cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction: Moral and Market disordering in the time of Covid-19

This special issue composed of essays that brainstorm the triadic relationship between Covid-19, Race and the Markets, addresses the fundamentals of a world economic system that embeds market values within social and cultural lifeways. It penetrates deep into the insecurities and inequalities that have endured for several centuries, through liberalism for sure, and compounded ineluctably into these contemporary times. Market fundamentalism is thoroughly complicit with biopolitical sovereignty-its racializing socioeconomic projects, cheapens life given its obsessive focus on high growth, by any means necessary. If such precarity seemed normal even opaque to those privileged enough to reap the largess of capitalism and its political correlates, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic with its infliction of sickness and death has exposed the social and economic dehiscence undergirding wealth in the U.S. especially, and the world at large. The essays remind us of these fissures, offering ways to unthink this devastating spiral of growth, and embrace an unadulterated care centered system;one that offers a more open and relational approach to life with the planet. Care, then becomes the pursuit of a re-existence without domination, and the general toxicity that has accompanied a regimen of high growth. The contributors to this volume, join the growing global appeal to turn back from this disaster, and rethink how we relate to ourselves, to our neighbors here and abroad, and to the non-humans in order to dwell harmoniously within socionature.
Pitch perception

This article is a review of the psychophysical study of pitch perception. The history of the study of pitch has seen a continual competition between spectral and temporal theories of pitch perception. The pitch of complex stimuli is likely based on the temporal regularities in a sound’s waveform, with the strongest pitches occurring for stimuli with low-frequency components. Thus, temporal models, especially those based on autocorrelationlike processes, appear to account for the majority of the data.
Benchmarking Cpa Firms for Productivity and Efficiency: A Decade Comparison 1994 vs. 2004

CPA firms are continuously being ranked and compared to each other. Most rankings are based on total revenue or total clients and convey a measure of prestige. But is ranking by total revenue the best way to compare firms, and benchmark and judge performance? Linking revenues to the resources used to generate them would give a more meaningful basis for evaluating firm performance regardless of size. This paper uses alternative benchmarks to assess productivity and efficiency for the top 100 CPA firms in 1994 and 2004. This paper also compares the product mix of these 100 firms in 1994 and 2004 as reported in Accounting Today.
Latitude and photoperiodism

Many annual biological cycles are thought to be synchronized by seasonal patterns of day length. But day length, or day length changes,per se, do not explain the latitudinal variations of observed cycles in a consistent manner. A standardization of day length with latitude, based on the extreme photoperiods at each latitude, yields a “relative day length” parameter in two sets. It is suggested that these sets are applicable in the description of photoperiodic effects at different latitudes for “long-day” and “short-day” organisms. The aptness of the descriptive parameters is demonstrated for the egg seasons of certain birds, and for the reproductive cycle of white-tailed deer. In both instances, breeding season peaks occur at the same relative day length at all latitudes.
Facilitating Healing of Granulating Wounds: Dressings, Dermal Substitutes, and Other Methods

Wounds created by skin cancer surgery often heal by secondary intention. Many novel options to assist in wound healing exist. This article reviews the biology of wound healing, indications for healing by secondary intention, types of dressings, categories, and brand names of tissue-engineered skin substitutes, as well as other wound healing modalities. The cost-benefit analysis must be considered given the expense of these newer technologies.
Corrections of clinical chemistry test results in a laboratory information system

Abstract Context.—The recently released reports by the Institute of Medicine, To Err Is Human and Patient Safety, have received national attention because of their focus on the problem of medical errors. Although a small number of studies have reported on errors in general clinical laboratories, there are, to our knowledge, no reported studies that focus on errors in pediatric clinical laboratory testing. Objective.—To characterize the errors that have caused corrections to have to be made in pediatric clinical chemistry results in the laboratory information system, Misys. To provide initial data on the errors detected in pediatric clinical chemistry laboratories in order to improve patient safety in pediatric health care. Design.—All clinical chemistry staff members were informed of the study and were requested to report in writing when a correction was made in the laboratory information system, Misys. Errors were detected either by the clinicians (the results did not fit the patients' clinical condition...
Sizing of Atrial Septal Defects to Predict Successful Closure with Transcatheter CardioSEAL™ Device

We conducted this retrospective study to compare methods for measuring atrial septal defects and to identify factors affecting echocardiographic measurement of such defects before transcatheter closure with the CardioSEAL™ Septal Occluder. We reviewed the records of patients considered for device placement at our institution from January 1997 to April 1999. Atrial septal defect size was measured by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography; the stretched diameter was measured during catheterization by fluoroscopy and transesophageal echocardiography. The stretched-diameter fluoroscopic measurement was used for device size selection. Analysis of variance was used to calculate the effect of size, age, and size-by-age interaction. Thirty-one patients (3.3 to 72 years of age) underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. One patient was excluded from catheterization because of a 25-mm septal defect as indicated by transesophageal echocardiography (our maximum diameter, 15 mm). Thirty patients underwent transcatheter stretched-diameter sizing; 5 were excluded from device implantation because of defects >20 mm by stretched-diameter fluoroscopy (4) or septal length insufficient for device support (1). Implantation was successful in 23/25 patients; 2/23 had a residual shunt. In patients with available results (26/30), the stretched diameter was the same whether measured by stretched-diameter fluoroscopy or transesophageal echocardiography (P=0.007, R square=0.963). Compared with stretched-diameter fluoroscopy, precatheterization transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography underestimated defect size by a mean of 22% and 13.2%, respectively. When data from those same tests were compared in defects of ≤10 mm and >10 mm, transthoracic and transesophageal echo-cardiography were reliable predictors (P=0.003 and P=0.05, respectively) of stretched-diameter size in defects ≤10 mm.
The Influence of Rome and of the Frontier upon Medieval West European Institutions

the Church upon medieval West European civilization, whose frontiers were expanding in the Frankish era and subsequently.' The intermissions in political expansion were marked by continued missionary activity adding new territories to the Christian West in the tenth and eleventh centuries. It is now necessary to trace the connections between these forms of expansion and the continuity of European institutions and ideas, for which the Church afforded an agency of conservation and of creative evolution, improvement, and enhancement.
Potential for using a hermetically-sealed, positive-pressured isocage system for studies involving germ-free mice outside a flexible-film isolator.

Germ-free mice are used to examine questions about the role of the gut microbiota in development of diseases. Generally these animals are maintained in semi-rigid or flexible-film isolators to ensure their continued sterility or, if colonized with specific microbiota, to ensure that no new species are introduced. Here, we describe the use of a caging system in which individual cages are hermetically sealed and have their own filtered positive airflow. This isopositive caging system requires less space and reduces animal housing costs. By using strict sterile techniques, we kept mice germ-free in this caging system for 12 weeks. We also used this caging system and approach to conduct studies evaluating a) the stability of the microbiome in germ-free mice receiving a fecal transplant and b) the stability of dietary-induced microbiota changes in fecal-transplanted mice. As has been shown in fecal transfer studies in isolators, we found that the transferred microbiota stabilizes as early as 2 weeks post trans...
Androgen regulates synaptic input to motoneurons of the adult rat spinal cord

Adult male rats (Sprague-Dawley) were castrated and implanted subcutaneously with Silastic capsules containing testosterone or nothing. Sham-castrated males served as controls. Four weeks following castration, cholera toxin-horseradish peroxidase (CT-HRP) was injected bilaterally into the bulbocavernosus muscles and animals were sacrificed 2 d later. The spinal cords containing the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) were dissected, processed with a modified tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) method for visualization of retrogradely transported CT-HRP, and examined at the ultrastructural level. Neuronal structures apposing the membranes of 150 TMB-labeled SNB neurons were analyzed by measuring the percentage of somatic and proximal dendritic membranes covered by synaptic contacts, synaptoid contacts, and neuron- neuron contacts. Most of the neuronal structures in the control and experimental SNB motoneurons consisted of synaptic contacts. The mean percentage of somatic and proximal dendritic membranes covered by synapses 4 weeks after castration was reduced to approximately 30% of those in control animals. However, treatment with testosterone for 4 weeks after castration prevented this decline. Castration and testosterone treatment also influenced the size and number of synaptic contacts per unit length of somatic and proximal dendritic membranes, and the incidence of neuron-neuron contacts and double synapses onto SNB motoneurons. These results indicate that androgen is critical for maintaining the organization of synaptic inputs to these spinal motoneurons in adult male rats.
ID: 82: The Innate Immune Sensor, LGP2, Interferes with TRAF Proteins to Prevent NFkB Activation

The detection of RNA virus infections triggers the production type I interferon (IFN), and is a major component of the powerful antiviral system that directly interferes with virus replication and contributes to both innate and adaptive immune responses. Virus replication intermediates such as double stranded RNA (dsRNA) or RNAs with distinct non-self modifications are recognized in the cytoplasm by pattern recognition receptors including RIG-I, MDA5, and LGP2. These innate sensors recognize non-self RNAs via their C-terminal domains, and RIG-I and MDA5 use N-terminal CARDs to induce the activation of the downstream signaling scaffold, MAVS. MAVS coordinates the assembly of signaling machinery including TRAFs and IKK-family kinases that activate IRF3 and NFkB transcription factors. Available evidence suggests LGP2 acts as a concentration dependent switch to regulate RLR antiviral signaling. For positive actions, LGP2 uses its unique catalytic activity to enhance MDA5 RNA recognition, dsRNA filament assembly, and enable more efficient activation of MAVS and downstream signal transduction. The mechanism of LGP2 negative regulation have been investigated, and results indicate that LGP2-mediated inhibition occurs downstream of RIG-I, MDA5, and MAVS. LGP2 inhibition does not require ATPase activity or RNA binding. Instead, results indicate that LGP2 targets TRAF signaling proteins, disengaging their ubiquitin ligase activity, and potently preventing NFkB activation in MAVS dependent and independent systems. Identification of TRAF proteins as inhibitory targets not only resolves the dual roles of LGP2 in antiviral signaling regulation, but also expands the potential impact of LGP2 negative regulation beyond innate antiviral signaling.
Circadian fluctuations of period protein immunoreactivity in the CNS and the visual system of Drosophila

When the protein encoded by the period (per) gene, which influences circadian rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster, was labeled with an anti- per antibody in adult flies sectioned at different times of day, regular fluctuations in the intensity of immunoreactivity were observed in cells of the visual system and central brain. These fluctuations persisted in constant darkness. Time courses of the changing levels of staining were altered in the per-short mutant: in light/dark cycles, the phase was earlier than in wild-type, and in constant darkness the period was shorter. In a per-long mutant and in behaviorally subnormal germline transformants (involving transduced per DNA), staining intensities were much fainter than in wild-type. Factors involved in initiating or maintaining the per protein cycling were investigated by examining the immunoreactivity in visual system mutants and by exposing wild-type flies to altered light/dark regimes. These genetic and environmental manipulations affected the expression of the per protein in ways that usually parallelled their effects on circadian behaviors.
The international vocabulary of basic and general terms in metrology

Abstract A new bilingual (French and English) international vocabulary of terms used in Metrology has been published by ISO on behalf of BIPM, IEC, ISO and OIML. This paper deals with the origins of the Vocabulary and with some of the problems which arose in the course of the work on its preparation: it also comments on some of the terms and definitions.
Growth rates for pure birth Markov chains

Abstract A pure birth Markov chain is a continuous time Markov chain { Z ( t ) : t ≥ 0 } with state space S ≡ { 0 , 1 , 2 , … } such that for each i ≥ 0 the chain stays in state i for a random length of time that is exponentially distributed with mean λ i − 1 and then jumps to ( i + 1 ) . Suppose b ( ⋅ ) is a function from ( 0 , ∞ ) → ( 0 , ∞ ) that is nondecreasing and ↑ ∞ . This paper addresses the two questions: (1) Given { λ i } i ≥ 0 what is the growth rate of Z ( t ) ? (2) Given b ( ⋅ ) does there exist { λ i } such that Z ( t ) grows at rate b ( t ) ?
Isolation and characterization of thermodynamically stable and unstable RNA hairpins from a triloop combinatorial library.

Hairpins are the most common elements of RNA secondary structure, playing important roles in RNA tertiary architecture and forming protein binding sites.Triloops are common in a variety of naturally occurring RNA hairpins, but little is known about their thermodynamic stability. Reported here are the sequences and thermodynamic parameters for a variety of stable and unstable triloop hairpins. Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) can be used to separate a simple RNA combinatorial library based on thermal stability [Bevilacqua, J. M., and Bevilacqua, P. C. (1998) Biochemistry 45, 15877−15884]. Here we introduce the application of TGGE to separating and analyzing a complex RNA combinatorial library based on thermal stability, using an RNA triloop library. Several rounds of in vitro selection of an RNA triloop library were carried out using TGGE, and preferences for exceptionally stable and unstable closing base pairs and loop sequences were identified. For stable hairpins, the most common closing ...
Wave-Rotor Pressure-Gain Combustion Analysis for Power Generation and Gas Turbine Applications

A wave-rotor pressure-gain combustor (WRPGC) ideally provides constant-volume combustion and enables a gas turbine engine to operate on the Humphrey-Atkinson cycle. It exploits pressure (both compression and expansion) waves and confined propagating combustion to achieve pressure rise inside the combustor. This study first presents thermodynamic cycle analysis to illustrate the improvements of a gas turbine engine possible with a wave rotor combustor. Thereafter, non-steady reacting simulations are used to examine features and characteristics of a combustor rig that reproduces key features of a WRPGC.In the thermodynamic analysis, performance parameters such as thermal efficiency and specific power are estimated for different operating conditions (compressor pressure ratio and turbine inlet temperature). The performance of the WRPGC is compared with the conventional unrecuperated and recuperated engines that operates on the Brayton cycle. Fuel consumption may be reduced substantially with WRPGC introduction, while concomitantly boosting power. Simulations have been performed of the ignition of propane by a hot gas jet and subsequent turbulent flame propagation and shock-flame interaction.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
PHOTOBIOLOGY OF RNA BACTERIOPHAGES–II U.V.–IRRADIATION OF f2: EFFECTS ON EXTRACELLULAR STAGES OF INFECTION AND ON EARLY REPLICATION*

— The effect of u.v. irradiation (2537 A) on the RNA bacteriophage f2 has been studied with respect to the adsorption of f2 to E. coli K12 (male strain), the penetration of f2-RN A into the host cell and the conversion of the phage nucleic acid to the double-stranded replicative intermediate. The biological parameter most sensitive to u.v. was the plaque-forming ability of the phage. Its loss could be attributed to several factors. (1). A binding of capsid protein to phage nucleic acid interfering with host penetration by the f2-RNA. (2). Desorption of some irradiated phage at 37° from their attachment sites on the host. (3). Molecular alterations in the RNA preventing formation of the replicative intermediate within the host. The relationship of these factors to the lack of photoreactivability of irradiated f2 is discussed.
Tax Asymmetries and the Optimal Investment Decision of the Firm

Abstract This paper analyzes the effects of the loss carryback, and carryforward on the investment and financing decision of the firm. The optimal strategies to eliminate, most if not all, potential Corporate tax liabilities are demonstrated. It is also shown that the carryforward and carryback, provisions provide more incentive for existing firms than for new firms to invest. At the macro level, these tax provisions encourage greater risk taking by the more profitable firms.
Inhibition of uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenase by a free radical formed from chlorpromazine

Abstract That inhibition in vitro of uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenase by chlorpromazine (CPZ) might depend upon oxidation of CPZ to a free radical was suggested when preincubation of the enzyme with CPZ in daylight produced inhibition of the enzyme coincident with oxidation of the CPZ. Chlorpromazine-5-oxide, the oxidation product, did not inhibit the enzyme, nor did CPZ without preincubation. The inhibitory species seems, therefore, to be the CPZ free radical, an intermediate in the oxidation of CPZ to its oxide. Generation of the free radical has been accomplished by oxidation of CPZ with Ce4+, and by solution of CPZ or its oxide in strongly acidic solutions. The mechanism of free radical generation has been studied, and a stable CPZ free radical preparation which may be conveniently employed as an inhibitor of enzymes in vitro has been developed. Preformed CPZ free radical is a potent inhibitor of uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenase. Inhibition is noncompetitive with respect to both the substrate and the coenzyme. Cysteine protects the enzyme from inhibition, while neither the substrate nor the coenzyme affords protection.
Inhibition of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity by alpha-methyl tyrosine, a potent inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase.

Abstract Inhibitors of phenylalanine hydroxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase were used in the assay of phenylalanine hydroxylase in liver and kidney of rats and mice. Parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA), methyl tyrosine methyl ester and dimethyl tyrosine methyl ester showed 5–15% inhibition while α-methyl tyrosine seemed to inhibit phenylalanine hydroxylase to the extent of 95–98% at concentrations of 5 × 10 −5 M –1 × 10 −4 M. After a phenylketonuric diet (0.12% PCPA + 3% excess phenylalanine), the liver showed 60% phenylalanine hydroxylase activity and kidney 82% that present in pair-fed normals. Hepatic activity was normal after 8 days refeeding normal diet whereas kidney showed 63% of normal activity. The PCPA-fed animals showed 34% in liver and 38% in kidney as compared to normals; in both cases normal activity was noticed after refeeding. The phenylalanine-fed animals showed activity similar to that seen in phenylketonuric animals. The temporary inducement of phenylketonuria in these animals may be due to a slight change in conformation of the phenylalanine hydroxylase molecule; once the normal diet is resumed, the enzyme reverts back to its active form. This paper also suggests that α-methyl tyrosine when fed in conjunction with the phenylketonuric diet may suppress phenylalanine hydroxylase activity completely in the experimental animals thus yielding normal tyrosine levels as seen in human phenylketonurics.
Temporal and Spatial Variations in Dielectric Constant and Water Status of Dominant Forest Species from New England

Abstract Temporal and spatial characteristics of microwave dielectric properties and water status of several forest species were investigated during the 1990 and 1991 growing seasons as part of the NASA FED MAC. Data presented were acquired from, Durham, New Hampshire (white pine, eastern hemlock, and American beech), and Howland, Maine (eastern hemlock and red spruce). Dielectric properties of trunk wood were measured using C-band, L-band, and P-band dielectric probes. For the Durham specimens, electrical resistance was measured using a digital ohmmeter. Water status of the trees studied was determined either by use of a Scholander pressure bomb on branch samples or by fresh weight/dry weight assessment of wood core samples. Results indicate the following: 1) Radial dielectric profiles matched the regions of the functional sapwood such that the sapwood was characterized by a higher dielectric than the bark and heartwood tissues. 2) A hysteresis exists between diurnal variations in branch water potential and trunk sapwood dielectric. 3) The dielectric properties were positively correlated with wood core moisture content, while the electrical resistance was poorly correlated with moisture content. 4) Using categories of electrical resistance measurements as a qualitative assessment of relative ion concentrations, the dielectric measurements were not sensitive to the different ion concentrations within the xylem and phloem exudate. These results support the view that dielectric properties are strongly correlated with moisture status in trunk wood and that diurnal variations in dielectric are related to diurnal fluctuations in water potential. The lag between changes in branch water potential and trunk dielectric varies, depending on the structure, evaporative demand, and water storage capacity of the sapwood.
ECONOMISM AND DETERMINISM IN DEPENDENCY THEORY

The wide acceptance of dependency theory throughout the Third World constitutes a conceptual revolution in a scientific understanding of large-scale questions of capitalist development. The perspective has succeeded in discrediting the system, legitimating tenents of modernization theory, and in undermining the "developmentalist" approach of reform nationalisms. Yet its intellectual and political weight as a now dominant paradigm for analyzing development and underdevelopment has caused a considerable consternation among some Marxists, especially those inclined toward orthodoxy. Dependency theory is particularly attacked for being excessively based on analyses of exchange and spacial relations rather than production relations; it is criticized as not having an adequate approach to stages of development of the mode of production, as economistic, and as lacking in class analysis. Each of these criticisms has some merit. Yet, in my view, the problem with almost all of the critiques is that, while they specify the problems with dependency theory, they do not offer any serious theoretical development beyond it, much less an alternative to it. I do not think this is at all accidental. The critics have been unable to develop an alternative because neither the classical theory of imperialism nor contemporary strains of orthodox Marxism provide ready answers to the problems of underdevelopment that dependency theory has addressed. Dependency theory developed not just in reaction to conventional modernization theory and the 1950s nationalist and reformist formulations of the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) and of the ideologues of "developmentalism" but as a so-called "neo-Marxism," because traditional Marxism was inadequate to the task, in both its theoretical manifestations and its political conceptions (e.g., the limitations of Lenin's theory of imperialism; the "feudalism" thesis of backwardness; Trotsky's law of uneven and combined development; the reformist line of the communist parties of the region; the inability of the left generally to develop a coherent alternative to developmentalist reformism). * The author, who teaches sociology at Livingston College (Rutgers University), has adapted this article from his forthcoming book, Social Class and Social Development: Comparative Studies of
A comparison of local intraarticular anesthesia versus general anesthesia for ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery

Abstract Various anesthetic techniques including local, regional, and general anesthesia have been utilized for ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery. The choice of anesthetic technique for this surgical procedure can have a significant impact on postoperative recovery, side effects, and patient satisfaction. The objective of this randomized, prospective study is to evaluate the efficacy of utilizing either intraarticular (IA) local anesthesia or general anesthesia (GA) for patients undergoing outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery. Patients assigned to the local anesthesia group were administered an IA injection of 30 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% approximately 20–30 min before surgery. Intraoperative sedation was provided with the administration of propofol. Patients assigned to the GA group were administered propofol and fentanyl for induction and maintained with sevoflurane combined with nitrous oxide in oxygen by laryngeal mask airway. The surgeon injected 30 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% through the arthroscope at the completion of the surgical procedure. This study demonstrates that IA anesthesia provides for improved pain relief, decreased postoperative opioid use, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), time spent in the recovery room, and improved patient satisfaction with similar operating conditions comparable to general anesthesia in patients undergoing outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery. Although both groups received a similar dose of IA bupivacaine, administering the local anesthetic prior to surgery resulted in more effective analgesia. We currently believe that intraarticular local anesthesia fulfills all the criteria for the optimal anesthetic technique for outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery.
Usefulness of high-sensitivity C-Reactive protein in predicting long-term risk of death or acute myocardial infarction in patients with unstable or stable angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), proposed as a new coronary risk marker, may reflect either an acute phase reaction or the level of chronic inflammation. Thus, CRP may be less predictive of long-term outcomes when measured after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than after unstable angina pectoris (UAP) or stable angina pectoris (SAP). A total of 1,360 patients with severe coronary artery disease (>/=1 stenosis >/=70%) had CRP levels obtained at angiography. Presenting diagnoses were SAP (n = 599), UAP (n = 442), or AMI (n = 319). During follow-up (mean 2.8 years), death or nonfatal AMI (D/AMI) occurred in 19.5%, 16.1%, and 17.2% (p = NS) with SAP, UAP, and AMI, respectively. Corresponding median CRP levels were 1.31, 1.27, and 2.50 mg/dl (p <0.001). For the overall cohort, increasing age, low ejection fraction, revascularization, and elevated CRP were the strongest of 6 independent predictors for D/AMI. Among those presenting with SAP, CRP levels above the first tertile were associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 2.8, p <0.009) for D/AMI. After UAP, the hazard ratio was 2.7 (95% CI 1.4 to 5.0, p <0.002). However, when measured during hospitalization for AMI, CRP was not predictive of long-term outcome (hazard ratio 1.0 [95 % CI 0.5 to 1.7] p = 0.86). In conclusion, predischarge CRP levels are higher after AMI than after UAP or SAP. However, whereas CRP is strongly predictive of long-term D/AMI for patients presenting with SAP or UAP, it is not predictive shortly after AMI, suggesting that measurements should be delayed until the acute phase reaction is over and levels have returned to baseline.
Auditory cortical plasticity: a comparison with other sensory systems

The auditory cortex has a crucial role in higher cognitive functions, including the perception of speech, music and auditory space. Cortical plasticity, as in other sensory systems, is used in the fine tuning of the auditory system for these higher functions. Auditory cortical plasticity can also be demonstrated after lesions of the cochlea and it appears to participate in generating tinnitus. Early musical training leads to an expansion in the representation of complex harmonic sounds in the auditory cortex. Similarly, the early phonetic environment has a strong influence on speech development and, presumably, on the cortical organization of speech. In auditory spatial perception, the spectral cues generated by the head and outer ears vary between individuals and have to be calibrated by learning, which most probably takes place at the cortical level. The neural mechanisms of plasticity are likely to be the same across all cortical regions. It should be useful, therefore, to relate some of the findings and hypotheses about auditory cortical plasticity to previous studies of other sensory systems.
MICROHABITAT AND TIME-SINCE-FIRE : EFFECTS ON DEMOGRAPHY OF ERYNGIUM CUNEIFOLIUM (APIACEAE), A FLORIDA SCRUB ENDEMIC PLANT

rosemary)-dominated Florida scrub, a periodically burned, shrub-dominated habitat. Multivariate analyses using 22 microhabitat characteristics indicated significant microhabitat and time-since-fire effects on survival, growth, and fecundity of 1287 individuals over a 4-yr period. Survival increased with distance to the nearest shrub, and plants in larger open patches had greater survival rates. Neighboring shrubs of Ceratiola ericoides and Calamintha ashei were associated with a higher mortality of E. cuneifolium than other neighboring shrub species. Survival was reduced by two-thirds over 4 yr (14% vs. 42%) for E. cuneifolium near C. ericoides. Sand accretion increased growth and fecundity. With greater time since fire, woody shrubs increasingly dominate and open patches shrink, significantly reducing survival, growth, and fecundity of E. cuneifolium. Effects were particularly dramatic between 2 and 7 yr postfire, when annual mortality increased from 30% (r = 0.74). This herbaceous species is dependent on an open habitat maintained by periodic fire. Belowground competition or allelopathy from shrubs probably restricts E. cuneifolium to recently burned, open patches within the most xeric parts of Florida scrub.
DYNAMIC BUCKLING OF A RECTANGULAR ORTHOTROPIC PLATE

The elastic buckling of a simply-supported rectangular orthotropic plate, with initial imperfections, under a rapidly applied compressive load is analyzed. The large deflection plate equations are used to study inertial effects in the postbulkling phase. Numerical results for a controlled rate of load application show that the critical load is increased over the corresponding static case. The load-deflection relation is oscillatory in the postbuckling phase, thereby increasing the stresses in the plate over those in the static case. Initial imperfections decrease the critical load as well as increase the frequency and decrease the amplitude of the oscillations.
Cell cycle kinetics of uninfected and feline leukemia virus-infected canine lymphoma cell lines: effects of methotrexate treatment.

The cell cycle kinetics of uninfected and feline leukemia virusinfected canine lymphoma cell lines were determined by autoradiography (PLM method) as follows:DT-5: generation time (Tc), 15.2 h; pre-synthetic gap phase (TG1), 3.2 h; DNA-synthetic phase (Ts), 8.2 h; post-synthetic gap ph se (TG2), 3.3 h; visible mitotic phase (TM), 0.5 h.11028: Tc, 13.6 h; TG1,1.9 h; Ts, 7.7 h; TG2, 3.4 h; TM, 0.6 h.11028+FeLV (11028 productively infected with feline leukemia virus): Tc, 11.2 h; TG1, 0.2 h; Ts, 8.3 h; TG2, 2.1 h; TM, 0.6 h. Exposure of the lymphoma cell lines to methotrexate (MTX) in vitro produces dose-related increases in cellular volume, associated with reductions in cellular proliferation. The relative sensitivities of these cell lines to MTX, measured by the ID50 MTX concentrations for DT-5, 11028, and 11028 + FeLV are 118nM, 122 nM, and 28 nM respectively. The cell kinetic effects of the ID50 MTX concentrations added to cultures of lymphoma cells pulse-labeled with tritiated thymidine are an approximately 2-h prolongation of Tc, attributable to a lengthening of Ts, with other cell cycle phases not significantly altered. These cell lines are highly tumorigenic when transplanted into the cheek pouches of immunosuppressed hamsters, with inocula of 104 cells repeatably producing rapidly growing, well vascularized tumors.
Food Interrelationships of Salmon, Trout, Alewives, and Smelt in a Maine Lake

Abstract Food habits of landlocked salmon (Salmo salar), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), landlocked alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus), and American smelt (Osmerus mordax) were studied in Echo Lake, Mount Desert Island, Maine, from June, 1967, to May, 1968. Landlocked alewives were introduced into Echo Lake as adults taken from Cayuga Lake, New York, in 1966. Annual salmon diet consisted of invertebrates (mainly insects) and several forage fishes [alewives, smelt, sticklebacks, (Pungitius pungitius), and killifish (Fundulus diaphanus)]. Smelt were eaten during the entire year, killifish and sticklebacks during summer, and alewives only during spring. Brook trout had similar food habits except that sticklebacks were used throughout the year, and invertebrates constituted a higher proportion of their overall diet. Brook trout fed heavily on isopods (Asellus sp.) during winter and early spring. Alewives fed extensively on plankton with insects constituting important food only during summer months. Smelt ut...
TACTICS FOR TYPE I DIABETES

This article discusses the evolution of therapy for type I diabetes and considers how physicians should be thinking about the disease in the late 1990s. The biases herein are that management strategy has evolved such that contemporary practice should routinely entail a system of "flexible intensive therapy" directed at meticulous glycemic control; that to accomplish this requires a skilled management team including an educated motivated patient and family working in a negotiated therapeutic alliance; and that a further goal should be the development of effective approaches to interdict the pathogenetic process such that disease prevention is possible.
The use of IV fat in neonates

IV fat emulsion (IVFE) is an integral part of the parenteral nutrition (PN) regimen in neonates. It provides a concentrated isotonic source of calories and prevents or reverses essential fatty acid deficiency. Continuous administration of IV fat with PN regimens prolongs the viability of peripheral IV lines in infants who might have limited venous access. IVFE must be administered separately from the PN solution in neonates. The acidic pH of a PN solution is necessary for maximum solubility of calcium and phosphorus. If fat emulsion is added to the PN solution, as is done in 3-in-1 (total nutrient admixture) solutions, the high amount of calcium and phosphorus needed by these infants may result in an unseen precipitate with serious consequences. Continuous fat infusion over 24 hours is the preferred method in neonates. The administration rate of 0.15 g/kg/hour for IVFE in the neonate should not be exceeded. Essential fatty acid deficiency can be prevented in neonates by providing IVFE in a dose of 0.5-1.0 g/kg/day. Carnitine is not routinely required to metabolize IVFE in the neonate. Infants should receive 20% lipid emulsion to improve clearance of triglycerides and cholesterol. Serum triglyceride levels should be maintained at <150-200 mg/dL in neonates. There are concerns about potential adverse effects of early administration of IV fat in very-low-birth-weight infants weighing <800 g. We hold the IV fat dose at 1.0-1.5 g/kg/day until the second week of life in infants <30 weeks gestation.
Modulation of Kv Channel α/β Subunit Interactions

Voltage-gated K(+) channels comprise the largest and most diverse class of ion channels. These channels establish the resting membrane potential and modulate the frequency and duration of action potentials in nerve and muscle, as well as being the targets of several antiarrhythmic drugs in the heart. The multiplicity of Kv channel function is further enhanced through modulation by accessory beta subunits, which confer rapid inactivation, alter current amplitudes, and promote cell surface expression. In addition, alpha/beta interactions are also influenced by second messenger pathways. Recent evidence demonstrates that phosphorylation of Kv channel alpha and/or beta subunits may dramatically affect channel properties. The functional response of different K(+) channel subunits to activation of protein kinases represents not only a means to modulate subunit interactions, but also another mechanism for K(+) channel diversity in vivo.
Spatial and Varietal Price Analysis of Dry Edible Bean Markets

Abstract Dry bean prices, as received by the grower and the dealer, were analyzed for four different production regions, and for two of the major varieties grown in the US. The dry bean price series were not stationary. Prices for each variety were cointegrated across the production regions and between grower and dealer markets. However causality tests failed to show the dominant regional variety as the price leader. Further, prices of the two varieties were not cointegrated, which indicated that growers would benefit from growing more than one variety at the same time.
Detection time for plausible changes in annual precipitation, evapotranspiration, and streamflow in three Mississippi River sub-basins

We use diagnostic studies of off-line variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model simulations of terrestrial water budgets and 21st-century climate change simulations using the parallel climate model (PCM) to estimate the time required to detect predicted changes in annual precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (E), and discharge (Q) in three sub-basins of the Mississippi River Basin. Time series lengths on the order of 50–350 years are required to detect plausible P, E, and Q trends in the Missouri, Ohio, and Upper Mississippi River basins. Approximately 80–160, 50, and 140–350 years, respectively, are needed to detect the predicted P, E, and Q trends with a high degree of statistical confidence. These detection time estimates are based on conservative statistical criteria (α = 0.05 and β = 0.10) associated with low probability of both detecting a trend when it is not occurring (Type I error) and not detecting a trend when it is occurring (Type II error). The long detection times suggest that global-warming-induced changes in annual basin-wide hydro-climatic variables that may already be occurring in the three basins probably cannot yet be detected at this level of confidence. Furthermore, changes for some variables that may occur within the 21st century might not be detectable for many decades or until the following century – this may or may not be the case for individual recording station data. The long detection times for streamflow result from comparatively low signal-to-noise ratios in the annual time series. Finally, initial estimates suggest that faster detection of acceleration in the hydrological cycle may be possible using seasonal time series of appropriate hydro-climatic variables, rather than annual time series.
A Review of Seven Complementary and Alternative Medicine Databases

Abstract Health sciences librarians are frequently asked to provide customer access to credible complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) information. This article reviews and compares the strengths and weaknesses of seven major CAM databases—AltHealth Watch, AMED, Complementary Medicine Subset on PubMed, HerbMed, MANTIS, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, and Natural Standard. Factors such as the amount, quality (evidence-based and/or peer reviewed), uniqueness, currency, and timeliness of information provided in each database as well as unique features, accessibility, and ease-of-use are discussed.
Quasinormal Distributions and Expansion at the Mode

The Gram-Charlier series of type A is discussed in terms ofdeviants which are related to moments in a way similar to the way Hermite polynomials are related to the powers. Distribution functions are also expressed in terms of the mode and moments (cumulants or deviants), which are useful expansions when the distributions are approximately normal. It is shown that such expansions as well as the Gram-Charlier series are valid asymptotically for discrete distributions defined on the semiinfinite interval [0, ∞].
The Effect of Ivermectin in Seven Strains of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Including a Genetically Diverse Laboratory Strain and Three Permethrin Resistant Strains

Seven different strains of Aedes aegypti (L.), including a genetically diverse laboratory strain, three laboratory-selected permethrin-resistant strains, a standard reference strain, and two recently colonized strains were fed on human blood containing various concentrations of ivermectin. Ivermectin reduced adult survival, fecundity, and hatch rate of eggs laid by ivermectin-treated adults in all seven strains. The LC50 of ivermectin for adults and the concentration that prevented 50% of eggs from hatching was calculated for all strains. Considerable variation in adult survival after an ivermectin-bloodmeal occurred among strains, and all three permethrin-resistant strains were significantly less susceptible to ivermectin than the standard reference strain. The hatch rate after an ivermectin bloodmeal was less variable among strains, and only one of the permethrin-resistant strains differed significantly from the standard reference strain. Our studies suggest that ivermectin induces adult mortality and decreases the hatch rate of eggs through different mechanisms. A correlation analysis of log-transformed LC50 among strains suggests that permethrin and ivermectin cross-resistance may occur.
Dynamic response of micropipettes during piezo-assisted intracytoplasmic sperm injection

In the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) process, a piezoelectric actuator is commonly used to assist the piercing of cell membrane. The longitudinal pulses that are performed by the piezo actuator, however, cause undesired lateral vibrations at the drawn tip of the injection micropipette. This mechanism is not well understood, despite its critical role in piezo-assisted cellular microinjection. We provide an analytical model to characterize the micropipette tip vibrations under assumed base excitation arising from the piezoelectric pulses. The resulting dynamic response is determined by using the Duhamel integral method. This study quantifies the effect of fluid damping, embedded mercury, and the apparent cell membrane elasticity. We found that, in practice, a small mercury droplet filled in pipette essentially creates higher shear forces at the membrane-pipette interface. The increased shear due to underdamped eigenmodes is conceived to assist the piercing of the cell membrane.
Specific cleavage of tryptophyl peptide bonds with periodate in sperm whale myoglobin.

Abstract A chemical method for cleavage of C-tryptophyl peptide bonds has been developed and applied to sperm whale myoglobin. The first step involved the oxidation of the tryptophan residues in the protein at 0° and pH 5.0. This was followed by a mild acid hydrolysis step at room temperature. With this procedure 92–94% cleavage was obtained at tryptophan-7 and 17–22% cleavage at tryptophan-14 in sperm whale myoglobin.
Real‐time PCR (qPCR) primer design using free online software

Real-time PCR (quantitative PCR or qPCR) has become the preferred method for validating results obtained from assays which measure gene expression profiles. The process uses reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), coupled with fluorescent chemistry, to measure variations in transcriptome levels between samples. The four most commonly used fluorescent chemistries are SYBR® Green dyes and TaqMan®, Molecular Beacon or Scorpion probes. SYBR® Green is very simple to use and cost efficient. As SYBR® Green dye binds to any double-stranded DNA product, its success depends greatly on proper primer design. Many types of online primer design software are available, which can be used free of charge to design desirable SYBR® Green-based qPCR primers. This laboratory exercise is intended for those who have a fundamental background in PCR. It addresses the basic fluorescent chemistries of real-time PCR, the basic rules and pitfalls of primer design, and provides a step-by-step protocol for designing SYBR® Green-based primers with free, online software.
Delivery of cold, dense plasma sheet material into the near-Earth region

[1] Observations from several satellites in geosynchronous orbit, combined with solar wind observations from the ACE spacecraft, demonstrate that cold, dense plasma sheet material can be delivered into the inner magnetosphere under two scenarios: (1) a sudden southward IMF preceded by an extended interval of northward field and (2) a very strong magnetospheric compression caused by a large increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure, also under conditions of northward IMF. Examination of 30 “superdense” plasma sheet events observed during 15 months in 2001 and 2002 shows that these two mechanisms are probably responsible for the occurrence of most superdense events, if “northward IMF” is generalized to “northward or very weak IMF Bz.” Previous work has shown that a superdense plasma sheet contributes to a strong ring current and geomagnetic disturbance if it is accompanied by strong magnetospheric convection (which requires southward IMF). Hence this study suggests that the formation of a strong geomagnetic storm should be favored by an extended interval of strong southward IMF that is preceded by an earlier interval of northward field or very weak Bz, during which the plasma sheet fills with cool, dense plasma.