cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autologous collagen vocal fold injection: a preliminary clinical study.

This preliminary study reports the first use of injectable autologous collagen for vocal fold augmentation. In previous studies, the authors showed cross-linked bovine collagen to be effective in more than 150 patients with glottic incompetence, particularly those with focal defects or scarred or atrophic vocal folds. However, concerns about possible adverse immunologic responses to the bovine material have limited its use. The authors studied eight patients with difficult vocal fold pathology, including sulcus vocalis, atrophy, and scarring secondary to trauma and cordectomy. Skin was harvested under local anesthesia, processed into a naturally cross-linked injectable form (Autologen®), and injected using indirect laryngoscopy. Voice production was evaluated prior to the injection and at intervals after the injection, using subjective, perceptual, aerodynamic, acoustic, and videostroboscopic assessments. The results indicate that autologous collagen is comparable to injectable bovine collagen in the management of several difficult glottic insufficiency problems and that the likelihood of a hypersensitivity response is negligible. Unlike bovine collagen preparations, Autologen does not require breakdown of the natural collagen molecule, so it is anticipated that this material will be better tolerated and more stable over time.
Translocations of fodrin and its binding proteins.

Abstract Fodrin, a protein related to erythrocyte spectrin, redistributes within the cell in certain situations. We compare such movements of fodrin and several fodrin binding proteins during the processes of axonal transport in neurons, and capping of surface proteins in lymphocytes. In neurons, three different populations of newly synthesized fodrin appear to be transported down the axons at different velocities corresponding to those of groups of transported proteins designated II, IV, and V. Actin, which can interact with fodrin, is transported at the velocity of group IV. Synapsin, a component of synaptic vesicles, is also reported to bind to fodrin. One population of synapsin is transported more rapidly than fodrin, at the velocity of group I; two additional populations of transported synapsin may overlap fodrin in groups II and IV. We consider possible functional associations of these different populations of fodrin and fodrin binding proteins. We note that the transport of group IV proteins resembles in certain respects the process of capping in lymphocytes, suggesting the possibility of a common mechanism. We outline one of several possible mechanisms.
Scattering from multilayered random rough surfaces using the Steepest Descent Fast Multipole Method (SDFMM) and the multiple interaction model

Scattering of electromagnetic waves from multilayered random rough surfaces is crucial for subsurface sensing applications. A multiple interaction method of moments (MoM) model is used in this work to analyze scattering from two-dimensional multilayered random rough ground (3-D scattering problem) especially when the underground layer is deeply buried under the air/ground interface. The presented model removes a barrier and enables the application of the Steepest Descent Fast Multipole Method (SDFMM) to certain 3-D non-quasi-planar structures. The conventional SDFMM has been used to analyze electromagnetic wave scattering from quasi-planar structures where the scatterer's height is a fraction of a free-space wavelength. The presented model is based on multiple interactions mechanism between the air/ground interface and the buried underground layer. The basic idea of the proposed multiple scattering model is to decompose the non-quasi-planar multilayered ground into two quasi-planar scatterers where the conventional SDFMM can be applied separately to each one. The interactions between the sub-quasi-planar scatterers are calculated using the electromagnetic vector potentials near-field expressions. This model is tested and validated with the MoM on a variety of geometries. The results show that the strongest signature of the buried scatterer is mainly due to the first multiple interaction mechanism (ground-object-ground) while the contributions from repeating this mechanism become insignificant even for lossless and/or slightly lossy underground.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Quantifying net ecosystem exchange by multilevel ecophysiological and turbulent transport models

To quantify the interplay between scalar sources and sinks (Sc) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE), ‘‘forward’’ and ‘‘inverse’’ approaches have been proposed. The canonical form of forward approaches is a one-dimensional ecophysiological-radiative transfer scheme coupled to turbulent transport theory. In contrast, inverse approaches strictly rely on turbulent transport theory and mean scalar concentration as their primary input to infer Sc and NEE. While the formulation of both approaches have evolved over the past decade, no systematic comparison between them was undertaken for the same data set, and over a wide range of atmospheric conditions. Our objective is to compare the predicted Sc and NEE from these two approaches with eddy-covariance measurements. The results show that the forward method outperformed all three inverse methods for unstable and neutral conditions on short time scales (� 30 min) but yielded comparable results at longer time scales. Poor agreement was obtained under stable conditions for all models. Hence, for modeling event-based flux variations, forward models are preferred. Since the forward method requires detailed knowledge of ecophysiological, drag, radiative transfer and other canopy attributes, all of which are difficult to obtain on a routine basis, a symbiotic use of forward and inverse approaches is most advantageous. � 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Scientific Exploration of the Moon

The Moon is a geochemically differentiated object. It has a feldspathic crust (highlands regions) composed of three petrological suites. Underlying that crust is a compositionally heterogeneous upper mantle from which ferrobasalts and picrites (mare regions) were generated. Lunar samples retain a memory of the time-dependent flux of meteorites and comets, which has implications for the origin of sustainable life on Earth and the orbital evolution of the outer planets. Permanently shadowed regions at the lunar poles may contain reservoirs of volatile ices, which would have important resource potential for scientific bases. Geophysical data show that the Moon has a thick, seismically active lithosphere, a partially molten zone beneath that lithosphere, and a small metallic core. The pace of scientific exploration has quickened since 2003 with the successes of spacecraft from Europe, Japan, the People's Republic of China, and India. Upcoming launches of spacecraft from these same nations and the United States herald a new era of lunar discoveries.
Adipocyte-Specific IKKβ Signaling Suppresses Adipose Tissue Inflammation through an IL-13-Dependent Paracrine Feedback Pathway

Adipose tissue inflammation is one pathway shown to mediate insulin resistance in obese humans and rodents. Obesity induces dynamic cellular changes in adipose tissue to increase proinflammatory cytokines and diminish anti-inflammatory cytokines. However, we have found that anti-inflammatory interleukin-13 (IL-13) is unexpectedly induced in adipose tissue of obese humans and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, and the source of IL-13 is primarily the adipocyte. Moreover, HFD-induced proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IL-1β mediate IL-13 production in adipocytes in an IKKβ-dependent manner. In contrast, adipocyte-specific IKKβ-deficient mice show diminished IL-13 expression and enhanced inflammation after HFD feeding, resulting in a worsening of the insulin-resistant state. Together these data demonstrate that although IKKβ activates the expression of proinflammatory mediators, in adipocytes, IKKβ signaling also induces the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-13, which plays a unique protective role by limiting adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance.
Non-Contact Rolling Bond Stiffness Characterization of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) Particles

Two techniques, based on a contact lateral pushing and a noncontact base excitation, were utilized to characterize the adhesion behavior of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) particles. The micro-spherical PVP particles deposited on silicon substrates were excited by an ultrasonic transducer and the transient particle response was acquired by an interferometer. The natural frequencies of the particle rocking motion were extracted by comparing the vibrational spectra of the particles to those of the substrate. The obtained frequencies were then used to determine the work of adhesion of the contact. Rolling resistance moment-based lateral pushing experiments were also conducted on similar PVP particles. The resulting slopes of force–displacement curves were utilized to obtain the work of adhesion. The work of adhesion results determined from the noncontact measurements and lateral pushing measurements were in good agreement. In order to characterize the particle/substrate adhesion bond, different contact modes (i.e...
Some Factors Contributing to the Relative Success of Day and Evening Law School Students

Reed has pointed out that there isn't the necessity for "representation of-all-economic-levels" in other professions as there is in law because of the close relationship between law and government. Since the majority of our legislators and judges in a democracy are lawyers, it is perhaps desir able to have individuals representing, or at least having a thorough under standing of, all economic levels. He divides the proponents of the two types of law schools into Hamiltonians and Jefferson i ans. Reed's position is in favor of the latter and says:
Electronic detailing (e‐detailing) of pharmaceuticals to physicians: a review

Purpose – Electronic detailing (e‐detailing) has been introduced in the last few years by the pharmaceutical industry as a new communication channel to promote pharmaceutical products to physicians. E‐detailing means using digital technology: internet, video conferencing, and interactive voice response. Because of the rapid adoption of e‐detailing among physicians and because of the potential effects of e‐detailing on the physician prescribing behavior, it is important to summarize research about e‐detailing. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on e‐detailing of pharmaceuticals to physicians.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature was conducted to address reasons behind e‐detailing emergence, e‐detailing as a replacement for traditional detailing, different definitions of e‐detailing, e‐detailing processes, the prevalence of e‐detailing among physicians, types of e‐detailing, drivers for e‐detailing adoption among physicians, and adopters' characteristics.Findings – Ba...
Comorbidity of alcohol abuse and dependence with medical conditions in 2 American Indian reservation communities.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to examine the association of self-reported Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV edition alcohol abuse and dependence with medical conditions among American Indians (AIs). METHODS: We analyzed data previously collected in a large epidemiological study of members of 2 culturally distinct AI tribes from the Southwest (SW; n = 1,446) and the Northern Plains (NP; n = 1,638) living on or near their reservations. Associations of combined self-reported alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence with 19 medical conditions were examined through multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Medical conditions that had significant relationships with alcohol abuse/dependence were sprains and strains [odds ratio (OR) 2.04, p Language: en
The economics of cropland conversion in Amazonia: The importance of agricultural rent

Abstract We use spatially efficient logit models to explore the role of economic incentives on the expansion of cropland in the Mato Grosso region between 2001 and 2004. An empirical measure for agricultural economic rent is used to quantify the desirability of a particular plot of land, which previous research proxies with variables such as distance to roads or urban areas, and simple climatic and edaphic variables. Results indicate that the measure for economic rent provides additional information and explanatory power to one of the most commonly used proxies, distance to roads. As predicted by economic theory, it is not simply access or variation in transportation costs that drives the spatial determinants of agricultural expansion, but the expected total returns from the venture. This suggests that spatially explicit rent models can be used to simulate the location and quantity of land-use change in an economically consistent framework. Such a framework lays the foundation for an enhanced methodology that can evaluate the ability of fiscal policy levers to influence the location of agricultural conversion with the ultimate aim of balancing economic and environmental goals.
Flavonoid derivative 7,8-DHF attenuates TBI pathology via TrkB activation.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is followed by a state of metabolic dysfunction, affecting the ability of neurons to use energy and support brain plasticity; there is no effective therapy to counteract the TBI pathology. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has an exceptional capacity to support metabolism and plasticity, which highly contrasts with its poor pharmacological profile. We evaluated the action of a flavonoid derivative 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a BDNF receptor (TrkB) agonist with the pharmacological profile congruent for potential human therapies. Treatment with 7,8-DHF (5 mg/kg, ip, daily for 7 days) was effective to ameliorate the effects of TBI on plasticity markers (CREB phosphorylation, GAP-43 and syntaxin-3 levels) and memory function in Barnes maze test. Treatment with 7,8-DHF restored the decrease in protein and phenotypic expression of TrkB phosphorylation after TBI. In turn, intrahippocampal injections of K252a, a TrkB antagonist, counteracted the 7,8-DHF induced TrkB signaling activation and memory improvement in TBI, suggesting the pivotal role of TrkB signaling in cognitive performance after brain injury. A potential action of 7,8-DHF on cell energy homeostasis was corroborated by the normalization in levels of PGC-1α, TFAM, COII, AMPK and SIRT1 in animals subjected to TBI. Results suggest a potential mechanism by which 7,8-DHF counteracts TBI pathology via activation of the TrkB receptor and engaging the interplay between cell energy management and synaptic plasticity. Since metabolic dysfunction is an important risk factor for the development of neurological and psychiatric disorders, these results set a precedent for the therapeutic use of 7,8-DHF in a larger context.
Polychaete indicator species as a source of natural halogenated organic compounds in marine sediments

Studies of pollutant impact on the marine environment assume that organic contaminants are anthropogenic in origin. However, many common polychaete worms and sediments contain readily detectable concentrations of brominated natural products that are often analogues of chlorinated anthropogenic contaminants. Both polychaetes and sediments are used extensively in environmental toxicology and monitoring, and the extent to which natural halometabolites may confound these studies is unknown. To characterize further the relationship among infauna, indicator species, and sedimentary halogenated organics, we examined sediments and infauna from a pristine habitat and animals maintained under laboratory culture for haloorganics using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Natural haloorganics are a consistent feature of pristine marine soft-bottom habitats, and their spatial and temporal variation correlates with the abundance of infauna that produce these metabolites. Abundant organohalogens are also present in the widespread polychaete indicator species Capitella sp. I and Streblospio benedicti but absent from the marine invertebrate toxicology model Neanthes arenaceodentata. Studies from the individual to the community level within the fields of ecology, toxicology, and environmental chemistry could be readily confounded by failing to consider these novel animal and habitat characteristics.
60 GHz wideband printed quasi-parabolic reflector antenna

A novel design of a printed-planar quasi-parabolic reflector antenna, fed by an integrated feeding line, is proposed for V-band wireless systems. The antenna is made of concentric metallic rings printed on a multi-layer low-loss substrate. The radiation performance of the designed antenna is investigated using full-wave simulations. The antenna shows a maximum gain of 14 dBi at 64 GHz with 3dB gain bandwidth of more than 24 GHz. The simulated -10dB-impedance bandwidth of the antenna is approximately 14 GHz covering almost entire FCC-60 GHz band (i.e. from 57 to 64 GHz).
Electric- and exchange-field controlled transport through silicene barriers: Conductance gap and near-perfect spin polarization

We study ballistic electron transport through silicene barriers, of width d and height U, in the presence of an exchange field M and a normal electric field Ez. Away from the Dirac point (DP), the spin- and valley-resolved conductances, as functions of U, exhibit resonances while close to it there is a pronounced dip that can be transformed into a transport gap by varying Ez. The charge conductance gc changes from oscillatory to a monotonically decreasing function of d beyond a critical Ez and this can be used to realize electric-field-controlled switching. Further, the field M splits each resonance of gc into two spin-resolved peaks. The spin polarization near the DP increases with Ez or M and becomes nearly perfect above certain of their values. Similar results hold for double barriers.
Corrosion system modelling using microcomputer programs for free-energy minimization

Abstract Computer alogorithms that minimize the Gibbs free energy of complex systems are applied to systems undergoing corrosion. Such calculations are more correct than standard single equation calculations since they adjust the activities of the species to reflect correctly the competing equilibria. An example of the application of such a calculation is given, based on the secondary system of a nuclear power plant. The programs described are available for use on microcomputers.
Interaction of general anesthetics with phospholipid vesicles and biological membranes

Low concentrations of general anesthetics, including halothane, ethrane, trilene, diethyl ether and chloroform are observed to shift the phase transitions of phospholipid vesicles to lower temperatures, and from these data partition coefficients for the anesthetic between lipid and water can be calculated. In contrast to the anesthetics, high concentrations of ethanol are required to shift the phase transition of lipids and glycerol causes no effect. Above the phase transition general anesthetics alter nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of phospholipid dispersions and increase the rotational and lateral diffusion rates of fluorescent probes located in the hydrocarbon core of the bilayer, indicating that they induce disorder in the structure. In red blood cell membranes and sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments, the rotational diffusion rate of 1-phenyl-6-phenylhexatriene is increased in the presence of general anesthetics. The 220 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of sarcoplasmic reticulum reveal some resolved lines from the lecithin fatty acid protons; addition of general anesthetic increases the contribution of these peaks. The data from the NMR and fluorescence techniques lead to the conclusion that general anesthetics increase the pool size of melted lipids in the bimolecular phospholipid layers of biological membranes; this would account for the ability of general anesthetics to increase passive diffusion rates of various substances in membranes.
Mapping of the active site of T7 RNA polymerase with 8-azidoATP.

The photoaffinity analog of ATP, 8-azidoATP, labels T7 RNA polymerase. Photoincorporation exhibits saturation behavior and is protected against by the substrate ATP. 8-AzidoATP is a competitive inhibitor of ATP incorporation with K i ∼ 40 μM. The photolabeled T7 RNA polymerase, following cyanogen bromide digestion, was analyzed by phenylboronate agarose column chromatography followed by reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography. Sequencing of the peptides labeled with radioactive photoprobe allowed the identification of three peptides, P314-M362 (I), L550-M666 (II), and F751-M861 (III). These peptides are in the proximity of the photoprobe 8-azidoATP and, therefore, expected to contain functionally significant residues and define an active site domain. These peptides (I and II) contain residues previously implicated in T7 RNA polymerase activity or show homology to active site regions of the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I (II and III).
Averge case complexity of elliptic partial differential equations

Abstract We are interested in the approximate solution of elliptic partial differential equations (PDE). Our goal is to compute an ϵ-approximation with minimal cost. In previous work, we have obtained tight complexity bounds for this problem in the worst case setting, and found conditions that are necessary and sufficient for the finite element method (FEM) to be an almost optimal complexity algorithm. Since these bounds show that elliptic PDE are intractable in the worst case setting, it is natural to seek another setting in which PDE are tractable. With this in mind, we look at the average case setting. For a large class of measures (which includes Wiener measure as a special case), we give tight bounds on the average case complexity of PDE. Moreover, we show that the FEM with properly chosen parameters is an almost optimal complexity algorithm in the average case.
The integration of biologic agents into the current systemic management of rectal cancer

During the past decade there has been a dramatic change in the management of patients with metastatic colon and rectal cancer. The addition of irinotecan and oxaliplatin to fluoropyrimidine therapy has improved the survival for patients with metastatic colon and rectal cancer. The introduction of agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor and the epidermal growth factor has also improved the survival for these patients. This article summarizes these dramatic changes and demonstrates how targeted therapy is being integrated into the systemic and adjuvant management of patients with colorectal cancer.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF MOUNTAIN LIONS: DOES A LAND-TENURE SYSTEM REGULATE POPULATION SIZE?

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) are thought to regulate their populations via social behavior. The proposed mechanism is a land-tenure system that results in ex- clusion of individuals from the population through territoriality and temporal avoidance. In the absence of mortality from intraspecific aggression, social behavior can regulate a population only by limiting reproduction. Successful reproduction among large mammals is related to the availability of food. Four states of nature must hold if a population is regulated by social behavior via a land-tenure system in mountain lions: (1) individuals should not be distributed randomly, but each should have its own distinct distribution, and those individuals should maintain regions of exclusivity; (2) use of food within the distri- bution of an individual should not be random, but should be clumped as individuals try to exclude each other from access to prey; (3) those clumps of prey must not be simply the result of prey distribution, but of social interactions among lions; and (4) social interactions and defense of food should occur in regions where distributions of individuals overlap; therefore, prey use by individual lions in areas of overlap should be less than expected based on the distribution of prey. We tested hypotheses regarding social regulation for a population of mountain lions that co-occurred on a winter range with a population of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, from 1991 to 1997. Individual mountain lions (n =10) exhibited distinct distributions, and deer killed by individuals (n = 112) were not distributed randomly within the distribution of the lion that did the killing. Furthermore, the nonrandom distribution of lion-killed deer could be explained by the distribution of live deer alone, but that result was marginally not significant (P = 0.06) and indicated that something else affected the locations of kills made by lions. Results from tests of whether the presence of another mountain lion affected where individuals chose to kill prey indicated that social interactions had no effect. The distribution of deer killed by individual mountain lions in areas of exclusive use and areas of overlap was identical to that expected based on the distribution of live deer alone. That outcome indicated social behavior was not regulating the population of mountain lions via partitioning of prey, and temporal differences in use of space could not explain the distribution of mountain lions we observed. A system of land-tenure and mutual avoidance did not limit the population of mountain lions in Round Valley via partitioning of prey. Our results are concordant with other studies of large mammalian carnivores, which reported that populations were not limited primarily by territoriality but by the supply of food.
Feeding deterrency of flavonoids and related phenolics towards Schizaphis graminum and Myzus persicae: Aphid feeding deterrents in wheat

Abstract A number of naturally occurring flavonoids have been tested for their feeding deterrent activity against two aphid species, Schizaphis graminum and Myzus persicae . Most flavonoids, including a number of dihydrochalcones related to phloretin, showed strong deterrency at concentrations well within the range often found in plants. Flavanone and flavone glycosides showed weak feeding deterrency relative to their corresponding aglycones. S. graminum and M. persicae responded similarly towards the compounds tested. The feeding deterrency of wheat extracts towards S. graminum was confined to the phenolic fraction, which included the flavone tricin. The more polar phenolic fraction showed the strongest feeding deterrency towards S. graminum.
Cooperation between CCAAT and octamer motifs in the distal sequence element of the rat U3 small nucleolar RNA promoter

Mammalian U3 small nucleolar RNA promoters possess a highly conserved distal sequence element (DSE) consisting of CCAAT and octamer motifs separated by 11-12 base pairs. We show here that both motifs are required for transcription of a rat U3D gene in Xenopus oocytes. Deletion of the CCAAT motif leaves residual DSE activity, while removal of the octamer motif does not. Changing the conserved spacing between the two motifs generally inhibits transcription less than deletion of either motif, but increasing the spacing between the motifs by one helical turn of DNA preserves normal levels of transcription. We also show that the rat U3D DSE is functionally equivalent to the human U2 snRNA DSE, which consists of adjacent GC and octamer motifs, and that elements from the Herpes Simplex Virus thymidine kinase promoter can replace part or all of the U3D DSE. These data are apparently paradoxical; despite high evolutionary conservation, the U3 DSE is relatively insensitive to mutation, and other upstream motifs are also able to drive transcription from the U3 basal promoter. We suggest that the conserved structure of the U3 DSE may be required for regulation rather than efficiency of U3 transcription.
3D Simulations to Investigate Initial Condition Effects on the Growth of Rayleigh-Taylor Mixing

Abstract The effect of initial conditions on the growth rate of turbulent Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) mixing has been studied using carefully formulated numerical simulations. An implicit large-eddy simulation (ILES) that uses a finite-volume technique was employed to solve the three-dimensional incompressible Euler equations with numerical dissipation. The initial conditions were chosen to test the dependence of the RT growth parameters (αb, αs) on variations in (a) the spectral bandwidth, (b) the spectral shape, and (c) discrete banded spectra. Our findings support the notion that the overall growth of the RT mixing is strongly dependent on initial conditions. Variation in spectral shapes and bandwidths are found to have a complex effect of the late time development of the RT mixing layer, and raise the question of whether we can design RT transition and turbulence based on our choice of initial conditions. In addition, our results provide a useful database for the initialization and development of closures describing RT transition and turbulence.
Rootless shield and perched lava pond collapses at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i

Effusion rate is a primary measurement used to judge the expected advance rate, length, and hazard potential of lava flows. At basaltic volcanoes, the rapid draining of lava stored in rootless shields and perched ponds can produce lava flows with much higher local effusion rates and advance velocities than would be expected based on the effusion rate at the vent. For several months in 2007–2008, lava stored in a series of perched ponds and rootless shields on Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i, was released episodically to produce fast-moving 'a'ā lava flows. Several of these lava flows approached Royal Gardens subdivision and threatened the safety of remaining residents. Using time-lapse image measurements, we show that the initial time-averaged discharge rate for one collapse-triggered lava flow was approximately eight times greater than the effusion rate at the vent. Though short-lived, the collapse-triggered 'a'ā lava flows had average advance rates approximately 45 times greater than that of the pāhoehoe flow field from which they were sourced. The high advance rates of the collapse-triggered lava flows demonstrates that recognition of lava accumulating in ponds and shields, which may be stored in a cryptic manner, is vital for accurately assessing short-term hazards at basaltic volcanoes.
Surface mycoflora in stored grains of naked oats

In the framework of small-site experiments we examined the biopreparation Supresivit S 2 containing the propagules of the antagonistic fungus Trichoderma harzianum. The small-site experiments, which were carried out in the experimental plot of the Department of Crop Production (University of South Bohemia in Ceske Buđejovice, Faculty of Agriculture), were aimed at impairing the biotic fungistasis by biological means applied to the grains of naked oats, variety Adam. Our objective was to accomplish surface microbial analysis of stored naked oats grains, variety Adam, after the application of the biofungicide Supresivit S 2 in combination with surface treatment of the grains and biological screen applied during vegetation period. In particular variants of the experiment we estimated the values of the levels of bacteria and fungi representation in the surface parts of stored grains and analysed the contents of some mycotoxins produced by the fungi of the genus Fusarium. The highest numbers of bacteria and fungi on the surface of the investigated grains were found in the variant treated by the bioagent (Supresivit S 2) namely 82.000.000 spores of bacteria and 110.000 spores of fungi (Cladosporium, Verticillium, Coelomycetum) per 1 g of grain. Also the fungi of the genus Fusarium were most numerous in the variant oats - bioagent namely 250 spores per 1 g of grain. In all particular variants the amounts of mycotoxins were considerably below the known effective doses for animals and plants. The largest amount of vomitoxin was found in the variant chemical standard (Rovral TS, effective substance Carbendazim 17.5% and Iprodion 35%) - 18 ug. Zearalenon was found in all variants below 5 ug. Lower doses of ergosterin were found in the variant treated by the bioagent 4.7 mg/kg.
Copper toxicity in Alzheimer's disease: Cognitive loss from ingestion of inorganic copper

Abstract In this review I present the hypothesis that a toxic substance, inorganic copper, ingested from drinking water and vitamin/mineral supplements containing inorganic copper, is at least partially causal of the epidemic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) we are seeing in developed countries. I set the stage for this hypothesis by pointing out that the epidemic is a new disease phenomenon coinciding temporally with the use of copper plumbing in developed countries. The evidence is good that AD was nonexistent or rare in the 1800s and early 1900s, and the arguments that elderly people did not exist in those times, or that AD was simply attributed to senility, are refuted. The web of evidence tying ingestion of inorganic copper as a causal factor in AD is strong, and includes AD animal model data where trace amounts of inorganic copper in the drinking water markedly worsened AD, human studies where ingestion of copper supplements, along with a high fat diet, is associated with a marked loss of cognition, human studies showing a markedly higher mortality in elderly women ingesting copper supplements, as well as other data. It is likely that a high fat diet works in conjunction with ingestion of inorganic copper to increase the risk of AD. It is clear that some factor toxic to the brain is present in the environment in developed countries, but not undeveloped countries, and is a major risk factor for AD. I believe that that toxic factor is ingestion of inorganic copper.
Dinoflagellate spliced leader RNA genes display a variety of sequences and genomic arrangements

Spliced leader (SL) trans-splicing is a common mRNA processing mechanism in dinoflagellates, in which a 22-nt sequence is transferred from the 5′-end of a small noncoding RNA, the SL RNA, to the 5′-end of mRNA molecules. Although the SL RNA gene was shown initially to be organized as tandem repeats with transcripts of 50–60 nt, shorter than most of their counterparts in other organisms, other gene organizations and transcript lengths were reported subsequently. To address the evolutionary gradient of gene organization complexity, we thoroughly examined transcript and gene organization of the SL RNA in a phylogenetically and ecologically diverse group of dinoflagellates representing four Orders. All these dinoflagellates possessed SL RNA transcripts of 50–60 nt, although in one species additional transcripts of up to 92 nt were also detected. At the genomic level, various combinations of SL RNA and 5S rRNA tandem gene arrays, including SL RNA–only, 5S rRNA–only, and mixed SL RNA–5S rRNA (SL–5S) clusters, were amplified by polymerase chain reaction for six dinoflagellates, containing intergenic spacers ranging from 88 bp to over 1.2 kb. Of these species, no SL–5S cluster was detected in Prorocentrum minimum, and only Karenia brevis showed the U6 small nuclear RNA gene associated with these mixed arrays. The 5S rRNA–only array was also found in three dinoflagellates, along with two SL–5S-adjacent arrangements found in two other species that could represent junctions. Two species contained multimeric SL exon repeats with no associated intron. These results suggest that 1) both the SL RNA tandem repeat and the SL–5S cluster genomic organizations are an “ancient” and widespread feature within the phylum of dinoflagellates and 2) rampant genomic duplication and recombination are ongoing independently in each dinoflagellate lineage, giving rise to the highly complex and diversified genomic arrangements of the SL RNA gene, while conserving the length and structure of the functional SL RNA.
Use of stress-engineered material layers for the measurement of interfacial fracture toughness of nanoscale thin films

A new technique employing stress-engineered material layers for the measurement of interfacial fracture toughness of nanoscale thin films has been developed. This technique has been implemented to measure the interfacial fracture toughness of patterned Titanium (Ti) film on a Silicon (Si) substrate. This test employs a stress-engineered super layer deposited on Ti to provide the energy for the delamination propagation of Ti thin film from the Si substrate. The amount of energy available for the delamination propagation is varied by depositing a selectively-etchable thin release layer between the film strips and the substrate. By designing a decreasing area of the release layer, it is possible to arrest the delamination at a given location, and the interfacial fracture toughness or the critical energy release rate can be found at the location where the delamination ceases to propagate. For Ti film with thickness of 90 nm, the results show that the interfacial fracture toughness of Ti/Si ranges from 3.45 to 5.70 J/m² when the mode mixity increases from 6.8 to 38.4°. The methodology presented in this paper is generic in nature, and can be used to measure the process-dependent interfacial fracture toughness of various nanoscale thin film interfaces.
A furtive stare at an intra-cellular flow

Rarely do intra-cellular flows amount to much: cells are small, and so are their Reynolds numbers. The extraordinarily large cells of the Characean algae provide a fascinating counter-example, as their geometry precludes the standard methods of distributing food and waste. van de Meent et al . ( J. Fluid Mech. , 2010, this issue, vol. 642, pp. 5–14) present nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) velocimetry measurements of the fluid flow within individual living cells, which agree quantitatively with their fluid mechanical model and confirm a long-standing hypothesis. In addition to biomimetic parallels with microfluidic labs on chips, this work showcases NMR velocimetry as an under-appreciated but immensely powerful technique. The non-invasive tracer-free high-resolution flow measurements it enables – even in opaque and heterogeneous fluids – should find wide application.
Thymic Origin of Intestinal αß T Cells Revealed by Fate Mapping of RORγt+ Cells

Intestinal intraepithelial T lymphocytes (IELs) are likely to play a key role in host mucosal immunity and, unlike other T cells, have been proposed to differentiate from local precursors rather than from thymocytes. We show here that IELs expressingthe αβ T cell receptor are derived from precursors that express RORγt, an orphan nuclear hormone receptor detected only in immature CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, fetal lymphoid tissue–inducer (LTi) cells, and LTi-like cells in cryptopatches within the adult intestinal lamina propria. Using cell fate mapping, we found that all intestinal αβ T cells are progeny of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, indicatingthat the adult intestine is not a significant site for αβ T cell development. Our results suggest that intestinal RORγt+ cells are local organizers of mucosal lymphoid tissue.
The disfluent discourse: Effects of filled pauses on recall

We investigated the mechanisms by which fillers, such as uh and um, affect memory for discourse. Participants listened to and attempted to recall recorded passages adapted from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The type and location of interruptions were manipulated through digital splicing. In Experiment 1, we tested a processing time account of fillers’ effects. While fillers facilitated recall, coughs matched in duration to the fillers impaired recall, suggesting that fillers’ benefits cannot be attributed to adding processing time. In Experiment 2, fillers’ locations were manipulated based on norming data to be either predictive or non-predictive of upcoming material. Fillers facilitated recall in both cases, inconsistent with an account in which listeners predict upcoming material using past experience with the distribution of fillers. Instead, these results suggest an attentional orienting account in which fillers direct attention to the speech stream but do not always result in specific predictions about upcoming material.
Spatial distribution of myelin basic protein mRNA and polypeptide in quaking oligodendrocytes in culture.

In the CNS, myelin is formed from the expansion of oligodendrocyte processes. In order to study myelin assembly in the hypomyelinating mutant mouse quaking (qk), cultures of Oligodendrocytes were established from affected and control animals. The cytoarchitecture of the Oligodendrocytes was analyzed by performing morphometric measurements after immunostaining with antitubulin. The results indicate that the gross morphology of the processes is similar in control and mutant cells. The localization of the message for the myelin structural component, myelin basic protein (MBP), was examined by in situ hybridization. In control Oligodendrocytes, 80% of MBP mRNA is found in the processes. In contrast, only 23% of MBP mRNA is localized to these structures in the mutant; the majority of MBP mRNA remains in the cell body. The mutant cells are capable of distributing mRNAs to the periphery as shown by the presence of tubulin mRNA in their processes. MBP poly-peptide was visualized by immunofluorescence and found in the perikaryon, processes and membranous expansions of the control cells. In the mutant, it is largely confined to the perikaryon, reflecting the distribution of the mRNA. These results suggest that the localization of MBP polypeptide is achieved by restricting the distribution of its mRNA, and that MBP assembly into the myelin membrane occurs in the processes. This step appears to be blocked in qk oligodendrocytes in culture.
Theory of the Structure Factor of Metallic Glasses

A recently developed Landau description of short-range icosahedral order in supercooled liquids and metallic glasses is used to calculate density correlation functions in these systems. The theory predicts frustration-broadened peaks in the structure factor, at positions determined by the symmetries of an ideal, curved-space icosahedral crystal. The results provide a good fit to experiments on vapor-deposited metal films.
Identifying Areas for Substantial Variance Reduction Using Experimental Design

Efforts toward continuous quality improvement frequently are translated on the shop floor into reducing the variation in some measurement of the product. Far too often, those tasked with this objective really do not know where to begin looking for the k..
Resource Use Patterns in a Distance Doctor of Ministry Population

Online and distance learning are delivery modes in theological education that prompt questions about a library's ability to serve non-resident or occasionally resident students. This bibliometric study of 23 Doctor of Ministry theses completed at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary between 2006 and 2010 includes data about the kind of resources that are being used by distance students. The data is analyzed longitudinally and also by overall sample. Percentages of items cited that are in the library holdings either in hard or e-versions are also provided. Preliminary recommendations are made about how the library might adapt to serve the research needs of distance students.
Sulfone drugs in Duhring's disease; further experience.

In 1951 (1) we first reported on the use of Diasone, a substituted diamino-diphenylsulfone, in the treatment of thirteen patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. Notwithstanding good results shown then, this form of therapy did not become popular. Two reasons probably accounted for the poor reception of this agent for Duhring's disease. There already was in use for a relatively short time the best remedy for this dermatosis yet made available; and the stress we placed on the inherent anemia-inducing properties of the sulfone group of drugs. Besides, our report was perhaps a bit too conservative and was not sufficiently bold in setting forth the effectiveness of these newer remedies. Even though sulfapyridine was and remains the outstanding remedy for this one member of the bullous group, inevitably there were a few subjects whose eruption resisted this sulfonamide and some who became intolerant of it.
Comparison between the effects of atypical and traditional antipsychotics on work status for clients in a psychiatric rehabilitation program.

Background: Although many studies have compared the impact of atypical antipsychotics with that of traditional antipsychotics on psychiatric symptoms, few have compared the impact on work status, especially in the context of best-practices psychiatric rehabilitation. Method: A cross-sectional design examined symptom and employment status for 82 clients with DSM-IV schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who had attended a psychiatric rehabilitation program for a mean of 5 years. Using chart review and client interviews, we examined the relationship between type of antipsychotic prescribed and symptom and work status in 59 clients prescribed an atypical antipsychotic (olanzapine or risperidone) for a mean of 20 months and 23 clients prescribed a traditional antipsychotic for a mean of 75 months. Measures included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and 2 work status measures: an 8-point employment status scale (the Work Placement Scale) and percentage of clients working in independent employment. Results: The atypical group had significantly fewer symptoms of cognitive impairment and hostility/excitement than the traditional group (p <.05). However, self-reported adverse events were similar in the 2 medication groups, and the 2 groups did not differ significantly on work status. Less severe negative, cognitive, and hostility/ excitement symptoms were associated with more independent employment status. Conclusion: For long-term clients in a psychiatric rehabilitation program, type of medication prescribed was associated with better symptom control but not better work status. The association between symptoms and work status, however, may suggest an indirect link favoring atypical antipsychotics for achieving paid employment.
A hierarchical model for distributed detection with conditionally dependent observations

In this paper, we present a unifying framework for distributed detection with dependent or independent observations. This novel framework utilizes an expanded hierarchical model by introducing a hidden variable. Facilitated by this new framework, we identify several classes of distributed detection problems with conditionally dependent observations whose optimal sensor signaling structure resembles that of the independent case. These classes of problems exhibit a decoupling effect on the form of the optimal local decision rules, much in the same way as the conditionally independent case using both the Bayesian and the Neyman-Pearson criteria.
Protegrin structure-activity relationships: using homology models of synthetic sequences to determine structural characteristics important for activity.

The protegrin family of antimicrobial peptides is among the shortest in sequence length while remaining very active against a variety of microorganisms. The major goal of this study is to characterize easily calculated molecular properties, which quantitatively show high correlation with antibacterial activity. The peptides studied have high sequence similarity but vary in activity over more than an order of magnitude. Hence, sequence analysis alone cannot be used to predict activity for these peptides. We calculate structural properties of 62 protegrin and protegrin-analogue peptides and correlate them to experimental activities against six microbe species, as well as hemolytic and cytotoxic activities. Natural protegrins structures were compared with synthetic derivatives using homology modeling, and property descriptors were calculated to determine the characteristics that confer their antimicrobial activity. A structure–activity relationship study of all these peptides provides information about the structural properties that affect activity against different microbial species.