cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE NATURAL CYBORG: THE STAKES OF BERGSON'S PHILOSOPHY OF EVOLUTION

Bergson's engagement with evolutionary theory was remarkably up to date with the science of his time. One century later, the scientific and social landscape is undoubtedly quite different, but some of his insights remain of critical importance for the present. This paper aims at discussing three related aspects of Bergson's philosophy of evolution and their relevance for contemporary debates: first, the stark distinction between the affirmation of the reality of change and becoming, on the one hand, and any notion of progress on the other; second, the insistence on the intimate interplay between forms of knowledge and forms of life ; third, his idea that machines and organisms, technology and biology, are not separate domains but, rather, stem from and answer to the same problems and needs that living beings express. Such a Bergsonian framework may prove very helpful in reassessing the implicit assumptions of several contemporary debates on the ethical and political stakes of evolution, biosciences, and technologies, as well as the increasingly problematic boundary between "biology" and "culture.".
Studies on the effector specificity of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Abstract 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoate (3,4-DOHB), 2,4-dihydroxybenzoate (2,4-DOHB), and benzoate increase the rate of TPNH oxidation by p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase and are therefore effectors of this enzyme. During the enzymatic reaction, in the presence of excess TPNH and O2, all of the 2,4-DOHB, l5% of the benzoate, and none of the 3,4-DOHB is hydroxylated. During the reactions with the non-hydroxylatable effectors, oxygen serves only to reoxidize the reduced flavin prosthetic group thereby producing hydrogen peroxide. No hydrogen peroxide is produced during the reactions with the hydroxylatable effectors (substrate effectors). All effectors cause significant perturbations in the absorbance, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectra of the enzyme. Dissociation constants for the effectors from the enzyme complex were obtained from absorbance and fluorescence titrations. Studies on the nature of the intermediates produced during the static reduction of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase in the presence and absence of the substrate effectors were performed with three different reductants. Small amounts of the neutral (blue) flavin semiquinone are produced during reduction in the absence of any effector and in the presence of 2,4-DOHB, but not in the presence of p-hydroxybenzoate (p-OHB). The free enzyme or the enzyme complexed with a substrate effector required 2.8 to 3.5 reducing eq per mole of flavin for complete reduction, but only donated 2.0 eq per mole of flavin during the reoxidation with potassium ferricyanide. The nature of the binding site at the active center was investigated with a number of p-OHB analogs. These compounds were found to be competitive inhibitors with respect to p-OHB. The inhibition and dissociation constants for some of the stronger inhibitors were determined.
Institutional facilitators and barriers to local public health preparedness planning for vulnerable and at-risk populations.

Objective.Numerous institutional facilitators and barriers to preparedness planning exist at the local level for vulnerable and at-risk populations. Findings of this evaluation study contribute to ongoing practice-based efforts to improve response services and address public health preparedness planning and training as they relate to vulnerable and at-risk populations.Methods.From January 2012 through June 2013, we conducted a multilevel, mixed-methods evaluation study of the North Carolina Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center's Vulnerable & At-Risk Populations Resource Guide, an online tool to aid local health departments' (LHDs') preparedness planning efforts. We examined planning practices across multiple local, regional, and state jurisdictions utilizing user data, follow-up surveys, and secondary data. To identify potential incongruities in planning, we compared respondents' reported populations of interest with corresponding census data to determine whether or not there were differenc...
A System for Monitoring and Management of Computational Grids

As organizations begin to deploy large computational grids, it has become apparent that systems for observation and control of the resources, services, and applications that make up such grids are needed. Administrators must observe resources and services to ensure that they are operating correctly and must control resources and services to ensure that their operation meets the needs of users. Users are also interested in the operation of resources and services so that they can choose the most appropriate ones to use. We describe a prototype system to monitor and manage computational grids and describe the general software framework for control and observation in distributed environments that it is based on.
Increased extracellular water volume associated with hyponatremia at birth in premature infants

RAPID ADMINISTRATION OF INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS has been recommended as an effective method to inhibit premature labor) Although no adverse effects of this therapy have been recognized, changes in maternal extracellular fluid are reflected by parallel changes in fetal plasma. 2 Vosburgh et al) have shown that water is transferred across the placenta more rapidly than sodium. Because placental permeability to sodium increases with gestational age, 4 the difference in transfer rate is more marked in early pregnancy. Therefore, rapid administration of intravenous fluids to the mother of a premature fetus could produce movement of free water toward the fetus (in excess of sodium) and result in hyponatremia and increase in fetal body water. We also report s an increased incidence of pulmonary air leaks in hyponatremic premature infants with hyaline membrane disease. Although the relationship of lung water to the severity of hyaline membrane disease is not completely understood, increased lung water content, dilated lymphatic vessels, and interstitial pulmonary edema 6, 7 are present. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hyponatremia at birth is associated with an increase in extracellular water volume. This study was reviewed and approved by the Vanderbilt Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, and informed parental consent was obtained.
Factors affecting supervisors' use of disciplinary actions following poor performance

The present study, as an extension of Mitchell and Woods (1980), examined the relationships between supervisor and subordinate variables and disciplinary action severity in a field setting. Hypotheses were tested using questionnaire data from nursing supervisors. Analyses confirmed that supervisor attributions, severity of the incident of poor performance, supervisor intent, and subordinate work history were related to disciplinary action severity. Moreover, regression analysis indicated that severity of the incident of poor performance was the largest contributor to the choices of a disciplinary action. Implications of the study for organizations and future research are discussed.
Micromechanical torque magnetometer with sub-monolayer sensitivity

Abstract We have developed a micromechanical torque sensor with sub-monolayer sensitivity for in situ monitoring of the magnetic moment of thin films during deposition. The film is deposited onto a microcantilever. The torque on the film is determined by measuring the deflection of the cantilever due to a small AC magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of the film. The microcantilevers have a high mechanical quality factor, large surface area, low spring constant, and high resonance frequency to improve film sensitivity to thickness. A phase-locked loop minimizes the resonance frequency shift of the cantilever due to mass loading and temperature drift that would otherwise affect the measurement of magnetic torque. The demonstrated thickness sensitivity for a Ni 0.8 Fe 0.2 film and a Ni 0.8 Fe 0.2 /Cu multilayer film is less than 0.1 nm.
Effect of Velocity on Current Density for Cathodically Polarized Steel in Seawater

A series of cathodic polarization experiments was performed in which sections of UNS G10230 steel pipe were galvanically coupled through an external resistor to an aluminum anode ring. These cells were incorporated into a seawater flow loop such that the hydrodynamic conditions were defined quantitatively. Seawater velocities for the experiments were 0.03, 0.09, and 0.30 m/s. From the results, the trend of steady-state potential vs current density at a given velocity was characterized in terms of the recently proposed slope parameter approach to cathodic protection (CP) design. Also, an expression for the velocity dependence of the maintenance current density was developed. Anomalous behavior was encountered for some specimens tested at velocities of 0.09 m/s and 0.30 m/s in that these exhibited a period of depolarization followed, in some cases, by repolarization. This behavior was reviewed in terms of transitory calcareous deposit protectiveness, possibly reflecting the relative amounts of calcium and magnesium in the deposits at a particular time.
Identification of nonionic detergents by GC/CI-MS: I. A complementary method or an attractive alternative to GC/EI-MS and other methods?

Abstract Tertiary octylphenol and lauryl alcohol ethoxylates (with one to six oxyethylene groups) have been detected in the effluent from the primary clarifiers of wastewater treatment plant, using their chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra. The GC/CI-MS appears to be a very suitable method for the selective identification of these compounds.
Simultaneous detection of carotenoids and vitamin E in human plasma

A simplified method for analysis of the antioxidants carotenoids and vitamin E in human plasma is presented. The method is based on high-performance liquid chromatography with a single column, a flow-rate gradient, and detection at 450 and 290 nm with a diode array detector. It gives good separation of the vitamin E isomers and the major carotenoids in plasma, with a 25 min analysis time. It was found that hydrolysis of triglycerides and cholesterol esters is required to obtain good recovery of non-polar carotenoids such as lycopene, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. Two methods were used for hydrolysis of the non-polar lipids, saponification with ethanolic KOH and digestion with an enzyme mixture of lipase and cholesterol esterase. It was found that the enzymatic digestion gave the best recoveries, better than 94% for all of the antioxidants, and preserved several carotenoids. A plasma pool is used for day to day calibration of the method, which eliminates the need for stock solutions of carotenoids that are stable for only a month due to oxidative breakdown and their tendency to crystallize when stored at -20 degrees C in organic solvents.
The rise and decline of China's export processing zones

Accepting the Grindle/Thomas argument that developing states enjoy a high degree of autonomy, this article takes a case study approach to analyze the dynamics of Chinese foreign economic policy. The article posits that contending elites coalesced around particular visions of economic development, which have been the major variable affecting the Chinese export processing zone (EPZ) policy. Thus the current decision to rescind SEZ preferences is based on the elites’ decision to ‘deepen’ China's outwardly‐oriented development.
Hypersensitivity to mutation and sister-chromatid-exchange induction in CHO cell mutants defective in incising DNA containing UV lesions

Five UV-sensitive mutant strains of CHO cells representing different genetic complementation groups were analyzed for their ability to perform the incision step of nucleotide excision repair after UV exposure. The assay utilized inhibitors of DNA synthesis to accumulate the short-lived strand breaks resulting from repair incisions. After 6 J/m2, each of the mutants showed <10% of the incision rate of the parental AA8 cells. After 50 J/m2, the rate in AA8 was similar to that at 6 J/m2, but the rates in the mutants were significantly higher (∼20% of the rate of AA8). Thus by this incision assay the mutants were phenotypically indistinguishable. Each of the mutants were hypersensitive to mutation induction at both thehprt andaprt loci by a factor of 10, and in the one strain tested ouabain resistance was induced sevenfold more efficiently than in AA8 cells. Sister chromatid exchange was also induced with sevenfold increased efficiency in the two mutant strains examined. Thus, these CHO mutants resemble xeroderma pigmentosum cells in terms of their incision defects and their hypersensitivity to DNA damage by UV.
Analysis of Data from the Atmospheric Visibility Monitoring (AVM) Program

The Atmospheric Visibility Monitoring (AVM) program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been in place for the last few years to obtain atmospheric transmission statistics data to support free-space optical communications experiments and missions. Atmospheric transmission data is collected through a set of three autonomous systems, all located in the south-western U.S., that observe selected stars throughout the year. Data from these three sites are collected and processed on a regular basis to obtain cumulative distribution functions of atmospheric attenuation for different spectral windows of interest. In This paper, we describe recent work on creation of a database using Microsoft Access to analyze atmospheric transmission data collected by the AVM project. The database, which replaces time-consuming Matlab programs, offers a rapid and extremely easy way to extract and analyze AVM data.
Partitioning Spatial Model Uncertainty Based on Joint Spatial Simulation

In this study, an uncertainty analysis procedure for joint sequential simulation of multiple attributes of spatially explicit models used in geographical informational systems was developed based on regression analysis. This procedure utilizes information obtained from joint sequential simulation to establish the relationship between model uncertainty and variation of model inputs. Using this procedure, model variance can be partitioned by model input parameters on a cell by cell basis. In the partitioning, the correlation of neighboring cells is accounted for. With traditional uncertainty analysis methods, this is not possible. In a case study, spatial variation of soil erodibility from a joint sequential simulation of soil properties was analyzed. The results showed that the regression approach is a very effective method in the analysis of the relationship between variation of the model output and model input parameters. It was also shown for the case study that: (1) the uncertainty of soil erodibility of a cell is mainly propagated from its own soil properties; (2) the interactions of soil properties of neighboring cells could reduce uncertainty of soil erodibility; (3) it is sufficient for uncertainty analysis to include the nearest three neighboring cell groups; and (4) the largest uncertainty contributors vary by soil properties and location.
Does selective migration explain the Hispanic paradox? A comparative analysis of Mexicans in the U.S. and Mexico.

Latino immigrants, particularly Mexican, have some health advantages over U.S.-born Mexicans and Whites. Because of their lower socioeconomic status, this phenomenon has been called the epidemiologic “Hispanic Paradox.” While cultural theories have dominated explanations for the Paradox, the role of selective migration has been inadequately addressed. This study is among the few to combine Mexican and U.S. data to examine health selectivity in activity limitation, self-rated health, and chronic conditions among Mexican immigrants, ages 18 and over. Drawing on theories of selective migration, this study tested the “healthy migrant” and “salmon-bias” hypotheses by comparing the health of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. to non-migrants in Mexico, and to return migrants in Mexico. Results suggest that there are both healthy migrant and salmon-bias effects in activity limitation, but not other health aspects. In fact, consistent with prior research, immigrants are negatively selected on self-rated health. Future research should consider the complexities of migrants’ health profiles and examine selection mechanisms alongside other factors such as acculturation.
Hydrocarbons, free fatty acids, and amino acids of sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) D By. were obtained from commercial pea-and bean-cleaning operations or grown on potato-dextrose agar and synthetic glucose-and sucrose-salts agar media. The crude fat (ether extract) content of sclerotia varied from 0.8 to 1.5%. Extraction and fractionation of the lipids followed by gas chromatographic analysis showed that sclerotia from pea cleanings contained one predominant hydrocarbon which was absent from sclerotia produced in the laboratory. Sclerotia from natural sources and grown in the laboratory contained a similar distribution of C18 unsaturated free fatty acids, however, quantitative differences were noted. Palmitic, oleic and linoleic were the major free fatty acids of the laboratory-grown sclerotia while a high proportion of linoleic acid was also found in sclerotia from natural sources. Sclerotia were fractionated into water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions. After acid hydrolysis of the waterinsoluble fraction, both fractions were analyzed for amino acids. Twenty-one compounds, including 2 unknowns, were detected in the soluble fraction. The hydrolyzates contained 19 amino acids, including the same 2 unknowns. Two compounds tentatively identified as ornithine and γ-aminobutyric acid were found only in the water-soluble fraction. The relative amino acid composition of the water-insoluble fraction of sclerotia from various sources was fairly constant but the arginine content decreased on the synthetic media.
Transient waves produced by flow past a bump

Abstract Inviscid, incompressible, irrotational transient free surface flow past a bump is considered. Asymptotic methods are used to show that for Froude numbers sufficiently close to 1, the transient flow begins by satisfying the classical linear theory. The free surface then grows with time to become nonlinear then satisfying the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation with a forcing term. When solved numerically, this equation shows that solitary waves are generated at the bump and run upstream.
Empirical Methods for Determining the Stability or Instability of Certain Transfer Functions

We present some empirical methods for determining whether a linear autonomous dynamical system which has a known analytic transfer function is stable or unstable. These methods are based on the Poisson Integral representation forH∞mappings. Approximations of these integrals are often easily implemented by standard numerical packages, such as MATLAB, and thus present practical procedures for determining whether a given transfer function does or does not belong toH∞.
Holocene climate less stable than previously thought

Until recently, Holocene climate was thought to be extremely stable with none of the abrupt variations that characterize the cold climates of glacial times [Dansgaard et al., 1993]. New terrestrial, marine, and ice core data, however, document abrupt changes during the warm interglacial climate of the last 12,000 years. These newly developed Holocene paleoclimate records indicate that the Holocene was punctuated by a series of millennial-scale (1000–2000 year) cooling events, the most recent of which was the Little Ice Age (LIA) between approximately 1500 and 1800 A.D. Historical evidence indicates that the estimated ˜1°–2°C LIA ooling was ufficient to choke European ports with sea ice, freeze European rivers (as graphically recorded in the 1565 painting “Winter Landscape” by Pieter Bruegel), force abandonment of Viking colonies in Greenland, and cause glaciers to overrun alpine villages [Bradley and Jones, 1995]. Although these Holocene cooling events were not as large as the well-known glacial Heinrich events and Dansgaard-Oeschger climate instabilities [Bond et al., 1996; Dansgaard et al., 1993], they nonetheless document dramatic climate swings during the “climatically stable” Holocene.
Rumination, Conflict Intensity, and Perceived Resolvability as Predictors of Motivation and Likelihood of Continuing Serial Arguments

This study examined rumination, conflict intensity, and perceived resolvability as predictive of factors that sustain serial arguments. Young adults reported on serial arguments in either parent–child or romantic relationships. In parent–child relationships, perceived resolvability was inversely related to the likelihood of continuing a serial argument, unless the argument was high in intensity and rumination, or low in intensity and rumination. In dating relationships, partners were more motivated about the argument when they were either (a) ruminating about the issue but did not view it as resolvable, or (b) when they believed the argument to be resolvable but did not ruminate about it. Collectively, the results identify factors that contribute meaningful variance to understudied aspects of serial arguments.
Masking Light Fields to Remove Partial Occlusion

We address partial occlusion due to objects close to a micro lens-based light field camera. Partial occlusion degrades the quality of the image, and may obscure important details of the background scene. In order to remove the effects of partial occlusion post-capture, previous methods with traditional cameras have required the photographer to capture multiple, precisely registered, images under different settings. The use of a light field camera eliminates this requirement, as the camera simultaneously captures multiple views of the scene, making it possible to remove partial occlusion from a single image captured by a hand-held camera. Relative to past approaches for light field completion, we show significantly better performance for the small viewpoint changes inherent to a handheld light field camera, and avoid the need for time-domain data for occlusion estimation.
The Levels of Corticosterone-Binding Proteins in Rat Milk and Coincidental Serum, and the Dissociation Rates of the Corticosterone • Protein Complexes

The corticosterone-binding protein present in rat whey was further characterized by determining, with the aid of a dextran-coated charcoal procedure, the apparent rate of dissociation of the corticosterone • protein complex. The half-time values for the dissociation of the corticosterone • protein complexes in rat whey and serum were compared and found to be identical, i.e. 23 min at 0 C, when the measurements were made over a period of 40 min. The possible presence in small amounts of a corticosterone-protein complex in whey with the much slower dissociation rate characteristic of mammary glucocorticoid receptor could not be detected even when the dissociation was followed over a much longer period. The charcoal adsorption method also provided independent estimates of the molar concentrations of the corticosterone-binding proteins in rat serum and whey. The mean concentration of corticosterone-binding protein in whey was found to be 15% of that in coincidental serum during early lactation. The serum leve...
Comparative chemical attributes of native North American hop, Humulus lupulus var. lupuloides E. Small

The genetic diversity of 159 representative genotypes of native hop (Humulus lupulus var. lupuloides E. Small, Cannabaceae) from 34 selected populations was assessed by relative magnitudes and ranges of alpha acids (AA), beta acids (BA), and the cohumulone (CoH) component of alpha acids, with reference to temporal changes between 1989-1990 and 2001, and to the same attributes in American and European hop cultivars, principally H. lupulus var. lupulus L. Chemical profiles of these genotypes were generated by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of methanol extracts from their processed samples (cones). The alpha ratio (AR, alpha acids / alpha+beta acids) measured the degree to which alpha acids predominated in cone extracts. Synchronous ranges of AR and CoH were also selected for graphic portrayals of native hop genotypic diversity. Cones sampled and analyzed from eight populations that were accessible in both 1989 and 2001 were distinct in chemical attributes, indicating a succession of genotypes, and suggesting temporal cycling of H. lupulus var.lupuloides germplasm. The principal distinctions between the two sub-species were a markedly higher proportion of CoH (38-88% vs. 19-41%) in alpha acids of H. l. var. lupuloides, and generally higher concentrations of AA in cultivars of both American and European commercial hop cultivars, predominantly H. lupulus var. lupulus. All of the 159 native hop genotypes also contained detectable levels of xanthohumol and xanthogalenol, prenylflavonoids recently reported to have mammalian anti-cancer activity. Some native genotypes had previously exhibited natural repellence of insect and mite pests; thus H. lupulus var. lupuloides germplasm offers a diverse resource of underutilized and yet undefined biochemicals.
Assessment of trauma symptoms among adolescent assault victims

PURPOSE: To identify and evaluate the effectiveness of an assessment tool that could be used to assess the psychological needs of youth injured by community violence. METHODS: The Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) was administered to 120 adolescents participating in Project Ujima, a hospital-based program providing Emergency Department support and home-based psychosocial follow-up to victims of violent crime (mean age = 14.8 years; 72% male; 70% African-American, 19% white, 8% Latino). Participants' TSCC scores were compared with normative data using one-sample, two-tailed, Student's t-tests. Comparisons of TSCC scale scores were also made based on participant age, gender, ethnicity, and injury type using one-way multivariate analysis of variance. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of the participants scored in the clinical range on the Underreporting Scale of the TSCC, reflecting a tendency to deny common thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Elevations on all clinical scales were modest. Males showed elevations on Underreporting and decreased trauma symptoms, in comparison to normative data and to females in the sample. CONCLUSIONS: The reported low levels of symptomatology among this sample of youth may be due, in part, to a defensive response style.
Pyruvate Formate-Lyase Activating Enzyme Is an Iron−Sulfur Protein

Only a few enzymes are known to utilize stable protein-based radicals as part of their catalytic cycles.1 Among these are both the aerobic and anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases and pyruvate formate-lyase from Escherichia coli. Aerobic and anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases utilize tyrosyl and glycyl radicals, respectively, to generate a transient active site thiyl radical that effects hydrogen atom abstraction in the initial step of ribonucleotide reduction.2 Pyruvate formate-lyase (PFL) has been shown to require a stable glycyl radical to effect the rearrangement of pyruvate to formate.3 The mechanism of generation of these catalytically essential radicals is of considerable interest, but has only been elucidated in any detail for aerobic ribonucleotide reductase. For PFL, an iron-dependent activating enzyme (PFL-AE) is required for activation under reducing conditions in the presence of DTT, via an (S)-adenosylmethionine-dependent hydrogen atom abstraction, to generate a glycyl radical.4,5 However, the nature of the iron center in PFL-AE has until now remained elusive. We report here the first evidence for the presence of an iron-sulfur cluster in PFLAE. When a combination of absorption, variable temperature magnetic circular dichroism (VTMCD), EPR, and resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopies is used, anaerobically prepared PFLAE is shown to contain a mixture of diamagnetic [2Fe-2S]2+ and [4Fe-4S]2+ clusters. Since only [4Fe-4S]2+ clusters remain in dithionite-reduced samples and (S)-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is required to effect reduction to the [4Fe-4S]+ state, these results are interpreted in terms of a subunit-bridging [4Fe-4S]2+,+ cluster in active PFL-AE and suggest that this cluster is involved with generating the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical from SAM. Purified PFL-AE6 has a distinct red-brown color and a UVvis absorption spectrum consistent with the presence of an Fe-S cluster (Figure 1a). Analysis of four distinct preparations indicated 1.5 ( 0.1 mol of iron and 1.7 ( 0.2 mol of acidlabile sulfide per mole of enzyme monomer.7 The specific activity of purified PFL-AE containing 1.5 mol of iron per mole of enzyme was 3800 U/mg, compared to 540 U/mg for enzyme with a low cluster content (<0.2 mol of iron per mole of enzyme), indicating a direct correlation between cluster content and enzyme activity.8,9 In common with most biological Fe-S centers, reduction with dithionite results in partial bleaching of the visible absorption. However, in contrast to all known types of Fe-S centers which are paramagnetic in at least one oxidation state, neither the as-purified or dithionite-reduced samples contain a paramagnetic Fe-S cluster, as evidenced by parallel and perpendicular X-band EPR and VTMCD studies over the temperature range of 4-50 K.10 The identity of the diamagnetic Fe-S clusters in these samples was revealed by RR studies in the Fe-S stretching region (Figure 1b). Although the signal-to-noise ratio is poor due to high background fluorescence, the RR spectrum of
Cell renewal in adjoining intestinal and tracheal epithelia of Manduca.

Abstract Cell renewal continuously replaces dead or dying cells in organs such as human and insect intestinal (midgut) epithelia; in insects, control of self-renewal determines insects’ responses to any of the myriad pathogens and parasites of medical and agricultural importance that enter and cross their midgut epithelia. Regenerative cells occur in the midgut epithelia of many, if not all, insects and are probably derived from a distinctive population of stem cells. The control of proliferation and differentiation of these midgut regenerative cells is assumed to be regulated by an environment of adjacent cells that is referred to as a regenerative cell niche. An antibody to fasciclin II marks cell surfaces of tracheal regenerative cells associated with rapidly growing midgut epithelia. Tracheal regenerative cells and their neighboring midgut regenerative cells proliferate and differentiate in concert during the coordinated growth of the midgut and its associated muscles, nerves and tracheal cells.
Synthesis and structure of [K-(12-crown-4)2]2[K- (12-crown-4)]2[Sn9].4en

The new compound [K(12C4)2]2[K12C4]2[Sn9]·4en (1), where 12C4 is 12-crown-4 polyether, was crystallized from an ethylenediamine solution of an intermetallic precursor with nominal composition K4Li2Sn8. The structure of the compound (orthorhombic, Cmca, a = 21.763(4), b = 16.030(3), c = 51.85(1) A, Z = 8) contains isolated deltahedral clusters of [Sn9]4−. The clusters are of Cs symmetry and are nido according to the number of bonding electrons. The potassium countercations are sequestered by the very small 12C4 ether: half of them are sandwiched between a pair of molecules and the other half are coordinated by a single molecule. The latter potassium cations also bridge edges of the tin clusters, and each cluster has two such coordinated cations. Coordination of potassium cations by such small crown ethers is quite rare. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eye stalks or no eye stalks: A structural comparison of pupal development in the stalk-eyed fly cyrtodiopsis and in drosophila

After emergence from the puparium, stalk-eyed flies of the family Diopsidae rapidly expand their head capsule so that the eyes and optic lobes are displaced at the ends of stalks that extend from the central head. Because the expansion takes place in only 15 minutes, we are especially interested in ontogenetic modifications that may facilitate such a rapid and dramatic change. To examine the pupal development of the brain, we used Bodian staining in the stalk-eyed fly, Cyrtodiopsis whitei and compared it with development in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, which serves as a “typical” dipteran example without eye stalks. Early in pupal development, the neuropil organization of the two species is fairly similar. In both species, columns are present in the outer medulla and giant fibers are discernible in the lobula plate. In contrast to D. melanogaster, C. whitei shows a small, neck-like constriction between the optic lobes and the rest of the brain. By 20% of pupal development, the divergence is more apparent, and by 30%, the future eye stalk and optic nerve of C. whitei has started to form. During the remaining 70% of development, the initially thick optic nerve narrows, and becomes gradually elongated, eventually coiling and folding throughout the short eye stalk. Similarly, the cuticle of the surrounding region becomes constricted, slightly elongated, and gradually appears more and more densely corrugated, like an accordion bellows. However, except for the formation of the optic nerve, the dense aggregation of cuticle around it, and a shift in orientation of the neuropils, the developmental programs of the two species are remarkably similar. This suggests that only a few aspects of development have been modified during the course of evolution to generate the stalk-eyed phenotype. At eclosion, the imago of C. whitei goes through a pumping process to inflate the eye stalks to their full length. Measurements of the diameter of the optic nerve before and after the expansion reveal only a small decrease. We propose that the cuticular folding of the eye stalk as well as the coiling of the optic nerve prepare the pupa well for the rapid and dramatic eye-stalk inflation after eclosion. J. Comp. Neurol. 433:486 ‐ 498, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Eruption mechanics on the Earth, Moon and Mars

A survey is provided of recent comparative studies on the character of eruption mechanics on earth, the moon and Mars. Among the relevant determinations made are: (1) a source depth for lunar basaltic magmas deeper, at 100 km, than most terrestrial ones; (2) the rising of both lunar and terrestrial magmas to less than 2 km below the surface before gases begin to exsolve; (3) carbon monoxide concentrations in lunar basalts are an order of magnitude lower than the average volatile contents of terrestrial basalts; and (4) unequivocal proof is lacking for the existence of ignimbrites in Martian volcanic formations, which would be formed by the collapse of large eruption columns.
Hormonal mediation of energy homeostasis in obesity, diabetes and related disorders

Satiety signals generated during meals (e.g. cholecystokinin) help determine when meals end whereas adiposity signals (e.g. insulin and leptin) control the sensitivity of the brain to satiety signals as well as hepatic sensitivity to control glucose production. Malfunction of these signaling pathways in the brain leads to increased fat deposit, peripheral insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, and/or other symptoms of the metabolic syndrome.
Improved entrapment of drugs in modified liposomes.

Abstract Incorporation of 8-azaguanine and 6-mercaptopurine into single compartment dipalmitoyl-DL-α-phosphatidylcholine liposomes has been increased dramatically by the presence of chloranil transfer complex formation. The enhanced entrapment is due to charge. The charge transfer complex readily decomposes to the parent donor drug and chloranil acceptor. Chloranil, however, may be toxic. Using 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-n-butylamide and 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl phosphatidylethanolamine as electron donors did not result in enhanced entrapments.
Exogenous erythropoietin fails to augment hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats

Abstract In two rat strains (H and M) with differing susceptibilities to chronic hypoxia we examined the role of polycythemia in the differing hypoxic pulmonary hemodynamic responses. We hypothesized that augmentation of hematocrit (Hct) during hypoxia in the resistant M strain would render cardiopulmonary responses similar to those obtained in the susceptible H strain. Administration of human recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) in doses of 100, 250 and 500 U·kg−1 s.c. thrice weekly for three weeks raised Hct similarly in both strains indicating that normoxic rats had similar sensitivities to EPO. In rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia (0.5 atm) for 21 days, EPO (500 U·kg−1 thrice weekly) significantly increased Hct and whole blood viscosity as expected. Surprisingly, right ventricular (RV) to body weight (BW) ratio as an index of righ ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and RV peak systolic pressure did not increase in EPO-injected rats of either strain compared to hypoxic controls. Among hypoxic animals, Hct correlated highly with viscosity but not with RV/BW. We conclude, contrary to our hypothesis, that polycythemia does not appear to be responsible for the strain difference in RVH and pulmonary hypertension.
CPAP adherence in patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea prior to elective surgery.

Background:Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is prevalent in the surgical population, and it has been suggested that preoperative patients should be screened and treated for OSA. However, it remains un...
HOW BETTER SYSTEMS COULD FEED THE WORLD

Despite the noticeable gains in agricultural productivity in the last decade, people are still dying from starvation and malnutrition. While part of the problem is inadequate food supplies at the national level, nutrition problems relate to physical and economic access to food. The key to improving access to food for the rural and urban poor consumers in developing countries lies in reforming the food distribution or marketing system. The objective of this paper is to define food marketing system parameters, delineate the imperatives of marketing system reform, and recommend actionable managerial strategies for their reform.
Immune modulation for cancer therapy.

Immune modulation in cancer refers to a range of treatments aimed at harnessing a patient’s immune system to achieve tumour control, stabilisation, and potential eradication of disease. A novel therapeutic drug class called immune checkpoint-blocking antibodies modulate T-cell pathways that regulate T cells and have the potential to reinvigorate an antitumour immune response. Ipilimumab was the first FDA-approved immune checkpoint antibody licensed for the treatment of metastatic melanoma (MM) and blocks a checkpoint molecule called cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4). Herein we review the preclinical and clinical development of ipilimumab. We outline the mode of action of these agents and other immune checkpoint inhibitors, the management of their toxicities, and how to adequately assess response to treatment. As a result of these data, a number of other antibodies that block novel checkpoint molecules including programmed death-1 (PD-1), and corresponding ligands such as programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) are under preclinical and clinical development, and have demonstrated activity in multiple tumour types. This review will summarise the mechanism of action and clinical development of immune checkpoint antibodies, as well as lessons learned in the management and assessment of patients receiving these agents.
A cell-free culture system for development of large numbers of Brugia pahangi larvae

Techniques used in the in vitro culture of massive numbers of Brugia pahangi third-stage larvae (L3) are described. Procedures for larval preparation and four culture conditions, with or without animal cell co-cultures, were studied, resulting in the adoption of a relatively simple cell-free culture system for routine harvesting of larval moulting excretory/secretory product.
Enhanced solvent extraction with water-in-oil microemulsions

Abstract This paper examines theoretically the conditions which favor enhanced extraction when a microemulsion phase containing a surfactant and a chelating agent is used as the solvent extraction organic phase. A general thermodynamic model of liquid-liquid distribution in reversed micellar systems is presented. The model treats the reversed micellar aggregates of the surfactant HA as a pseudophase and considers (a) the partition of a chelating extractant (HL) between the continuous organic phase and the reversed micellar pseudophase, (b) transfer of the metal ion Mz+ into the continuous organic phase via reaction with HA monomers, (c) partition of the Mz+-HA complex between the continuous organic phase and the reversed micellar pseudophase, (d) reaction of the Mz+ -HA complex with HL in the reversed micellar pseudophase, and (e) partition of the HL-containing complex between the reversed micellar pseudophase and the continuous organic phase. Quantitative expressions are derived that permit one to identi...
Neurobiology of disease in children: a decade of successful symposia and a robust partnership with the Journal of Child Neurology.

Rare neurologic disorders are of great interest to researchers dedicated to understanding normal and abnormal pathophysiologic mechanisms, but such conditions are often not the ‘‘stuff’’ of general scientific meetings where participants hear about diagnostic and treatment approaches to common neurologic problems. Bernard Maria recognized this education deficit and acquired funding from the National Institutes of Health to sponsor a symposium on Joubert syndrome to precede the annual Child Neurology Society meeting in 1998. Maria then turned the proceeding of that symposium into articles for special issues in September and October 1999 of the Journal of Child Neurology. The success of that conference prompted the National Institutes of Health to fund beginning in 2001 an annual Neurobiology of Disease in Children Symposium on the first day of the Child Neurology Society annual meeting. A partnership with the Journal of Child Neurology has resulted in materials from each of these symposia being published in a special journal issue the following year. Over a decade, these symposia have covered a variety of topics, including neurofibromatosis type 1, leukodystrophies, tuberous sclerosis complex, Rett syndrome, Tourette syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy, pediatric central nervous system tumors, brain injury in preterm infants, muscular dystrophy, and childhood cerebrovascular disease. The overwhelming success of the symposia over the past decade is testament to the prescience of Maria in recognizing an important educational need of child neurologists, and the National Institutes of Health will continue to support the annual Neurobiology of Disease in Children Symposium (http://www.neurobiologyofdisease.com) until at least 2015. The Journal of Child Neurology salutes Maria for his herculean efforts and is proud of a decade-long collaboration that has permitted publication of materials from these symposia.
Experimental study of crack propagation in brittle amorphous solids. Refraction of a propagating crack by stress waves

When pine-resin is melted by heating on a metallic tray and solidified rapidly by cooling from the metallic plate side, a thin layer of resin under strong tensile stress is obtained. The interaction of propagation cracks and especially the influence of a stress wave on the crack propagation in this thermally strained layer are examined. The cracks are initiated from two or three points in the pine-resin plate by electric spark shocks in water. The propagating cracks are observed to refract by the stress waves produced by the shocks. The velocity of crack propagation is estimated from the relation between the distance travelled by the crack and the stress wave. En refroidissant energiquement la base d'un plateau metallique sur lequel nous avons coule de la resine de pin, nous obtenons une couche de resine sous tension. Nous avons, ensuite, en creant des decharges electriques dans l'eau, produit des chocs qui ont initie en deux ou trois endroits des cassures. Les interactions entre ces cassures qui se propagent, et surtout l'influence de l'onde de tension sur la propagation de la cassure de la couche de resine de pin ont ete examinees. Nous avons ainsi observe que les directions de propagation des cassures sont modifiees par les ondes de tension produites par les chocs. Enfin, nous avons estime la vitesse de propagation de la cassure en reliant la distance traversee par l'onde de tension et celle par la cassure.
Motion stereo for navigation of autonomous vehicles in man-made environments

Abstract In order to navigate, vehicles need to deduce their movements in given environments. We describe a method for wide-angle motion stereo to aid such navigations. Our approach uses vertices of objects observed in a scene as features to be matched in the two images. The matching is done in the 3-d world with the guidance of a base line which can be seen in both images. The candidate vertices for matching are obtained from analyzing (1) the edge maps of input images using a junction type table and (2) the range information of the segments which form the vertices. Range information is obtained by inverse perspective transformation. Some experimental results are shown.
Insulin resistance directly correlates with increased saturated fatty acids in skeletal muscle triglycerides

A close relationship between elevated plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels and insulin resistance is commonly reported in obese subjects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of intramuscular triglyceride (mTG) and FFA levels in insulin sensitivity in 30 nondiabetic normal-weight or obese subjects (18 with body mass index [BMI] = 21.8 +/- 3.3 kg/m2 and 12 with BMI = 34.6 +/- 2.7 kg/m2) who underwent minor abdominal surgery. Body composition was estimated by isotopic dilution, substrate oxidation by indirect calorimetry, and whole-body glucose uptake by euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC). Glucose uptake (M) value negatively correlated with the MTG level (R2 = -.56, P < .0001), which was increased in obese patients (11.6 +/- 2.2 v 6.2 +/- 1.4 micromol/g wet weight muscle tissue, P < .0001). The TG fatty acid profile was significantly different in the 2 groups: an increased concentration of saturated fat was present in obese patients (unsaturated to saturated ratio, 1.89 +/- 0.40 v2.19 +/- 0.07, P < .0001). Stepwise linear regression analysis of total mTGs and palmitic and oleic fractions on the M value showed that only TGs and palmitic acid were significantly related to glucose uptake (R2 = .66, P < .0001). Furthermore, among the other anthropometric variables, only the BMI was significantly correlated with MTGs (R2 = .71, P < .0001). In conclusion, not only the MTG concentration but also the FFA pattern seems to affect insulin-mediated glucose uptake. A pivotal role might be played by a high saturated fatty acid content in the TGs.
On-Chip Multi 4-Port Optical Circulators

We present a new geometry for on-chip optical circulators based on waveguide arrays. The optical array is engineered to mimic the Fock space representation of a noninteracting two-site Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian. By introducing a carefully tailored magneto-optic nonreciprocity to these structures, the array operates in the perfect transfer and surface Bloch oscillation modes in the forward and backward propagation directions, respectively. We show that an array made of (2N + 1) waveguide channels can function as N 4-port optical circulators with very large isolation ratios and low forward losses. Numerical analysis using beam propagation method indicates a large bandwidth of operation.