cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aeromagnetic mapping of the structure of Pine Canyon caldera and Chisos Mountains intrusion, Big Bend National Park, Texas

Analysis of aeromagnetic and gravity data reveals new details of the structure, igneous geology, and temporal evolution of the prominent, enigmatic ca. 32 Ma Pine Canyon caldera and the Chisos Mountains (Big Bend National Park, Texas). The main caldera-fi lling Pine Canyon Rhyolite, the oldest member of the South Rim Formation, is reversely magnetized, allowing it to be used as a key marker bed for determining caldera fi ll thickness. Modeling of gravity and magnetic anomalies indicates that the Pine Canyon Rhyolite is probably thicker in the northeastern part of the caldera. Lineaments in the magnetic data suggest the presence of buried faults beneath the caldera that may have led to increased downdrop in the northeast versus the southwest, allowing a thicker section of caldera fi ll to accumulate there. The Pine Canyon caldera has been interpreted as a downsag caldera because it lacks surfi cial faulting, so these inferred faults are the fi rst mapped features there that could be responsible for caldera collapse. The caldera boundary correlates well with the margins of a gravity low. General features of the caldera match well with basic models of downsag calderas, meaning that the Pine Canyon caldera may be a classic example of downsagging, of which few well-described examples exist, in terms of a geophysical signature. The source of a long-wavelength magnetic high over the Chisos Mountains is interpreted as a previously unknown broad intrusion, the long axis of which trends parallel to a major crustal boundary related to the Ouachita orogeny or an even earlier Precambrian margin. This feature represents the largest intrusion (28‐ 34 km diameter, 1‐4 km thick, 700‐3000 km 3 in volume) in an area where relatively small laccoliths are ubiquitous. The intrusion most likely represents a long-lived (>1 m.y.) reservoir replenished by small batches of magma of varying composition, as refl ected in the variation of eruptive products from the Pine Canyon and Sierra Quemada calderas. The intrusion may represent the easternmost occurrence of voluminous Tertiary magmatism in the southwestern United States.
The movement and invasion of an insect baculovirus in tracheal cells of the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta

Abstract The hypertrophy nuclear polyhedrosis virus of the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta , causes a unique gradient of infected cells to form on the trachea. The movement and invasion of the virus apparently were not through adjacent intercellular membranes. The enveloped viruses emerged from the initially infected cell into an area between the cell plasma membrane and basal lamina, and then entered the uninfected tracheal cell either by lateral attachment and fusion of the viral envelope and the plasma membrane or by viropexis. The two methods of viral invasion into the cell suggest the presence of at least two phenotypically different enveloped viruses. Viropexis was initiated with an alignment of the peplomer spikes with regularly spaced, short radial striations on the inner coat of the plasma membrane. At a late state in viropexis, the viral envelope fused with the vacuole membrane, and an opening developed below the site of membrane fusion through which the nucleocapsid might enter the cytoplasm. Some nucleocapsids in membrane-lined vesicles resulting from viropexis appeared to be in a state of dissolution. Naked nucleocapsids were found along the nuclear envelope and within the nucleoplasm. No uncoating of the nucleocapsids was observed at the nucleopores, but uncoating seemed to occur in the nucleoplasm. Nucleocapsids were also found in the cytoplasm of nonsusceptible fat body cells, in which virus replication was not observed.
SAR ADC architecture with 98% reduction in switching energy over conventional scheme

A high energy-efficiency switching scheme for a successive approximation register (SAR) analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) is presented. The proposed method can achieve 98.4% savings in switching energy when compared to a conventional SAR. The proposed technique also achieves a 4 % reduction in total capacitance used in the digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) compared to the conventional DAC.
Impact of preoperative radiation for rectal cancer on subsequent lymph node evaluation: a population-based analysis.

Purpose To determine the impact of preoperative radiotherapy (RT) on the accuracy of lymph node staging (LNS). Preoperative RT is a well-established component of rectal cancer treatment but its impact on LNS is unknown. Methods and materials The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry, representing 14% of the U.S. population, was used to assess the impact of preoperative RT on LNS. Our study population consisted of adults with rectal cancer between 1998 and 2000 who underwent radical resection. Results In our 3-year study period, 5647 patients met the selection criteria and 1034 (19.5%) underwent preoperative RT. The preoperative RT group was younger (average age, 61 years) than those who did not undergo preoperative RT (average age, 69 years) and more likely to be male (22% of men vs. 16% of women). On average, fewer nodes were examined in patients who underwent preoperative RT (7 nodes) vs. those who did not (10 nodes); this difference was statistically significant, controlling for potential confounders (p ≤ 0.0001). In 16% of the preoperative RT patients (vs. 7.5% without), no nodes were identified (p ≤ 0.0001). If one used a minimum of 12 nodes as the standard, only 20% of patients who underwent preoperative RT underwent adequate LNS. Conclusion Lymph node staging in patients who undergo preoperative RT must be interpreted with caution. Studies are needed to evaluate the clinical relevance of node number and pathologic staging after preoperative RT for rectal cancer.
Preputial Separation as an External Sign of Pubertal Development in the Male Rat

The normal occurrence of preputial separation was determined in 4 groups of rats by daily attempts after 30 days of age to manually retract the prepuce with gentle pressure. In Group 1 blood samples were collected via cardiac puncture and steroid determinations made. Group 2 animals were castrated and silastic implants of steroids placed. Group 3 was tested for mature motile sperm in the caput epididymus; 1/2 of the Group 4 rats were handled daily from Days 1 to 21. The mean ages of preputial separation in the 4 groups were 39 42 44 and 45 days of age just preceding the appearance of mature sperm in the caput epididymis. Preputial separation occurred prior to the significant increase in circulating androgen levels by Day 51 as measured by radioimmunoassay. Castration as late as Day 35 blocked preputial separation demonstrating that separation was dependent on the continued presence of low-level androgen. Silastic implants of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone but not estradiol reversed the effects of castration. Handling neonatal males daily prior to weaning significantly delayed preputial separation and was correlated with significantly lower circulating levels of androgen and luteinizing hormone at 45 days of age. Preputial separation may be used as an index of change in peripubertal androgen secretion.(Authors modified)
The Psychological Influences of Threat on B2C E-commerce Adoption: An Extended Study and Explanatory Framework

In order to better understand how internet users actually decide to conduct business transactions or related activities in a B2C e-commerce environment, this article adds a new lens of study by investigating the roles of Threat Appraisal (TA) and Perceived Coping Appraisal (PCA) from the end user's perspective. Based on established academic theories and relevant industrial practices, it is suggested that TA and PCA are critical behavioral components influencing the user's intentions to participate in online transactions. These functions serve as important inputs to formalizing our understanding of how services offered by e-commerce websites are utilized.
MAXIMAL NON-SYMMETRIC ENTROPY LEADS NATURALLY TO ZIPF'S LAW

As the most fundamental empirical law, Zipf's law has been studied from many aspects. However, its meaning is still an open problem. Some models have been constructed to explain Zipf's law. In the letter, a concept of auxiliary information of an event is introduced, and a new entropy named non-symmetric entropy is defined. We prove that maximizing non-symmetric entropy leads naturally to Zipf's law under the special auxiliary information parameters. At the same time, if we take other auxiliary parameters we will get other distribution laws.
Effects of octanoate on rat brain and liver mitochondria

Octanoate increased state 3 and state 4 respiration in rat liver mitochondria. The respiratory control rates decreased because state 4 was disproportionately affected. The ADP:O ratio was not affected. Octanoate produced a fall in the protonmotive force (delta p) of 30 mV during state 3 and state 4. The mitochondrial inner membrane proton conductance (Cm,H+) increased twofold during state 4. Similar effects were observed in polarographic assays of brain mitochondria, but measurements of delta p and Cm,H+ were not possible. Octanoate produces loose coupling in isolated mitochondria. This effect may play a role in the pathogenesis of Reye's syndrome.
Protein accumulation and rumen stability of wheat γ‐gliadin fusion proteins in tobacco and alfalfa

The nutritional value of various crops can be improved by engineering plants to produce high levels of proteins. For example, because methionine deficiency limits the protein quality of Medicago Sativa (alfalfa) forage, producing alfalfa plants that accumulate high levels of a methionine-rich protein could increase the nutritional value of that crop. We used three strategies in designing methionine-rich recombinant proteins that could accumulate to high levels in plants and thereby serve as candidates for improving the protein quality of alfalfa forage. In tobacco, two fusion proteins, γ-gliadin-δ-zein and γ-δ-zein, as well as δ-zein co-expressed with β-zein, all formed protein bodies. However, the γ-gliadin-δ-zein fusion protein accumulated to the highest level, representing up to 1.5% of total soluble protein (TSP) in one transformant. In alfalfa, γ-gliadin-δ-zein accumulated to 0.2% of TSP, and in an in vitro rumen digestion assay, γ-gliadin-δ-zein was more resistant to microbial degradation than Rubisco. Additionally, although it did not form protein bodies, a γ-gliadin-GFP fusion protein accumulated to much higher levels, 7% of TSP, than a recombinant protein comprised of an ER localization signal fused to GFP in tobacco. Based on our results, we conclude that γ-gliadin-δ-zein is a potential candidate protein to use for enhancing methionine levels in plants and for improving rumen stability of forage protein. γ-gliadin fusion proteins may provide a general platform for increasing the accumulation of recombinant proteins in transgenic plants.
Mechanisms of material loss during the threshold period of erosion by solid particles

Abstract Mechanisms of material loss during the threshold period of erosion by solid particles were investigated using polycrystalline aluminum samples and spherical glass erodant in a whirling-arm rig. Specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using replica techniques. Material is lost from the surface in small amounts by three processes, melting, dust and sheet formation. TEM replica techniques have significant advantages in finding, identifying and determining the microstructure of erosion debris compared with SEM of eroded surfaces.
E2F1 INHIBITION OF TRANSCRIPTION ACTIVATION BY MYOGENIC BASIC HELIX-LOOP-HELIX REGULATORS

Cellular transcription factor E2F1 is thought to regulate the expression of genes important for cell cycle progression and cell proliferation. Deregulated E2F1 expression induces S-phase entry in quiescent cells and inhibits myogenic differentiation. We show here that E2F1 inhibits the activation of gene transcription by myogenic basic helix-loop-helix proteins myoD and myogenin. Transfection assay using different deletion constructs indicates that both the DNA binding and the transactivation domains of E2F1 are required for its inhibition of myoD transcription activation. However, the retinoblastoma protein (RB) binding domain is not required. Furthermore, co-transfection with the RB, which inhibits the transcription activity of E2F1, can also repress E2F1 inhibition of myoD transactivation. These results suggest an essential role of E2F1-mediated transcription in its inhibition of myogenesis.
Synergistic enhancement in mechanical and ballistic properties of HTPB based energetic polymer composites

AbstractInfluence of chain extender (CE) and bonding agent (BA) on the mechanical, interfacial and ballistic properties of AP/Al/HTPB composite is determined and compared. Results indicate a relationship between the two properties. The composite without the additives exhibited extremely poor mechanical properties whereas maximum tensile strength and ultimate elongation is achieved by introducing CE in the conventional composite. Better mechanical properties in this modified composite also contributed in improving the ballistic behaviour. SEM analysis of the condensed combustion residues obtained from the propellant burnt in open atmosphere reveals a considerable decrease in the agglomerate size in the modified composite. This effect is reflected as higher specific impulse in this composite, determined from thrust time profile obtained in static bed test. Pressure time profile for the modified composite manifests a stable and consistent burning at the tail end in tubular geometry as opposed to the conventi...
Role of virucides in controlling virus dissemination by fabrics.

Vaccinia virus, a lipophilic agent containing deoxyribonucleic acid, and poliovirus, a hydrophilic ribonucleic acid virus, persisted on wool and cotton fabrics for varying periods up to 20 weeks, which was of sufficient duration to be of epidemiological significance. The length of persistence of each virus varied with the type of fabric, humidity and method of exposure to the virus. A group of quaternary ammonium salts and bromosalicylanilides were evaluated quantitatively for virucidal activity against these viruses in a cell culture system. None of the compounds was active against poliovirus, but three of the quaternary ammonium compounds significantly inactivated vaccinia virus. Impregnation of wool and cotton fabrics with one of these compounds resulted in a marked decrease in vaccinia virus persistence. Both polio and vaccinia viruses persisted for less than five days on a cotton fabric finished with a modified triazone resin to impart a wash-and-wear property. Cotton fabric contaminated with vaccinia or with poliovirus was laundered with an anionic detergent and a nonionic detergent. This laundering reduced but did not eliminate the virus. Sterile fabric was contaminated with virus when laundered with the virus-containing fabrics. Drying the fabrics for 20 hr after laundering reduced the virus titers to below detectable limits.
An energy-harvesting sensor architecture and toolkit for building monitoring and event detection

Understanding building usage patterns and resource consumption, particularly for existing buildings, requires a sensing infrastructure for the building. Often, deploying these sensors and obtaining real-time information is hindered by installation and maintenance difficulties resulting from scaling down and powering these devices. Devices that rely on batteries are limited by the scale of the batteries and the maintenance cost of replacing them while AC mains powered sensors incur high upfront installation costs. To mitigate these burdens, we present a new architecture for designing building-monitoring focused energy-harvesting sensors. The key to this architecture is masking the inevitable inter-mittency provided by energy-harvesting with a trigger abstraction that activates the device only when there is useful work to be done. In this paper, we describe our architecture and demonstrate how it supports existing energy-harvesting sensor designs. Further, we realize three additional design points within the architecture and demonstrate how the sensors are effective at building monitoring and event detection. The sensors, however, are classically disruptive: they improve ease of installation and maintenance, but to do so, they sacrifice some fidelity and reliability. Whether this trade-off is acceptable remains to be explored, but the technology needed to do so is now here.
Initial Management of Fever and Neutropenia in a Child With Cancer—The Past, the Present, and the Future

Fever in a patient with an underlying malignancy who has neutropenia is a relatively common event that requires urgent attention because of the risk of associated morbidity and mortality. Although a clinically suspected or microbiologically documented bacterial infection is present in up to half of such febrile neutropenia episodes, an etiology is not identified in the rest. In a neutropenic patient, signs and symptoms of inflammation can be blunted or atypical, and infections may progress unnoticed, resulting in a life-threatening complication. Often, fever is the only manifestation of infection. For these reasons, empirical intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics in an inpatient setting have long been the mainstay of treatment for febrile neutropenic patients. However, not all febrile neutropenic patients are at the same risk for developing infection-related complications. Addressing this variability in associated risk, risk-stratified management approaches have been suggested to minimize hospital stay, improve patients' quality of life, and decrease related health care costs. This article reviews some guiding principles of initial management of febrile neutropenic children with cancer with a focus on risk-stratified treatment approaches, including the use of inflammatory markers to discern risk.
Cell kinetic nature and diurnal periodicity of the rat periodontal ligament.

Abstract Diurnal variation of mitosis and tritiated thymidine ([3H]-T) labelling of the normal unstimulated 6–8-week-old rat periodontal ligament (PDL) was determined under standardized conditions. Periodicity was observed with minimal [3H]-T labelling and mitosis at 9 p.m. and maximal levels at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. respectively. The kinetic nature of the periodontal ligament, and the mechanism of osteoclast cytodifferentiation were investigated by using parathyroid hormone (PTH) to accelerate a slowly proliferating population of osteoclast-producing PDL cells and measuring initial kinetics of [3H]-T uptake, mitosis, and accumulation of osteoclasts. Simultaneous increases, beginning 1–3 hr after PTH, of labelled cells, mitotic figures, and total number of osteoclasts indicated that at least three separate populations of cells were present initially: (1) G1 blocked; (2) G2 blocked, and (3) partially differentiated pre-osteoclasts. Reviewing available evidence it was concluded that: (1) morphologically indistinguishable PDL cells are a mixed population of relatively undifferentiated cells, as well as cells along separate pathways of cytodifferentiation to osteoblasts, osteoclasts and cementoblasts; (2) cells within the PDL (pre-osteoclasts) and/or cells migrating in are the source of the initial wave of osteoclasts observed within 9 hr after PTH; and (3) PTH stimulation of the proliferation-differentiation pathway to osteoclasts involves a general, probably metabolic, effect on all cells in the sequence.
The measurement of social change

Is it possible to build a synoptic instrument, similar to a telescope or a radar network, for viewing one's own society? How may we interpret the myriads of social activities that are presently undertaken? Preliminary explorations suggest that we need sensing techniques, or transducers, that pick up changes going on inside the society. External indicators, like air photos, are too superficial. We are faced with a problem of discovering what operating characteristics a deep-probing instrument should have so that it may be as practical and useful as possible.
287 POTENTIAL ROLE OF INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION IN MORPHOGENESIS OF HYDRA REAGGREGATES

An association between teratogenesis and carcinogenesis is suggested by clinical and experimental observations. Accumulating evidence supports a role for direct, junction-mediated intercellular communication in the coordination of cell proliferation and differentiation. Interruption of this intercellular communication may be a common mechanism of teratogenesis and carcinogenesis. We are testing this hypothesis using hydra reag-gregation as a developmental model. Hydra reaggregates were exposed to structurally related phorbol compounds. Some of these compounds are tumor promoters, inhibit junctional communication and are embryotoxic to amphibian and mammalian systems. We found that the ability of these compounds to interrupt hydra reaggregation correlated with their ability to promote tumor formation in mouse skin and inhibit junctional communication in an in vitro cell system. The strong tumor promoters, 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and phorbol-12, 13-didecanoate, were much more potent (>100-fold) in their ability to disrupt hydra reaggregation compared to the weakly promoting compounds, phorbol-12, 13-diacetate and 4-0-methyl-TPA. This correlation supports the hypothesis that the phorbol compounds may induce tumor formation and abnormal development by similar mechanisms. We are currently exploring whether the phorbol compounds inhibit junctional communication in the actual reaggregating hydra, and whether the morphological characteristics of the junctions are altered.
Increasing Antioxidant Activity and Reducing Decay of Blueberries by Essential Oils

Several naturally occurring essential oils including carvacrol, anethole, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, perillaldehyde, linalool, and p-cymene were evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing decay and increasing antioxidant levels and activities in ‘Duke’ blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum). Carvacrol, anethole, and perillaldehyde showed the capability to promote total anthocyanins and total phenolics and enhance antioxidant activity in fruit tissues expressed as oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) scavenging capacity. All of the essential oils tested in this study were able to inhibit fruit decay development to some degree compared to controls. The most effective compound for mold retardation was p-cymene, followed by linalool, carvacrol, anethole, and perillaldehyde. Cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde also suppressed mold growth, but to a lesser extent. Treatment with carvacrol, anethole, or perillaldehyde also significantly increased the levels of fructose, glucose, an...
Effect of particle size reduction on the conductivity of Nafion ® /phosphotungstic acid composite membranes

Abstract The effect of reducing additive particle size on the conductivity of Nafion®/phosphotungstic acid composite membranes was evaluated. The additive particle size was reduced by nearly two orders of magnitude from 1 to 2 μm to 30 nm by appropriately modifying the casting procedure. The membranes prepared were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to determine particle size. Measurements were performed to determine the hydrogen crossover current through and the area-specific resistance of the membranes. The composite membranes had crossover currents on the order of 1–5 mA/cm2, with the crossover flux decreasing and approaching the value for recast Nafion® as the particle size was reduced. A 25 μm thick composite membrane with large additive particles had an area-specific resistance of 0.22 Ω/cm2 at 120 °C and 35% relative humidity, while the corresponding value for a 25 μm thick membrane with small additive particles was 0.16 Ω/cm2. The latter membrane compared favorably with recast Nafion®, which had an area-specific resistance of 0.19 Ω/cm2 under these conditions. It is postulated that the reduction of additive particle size results in an enhancement in the surface to volume ratio of the additive, which in turn permits more efficient proton hopping and hence larger proton conductivities in the composite membrane. The performance of membrane electrode assemblies prepared using these composite membranes at 120 °C and 35% relative humidity is also presented.
Towards an in vitro bioassay for the self-incompatibility response in Brassica oleracea

Eluates of stigmas of Brassica oleracea that were known to contain S locus-specific glycoproteins (SLSG) discriminated between self and cross pollen in vitro in three different media. Discrimination was equally evident in experiments that were the in vitro equivalents of reciprocal pollinations. In a TAPS-buffered medium, self eluates depressed pollen germination in a dose-dependent manner. TAPS medium allowed a bioassay of the effects of SLSG in eluates because it optimized germination in a way that eliminated the complicating features of the stimulatory substances in the eluates. Stigma eluates affected percentage pollen germination and optimum calcium concentrations in vitro whether or not SLSG were present in the eluates, but differently in different media, and depending on whether the eluates were cross or self with respect to the pollen tested. Thus, the effect of stigma eluates on the in vitro germination of pollen in Brassica depends on the balance of stimulatory versus inhibitory substances in the eluates.
Effects of an Insecticide and a Herbicide Combination on Nontarget Arthropods in a Cornfield

This study sought to assess the impact of an insecticide and a herbicide combination on nontarget arthropods in a cornfield. In each year of the experiment, 1.62 ha was divided into 16 plots. Barren strips of land, 3 m wide, were maintained around all 16 plots. A 4 × 4 Latin square arrangement of the following treatments was used: (1) Furadan; (2) Furadan and a Lasso-Bladex mixture; (3) Lasso-Bladex mixture; and (4) no pesticides. Pitfall traps were placed in the field, each plot containing three traps. All 48 traps were run continuously from early summer to mid-October in 1980 and 1981. Throughout each summer, ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and other nontarget arthropods were captured and identified. Furadan had very little effect on number of arthropods trapped in either year of the study. Weedier plots, those not receiving the Lasso-Bladex treatment, had more of certain nontarget arthropods trapped within them. Relative importance values were calculated for each type of arthropod to ascertain if a given species' position, within a community, had been shifted by a pesticide. The relative importance of most of the arthropods did not significantly differ among the four treatments in either year.
Localization of the Na+/H+ exchanger isoform NHE-3 in rabbit and canine kidney.

Abstract The distribution and subcellular localization of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform NHE-3 was studied in rabbit and canine kidney using polyclonal antibodies to an NHE-3 fusion protein. Western blot analyses were performed against microsomal, brush-border, and basolateral membranes isolated from rabbit kidney cortex, outer medulla, and inner medulla. Immunoblots indicated that NHE-3 antibody recognized a strong band with 95–100 kDa molecular mass in cortical microsomes. Subcellular localization studies showed that NHE-3 was expressed in brush-border membranes of kidney cortex. Expression of NHE-3 in the medullary regions was studied by immunoblot analysis of NHE-3 antibody against the microsomal membranes from the outer and inner medulla. NHE-3 antibody specifically labelled a 95–100 kDa protein in outer but not inner medulla. Subcellular localization studies demonstrated that NHE-3 is localized to the brush-border membranes of the outer medulla. Immunoblot analysis against brush-border membranes from canine kidney cortex and outer medulla demonstrated the presence of an 83–90 kDa protein. The above experiments suggest that NHE-3 in rabbit kidney is a 95–100 kDa protein and is expressed in brush-border membranes of the cortex and outer medulla. The canine kidney NHE-3 is a 83–90 kDa protein and is expressed in brush-border membranes of the cortex and outer medulla. Based on its subcellular localization, we conclude that NHE-3 may be involved in vectorial Na+ and HCO3− transport and pHo regulation.
Post-transcriptional regulation of endothelial cell plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression during R. rickettsii infection.

Intracellular infection of endothelial cells with Rickettsia rickettsii results in increased steady-state levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) mRNA. Control mechanisms governing such increased expression in response to this novel stimulus have not been defined. In this study, we compared the stability of PAI-1 mRNA in infected and uninfected endothelial cells (EC) and explored the requirement for de novo host cell protein synthesis in the infection-induced increase of steady-state levels. The half-life of PAI-1 mRNA, which is constitutively expressed in cultured EC, increased from 18 h in uninfected EC to greater than 30 h in EC infected for 24 h, a time point at which increases in steady-state PAI-1 mRNA levels are noted. There was no change in stability of gamma-actin due to infection. Nuclear run-on studies revealed no apparent increase in transcription rate at 4, 18 and 24 h. R. rickettsii -induced increase in PAI-1 mRNA was blocked by the eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, which suggests that this response requires de novo host cell protein synthesis. These results provide evidence that post-transcriptional control mechanisms are operative in the regulation of PAI-1 during R. rickettsii infection.
Evolution of Snow-Size Spectra in Cyclonic Storms. Part I: Snow Growth by Vapor Deposition and Aggregation

Abstract Based on the stochastic collection equation, height- and time-dependent snow growth models were developed for unrimed stratiform snowfall. Moment conservation equations were parameterized and solved by constraining the size distribution to be of the form N(D)dD = N0 exp(−&lambdaD)dD, yielding expressions for the slope parameter, λ, and the y-intercept parameters, NO, as functions of height or time. The processes of vapor deposition and aggregation were treated analytically without neglecting changes in ice crystal habits, while the ice particle breakup process was dealt with empirically. The models were compared against vertical profiles of snow-size spectra, obtained from aircraft measurements, for three case studies. The predicted spectra are in good agreement with the observed evolution of snow-size spectra in all three cases, indicating the proposed scheme for ice particle aggregation was successful. The temperature dependence of aggregation was assumed to result from differences in ice cryst...
Discovery, Biological Evaluation, and Structure—Activity Relationship of Amidine Based Sphingosine Kinase Inhibitors

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a potent phospholipid growth and trophic factor, is synthesized in vivo by two sphingosine kinases. Thus these kinases have been proposed as important drug targets for treatment of hyperproliferative diseases and inflammation. We report here a new class of amidine-based sphingosine analogues that are competitive inhibitors of sphingosine kinases exhibiting varying degrees of enzyme selectivity. These inhibitors display KI values in the submicromolar range for both sphingosine kinases and, in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, decrease S1P levels and initiate growth arrest.
Low cost copper-based electrically conductive adhesives

One of the main drawbacks of silver-filled isotropically conductive adhesives (ICAs) is the high cost of silver fillers, while low cost copper-filled ICAs are not reliable due to the oxidation of copper fillers. In this paper, we develop highly conductive, highly reliable, and low cost ICAs filled with silver-coated copper (Ag-coated Cu) flakes, i.e. an anhydride-cured ICA filled with Ag-coated Cu flakes modified with an amine-based silane coupling agent and an amine-cured ICA filled with untreated Ag-coated Cu flakes. Compared with anhydride-cured ICAs filled with untreated Ag-coated Cu flakes (1.3×10−3 Ω cm), the two ICAs developed showed a much lower resistivity (about 2×10−4 Ω cm). The resistivity of the two ICAs developed is comparable to that of commercial Ag-filled conductive adhesives. The amine-cured ICAs filled with untreated Ag-coated Cu flakes showed stable bulk resistivity during 85 °C/85% RH aging for more than 1000 h. Anhydride-cured ICAs filled with modified Ag-coated Cu flakes showed a stable contact resistance on a Ni/Au surface during 85 °C/85% RH aging for more than 1000 h. The causes leading to the much lower resistivity and better reliability of the developed ICAs have been discussed.
Exposure to Dissent and Recall of Information

Author(s): Nemeth, C; Mayseless, O; Sherman, J; Brown, Y | Abstract: Recent work on minority influence has led to a debate about whether majorities and minorities exercise different forms of influence. Nemeth (1986) has argued that consistent minorities induce different cognitive processes than do consistent majorities, with a resulting impact on the quality of the judgments rendered. Two experiments test this theory. In Experiment 1, Ss heard 3 tape-recorded lists of words and learned that either a minority or a majority differed in the category "first noticed." This feedback occurred either once or over 3 trials. When exposure was once, recall was not affected by the source; when it was consistent, Ss exposed to the minority view recalled more words than those exposed to the majority view. In Experiment 2, Ss were exposed to a minority view that was either consistent over time or inconsistent over time. Ss exposed to a consistent minority had better recall than control Ss. Exposure to an inconsistent minority did not improve recall. The results offer support for the Nemeth (1986) formulation.
Multidisciplinary fingerprints: forensic reconstruction of an insect reinvasion

An unexpected outbreak of boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis, an insect pest of cotton, across the Southern Rolling Plains (SRP) eradication zone of west-central Texas, USA, was detected soon after passage of Tropical Storm Erin through the Winter Garden district to the south on 16 August 2007. The synchrony and broad geographic distribution of the captured weevils suggest that long-distance dispersal was responsible for the reinvasion. We integrated three types of assessment to reconstruct the geographic origin of the immigrants: (i) DNA fingerprinting; (ii) pollen fingerprinting; and (iii) atmospheric trajectory analysis. We hypothesized the boll weevils originated in the Southern Blacklands zone near Cameron, or in the Winter Garden district near Uvalde, the nearest regions with substantial populations. Genetic tests broadly agree that the immigrants originated southeast of the SRP zone, probably in regions represented by Uvalde or Weslaco. The SRP pollen profile from weevils matched that of Uvalde better than that of Cameron. Wind trajectories supported daily wind-aided dispersal of weevils from the Uvalde region to the SRP from 17 to 24 August, but failed to support migration from the Cameron region. Taken together the forensic evidence strongly implicates the Winter Garden district near Uvalde as the source of reinvading boll weevils.
Crowding, contagion, and laughter☆

Abstract The phenomenon of contagion is analysed in terms of the intensification explanation of the effect of crowding (high density) on humans. According to the analysis, high density should be expected to increase contagion of a model's behavior. Groups of three subjects and a confederate listen to humorous tapes under low or high density conditions. In half of the groups the confederate smiles and laughs a good deal during the tapes; in the other half, she does not laugh and smiles only a few times. The subjects are filmed and their reactions to the tapes are rated. As predicted, high density combined with a laughing model results in more laughter by the subjects, while the other three conditions do not differ appreciably. The lack of effect of high density when the model does not laugh is seen as supporting the intensification explanation of crowding as opposed to an arousal explanation.
Cumulative Aero-Optical Interactions Along Laser Beam Propagation Paths: Experiments and Computations

A combined experimental/computational approach is conducted using a speciallydesigned laboratory facility and a physical framework based on refractive fluid interfaces in order to examine the cumulative aero-optical interactions along laser beam propagation paths as well as the turbulent refractive-index field. The experiments are conducted in the UC Irvine aero-optics variable-pressure turbulent flow facility which enables direct imaging of the turbulent refractive-index field at large Reynolds numbers. The flow facility is employed to generate compressible separated shear layers in a pressurized test section. The elevated pressures have the advantage of enhancing the imaging signal utilized to probe, non-invasively, the refractive-index variations. Laser-induced fluorescence of acetone vapor molecularly seeded in air is utilized to directly image the turbulent refractive-index spatial fluctuations along the beam propagation paths. A custom-built high-resolution Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor enables imaging of the optical-wavefront distortions of the propagated optical beam. The flow images and propagated-wavefront data, combined with computations of the aberrations of the beam along each part of the propagation path through the flow, enable a study of the cumulative aero-optical interactions. The cumulative root-mean-square of the optical path dierence (OPD r.m.s.) and the cumulative Strehl ratio are evaluated as a function of distance along the beam propagation path. These cumulative aero-optical measures, evaluated for finiteaperture laser wavefronts propagating through individual flow realizations, are found to exhibit behavior that can be non-monotonic with increasing propagation distance. This, at first perhaps surprising observation, seems to reflect physically that dierent parts of the wavefront can accumulate distortions at dierent rates. The non-monotonicity suggests, in other words, that dierent parts of the wavefront dynamically accumulate distortions at dierent rates. These can collectively decrease as well as increase the aperture-integrated OPD r.m.s., or increase as well as decrease the Strehl ratio, along certain parts of the propagation path for finite-aperture beams. This finding needs to be further explored since it has new implications for the development of fluid mechanical methods for aero-optical optimization.
Increased Susceptibility of Tumor Cells and Chicken Erythrocytes to Lysis by Antibody and Complement after Treatment with Aminoethylisothiouronium Bromide Hydrobromide (AET)

AbstractAfter treatment with aminoethylisothiouronium bromide hydrobromide (AET), the ascites forms of the diethylnitrosamine-induced guinea pig hepatomas, line-1 and line-10, were susceptible or more susceptible to killing in vitro by certain combinations of tumor-specific or IgM anti-Forssman antibody and either human or guinea pig complement. Since AET could be toxic to either cell line, conditions of pH, concentration of AET, and duration of exposure of the cells to the reagent were determined that resulted in enhanced susceptibility without significantly affecting cell viability. Chicken erythrocytes (CE) also were tested and AET-treated cells found to be more susceptible to lysis by IgM anti-Forssman antibody and guinea pig complement. The enhancement apparently was not due to increased ability of AET-treated CE to fix antibody. In contrast to CE, the lytic susceptibility of sheep cells was not affected by AET treatment. In addition to AET, several drugs and enzymes that also can affect the suscepti...
Cost Savings Realized by Implementation of Routine Microbiological Identification by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

ABSTRACT Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is an emerging technology for rapid identification of bacterial and fungal isolates. In comparison to conventional methods, this technology is much less labor intensive and can provide accurate and reliable results in minutes from a single isolated colony. We compared the cost of performing the bioMerieux Vitek MALDI-TOF MS with conventional microbiological methods to determine the amount saved by the laboratory by converting to the new technology. Identification costs for 21,930 isolates collected between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014, were directly compared for MALDI-TOF MS and conventional methodologies. These isolates were composed of commonly isolated organisms, including commonly encountered aerobic and facultative bacteria and yeast but excluding anaerobes and filamentous fungi. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and rapidly growing mycobacteria were also evaluated for a 5-month period during the study. Reagent costs and a total cost analysis that included technologist time in addition to reagent expenses and maintenance service agreement costs were analyzed as part of this study. The use of MALDI-TOF MS equated to a net savings of $69,108.61, or 87.8%, in reagent costs annually compared to traditional methods. When total costs are calculated to include technologist time and maintenance costs, traditional identification would have cost $142,532.69, versus $68,886.51 with the MALDI-TOF MS method, resulting in a laboratory savings of $73,646.18, or 51.7%, annually by adopting the new technology. The initial cost of the instrument at our usage level would be offset in about 3 years. MALDI-TOF MS not only represents an innovative technology for the rapid and accurate identification of bacterial and fungal isolates, it also provides a significant cost savings for the laboratory.
Combined DAE and Sliding Mode Control Methods for Simulation of Constrained Mechanical Systems

In dynamic analysis of constrained multibody systems (MBS), the computer simulation problem essentially reduces to finding a numerical solution to higher-index differentialalgebraic equations (DAE). This paper presents a hybrid method composed of multi-input multi-output (MIMO), nonlinear, variable-structure control (VSC) theory and poststabilization from DAE solution theory for the computer solution of constrained MBS equations. The primary contributions of this paper are: (1) explicit transformation of constrained MBS DAE into a general nonlinear MIMO control problem in canonical form; (2) development of a hybrid numerical method that incorporates benefits of both Sliding Mode Control (SMC) and DAE stabilization methods for the solution of index-2 or index-3 MBS DAE; (3) development of an acceleration-level stabilization method that draws from SMC’s boundary layer dynamics and the DAE literature’s post-stabilization; and (4) presentation of the hybrid numerical method as one way to eliminate chattering commonly found in simulation of SMC systems. The hybrid method presented can be used to simulate constrained MBS systems with either holonomic, nonholonomic, or both types of constraints. In addition, the initial conditions (ICs) may either be consistent or inconsistent. In this paper, MIMO SMC is used to find the control law that will provide two guarantees. First, if the constraints are initially not satisfied (i.e., for inconsistent ICs) the constraints will be driven to satisfaction within finite time using SMC’s stabilization method, urobust,i52h isgn~s i!. Second, once the constraints have been satisfied, the control law, ueq and hybrid stabilization techniques guarantee surface attractiveness and satisfaction for all time. For inconsistent ICs, Hermite-Birkhoff interpolants accurately locate when each surface reaches zero, indicating the transition time from SMC’s stabilization method to those in the DAE literature.@S0022-0434~00!02404-7#
Syntactic Skills of Spanish-Speaking Children With Low School Achievement

This study compared the syntactic skills of Spanish-speaking children with low and average school achievement from kindergarten to fifth grade using oral narratives that were elicited with book and film retelling tasks. Both narrative tasks required the child to provide information that was presumably unknown to the listener and that could not be derived from the visual context. Results indicated that children who were performing below grade expectations (according to curriculum-based assessments) exhibited limited use of complex syntax and greater formulation difficulties in their narratives than their peers. There were no significant task differences in the use of complex language. The analysis of children’s syntactic performance in narratives provided information regarding language skills that appeared related to school achievement.
Chlamydia Screening Among Young Women: Individual- and Provider-Level Differences in Testing

OBJECTIVE: We assessed differences in chlamydia screening rates according to race/ethnicity, insurance status, age, and previous sexually transmitted infection (STI) or pregnancy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using electronic medical record and billing data for women 14 to 25 years of age in 2002–2007, assessing differences in the odds of a chlamydia test being performed at that visit. RESULTS: Adjusted odds of a chlamydia test being performed were lower among women 14 to 15 years of age (odds ratio: 0.83 [95% confidence interval: 0.70–1.00]) and 20 to 25 years of age (20–21 years, odds ratio: 0.78 [95% confidence interval: 0.70–0.89]; 22–23 years, odds ratio: 0.76 [95% confidence interval: 0.67–0.87]; 24–25 years, odds ratio: 0.64 [95% confidence interval: 0.57–0.73]), compared with women 18 to 19 years of age. Black women had 3 times increased odds (odds ratio: 2.96 [95% confidence interval: 2.66–3.28]) and Hispanic women nearly 13 times increased odds (odds ratio: 12.89 [95% confidence interval: 10.85–15.30]) of testing, compared with white women. Women with public (odds ratio: 1.74 [95% confidence interval: 1.58–1.91]) and public pending (odds ratio: 6.85 [95% confidence interval: 5.13–9.15]) insurance had increased odds of testing, compared with women with private insurance. After first STI diagnosis, differences according to race/ethnicity persisted but were smaller; after first pregnancy, differences persisted. CONCLUSIONS: Despite recommendations to screen all sexually active young women for chlamydia, providers screened women differently according to age, race/ethnicity, and insurance status, although differences were reduced after first STI or pregnancy.
Capturing semantic relationship among images in clusters for efficient content-based image retrieval

This paper presents an efficient content-based image retrieval system that captures users' semantic concepts in clusters. These semantically homogeneous clusters aid in the retrieval system to accurately measure the semantic similarity among images and therefore reduce the semantic gap. They also aid in the retrieval system to find matched images in a few candidate clusters and therefore reduce the search space. The extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed retrieval system outperforms the peer systems to quickly retrieve the desired images in a few iterations.