cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcription factor activator protein-2 is required for continued luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone expression in the forebrain of developing mice.

LHRH is the neuropeptide responsible for reproductive function. Prenatally, LHRH expression begins when neurons are in the olfactory pit and continues as these cells migrate into the brain. Thus, LHRH neurons maintain neuropeptide expression through very distinct environments. The regulatory interactions that control onset and continued expression of the LHRH phenotype are unknown. To begin to address this question primary LHRH neurons were removed from nasal explants at different ages. A complementary DNA (cDNA) subtraction screen was performed comparing a 3.5-days in vitro LHRH neuron [approximately embryonic day 15 (E15) in vivo] to two 10.5-days in vitro LHRH neurons (approximately postnatal day 1 in vivo). The transcription factor activator protein-2 (AP-2α) was differentially expressed and was present in the developmentally younger LHRH neuron. In vivo analysis revealed that LHRH neurons expressed AP-2 as they migrated across the cribriform plate and into the forebrain beginning on E13.5, but that c...
Spectroscopic studies of Lewis acid‐base complexes. III: Vibrational frequencies, assignments and normal coordinate analyses for isotopic varieties of phosphine borane and trifluorophosphine borane

Vibrational spectra of the two Lewis complexes, phosphine borane, PH3BH3, and trifluoro-phosphine borane, PF3BH3, have been investigated for several isotopic species preserving C3v symmetry. New assignments are proposed and substantiated by normal coordinate analyses formulated in the compliance constant basis.
CITATIONS AND NETWORKING

References to publications written by women constitute a significantly larger proportion of citations in articles written by women than in articles written by men in the same subfields. Further, the difference between citation patterns of men and women authors increases as the proportion of women in the discipline decreases, showing that these women are doubly disadvantaged in accumulating citations. These results suggest that the problems of members of an out-group tend to be most serious when their numbers are small and that they will find it increasingly easier to gain acceptance and recognition as their numbers increase.
Knoevenagel condensation of unsymmetrical malonamic esters and malonates on a solid support

Abstract The solid phase synthesis of unsymmetrical substituted methylene malonamic acids 7 and methylene malonic ester mono acids 8 is reported. Resin-bound malonic acid 3 is obtained by treatment of Wang's resin with Meldrum's acid. The free carboxylic acid can be derivatized to afford either esters or amides, which readily undergo Knoevenagel condensation with aldehydes. Cleavage with TFA affords unsymmetrical β-substituted methylene malonamic acids or malonate mono acids.
The Formulation and Atmospheric Simulation of the Community Atmosphere Model Version 3 (CAM3)

Abstract A new version of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) has been developed and released to the climate community. CAM Version 3 (CAM3) is an atmospheric general circulation model that includes the Community Land Model (CLM3), an optional slab ocean model, and a thermodynamic sea ice model. The dynamics and physics in CAM3 have been changed substantially compared to implementations in previous versions. CAM3 includes options for Eulerian spectral, semi-Lagrangian, and finite-volume formulations of the dynamical equations. It supports coupled simulations using either finite-volume or Eulerian dynamics through an explicit set of adjustable parameters governing the model time step, cloud parameterizations, and condensation processes. The model includes major modifications to the parameterizations of moist processes, radiation processes, and aerosols. These changes have improved several aspects of the simulated climate, including more realistic tropical tropopause temperatures, boreal winter land surfac...
Manganese, calcium, and saccharide binding to concanavalin A, as studied by ultrafiltration

Abstract The binding of the ligands Mn2+, Ca2+, and methyl α- d -glucopyranoside to concanavalin A, purified as described ( A. J. Sophianopoulos and J. A. Sophianopoulos (1981) Prep. Biochem.11, 413–435), was studied by ultrafiltration in 0.2 m NaCl, pH 5.2 and pH 6.5 to 7, and at 23 to 25 °C. The association constant (Ka) of methyl α- d -glucopyranoside to concanavalin A was (2 ± 0.2) × 103 m −1, both at pH 5.2 and 7. At pH 5.2 and in the absence of Ca2+, the Ka of Mn2+ to concanavalin A was (5 ± 1) × 103 m −1, and in the presence of 1 m m Ca2+, the Ka was (9.1 ± 2.1) × 105 m −1. At pH 6.5 Mn2+ bound to concanavalin A with a Ka of (7.3 ± 1.8) × 105 m −1, and the binding affinity was virtually independent of the presence of Ca2+. Experiments of binding of 4-methylumbelliferyl α- d -mannopyranoside to concanavalin A indicated that at pH 5.2, binding of a single Mn2+ per concanavalin A monomer was sufficient to induce a fully active saccharide binding site. Ca2+ is not necessary for such activation, but rather it increases the affinity of concanavalin A for binding Mn2+.
A potential use of embryonic stem cell medium for the in vitro culture of preimplantation embryos

Purpose To assess the impact of embryonic stem cell culture medium (ESCM) on the pre- and post-implantation development of the mouse embryo, as a mammalian model, in comparison with the conventional culture medium, a potassium simplex optimized medium (KSOM).
Accurate ab initio calculation on the low-energy elastic scattering of electrons from helium

The multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock method developed by Saha (Phys. Rev. A 39, 5048 (1989)) to study scattering of electrons from atoms has been applied to the low-energy elastic scattering of electrons from helium atoms. The short-range electron correlation and the long-range dynamical polarization of the target by the scattering electron, which are very important in these calculations, have been taken into account in an accurate {ital ab} {ital initio} manner through the configuration-interaction procedure. Detailed results for phase shifts, elastic differential, integral-elastic, and momentum-transfer cross sections for electrons elastically scattered from helium are reported for the low and intermediate energies ranging from 0.58 to 50 eV. The present results are compared with accurate experimental measurements and theoretical calculations. It is found that the present multiconfiguration self-consistent-field method produces high-quality results that show excellent agreement with experimental measurements and compare well with other accurate theoretical calculations.
Hyperoxaluric nephrolithiasis is a complication of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

Roux-en-Y bypass surgery is the most common bariatric procedure currently performed in the United States for medically complicated obesity. Although this leads to a marked and sustained weight loss, we have identified an increasing number of patients with episodes of nephrolithiasis afterwards. We describe a case series of 60 patients seen at Mayo Clinic-Rochester that developed nephrolithiasis after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), including a subset of 31 patients who had undergone metabolic evaluation in the Mayo Stone Clinic. The mean body mass index of the patients before procedure was 57 kg/m(2) with a mean decrease of 20 kg/m(2) at the time of the stone event, which averaged 2.2 years post-procedure. When analyzed, calcium oxalate stones were found in 19 and mixed calcium oxalate/uric acid stones in two patients. Hyperoxaluria was a prevalent factor even in patients without a prior history of nephrolithiasis, and usually presented more than 6 months after the procedure. Calcium oxalate supersaturation, however, was equally high in patients less than 6 months post-procedure due to lower urine volumes. In a small random sampling of patients undergoing this bypass procedure, hyperoxaluria was rare preoperatively but common 12 months after surgery. We conclude that hyperoxaluria is a potential complicating factor of RYGB surgery manifested as a risk for calcium oxalate stones.
Dynamic Fluctuation of Circulating Tumor Cells during Cancer Progression

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for metastatic tumors. We demonstrate that CTCs’ diagnostic value might be increased through real-time monitoring of CTC dynamics. Using preclinical animal models of breast cancer and melanoma and in vivo flow cytometry with photoacoustic and fluorescence detection schematics, we show that CTC count does not always correlate with the primary tumor size. Individual analysis elucidated many cases where the highest level of CTCs was detected before the primary tumor starts progressing. This phenomenon could be attributed to aggressive tumors developing from cancer stem cells. Furthermore, real-time continuous monitoring of CTCs reveals that they occur at highly variable rates in a detection point over a period of time (e.g., a range of 0–54 CTCs per 5 min). These same fluctuations in CTC numbers were observed in vivo in epithelial and non-epithelial metastatic tumors, in different stages of tumor progression, and in different vessels. These temporal CTC fluctuations can explain false negative results of a one-time snapshot test in humans. Indeed, we observed wide variations in the number of CTCs in subsequent blood samples taken from the same metastatic melanoma patient, with some samples being CTC-free. If these phenomena are confirmed in our ongoing in vivo clinical trials, this could support a personalized strategy of CTC monitoring for cancer patients.
Discontinuous Nanoporous Membranes Reduce Non‐Specific Fouling for Immunoaffinity Cell Capture

The microfluidic isolation of target cells using adhesion-based surface capture has been widely explored for biology and medicine. However, high-throughput processing can be challenging due to interfacial limitations such as transport, reaction and non-specific fouling. Here, we show that antibody-functionalized capture surfaces with discontinuous permeability enable efficient target cell capture at high flow rates by decreasing fouling. Experimental characterization and theoretical modeling revealed that “wall effects” affect cell-surface interactions and promote excess surface accumulation. These issues were partially circumvented by reducing the transport and deposition of cells near the channel walls. Optimized microfluidic devices could be operated at higher cell concentrations with significant improvements in throughput.
What's in a Name? Changing Names and Challenges to Professional Identification

Name changes of university departments that have professional preparation health education programs have been ongoing and significant. This study analyzes changes in the names of health education degree-offering departments between 1974 and 2009. It also discusses the implications for the health education discipline going forward with respect to personal and professional identification, as well as credentialing and employment opportunities for health educators. A large change was seen in many of the department names between 1974 and 2009. The greatest changes were seen in the increasing use of community health, kinds of health, public health, and health and something else. A large decrease was noted in the use of health education. Name changes present potential challenges for the professional and educational development of the field, employment opportunities, and personal and professional identification. This article does not purport to provide a prescription or solution but rather suggests that health ed...
Mammalian brain consumption by blood donors in the United States: brains today, deferred tomorrow?

BACKGROUND: Theoretical concerns of possible variant CJD (vCJD) transmission by transfusion have led to deferral of US donors potentially exposed to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent. Although the efficacy of these policies is unknown, impact on blood collections has been substantial. Under the precautionary principle, deferral of donors consuming bovine (or other mam-malian) brains, possibly contaminated with the vCJD agent, might be considered. Blood donors were surveyed to determine lifetime mammalian brain consumption. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study (REDS) conducted an anonymous mail survey of 92,581 donors from eight US blood centers. RESULTS: Responses were received from 52,650 donors (57%). Of these, 6.4 percent reported lifetime brain consumption; bovine (3.6%) and hog brains (1.7%) were the most common. Bovine brain consumption varied fourfold by center (1.7-7.0%) and was highest among male (4.5%), older (age 55+, 6.5%), foreign-born (9.2%), Asian (7.2%), and Hispanic (8.6%) donors. Among bovine brain consumers, 67 percent engaged in the practice 4 times or less, 79 percent were repeat donors, and 61 percent reported giving at least 11 donations in the past 10 years. CONCLUSION: Following the precautionary principle, further steps to reduce the theoretical vCJD risk could include deferring donors who eat bovine (or other mammalian) brains. The impact of such a policy would not be trivial, especially in areas with older, foreign-born, Asian, or Hispanic donors. Cautious implementation and periodic evaluation of deferral policies is warranted.
In vivo analysis of the initiation of bacteriophage T7 dna replication

We have examined the initiation of bacteriophage T7 DNA replication in vivo using a pulse-labeling technique. The pulse-labeling technique permits the rapid identification of initiation sites on the T7 chromosome and a determination of the rate of movement of the replication fork. This technique has been used to analyze a number of phage mutants having alterations in the nucleotide sequence of the primary origin. The experiments confirm the results obtained by electron microscope analysis on the mapping of the primary origin region and demonstrate the requirement for a T7 promoter in the primary origin. The secondary origins were found to be located near the center and at the right end of the genome. Analysis of T7 phage harboring mutations in the essential replication genes of T7 shows that they fell into three classes. The first, including those mutated in genes 4 and 5, do not initiate DNA synthesis. The second, in genes 3, 6, and 1.2, initiate and elongate as wild-type phage, albeit some with lower rates of synthesis, during the first round of replication and then cease DNA synthesis. Mutations in gene 2 have no apparent effect on initiation or elongation.
Research Notes. The Past is the Past—Or is it? The Use of Retrospective Accounts as Indicators of Past Strategy

This study challenges the common assumption that retrospective accounts of business strategy are reliable and valid. Chief executives reported their firms’ current strategies, and two years later, ...
Impact of Drought on Quality in a New Jersey Water Supply System

. New Jersey, together with other states in the northeast, was stricken with drought during 1961-66. The effect of this drought was most severe in the northern part of the State. The water quality of the Passaic River, which drains the urban, industrialized northeast, perhaps deteriorated the most among the major drainage systems. This river system is used as a raw-water source by 10 water suppliers. The impact of the drought upon the water supply of the Passaic Valley Water Commission, the most downstream of the basin's suppliers, which supplies an average of about 90 million gallons a day to more than 650,000 persons, is evaluated herein. The drought's impact on the raw-water quality is appraised by the comparison of before-and-after qualities of dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical-oxygen demand, turbidity, and hardness. For example, at the worst point during the drought, monthly average dissolved-solids content in the raw water were about 210 percent, hardness, about 167 percent, and biochemical-oxygen demand about 270 percent higher than antecedent values. In general, the study concludes that the drought produced a deterioration in both raw and finished water quality, and is estimated to have increased chemical-treatment costs during the drought by about $650,000.
Ceftriaxone treatment of multidrug-resistant salmonella osteomyelitis

Empiric treatment of serious Salmonella infections has been complicated by the emergence of strains resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, including ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Recent reports suggest that the third-generation cephalosporins may be effective therapy for Salmonella infections. This report describes a case of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella heidelberg prosthetic hip infection successfully treated with prosthesis removal and once-daily ceftriaxone. Tube dilution sensitivity testing of the organism demonstrated minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations of 0.12 microgram/ml. Serum bactericidal activity, 30 minutes after infusion, was inhibitory and bactericidal at 1:512. It is concluded that the favorable preliminary results reported in the literature and the outcome in this patient suggest that the third-generation cephalosporins may be effective therapy for Salmonella infections and should undergo clinical trials.
A Failure Criterion of Friction Pair under Boundary Lubrication

The formation and lubrication mechanism of boundary lubricating film were discussed. The boundary lubricating film includes adsorption film and chemical reaction film, and has respective temperature operating range. The adsorption film adsorbed in metal surface by Van-der Wads, and the parenchyma is the external friction between adsorption molecule layers. The chemical reaction film is made by the reaction between metal and extreme pressure additive in base oil, and the anti-wear capability is realized by the low-melting point eutectic alloy. The temperature is regarded as a judge criterion for failure of boundary lubrication. The failure model for boundary lubricating film is established. According to the failure model, the failure criterion proposed is effective by analysis of the spiral bevel gear using the finite element method. These results provide a basis for the application of boundary lubrication.
Combined treatment with vitamin E and colchicine in the early stages of Peyronie's disease

Objective To assess the effectiveness of the combination of colchicine and vitamin E (which has anti-fibrotic, anti-mitotic and anti-inflammatory effects) in modifying the early stages of Peyronie's disease, by evaluating pain relief, correction of deformities and plaque size. Patients and methods In all, 45 patients were divided into two groups and treated from January 1998 to November 2001. Their mean (range) age was 53.4 (40–62) years, the time from onset of the disease < 6 months and they had penile deformity of < 30°; no patient had erectile dysfunction. Twenty-two patients were given ibuprofen 400 mg/day for 6 months, whilst 23 received a combination of vitamin E 600 mg/day plus colchicine 1 mg every 12 h. Pain, plaque size and penile deformity were assessed at 6 months. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the groups at baseline in age, time from onset of the disease until the initial evaluation or plaque size. Although the proportion of patients reporting pain relief was higher amongst those receiving colchicine plus vitamin E (91% vs 68%) this was not significantly different, but differences in plaque size and penile curvature were significant. Conclusions The use of colchicine plus vitamin E during the early stages of Peyronie's disease (time from onset < 6 months) in patients with penile curvature of < 30° and no erectile dysfunction is an effective and well-tolerated way to stabilize the disease. A more extensive study is needed, comparing these results with other oral therapies.
Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis and Complete Endocardial Cushion Defect

Subacute bacterial endocarditis involving the common atrioventricular (AV) valve is a rare complication of complete endocardial cushion defect. This report describes our experience with an 18-year-old patient who was seen with this problem. Diagnosis was established by two-dimensional echocardiography. The operative findings and technique of repair are described. We believe this to be among the first successful reports of complete repair of active endocarditis involving the common AV valve in this congenital anomaly.
Molecular mechanics and quantum mechanical modeling of hexane soot structure and interactions with pyrene

Molecular simulations (energy minimizations and molecular dynamics) of an n-hexane soot model developed by Smith and co-workers (M. S. Akhter, A. R. Chughtai and D. M. Smith, Appl. Spectrosc., 1985, 39, 143; ref. 1) were performed. The MM+ (N. L. Allinger, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1977, 395, 157; ref. 2) and COMPASS (H. Sun, J. Phys. Chem., 1998, 102, 7338; ref. 3) force fields were tested for their ability to produce realistic soot nanoparticle structure. The interaction of pyrene with the model soot was simulated. Quantum mechanical calculations on smaller soot fragments were carried out. Starting from an initial 2D structure, energy minimizations are not able to produce the observed layering within soot with either force field. Results of molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the COMPASS force field does a reasonably accurate job of reproducing observations of soot structure. Increasing the system size from a 683 to a 2732 atom soot model does not have a significant effect on predicted structures. Neither does the addition of water molecules surrounding the soot model. Pyrene fits within the soot structure without disrupting the interlayer spacing. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), such as pyrene, may strongly partition into soot and have slow desorption kinetics because the PAH-soot bonding is similar to soot–soot interactions. Diffusion of PAH into soot micropores may allow the PAH to be irreversibly adsorbed and sequestered so that they partition slowly back into an aqueous phase causing dis-equilibrium between soil organic matter and porewater.
Quantitative analysis of avocado outcrossing and yield in California using RAPD markers

The rate of outcrossing in orchards containing ‘Hass’ avocado (Persea americana Mill.) was determined using RAPD markers. The data represented 2393 fertilization events sampled from two climatic regions of southern California over a period of 4 years. In addition, three potential pollen sources (cultivars ‘Bacon’, ‘Fuerte’ and ‘Zutano’) were investigated using RAPD markers specific to each pollen source. Finally, yield data were collected from sampled trees to investigate the relationship between outcrossing and yield. Log-linear analyses of the resulting data showed that ‘Fuerte’ was the most effective pollinator of ‘Hass’ maternal trees independent of climatic region. The analyses also showed that outcrossing rate was strongly dependent on distance from a potential pollen source. There was a weak positive correlation between outcrossing and yield. Most of the variation in yield appeared to be accounted for by other causes. The total data suggested that selffertilization was responsible for a substantial fraction of fruit set in California groves. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Chapter 14: The patchy intrinsic projections of visual cortex

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to summarize what is known about these patchy local projections and to discuss their functional significance. The patches consisted of neuronal cell bodies, presumably labeled by retrograde axonal transport, and axon terminals, presumably labeled by anterograde transport. By making extracellular injections of tracers such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP), peroxidase-conjugated wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP), [3H] proline or fluorescent beads, investigators have demonstrated intrinsic patchy projections in area 17 of the tree shrew. In speculating about the function of the patchy projections, there seem to be three key considerations, based on the evidence discussed earlier. First, they are quite local in action. They probably interconnect cells with overlapping receptive fields, and few if any of them extend beyond the “column image”, at least in area 17. Second, they probably interconnect cells with at least partially matching response properties. Third, they probably mediate reciprocal excitation between groups of neurons, not specialized inhibitory functions.
Flight testing of the F/A-18E/F automatic carrier landing system

The F/A-18E/F is the U.S. Navy's premier strike fighter aircraft, manufactured by the Boeing Company. The F/A-18E/F aircraft, while maintaining a high degree of commonality with the F/A-18C/D aircraft, has a lengthened fuselage, larger wing and control surfaces, strengthened landing gear, an improved propulsion system including a growth version of the General Electric F404 engine designated the F414-GE-400, and larger high performance inlets. This paper concentrates on the development, test, and evaluation of the F/A-18E/F Automatic Carrier Landing System (ACLS) up to and including the Third Sea Trials, upon which the aircraft was initially qualified for Mode I, totally automatic, approaches and landings to the aircraft carrier. The paper briefly describes the key components of the F/A-18E/F's ACLS, including cockpit displays and controls, antennas, autothrottles and flight control implementation, and interface with the shipboard AN/SPN-46(V) ACLS. Test procedures and methodology are presented as well as test results and interpretation. Finally, lessons learned are presented and recommendations are made for future aircraft ACLS developmental test and evaluation efforts.
Agricultural library and information systems in China

The development of agriculture, and the reform of the rural economy in China in the last decade has brought about great changes, which have raised increased demand for information and highlighted the madequate performance of existing agricultural library and information systems. An effec tive system calls for systematic allocation of information re sources. and efficient information dissemination, which implies sound information policies to ensure cooperation, resource sharing and networking among libraries and information services. A critical overview of China's agricultural library and information systems is given, with particular emphasis on the future importance of networking.
Histone modification enhances the effectiveness of IL-13 receptor targeted immunotoxin in murine models of human pancreatic cancer

Interleukin-13 Receptor α2 (IL-13Rα2) is a tumor-associated antigen and target for cancer therapy. Since IL-13Rα2 is heterogeneously overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, it would be highly desirable to uniformly upregulate IL-13Rα2 expression in tumors for optimal targeting. We examined epigenetic regulation of IL-13Rα2 in a murine model of human pancreatic cancer by Bisulfite-PCR, sequencing for DNA methylation and chromatin immunoprecipitation for histone modification. Reverse transcription-PCR was performed for examining changes in IL-13Rα2 mRNA expression after treatment with histone deacetylase (HDAC) and c-jun inhibitors. In vitro cytotoxicity assays and in vivo testing in animal tumor models were performed to determine whether HDAC inhibitors could enhance anti-tumor effects of IL-13-PE in pancreatic cancer. Mice harboring subcutaneous tumors were treated with HDAC inhibitors systemically and IL-13-PE intratumorally. We found that CpG sites in IL-13Rα2 promoter region were not methylated in all pancreatic cancer cell lines studied including IL-13Rα2-positive and IL-13Rα2-negative cell lines and normal cells. On the other hand, histones at IL-13Rα2 promoter region were highly-acetylated in IL-13Rα2-positive but much less in receptor-negative pancreatic cancer cell lines. When cells were treated with HDAC inhibitors, not only histone acetylation but also IL-13Rα2 expression was dramatically enhanced in receptor-negative pancreatic cancer cells. In contrast, HDAC inhibition did not increase IL-13Rα2 in normal cell lines. In addition, c-jun in IL-13Rα2-positive cells was expressed at higher level than in negative cells. Two types of c-jun inhibitors prevented increase of IL-13Rα2 by HDAC inhibitors. HDAC inhibitors dramatically sensitized cancer cells to immunotoxin in the cytotoxicity assay in vitro and increased IL-13Rα2 in the tumors subcutaneously implanted in the immunodeficient animals but not in normal mice tissues. Combination therapy with HDAC inhibitors and immunotoxin synergistically inhibited growth of not only IL-13Rα2-positive but also IL-13Rα2-negative tumors. We have identified a novel function of histone modification in the regulation of IL-13Rα2 in pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. HDAC inhibition provides a novel opportunity in designing combinatorial therapeutic approaches not only in combination with IL-13-PE but with other immunotoxins for therapy of pancreatic cancer and other cancers.
Rehydration of Forensically Important Larval Diptera Specimens

Established procedures for collecting and preserving evidence are essential for all forensic disciplines to be accepted in court and by the forensic community at large. Entomological evidence, such as Diptera larvae, are primarily preserved in ethanol, which can evaporate over time, resulting in the dehydration of specimens. In this study, methods used for rehydrating specimens were compared. The changes in larval specimens with respect to larval length and weight for three forensically important blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) species in North America were quantified. Phormia regina (Meigen), Cochliomyia macellaria (F.), and Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) third-instar larvae were collected from various decomposing animals and preserved with three preservation methods (80% ethanol, 70% isopropyl alcohol, and hot-water kill then 80% ethanol). Preservative solutions were allowed to evaporate. Rehydration was attempted with either of the following: 80% ethanol, commercial trisodium phosphate substitute solution, or 0.5% trisodium phosphate solution. All three methods partially restored weight and length of specimens recorded before preservation. Analysis of variance results indicated that effects of preservation, rehydration treatment, and collection animal were different in each species. The interaction between preservative method and rehydration treatment had a significant effect on both P. regina and C. macellaria larval length and weight. In addition, there was a significant interaction effect of collection animal on larval C. macellaria measurements. No significant effect was observed in C. rufifacies larval length or weight among the preservatives or treatments. These methods could be used to establish a standard operating procedure for dealing with dehydrated larval specimens in forensic investigations.
Evidence for random parallel and anti-parallel packing between neighbouring cholesteryl 4-(2-anthryloxy)butyrate (CAB) molecules in the cholesteric liquid-crystalline phase. Identification of the four photodimers from CAB

Abstract The packing arrangements of cholesteryl 4-(2-anthryloxy)butyrate (CAB) have been investigated in its cholesteric liquid-crystalline, neat isotropic, and solution isotropic phases by analysing the distributions of photodimers obtained from each. The four photodimers of CAB have been identified unambiguously. Their distribution indicates that neighbouring pairs of CAB in the liquid-crystalline phase experience orientations that are parallel and anti-parallel with about equal probability.
The Complexity of Leveraging University Program Change

This article identifies four elements of complexity that influence how university educational leadership programs can leverage program change: faculty reward systems, faculty governance, institutional resources, and state-level influence on leadership preparation. Following the discussion of the elements of complexity, the article provides a vignette of a university program change in educational leadership to further highlight the complexity and to provide examples of the opportunities for program change. The article ends with a discussion of implications for change.
An Integrated 256-Channel Epiretinal Prosthesis

This paper reports an integrated 256-channel epiretinal prosthesis integrated circuit (IC). This epiretinal prosthesis system consists of a power telemetry subsystem to deliver 100 mW power, a data telemetry subsystem to transfer 2 Mbps data, digital controllers to decode stimulation patterns, and a 256-channel stimulator to generate user programmable bi-phasic current stimuli. In this study, dual-band telemetry is adopted to achieve both high power efficiency and high data rate. Frequencies of 2 and 22 MHz are chosen for power and data carrier frequencies, respectively. A mixed-mode and multiple-voltage design is applied to the stimulator for withstanding a high-compliance voltage of ± 10 V at the output stage as well as for reducing the area of each pixel. To add flexibility to the stimulator, each pixel has a local digital controller, which enables the stimulator IC to generate 256 parallel stimulations with various pulse widths and amplitudes. The chip is fabricated in TSMC 0.18 μm 32 V CMOS process with 256 area pads constructed above the stimulus current drivers.
Mechanical Behavior of Nylon Filaments in Torsion

The stress relaxation in torsion of 6,6-nylon filament is found to be nearly linear in the logarithm of time over periods from 20 to 20,000 sec. after twisting. On the basis of a generalized Maxwell model the behavior of the filament in free torsional vibration can be predicted from the results of the stress-relaxation experiments. The predictions were tested by experiments with a torsional pendulum whose period was varied from 50 to 400 sec. The angular displacement of the pendu lum is an exponentially damped sinusoid over nearly the entire course of the motion. The ob served dependence of the angular frequency upon the moment of inertia of the bob and the length of the filament agrees within 3 % with the values predicted from the stress-relaxation experiments. The observed and predicted values of the damping constant agree within 13%. The stress relaxa tion in extension also is found to be nearly linear in the logarithm of time over periods from 10 to 2,000 sec. after stretching. Quantitative correlatio...
Exploiting an atmospheric model for automated invariant material identification in hyperspectral imagery

The measured spectral radiance signature for a material can vary significantly due to atmospheric conditions and scene geometry. We show using a statistical analysis of a comprehensive physical model that the variation in a material's spectral signature lies in a low-dimensional space. The spectral radiance model includes reflected solar and sky radiation as well as path radiance. Signature variability is introduced by effects such as solar occlusion and variation in the concentrations of atmospheric gases aerosols. The MODTRAN 3.5 code was employed for computing radiative transfer aspects of the model. Using the new model, we develop a maximum likelihood algorithm for automatic material identification that is invariant to atmospheric conditions and scene geometry. We demonstrate the algorithm for the identification of exposed and concealed material samples in HYDICE imagery.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dispersion and anisotropy of optical rectification in zinc blende quantum wells

It is demonstrated theoretically that the optical rectification and difference-frequency generation of nonlinear coefficients that are known to exist in asymmetric quantum wells for certain directions of growth do not vanish even in symmetric quantum wells. The dispersion and anisotropy of the optical rectification coefficient are evaluated, and their magnitude is found to be 1 order larger than for the bulk zinc blende materials. This dramatic change is shown to be caused by the lifting of the valence band degeneracy. Practical applications for generating terahertz radiation are considered.
Experimental Study on Secure Data Collection in Vehicular Sensor Networks

In this paper, we show through a simple secure symmetric key based protocol design and its implementation the feasibility of secure data collection in a vehicular sensor networks. We demonstrate that the protocol works in a realistic setting by collecting the real trace data through real implementation. Some of the key considerations are efficiency, deployability and security. The protocol does not safeguard against some of the techniques an adversary could deploy, such as jamming and deliberate battery-draining.
Sapling growth as a function of resources in a north temperate forest

Radial and height growth are characterized for saplings of 10 dominant tree species in a transition oak–northern hardwoods forest in southern New England. Growth of saplings in the field is regress...
Hypoxic fractions of solid tumors: Experimental techniques, methods of analysis, and a survey of existing data

Hypoxic fractions are measured by indirect techniques, which compare the response of tumors to large single doses of radiation given under normal aeration and artificial hypoxia. This paper reviews hypoxic fraction measurements and measurement techniques, giving particular attention to the biological, technical, and statistical aspects of the assays; the implicit assumptions underlying the analyses; and the dependence of the determinations on the assay conditions and the tumor and host characteristics. The three major hypoxic fraction assay techniques (paired survival curve, clamped tumor control, and clamped growth delay) share common biological assumptions. They require that the survival curves of naturally and artificially hypoxic cells have the same slope and intercept. They assume that the majority of the cells are either fully oxic or fully hypoxic. They assume that the methods used to induce artificial hypoxia leave no oxygenated regions and that tumor cells rendered artificially hypoxic are no less viable than cells in normally-aerated tumors. The universal validity of these assumptions is questionable. Each technique uses additional special assumptions and each may measure a different population of hypoxic cells. This paper reviews 92 hypoxic fraction determinations in 42 tumor systems. Radiobiologically hypoxic cells appear to be present in the majority of macroscopic solid rodent tumors. The hypoxic fraction was found to increase as the tumor size increased from microscopic to macroscopic; the dependence of hypoxic fraction on tumor size at macroscopic sizes was less clear. The site of tumor implantation, the use of anesthesia, and certain host characteristics may influence the hypoxic fraction. The hypoxic fraction generally did not depend on the tumor growth rate, transplantation history, or histology. These findings indicate that hypoxic cells are a common feature of solid tumors in rodents and provide no evidence that hypoxic cells should not be present in human tumors.
Consistency-based search in feature selection

Feature selection is an effective technique in dealing with dimensionality reduction. For classification, it is used to find an "optimal" subset of relevant features such that the overall accuracy of classification is increased while the data size is reduced and the comprehensibility is improved. Feature selection methods contain two important aspects: evaluation of a candidate feature subset and search through the feature space. Existing algorithms adopt various measures to evaluate the goodness of feature subsets. This work focuses on inconsistency measure according to which a feature subset is inconsistent if there exist at least two instances with same feature values but with different class labels. We compare inconsistency measure with other measures and study different search strategies such as exhaustive, complete, heuristic and random search, that can be applied to this measure. We conduct an empirical study to examine the pros and cons of these search methods, give some guidelines on choosing a search method, and compare the classifier error rates before and after feature selection.
Crater formation and modification on the icy satellites of Uranus and Saturn: Depth/diameter and central peak occurrence

Fresh crater shapes, in particular crater depth/diameter ratios d/D, have been measured for craters on nine of the icy satellites. Crater depths were determined from photoclinometry plus some shallow measurements. Interior morphology, including rimwall slope, was also examined from photoclinometry profiles. Central peak statistics and the characteristic break in slope of d/D curves were determined in order to estimate the transition diameter from simple to complex craters. Crater morphology and transition diameters on the icy satellites were then compared with crater morphology on the terrestrial rocky planets in order to separate or evaluate the relative importance and similarity of surface gravity and target characteristics in controlling crater formation and modification in icy and rocky targets. Estimates of effective rheologies of the target materials were also obtained based on morphologic changes.
Ammi majus L. (Bishop's Weed): in vitro culture and the production of coumarin compounds

Ammi majus L. (Bishop’s weed) (Fig. 1) is a subtropical species belonging to the family Apiaceae. It is a widely distributed species in the Mediterranean region, from the Canary Islands to Iran. Its range covers North Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia) and all of southern Europe. The species also occurs on other continents under similar climatic conditions: in Argentina, southern United States, and less commonly in Australia and New Zealand (Hegi 1906–1931; Tutin et al. 1968; Hoppe 1975; Nowinski 1980).
A case study of educational computer game design by middle school students

Only a limited number of research studies have investigated how students design educational computer games and its impact on student learning. In addition, most studies on educational game design by students were conducted in the areas of mathematics and science. Using the qualitative case study approach, this study explored how seventh graders created their own computer games on the topic of the containment of communism and what they learned from the game design and playtesting processes. This study also examined the impact of the game design experience on the students’ interest and motivation. Twelve students, eight boys and four girls, participated in the study. Qualitative data were collected from multiple data sources, including classroom observations, participants’ games, playtest feedback forms, reflection sheets, and interviews. The results showed that most students were highly engaged in the game design task. They used their sprites creatively to create objects or environments related to the historical events. The game design project enabled the students to experience what it is like to be a game designer. The students learned the value of diverse perspectives from the playtesting and feedback process. They also learned to consider the player’s perspective when designing a game. The game design experience motivated several students to learn more about game design or programming.
Preparation and Characterization of a Hydrophobic Metal–Organic Framework Membrane Supported on a Thin Porous Metal Sheet

A hydrophobic metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-66-CH3 is prepared and its solvothermal stability is investigated in comparison to UiO-66. It is confirmed that the MOF stability is enhanced by introduction of the two methyl groups, while the water adsorption is reduced. Given its hydrophobicity and stability, UiO-66-CH3 is proposed as an attractive membrane material for gas separation under moisture conditions. The UiO-66-CH3 membrane is prepared on a 50 μm thin porous Ni support sheet for the first time by use of a secondary growth method. It is found that uniform seed coating on the support is necessary to form a continuous membrane. In addition to growth time and temperature, the presence of a modulator in the growth solution is found to be useful for controlling hydrothermal membrane growth on the seeded support. A dense, intergrown membrane layer is formed by 24 h growth over a temperature range from 120 to 160 °C. The membrane surface comprises 500 nm octahedral crystals, which are supposed to grow ...
Photophysical Studies of trans-Bis(phenylethynyldiisopropylamidinato)bis(acetato)dimetal Complexes Involving MM Quadruple Bonds Where M = Mo or W

The title compounds trans-M(2)(O(2)CMe)(2)[C((i)PrN)(2)C≡C-Ph](2), I (M = Mo) and II (M = W), show electronic absorptions in the visible region of the spectrum assignable to (1)MLCT [M(2)δ to phenylethynylamidinate π*]. These compounds show dual emission from S(1) and T(1) states. For both I and II, S(1) is (1)MLCT, but for I the T(1) state is shown to be MMδδ* while for II T(1) is (3)MLCT. The lifetimes of the S(1) and T(1) states have been determined by femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy: for I S(1) ∼ 20 ps and T(1) ∼ 100 μs and for II S(1) ∼ 6 ps and T(1) ∼ 5 μs. From solvent dependence of the absorption and emission spectra, we suggest that the S(1) states are localized on one amidinate ligand though the initial absorption is to a delocalized state.
Coxal Cavities and the Classification of the Adephaga (Coleoptera)

The origin and evolution of coxal cavities are discussed. Each major type occurring in the Adephaga is described and illustrated, and its distribution within the suborder is listed. Because of extensive parallel and convergent evolution, no classification can be based on the variations of the coxal cavities of a single thoracic segment, as has been attempted in the past; but when used in combination with other characters, the coxal cavities do offer evidence about phylogeny. A natural classification is proposed. Jeannel's Isochaeta and Anisochaeta are accepted as the primary subdivisions of the Adephaga. The Isochaeta are subdivided into Septisternia and Glabricornia; the Anisochaeta, into Isopleuri, Hemipleuri, and Lobopleuri. A few genera do not fit into this classification, and are discussed separately.
An Assessment of Laboratory Needs and Current Practices of Physicians in a Rural/ Metropolitan Community

A three-part survey of 366 physicians in Kern County, Calif, that excluded pathology, radiology, and emergency medicine was conducted to ascertain the current office laboratory practice and perceived laboratory needs. Of the 83 usable responses, 65% perform testing, most often themselves or by a medical assistant in a one-person office laboratory. Most commonly needed consultative services were for quality assurance and instrument purchase, installation, and maintenance. A local reference laboratory was most often chosen, with reputation being the single most important deciding factor. Tests are sent out primarily because of low volume and the requirement for sophisticated equipment. Among personnel needs, the need for laboratory personnel who have had formal training ranked first. A wide variety of competencies equivalent to a Medical Laboratory Technician scope of practice was desired. An analysis of the results of this survey indicate that physicians were most concerned with those aspects of laboratory practice related to quality.
Piroxicam in the treatment of osteoarthrosis: a multicentre study in general practice involving 1218 patients.

A non-comparative multicentre trial was conducted by 156 general practitioners with 1218 patients in eight European countries to assess the efficacy and toleration of once daily doses of piroxicam ...