cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation and function of tailless in the long germ wasp Nasonia vitripennis

In the long germ insect Drosophila, the gene tailless acts to pattern the terminal regions of the embryo. Loss of function of this gene results in the deletion of the anterior and posterior terminal structures and the eighth abdominal segment. Drosophila tailless is activated by the maternal terminal system through Torso signaling at both poles of the embryo, with additional activation by Bicoid at the anterior. Here, we describe the expression and function of tailless in a long germ Hymenoptera, the wasp Nasonia vitripennis. Despite the morphological similarities in the mode of development of these two insects, we find major differences in the regulation and function of tailless between Nasonia and Drosophila. In contrast to the fly, Nasonia tll appears to rely on otd for its activation at both poles. In addition, the anterior domain of Nasonia tll appears to have little or no segmental patterning function, while the posterior tll domain has a much more extensive patterning role than its Drosophila counterpart.
Models of modern-sector labor market institutions in developing countries

Abstract The paper argues that policy conclusions derived from existing theories of economic development may be seriously flawed because the theories do not model correctly the modern-sector labor market. The paper first presents evidence that trade unions and governments frequently exert positive influence not only on firms' wages but also on their employment levels. It then presents models that capture this phenomenon and permit one to determine whether the observed levels of employment are insufficient, optimal, or excessive from the private and social standpoints. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the analysis could be implemented in empirical studies and in practical policy work.
Fixed-wing medical transport crashes: characteristics associated with fatal outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies within the aeromedical literature have looked at factors associated with fatal outcomes in helicopter medical transport, but no analysis has been conducted on fixed-wing aeromedical flights. The purpose of this study was to look at fatality rates in fixed-wing aeromedical transport and compare them with general aviation and helicopter aeromedical flights. METHODS: This study looked at factors associated with fatal outcomes in fixed-wing aeromedical flights, using the National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Incident Database from 1984 to 2009. RESULTS: Fatal outcomes were significantly higher in medical flights (35.6 vs. 19.7%), with more aircraft fires (20.3 vs. 10.5%) and on-ground collisions (5.1 vs. 2.0%) compared with commercial flights. Aircraft fires occurred in 12 of the 21 fatal crashes (57.1%), compared with only 2 of the 38 nonfatal crashes (5.3%) (P Language: en
When local participation helps

Programs for the delivery of public goods and services are often more effective if the public participates in their planning and execution. Not all such activities benefit from public participation, however. Activities whose effectiveness most benefits from such participation are those whose local effects are variable; those that have to be made frequently but not routinely; those that require quick responses from the public; and those whose impact calls for major changes in the behavior of the public. Experience with irrigation projects in developing countries is consistent with this “sensitivity hypothesis,” but the hypothesis is probably applicable to the management of other goods and services such as social welfare, education, public health, and transportation.
Electroencephalographic sleep profiles in single-episode and recurrent unipolar forms of major depression: I. Comparison during acute depressive states

The current study was conducted to examine if recurrent depression is associated with more severe disturbances of all-night EEG sleep profiles than single-episode depressions. Unmedicated sex- and age-matched groups of 22 single-episode (SE) and 44 recurrent unipolar (RU) outpatients with DSM-III-R/SADS/RDC major depression underwent 2 consecutive nights of EEG sleep recording. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) and/or analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were performed on six sets of sleep measures. Recurrent unipolar depression was associated with significantly increased phasic REM sleep, as well as increased REM counts on the second night of study. Recurrent depression also was associated with significantly poorer sleep efficiency, although the groups did not show consistent differences in sleep architecture or slow-wave sleep. Our findings generally support the hypothesis that recurrent depression is associated with a more severe neurophysiologic substrate than phenotypically similar SE cases. Results are, for the most part, compatible with Post's (1992) model of illness progression, particularly with respect to greater disturbances of state-dependent sleep abnormalities in the RU cases. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the evolution of such changes prospectively.
Clearance of experimental cutaneous Staphylococcus aureus infections in mice

Staphylococcal skin infections are quite common in human patients. These infections often clear spontaneously, but may also progress locally and/or disseminate to cause serious and sometimes fatal deep infections. The present studies were undertaken to examine the clearance phase of experimental cutaneous Staphylococcus aureus infections in a mouse model system. Previous work in this system has shown that staphylococci applied to the skin rapidly disseminate to the spleen and kidney. In the present experiments the bacteria were found to persist at the skin infection site at a time (8 days after inoculation) when they had disappeared from the spleen and kidney. Examination of the infected skin at earlier times revealed rapid (within 6 h) invasion into the stratum corneum, stratum Malpighii, and dermis, but subsequent redistribution of bacteria (at 1–2 days) to more superficial sites, particularly crusts located just above the skin surface. The crusts seen in these infections were of two distinct types, which were termed type 1 and type 2. Type 1 crusts appeared first, consisted of bacteria, inflammatory cells, and debris, and developed over an intact epidermis. Type 2 crusts arose from the process of dermal necrosis previously reported to take place at 2 days in this model system. In the latter situation the bacteria were not really cleared from the epidermis and dermis; rather those layers were transformed into a superficial crust that contained the bacteria. Deep hair follicle infections in the dermis were found in these infections, but they did not persist and did not seem to be a reservoir for organisms in the dermis. Resolution of these experimental infections appeared to involve redistribution of invading bacteria to more superficial locations in crusts above the skin surface, marked proliferation of the epidermis, loss of the bacteria-laden crusts from the skin, and eventual healing of the cutaneous damage.
Thematic review series: Patient-Oriented Research. Imaging atherosclerosis: state of the art

The ability to image obstructive arterial disease brought about a revolution in clinical cardiovascular care; the development of newer technologies that image arterial wall thicknesses, areas, volumes, and composition allows valid imaging of atherosclerosis for the first time. Development of noninvasive imaging of atherosclerosis has further led to a quantum shift in research in the field by enabling the study of asymptomatic populations and thus allowing investigators to focus on preclinical disease without the many biases associated with the study of symptomatic patients. These noninvasive investigations have broad implications for clinical care as well. Coronary angiography, computed tomographic (CT) imaging of coronary calcium, intravascular ultrasound, multidetector CT angiography, B mode ultrasound of the carotid arteries, and MRI of the carotid arteries all have unique strengths and weaknesses for imaging atherosclerosis. Certain of these techniques are extremely useful as outcome variables for clinical trials, and others are uniquely useful as predictors of the risk of cardiovascular disease. All are informative in one way or another with regard to the role of plaque remodeling and composition in disease causation. CT and MRI technology are advancing very rapidly, and research and clinical uses of these imaging modalities promise to further advance our understanding of atherosclerosis and its prevention.
Reconstitution in planar lipid bilayers of a voltage-dependent anion-selective channel obtained from paramecium mitochondria.

We have incorporated into planar lipid bilayer membranes a voltage-dependent, anion-selective channel (VDAC) obtained fromParamecium aurelia. VDAC-containing membranes have the following properties: (1) The steady-state conductance of a many-channel membrane is maximal when the transmembrane potential is zero and decreases as a steep function of both positive and negative voltage. (2) The fraction of time that an individual channel stays open is strongly voltage dependent in a manner that parallels the voltage dependence of a many-channel membrane. (3) The conductance of the open channel is about 500 pmho in 0.1 to 1.0m salt solutions and is ohmic. (4) The channel is about 7 times more permeable to Cl− than to K+ and is impermeable to Ca++. The procedure for obtaining VDAC and the properties of the channel are highly reproducible.
Nutrition for surgical patients: a brief overview.

As the emphasis on reducing health-care costs shape the attitudes and practices of physicians today, surgeons will be urged to use preventative efforts to shorten length of stay. When used properly, nutritional support has been shown to decrease the incidence of infection and reduce hospital length of stay. In addition, as early as 1936, Studley recognized that malnutrition significantly decreased postoperative morbidity and mortality.1 As a result, attempts to define parameters that could be used to recognize malnutrition preoperatively in surgical patients were made. Weight loss, loss of arm muscle bulk, anemia, vitamin deficiency, and low plasma levels of transferrin and albumin were found to be useful indicators.2 These variables are helpful in identifying protein-calorie malnutrition, but no single variable has been predictive of patient outcome. However, combining several variables has been shown to be more predictive. For example, a prognostic nutrition index defines malnutrition as patients with a serum albumin of ,3.5 g/dL and a recent weight loss of .10% in addition to any two of the following: weight for height, mid-arm circumference, or triceps skin-fold thickness ,10th percentile.3 In patients undergoing elective operation for benign gastrointestinal disease, the prognostic nutrition index was found to be simple and useful in determining malnutrition and its effect on postoperative outcome.3
Facile Reduction of Tungsten Halides with Nonconventional, Mild Reductants. 2. Four Convenient, High-Yield Solid-State Syntheses of the Hexatungsten Dodecachloride Cluster W6Cl12 and Cluster Acid (H3O)2[W6(μ3-Cl)8Cl6](OH2)x, Including New Cation-Assisted Ternary Routes

Tungsten hexachloride was reduced by Hg or Bi at moderately low temperatures (∼350 °C) to afford good yields (Hg, 73%; Bi, 85%) of W6Cl12 after conversion of the reduction product to the chloro acid (H3O)2[W6(μ3-Cl)8Cl6](OH2)x, recrystallization, and thermolysis in vacuo. Antimony was a less effective reductant because of the lower yield of chloro acid (31%) and the substantial quantities of insoluble byproducts found after HCl workup. The yield of (H3O)2[W6(μ3-Cl)8Cl6](OH2)x from WCl6 reduction by Sb improved dramatically to 79% with added KCl, while LiCl reduced the yield to only traces. In Bi reduction of WCl6, the yield of (H3O)2[W6(μ3-Cl)8Cl6](OH2)x decreased from 86 to 49% upon addition of NaCl, whereas added KCl had no effect on the yield. The Hg-, Bi-, Sb/KCl-, and Bi/KCl-based routes offer substantial experimental advantages over published methods for preparation of (H3O)2[W6(μ3-Cl)8Cl6](OH2)x and W6Cl12.
A 13 C-DEPLETED INFANT FORMULA USEFUL FOR METABOLIC STUDIES

Studies of absorption and bioavailability of nutrients naturally enriched with 13C require accurate measurements of small increases of 13C in respiratory CO2 and stool carbon. Sensitivity of these measurements would be increased by reducing the natural background of 13C in these excreta. We have developed a 13C depleted infant formula based on lactose, whey, and casein from New Zealand cows which consume only C3 vegetation naturally low in 13C. This formula, designated CNRC3, was produced by Ross Laboratories and was comparable to a commercial 60/40 whey/casein product. To test the formula's ability to reduce baseline levels of 13C in infant excreta, 10 formula-fed infants 28 to 56 days old and free of metabolic disorders were enrolled in the 9 day study. Two stool samples were collected daily and stored frozen. Infants received their usual formula on days 1 and 2 and were switched to CNRC3 formula for days 3-9. On days 2 and 9, 7 breath samples were collected at 30-min intervals with a face mask. Breath and stool samples were analyzed for 13C content by gas-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Infants consuming commercial formula had breath δ 13C values of -21.1 ± 0.6 % over the 3-hr collection period; stool values were -21.6 ± 0.5 %. After 7 days on the CNRC3 formula, δ 13C values of breath declined by 5.6 % to -26.7 ± 0.7 %; stool values declined by 3.8 % to -25.4 ± 0.4 %. The reduced background of 13C achieved in CNRC3 formula can improve resolution of excess 13C in infant excreta by approximately 50%.
Effects of removing Cynodon dactylon from a recently abandoned agricultural field

Summary An understanding of ecosystem response to the removal of a dominant non-native species is critical for planning control or eradication efforts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of recently abandoned agricultural fields in south-eastern Arizona, USA to the removal of Cynodon dactylon, a dominant perennial rhizomatous grass. C. dactylon was removed from treatment plots using glyphosate herbicide. Repeated application of glyphosate to C. dactylon did have a significant impact on the cover of C. dactylon and in the community composition of the treated plots. However, patterns observed in this study were similar in both control and treated plots, suggesting that the response of the system to the removal of C. dactylon was nested within larger changes the entire system was experiencing during the time of the study. The short-term, dynamic response to herbicide treatment seemed to be mediated by the amount and timing of precipitation. Additionally, though C. dactylon removal via herbicide treatment was effective, undesired effects including increases in other non-native, noxious species were observed. The results demonstrate that control of C. dactylon would likely be possible and cost-effective for this site. However, removing C. dactylon apparently created conditions conducive for other opportunistic species to increase. The decision to undertake a large-scale eradication effort should weigh the benefits of C. dactylon removal against the potential increase in other undesirable species.
Three Dimensional Traction Forces Exerted by Migrating Amoeboid Cells

There is still a lack of information regarding the mechanical aspects of cell migration and the quantification of the traction forces is essential to completely understand the migration process. Most of the methods developed to measure traction forces exerted by cells moving over flat substrates assume that the vertical forces exerted by the cells are negligible and they only exert tangential forces to the substrate. Now we have developed a method to determine the cellular traction forces exerted perpendicular to the substrate in addition to the in-plane forces. We measure the 3D substrate deformation by tracking the displacements of fluorescent marker beads embedded in the substrate. The traction forces exerted by the cells are obtained by solving analytically the elastostatic equation for a linearly elastic medium using the previously measured deformation of the substrate. In order to understand the role of specific cytoskeletal components in the organization of the three-dimensional stresses we are using Dictyostelium Discoideum cells, we study mutants with contractility and actin-crosslinking defects and compare these mutants with Wild type cells. We are looking at Myosin II null and Cortexillin null mutants to quantify the role that these proteins play in the mechanics of cell motility. We find that the three cell lines studied push on the substrate near the center of the cell and pull up near the periphery. The magnitude of the perpendicular forces is comparable to the magnitude of the tangential forces to the substrate; therefore this perpendicular component cannot be neglected. Our measurements indicate that the effects of mutations on the tangential and perpendicular traction forces to the substrate are different. Therefore, it suggests that the generation of the perpendicular and tangential traction forces is possibly controlled by two different mechanisms.
Does regional variation affect ecological mortality research? An examination of mortality, income inequality and health infrastructure in the Mississippi Delta

Mortality research has often focused on individual-level, socioeconomic, and demographic factors indicating health outcomes. Consistent with a recent trend in the public health field, this research examines mortality at the aggregate, contextual level. Based on Wilkinson’s relative income hypothesis, specifically being manifest through an underinvestment in social goods including health infrastructure, the focus of this study is a regional examination in the effects of income inequality on mortality at the county level. Health infrastructure is included as a mediating variable in the relationship between income inequality and mortality, relating back to Wilkinson’s work. Unlike previous research, regional differences in this relationship are examined to identify variation at the county level in health outcomes. The Mississippi Delta is an adequate test bed to examine the relationship between these variables based on its socioeconomic, demographic, and high inequality characteristics. It is hypothesized that Delta-designated counties within the three-state Delta region distinguish a significant positive relationship between income inequality and mortality, that this relationship is stronger than in non-Delta classified counties, and that health infrastructure significantly mediates the relationship between income inequality and mortality.
Treatment of patients with lymphomas of the uterus or cervix with combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy

Background. Primary lymphomas of the uterus or cervix are so rare that treatment series of single institutions consist of very small numbers of patients, making standard treatment difficult to define. The outcome of patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy was analyzed for all but patients with the most advanced disease. Methods. From 1976 to 1992, 16 patients received definitive treatment. Thirteen patients had intact uteri (group 1) and 3 presented with paracolpal lymphomas after previous hysterectomies (group 2). Twelve of the patients received chemotherapy and external irradiation. The remaining four underwent only chemotherapy. The overall survival and freedom from disease progression were analyzed according to Kaplan-Meier methods. Prognoses were related to the International Index, Ann Arbor stage, and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage. Results. Five-year survival and freedom from disease progression were 77 and 67%, respectively, for group 1, and all patients in group 2 were cured. A statistically signinificant correlation of survival with scores of the International Index was found in group 1. For patients with scores in the low or low-intermediate range (n = 10), 5-year survival was 90%. All patients who scored in the high-intermediate or high range (n = 3) died by 66 months after their diagnosis (P = 0.0153). The Ann Arbor stage had less predictive value, with 5-year survival of 89% for Stage I and II patients (n = 9), compared with 50% survival for the four Stage III and IV patients (P = 0.0701). International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging did not predict outcome. Conclusions. The combination of chemotherapy and irradiation is the most effective treatment regimen for all uterine and cervical lymphomas. The International Index is most predictive of outcome. Cancer 1995 ;75 : 2392-9.
Comparison of the solution chemistry of the actinides and lanthanides

Abstract The chemical behavior of the lanthanide and actinide elements in aqueous media is compared for similarities and differences. The stability of oxidation states and the thermodynamic parameters of complexation are evaluated to reflect how the decreased shielding of the 5f orbitals relative to that of the 4f orbitals causes the actinides to have somewhat different properties from those of the lanthanides. Although the interaction of the cations of both series with complexing ligands can be described satisfactorily by an ionic model, the freeenergy and enthalpy values of complexation of the trivalent actinides indicate a slightly greater covalency in bonding than that of the comparable lanthanide complexes. This is seen particularly in the metal-nitrogen-bonded systems.
An agent-based modeling approach applied to the spread of cholera

Cholera is an intestinal disease and is characterized by diarrhea and severe dehydration. While cholera has mainly been eliminated in regions that can provide clean water, adequate hygiene and proper sanitation; it remains a constant threat in many parts of Africa and Asia. Within this paper, we develop an agent-based model that explores the spread of cholera in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Poor sanitation and housing conditions contribute to frequent incidents of cholera outbreaks within this camp. We model the spread of cholera by explicitly representing the interaction between humans and their environment, and the spread of the epidemic using a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered model. Results from the model show that the spread of cholera grows radially from contaminated water sources and seasonal rains can cause the emergence of cholera outbreaks. This modeling effort highlights the potential of agent-based modeling to explore the spread of cholera in a humanitarian context. An agent-based model was developed to explore the spread of cholera.The progress of cholera transmission is represented through a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) model.The model integrates geographical data with agents' daily activities within a refugee camp.Results show cholera infections are impacted by agents' movement and source of contamination.The model has the potential for aiding humanitarian response with respect to disease outbreaks.
30 Medical Injuries and Congenital Heart Surgery

Background: Complex pediatric patients have been identified as being a vulnerable group for medical injury. Comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of injury events among children undergoing congenital heart surgery has not been performed.
IFN-β-specific signaling via a unique IFNAR1 interaction.

A unique complex of the interferon receptor IFNAR1 and interferon-β (IFN-β) has been identified that signals independently of IFNAR2 and induces a distinct set of interferon-inducible genes and downstream IFN-β-specific functional responses.
Preserved otolith organ function in caspase-3-deficient mice with impaired horizontal semicircular canal function

Genetically engineered mice are valuable models for elucidation of auditory and vestibular pathology. Our goal was to establish a comprehensive vestibular function testing system in mice using: (1) horizontal angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (hVOR) to evaluate semicircular canal function and (2) otolith-ocular reflex (OOR) to evaluate otolith organ function and to validate the system by characterizing mice with vestibular dysfunction. We used pseudo off-vertical axis rotation to induce an otolith-only stimulus using a custom-made centrifuge. For the OOR, horizontal slow-phase eye velocity and vertical eye position were evaluated as a function of acceleration. Using this system, we characterized hVOR and OOR in the caspase-3 (Casp3) mutant mice. Casp3 −/− mice had severely impaired hVOR gain, while Casp3 +/− mice had an intermediate response compared to WT mice. Evaluation of OOR revealed that at low-to-mid frequencies and stimulus intensity, Casp3 mutants and WT mice had similar responses. At higher frequencies and stimulus intensity, the Casp3 mutants displayed mildly reduced otolith organ-related responses. These findings suggest that the Casp3 gene is important for the proper function of the semicircular canals but less important for the otolith organ function.
SEED: scalable, efficient enforcement of dependences

Instruction issue logic is a critical component in modern high-performance out-of-order processors. The ever increasing latencies found in modern processors, mostly associated with memory accesses and longer pipelines, can be attenuated using large issue queues. Conventional designs rely on atomic wakeup-select cycles to ensure compact scheduling. These designs must aggressively utilize broadcasting, compaction, and heavily-ported structures that scale poorly in terms of both power consumption and access time. To provide high scheduling flexibility and large instruction capacity without incurring prohibitive latency and energy overhead, we propose a novel scheme that uses an out-of-order, broadcast-free instruction wakeup block feeding an in-order scheduler. Multi-banked, index-based structures are used throughout this scheme to provide a high degree of scalability while achieving efficient dependence tracking, resulting in good overall performance and energy efficiency. We call this design "Scalable, Efficient Enforcement of Dependences (SEED)". We present a detailed design and analysis of SEED through an extensive evaluation. Compared to a conventional issue queue design, which is assumed favorably to scale in size without any impact on cycle time, the performance degradation of our design is 3% for both INT and FP suites of SPEC CPU2000. For such a small performance cost, SEED enjoys a 19% reduction in total chip power consumption for a 32-entry configuration. We also synthesize SEED and a conventional issue logic with 90nm standard cell logic. Synthesis results show that SEED can cycle twice the speed of a conventional issue logic of equivalent size. Cycling at the same frequency, SEED consumes ten times less dynamic power and five times less static power while achieving substantial area savings.
Romantic Relationships and Health: An Examination of Individuals’ Perceptions of their Romantic Partners’ Influences on their Health

This study examines individuals’ perceptions of the impact their significant others have on their health and the extent to which these perceptions are associated with relationship quality and actual health. Two-hundred and ten participants (105 U.S. couples; mean age = 24.93) completed measures of their relationship quality and health along with an open-ended measure asking them to indicate how they felt their partner influenced their health. Results indicated that participants perceived their romantic partners to be primarily positive health influences, women believed their partners were more influential than did men, and eating and physical activity behaviors were believed to be most affected by partners. Participants’ relationship quality and health were associated with their reports of their perceived partners’ health influences.
An archaebacterial 5S rRNA contains a long insertion sequence

Sequence characterization of 16S rRNA has revealed an ancient divergence that divides prokaryotic organisms into eubacteria and archaebacteria1. This evolutionary split is so fundamental that by the 16S rRNA criterion, the archaebacteria appear to be as distinct from eubacteria as they are from eukaryotes2. Extensive comparison of the lipids3 and cell walls4,5 of the various archaebacterial species strongly supports this interpretation. Detailed molecular investigations of the archaebacteria have provided surprising findings concerning the RNA polymerases6,7, the translation system8,9, the rRNAs10 and the 5S rRNA11,12. Here we report the occurrence of a 231-nucleotide archaebacterial 5S rRNA homologue containing a 108-nucleotide segment in its interior that is not homologous to any region of a closely related normal-size 5S rRNA.
CT Perfusion Cerebral Blood Flow Imaging in Neurological Critical Care

Computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging is a technique for the measurement of cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume, and time-to-peak or mean transit time. The technique involves the administration of a single-bolus dose of iodinated contrast material, followed by spiral CT imaging during the passage of the contrast bolus through the cerebral vasculature. CT perfusion is a fast and inexpensive brain imaging modality for use in the management of patients with various neurological disorders, ranging from acute stroke to subarachnoid hemorrhage. This article reviews the technique of CT perfusion and presents several illustrative cases in which this imaging modality was used effectively in the critical care of patients with neurological disorders.
POSITIVE INTRASPECIFIC EFFECTS TRUMP NEGATIVE EFFECTS IN HIGH‐DENSITY BARNACLE AGGREGATIONS

High-density aggregations of conspecifics have long been presumed to have negative effects on individual fitness, yet this has not been adequately tested for multiple life history traits in the field. Here I report a series of investigations that comprehensively evaluate the influence of conspecific density on key traits (survival, growth, and repro- duction) in the intertidal barnacle Balanus glandula. Density was manipulated in mid- intertidal barnacle populations living on both natural rock surfaces and on settlement plates, and monitored in natural populations. Survival was positively related to density: populations at the lowest density level were 19 times more likely to experience $95% mortality than those at the highest level. In contrast, growth and individual reproductive output were negatively related to density: animals at lower experimental densities (16-50 adult bar- nacles/100 cm 2 ) grew to 1.6 times the diameter of individuals living at higher densities (200-460 adult barnacles/100 cm 2 ), and larger barnacles produced larger brood masses than smaller individuals. Overall, the frequency of brooding barnacles in experimental and natural populations was greatest at intermediate densities. Estimation of the basic repro- ductive rate for the experimental animals on the settlement plates indicated that the primary effect of increased conspecific density was enhanced survival, and consequently, a larger mean number of larvae produced per original recruit. Thus in this case, the positive intra- specific effects of high-density aggregations outweighed the negative effects. My results demonstrate that key life history traits may not have similar responses to changes in density, and provide a strategy for evaluating the relative importance of positive vs. negative in- traspecific interactions.
Single-Step Synthesis of Cell-Permeable Protein Dimerizers That Activate Signal Transduction and Gene Expression

The one-step “dimerization” (with loss of ethylene) of the immunosuppressant FK506 by olefin metathesis has been used to create new chemical inducers of dimerization (CIDs). These small-molecule protein dimerizers are shown to activate signal transduction pathways and gene transcription at low concentrations in mammalian cells. Their ease of synthesis provides ready access to reagents of widespread utility in studies of the cellular functions of proteins.
Magnetic ordering in metallic TlCo2−xNixS2 (0 ⪕ x ⪕ 2.0) with the ThCr2Si2 structure

Abstract Solid solutions of TlCo2−xNixS2 (0 ⪕ x ⪕ 2.0) with the ThCr2Si2-type structure were prepared by high temperature solid state reaction. All of the samples are highly metallic (δ ∼ 10-4-10-5 Ω-cm). TlCo2S2 orders ferromagnetically at ∼ 152 K, and TlNi2S2 is Pauli paramagnetic. Substitution of Co by Ni in TlCo2−xNixS2 (0.05 ⪕ x ⪕ 1.25) results in antiferromagnetic behavior. The magnetic moments localized on the Co ions in TlCo2S2 have been found to be oriented parallel with the a crystallographic direction as determined by magnetic measurements on an oriented single crystal. The magnetic structure of TlCo2−xNixS2 and the possible role of Ni ions in the solid solutions is discussed.
Comparative seroreactivity to Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana among cats from Israel and North Carolina

Bartonella henselae, the predominant cause of cat scratch disease, and Bartonella quintana, the cause of trench fever, are closely related Bartonella species that induce cross-reactivity when cat or human sera are tested using an indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) test. Cats are the natural reservoir for B. henselae, whereas a mammalian reservoir host for B. quintana has not been identified. Serum samples from 114 cats from Israel and 114 cats from North Carolina were tested by IFA for seroreactivity to B. henselae and B. quintana antigens. Similar numbers of cats from Israel [45 (39.5%)] and from North Carolina [46(40.4%)] were seroreactive to both antigens, however, as compared to cats from North Carolina [8 (7%)], a significantly (P = 0.001) larger number of cats from Israel were seroreactive to B. quintana antigen only [23 (20.2%)]. In addition, mean antibody titers were lower to B. henselae than to B. quintana (P = 0.0001) in the cats from Israel, whereas similar mean titers to both antigens were identified in cats from North Carolina. Absorption of serum using whole B. henselae organisms resulted in a significantly greater (P = 0.0001) decrease in antibody titer to B. henselae between absorbed and non-absorbed sera, as compared to the decrease in antibody titer following absorption with whole B. quintana organisms. There was a similar decrease in antibody titer in sera from cats experimentally infected with B. henselae and in cats naturally exposed to Bartonella species from Israel and North Carolina. Our results indicate that absorption of serum will, in most instances, distinguish species-specific reactivity by IFA to B. henselae from cross-reactivity to B. quintana in cats experimentally infected with B. henselae. The data support the conclusion that B. henselae is the principal Bartonella species responsible for seroreactivity against B. henselae and B. quintana in naturally exposed cats from Israel or North Carolina. It also suggests that in Israel, cats are exposed to one or more antigenically different Bartonella species, sub-species or strains, that seroreact by IFA more intensely with B. quintana antigen.
Septal lesion, sex, and incentive shift effects on open field behavior of rats.

Abstract Rats with lesions of the septum and control rats were placed in an open field for 5 min per day under three conditions: Habituation (3 days); Preshift (10 days), in which half of the animals were given access to 32% sucrose and half to 4% sucrose; and Postshift (4 days), in which all rats received 4% sucrose. Lesioned animals tended to spend less time in motion and engage in less rearing behavior than controls; showed a negative contrast in lick rate equivalent to the controls subsequent to the shift; showed an exaggerated increase in ambulatory behavior subsequent to the shift; and were more ‘conservative’ than controls in sampling from novel sources of sucrose present during the postshift period. Female rats engaged in more activity than males; were less affected by sucrose concentration differences during preshift; showed negative contrast effects equivalent to the males; but female rats with septal lesions showed the slowest rate of recovery from contrast and spent the most time in motion during postshift.
SHIPPING COSTS, INFORMATION COSTS, AND THE SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL COAGGLOMERATION*

Direct trade between establishments, coupled with costs of trading goods and information across space, has long been considered a primary determinant of industrial colocation. However, researchers have had difficulty decomposing the effects of interindustry trade into these two cost components. Using new techniques for separately estimating shipping and information costs, this paper provides an empirical framework for identifying the various sources of industrial coagglomeration among U.S. manufacturing industries. My findings suggest that both interindustry shipping costs and information costs influence metropolitan-level coagglomeration. Additional evidence points to the significant role of direct information costs in determining intraindustry agglomerations.
Rotenone as a Contact Insecticide

Several different types of insects were tested with rotenone in an aqueous suspension and in dust form, the carrier being diatomaceous earth intimately mixed with precipitated rotenone. The aqueous suspensions were highly toxic to aphids, thrips, white fly larvae, leaf hoppers, larvae of beetles, tent caterpillars and culicine mosquitoes. Adult beetles required a much higher concentration. Poor results were obtained against squash bugs, red spiders and mealy bugs; this might have been remedied by the addition of a penetrating and sticking agent, as there is good evidence that the active ingredients of derris are toxic to these insects under optimum conditions of application. The dusts were effective against chicken lice, roaches and cabbage worms, but results against soft bodied sucking insects were not so good.
Inhibitors of cellular proteolysis cause increased secretion from parathyroid cells.

the secretion but not the biosynthesis of parathyroid hormone and secretory protein 1 is stronly, negatively regulated by extracellular [Ca 2+ ]. In order to examine the hypothesis that decreased degradation might directly cause increased secretion, we tested the effects of agents that suppress cellular degradation via different mechanisms: 3-methyladenine, chloroquine, and 1-deoxynojirimycin. When secretion was inhibited by high [Ca 2+ ], all agents caused increased secretion, but at low [Ca 2+ ] only deoxynojirimycin was effective. Results derived from the use of two radioimmunoassays for parathyroid hormone suggested that the increased secretion was due to reduced destruction of secretory vesicles by lysosomes, and to reduced proteolysis of their contents by secretory vesicle proteases.
Role of the oxide support on the performance of Rh catalysts for the autothermal reforming of gasoline and gasoline surrogates to hydrogen

Abstract Catalysts consisting of 2 wt% Rh deposited on Gd-CeO2, Y-ZrO2, γ-Al2O3, La-Al2O3, and CaAl12O19 were tested for the autothermal reforming (ATR) of isobutane and sulfur-free gasoline. The catalysts were characterized for activity by microreactor tests and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and for physical properties by surface area measurements, CO chemisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses. The order of activity for ATR of isobutane was Rh/La-Al2O3 > Rh/Y-ZrO2 > Rh/Gd-CeO2 > Rh/γ-Al2O3 > Rh/CaAl12O19, which paralleled the ranking of the catalysts based on the dispersion and reducibility of Rh, with Rh/La-Al2O3 having the highest dispersion and the lowest reduction temperature. After subjecting the catalysts to an accelerated ageing process, the activity for ATR of isobutane was similar for all catalysts except for Rh/Gd-CeO2, which experienced a significant loss in steam reforming activity. Rhodium dispersion measurements confirmed that the ageing process had caused Rh to sinter on all of the supports. A major conclusion from this study is that the primary effect of the support was on the dispersion of Rh.
Dietary Fatty Acids and the Regulation of Plasma Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentrations

Epidemiologic studies over the past 25 years have shown that the level of dietary fat intake is positively correlated with the average serum cholesterol value and mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD). A number of different investigators demonstrated that in addition to total fat, the fatty acid composition of diets influenced serum total cholesterol (TC) in humans. In general, saturated fatty acids were found to elevate the serum cholesterol concentration, and unsaturated fatty acids were found to decrease this value. The lipoprotein fraction most affected was the level of cholesterol carried in low density lipoprotein (LDL-C). It has now been demonstrated that the steady-state level of LDL-C is predominantly dictated by metabolic events in the liver. As the amount of dietary cholesterol entering the body is increased, there is expansion of the sterol pool in the liver cell and down regulation of LDL receptors (LDLR) that are primarily responsible for clearing LDL-C from the blood stream. When dietary cholesterol intake is kept constant, however, long-chain saturated fatty acids further suppress hepatic LDLR activity, whereas several unsaturated fatty acids have the opposite effect. These regulatory events depend upon the availability of the various fatty acids to shift intracellular cholesterol between a regulatory and storage pool of cholesterol, and this effect is mediated by the enzyme acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT).
Bone marrow-derived antigen-presenting cells are required for the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to viruses and use transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP)-dependent and -independent pathways of antigen presentation.

Bone marrow (BM)-derived professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs) are required for the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to vaccinia virus and poliovirus. Furthermore, these BM-derived pAPCs require a functional transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP). In this report we analyze the requirements for BM-derived pAPCs and TAP in the initiation of CTL responses to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and influenza virus (Flu). Our results indicate a requirement for BM-derived pAPCs for the CTL responses to these viruses. However, we found that the generation of CTLs to one LCMV epitope (LCMV nucleoprotein 396–404) was dependent on BM-derived pAPCs but, surprisingly, TAP independent. The study of the CTL response to Flu confirmed the existence of this BM-derived pAPC-dependent/TAP-independent CTL response and indicated that the TAP-independent pathway is ∼10–300-fold less efficient than the TAP-dependent pathway.
Information Literacy and Office Tool Competencies: A Benchmark Study

Present information science literature recognizes the importance of information technology to achieve information literacy. The authors report the results of a benchmarking student survey regarding perceived functional skills and competencies in word-processing and presentation tools. They used analysis of variance and regression analysis to analyze the mean differences between two information domains and the determinants of perceived and desired competencies. The study supports previous research findings that highlight the need to infuse software-application productivity tools and the collaboration competency into the higher education academic curriculum to enhance information literacy. Practical implications and research directions are discussed.
Increased thyroidal fat and goitrous hypothyroidism induced by interferon‐γ

Summary Hashimoto's thyroiditis is associated with a diffuse lymphocytic infiltration of the stroma and a production of several cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). We previously reported that transgenic mice expressing IFN-gamma under the control of the thyroglobulin promoter develop primary hypothyroidism. In order to determine the long-term changes induced by IFN-gamma in the thyroid gland, we analysed cross-sectionally 202 mice (96 transgenic mice and 106 controls) of 0-650 days of age. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for age and sex, thyr-IFN-gamma transgenic mice were 14% (3 g) smaller (P < 0.0001) and had a 5- to 6-fold bigger thyroid (P < 0.0001) than wild-type littermates. Transgenic thyroids showed striking histopathological changes in follicles, thyrocytes and stroma. Follicles were enlarged, irregular and were lined by thickened, granular and oxyphilic thyrocytes. The stroma contained a moderate and diffuse mononuclear infiltrate--mainly composed of macrophages--and, interestingly, a clear increase in the content of fat. These findings indicate that, in addition to hypothyroidism, chronic exposure of the thyroid to IFN-gamma leads also to macrophage infiltration and subsequent adipocyte expansion, suggesting a link between inflammation and fat accumulation.
Blueberries as a Colorant Ingredient in Food Products

Frozen wild and cultivated blueberries were used as colorants at two levels in three model systems. Liquid beverage and condiment samples were measured by light transmission and read as Judd-Hunter L, a, b units. Opaque topping samples were measured by light reflection, recorded in L, a, b units with visual reference to Munsell Color System. Hue angle theta was calculated for all samples. Pigment analyses were done by acid-ethanol extraction and calculated as cyanidin-3-glucoside. Lower pH model systems had redder color; higher pH products had bluer color. Wild blueberries had high pigment content. The color was related to the pigment content.
A local descriptor for finding corresponding points in vector fields

Vector fields may come from video data (via optical flow and tracking), from weather phenomena (e.g., wind speed and direction), and from medical imaging. An important component in analyzing this data is to be able to quantitatively compare different points within a vector field or across different fields of the same type. We present a novel local descriptor to compare individual points in a vector field and rank them based on which are most similar to a selected point. The descriptor captures the statistics of the neighboring vector field around a central point and is discriminating, robust to noise, and efficient to generate and compare.
High-Humidity Buildings in Cold Climates—A Case History

The masonry envelope over a steel structure in a 10-story building failed and had to be replaced after 17 years of service because of severe deterioration of some materials within the masonry walls. The building was designed for use as an office block but it was used for the display, servicing, and storage of art treasures for which the inside atmosphere was maintained at a temperature of 21°C (70°F) and 50 percent relative humidity the year round. The highly humidified air, in escaping through leakage paths in the building envelope, lost moisture by condensation which accumulated in and on the building materials. This led to the degradation of mortar, deterioration of masonry by frost action, and corrosion of metal ties and fasteners.