotation of the platform/camera to correct the image error. The required 3D translation and rotation of the platform/camera to correct the image error are fed to a feedback controller to drive the mobile platform in the direction that corrects the image error. When the image error is vanished, the mobile platform is moving on its desired trajectory. We have performed a set of experiments with the proposed PIVOT approach to show the effectiveness of the theoretical framework. According to the simulation results, PIVOT provides accurate pose errors for all test cases. The formulation of the approach is general, such that it can be applied to mobile platforms that move in 3D as well as 2D. Our first simulated and experimental tests will be on a mobile robot.© 2013 ASME
Nature of the porosity in American coals

Abstract The nature of the porosity in a number of 40 × 70 (i.e. − 40 + 70) mesh size American coals, varying in rank from anthracite to lignite, has been studied using the following characterization techniques: gas adsorption, helium and mercury displacement, and mercury porosimetry. Surface areas calculated from carbon dioxide adsorption at 298 K are consistently higher than those calculated from nitrogen at 77 K, indicating the molecular sieve character of the coals. Total pore volumes have been measured in the diameter range 12–29 600 A and then divided into macropores (300-29 600 A), transitional pores (12–300 A), and micropores (4–12 A). Coals vary widely in their total pore volumes (porosities range between 4.1 and 23.2%). In the lower-rank coals (carbon content less than 75%), porosity is primarily due to the presence of macropores. In coals having a carbon content in the range 76–84%, about 80% of the total open pore volume is due to micro and transitional pores, whereas in the coals of higher carbon content microporosity predominates. Coals having about 35–55% of their total open pore volume in the transitional range are expected to be most suitable for use for adsorption of organic molecules from solution. Thus, they are of interest as possible materials to be used in water purification. In general, these results are considered to be of importance in understanding the extent and rate of interaction of coals with gases and liquids.
Induction by Copper Ions of Ethylene Production in Spirodela oligorrhiza: Evidence for a Pathway Independent of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid

Summary The aquatic angiosperm, Spirodela oligorrhiza produces little ( 0.02 mM Cu(II) results in a 15 to 30-fold stimulation in ethylene production. Maximum stimulation was achieved with younger cultures (10 to 20-d-old), at light intensities > 2000 lux and in a medium containing > 50 % D 2 O. The 1 0 2 quenchers and inhibitors of lipid peroxidation, viz. propyl gallate, 1,4-diazobicyclo[2,2,2] octane and selenomethionine, all markedly inhibited the Cu(II)-induced ethylene production. Neither cycloheximide nor AVG, an inhibitor of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase, affected the induction of ethylene production by Cu(II). The intracellular levels of ACC or ACC conjugate were below the detection limits of the assay. The marked rise in ethylene production in Cu(II}treated plants was associated with damage to intracellular membranes and organelles as exhibited by electron microscopic observation. This membrane damage in Cu(II)-treated plants was suppressed by selenomethionine, an antagonist of lipid peroxidation and 1 O 2 action, as was ethylene production. These results suggest that ethylene formation in Cu(II)-supplemented Spirodela is caused, at least in part, by 1 O 2 - and free radical-mediated damage of cellular membranes.