cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of feed form, soybean meal protein content, and Rovabio Advance on poult live performance to 3 wk of age

Abstract Based on research reports, feed characteristics can increase poult growth via several factors. Two rearing experiments (EXP) were conducted to test the effects of feed form and ingredient quality in turkey poults. Bird performance and the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and cecum morphology were observed in both EXP. Poults were reared in battery cages (48 cages in EXP 1 and 72 cages in EXP 2). Four dietary treatments with differing feed form and function factors were evaluated in EXP 1. A completely randomized block design with a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of 2 levels of fines, 2 soybean meal (SBM) sources, and 2 levels of an enzyme cocktail (Rovabio Advance) was tested in EXP 2. Poult BW, BW gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined in both EXP. Apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) was determined in EXP 2. Differences were considered to be statistically significant at P ≤ 0.05. Feeding increased feed crumble particle size with fewer fines in the starter feed resulted in an increased BWG accompanied by an increased FI. Reduced feed fines reduced AMEn when the dietary enzyme cocktail was not present. The feed formulation with 60% CP SBM resulted in a lower FI and an improved FCR. The enzyme cocktail interacted synergistically with screening and fed SBM source factors on the AMEn and FCR. It was concluded that both the feed form and quality, as used in this study, affect poult performance.
Neoliberalism and the media: edited by Marian Meyers, New York, NY, Routledge, 2019, 236 pp., $44.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781138094437

Marian Meyers’ edited collection, Neoliberalism and the Media, brings together a variety of case studies united in their purpose to expose the manifold ways in which neoliberal ideology has come to...
Scalable Aggregation Service for Satellite Remote Sensing Data

With the advances of satellite remote sensing techniques, we are receiving huge amount of satellite observation data for the Earth. While the data greatly helps Earth scientists on their research, conducting data processing and analytics from the data is getting more and more time consuming and complicated. One common data processing task is to aggregate satellite observation data from original pixel level to latitude-longitude grid level to easily obtain global information and work with global climate models. This paper focuses on how to best aggregate NASA MODIS satellite data products from pixel level to grid level in a distributed environment and provision the aggregation capability as a service for Earth scientists to use easily. We propose three different approaches of parallel data aggregation and employ three parallel platforms (Spark, Dask and MPI) to implement the approaches. We run extensive experiments based on these parallel approaches and platforms on a local cluster to benchmark their differences in execution performance and discuss key factors to achieve good speedup. We also study how to make the provisioned service adaptable to different service libraries and protocols via a unified framework.
Synchronic Applications for Diachronic Syntax: The Grammaticalization of to be about to in English

The Present Day English construction to be about to, a SEMI-AUXILLIARY which locates the event frame of the main verb in the immediate future, exhibits some unique characteristics in aspect and modality when it occurs in the negative or in the past tense (future-in-the-past). These specific semantic properties appear to be rather difficult to account for in a strictly synchronic framework. An investigation into the diachronic sources of this construction in the framework of grammaticalization theory reveals that these divergent properties are actually vestiges of the original structures from which the Present Day English form grammaticalized. Thus, an account of the diachronic origin of to be about to is appealing for both its explanatory and its theoretical significance: first, it offers a unified explanation of the semantics of the Present Day English form and, second, it demonstrates the application of diachronic analysis to the explanation of the properties of synchronic structures.
Measuring the Stability of Learned Features

Many modern datasets don't fit neatly into $n \times p$ matrices, but most techniques for measuring statistical stability expect rectangular data. We study methods for stability assessment on non-rectangular data, using statistical learning algorithms to extract rectangular latent features. We design controlled simulations to characterize the power and practicality of competing approaches. This motivates new strategies for visualizing feature stability. Our stability curves supplement the direct analysis, providing information about the reliability of inferences based on learned features. Finally, we illustrate our approach using a spatial proteomics dataset, where machine learning tools can augment the scientist's workflow, but where guarantees of statistical reproducibility are still central. Our raw data, packaged code, and experimental outputs are publicly available.
Distinct roles of interleukin-17 and T helper 17 cells among autoimmune diseases

Abstract Background Interleukin (IL)-17 and T helper 17 (TH17) cells, a distinct subset of CD4+ T cells which promotes the expression of IL-17, mediate host defensive mechanisms to various infections and are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), psoriasis, and rheumatic diseases. IL-17 inhibitors have shown to be effective in psoriasis, but failed to demonstrate response in IBD. Further, clinical trials of IL-17 inhibitors reported some cases of new onset IBD. We aim to discuss the roles of IL-17 and TH17 cells among autoimmune diseases and the possible immunological mechanisms of new onset IBD in patients undergoing IL-17 inhibitors. Methods A non-systematic literature review using PubMed/Medline. Results IL-17 inhibitors, which either target IL-17 A (secukinumab and ixekizumab) or the IL-17 receptor (brodalumab), have demonstrated clinical benefits in plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or axial spondyloarthritis. However, secukinumab and brodalumab have shown no clinical benefit in Crohn's disease and led to frequent serious adverse events including worsening of Crohn's disease. Further, some cases of new onset IBD were reported in clinical trials of IL-17 inhibitors. Consistently, an animal model of colitis has demonstrated that IL-17 can directly inhibit the development of T helper 1 (TH1) cells and TH1 cells can induce aggressive colitis in the absence of IL-17 signaling. Conclusions IL-17 and TH17 cells might have protective rather than pro-inflammatory roles in the intestine. IL-17 inhibition may induce inflammation in the intestine by favoring TH1 pathways, which explain the lack of response to IL-17 inhibitors in IBD.
Long-term quality of life of cancer survivors: A case-control study.

12077Background: There were extensive reports in literature about the debilitating health experienced by cancer patients during treatment. This study examined how the quality of life of cancer surv...
The Effects of Various Mastery Criteria on Student Performance and Attitude in a Mastery-Oriented Course.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of various mastery criteria on student performance and attitude in a course in which mastery learning strategies were employed. Undergraduates in an introductory course in educational psychology were randomly assigned to one of three treatments—one in which mastery criteria gradually increased from 70% to 90%, a second in which mastery criteria gradually decreased from 90% to 70%, or a third in which mastery criteria remained constant at 80%. Results indicated that although the high mastery criterion (90%) had a positive effect on some aspects of quiz performance, it did not have an effect on final examination performance. Results also indicated that students preferred that mastery criteria remain constant during a semester. These findings, when examined in light of previous research, call into question some prior notions regarding the levels at which mastery criteria should be set.
The response to IT complexity: autonomic computing

Autonomic computing (AC) is an initiative that addresses the challenge of managing information technology (IT). The AC approach is to develop technologies and methodologies that make systems more self-managing and more resilient to changes in configurations, workloads and other factors. By so doing, AC reduce the total cost of ownership of IT systems, enable IT systems to deliver business value more rapidly, and increase the quality of service of IT systems. This work highlights the concepts of AC, the business drivers behind it and how the domains of AC address the challenges in today's IT environments. It describes principles of an overarching unified architecture, common building blocks for autonomic systems, some areas of progress and the challenges ahead.
Two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide materials: Toward an age of atomic-scale photonics

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) such as MoS2, WS2, MoSe2, and WSe2 present an unprecedented excitonic materials family. These materials promise to open up a new age of atomic-scale photonics where devices can be scaled down to the truly atomic level and provide novel functionalities that cannot be obtained with conventional materials systems. Knowledge of the exciton dynamics in these materials is key to the development of the photonic devices. This article reviews recent studies on the excitonic properties of 2D TMDCs and the strategies used to manipulate the exciton dynamics. It also highlights many important scientific questions that remain to be answered for the realization of atomic-scale photonics.
PKCε plays a causal role in acute ethanol-induced steatosis

Steatosis is a critical stage in the pathology of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and preventing steatosis could protect against later stages of ALD. PKCepsilon has been shown to contribute to hepatic steatosis in experimental non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, the role of PKCepsilon in ethanol-induced steatosis has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to therefore test the hypothesis that PKCepsilon contributes to ethanol-induced steatosis. Accordingly, the effect of acute ethanol on indices of hepatic steatosis and insulin signaling were determined in PKCepsilon knockout mice and in wild-type mice that received an anti-sense oligonucleotide (ASO) to knockdown PKCepsilon expression. Acute ethanol (6g/kg i.g.) caused a robust increase in hepatic non-esterified free fatty acids (NEFA), which peaked 1h after ethanol exposure. This increase in NEFA was followed by elevated diacylglycerols (DAG), as well as by the concomitant activation of PKCepsilon. Acute ethanol also changed the expression of insulin-responsive genes (i.e. increased G6Pase, downregulated GK), in a pattern indicative of impaired insulin signaling. Acute ethanol exposure subsequently caused a robust increase in hepatic triglycerides. The accumulation of triglycerides caused by ethanol was blunted in ASO-treated or in PKCepsilon(-/-) mice. Taken together, these data suggest that the increase in NEFA caused by hepatic ethanol metabolism leads to an increase in DAG production via the triacylglycerol pathway. DAG then subsequently activates PKCepsilon, which then exacerbates hepatic lipid accumulation by inducing insulin resistance. These data also suggest that PKCepsilon plays a causal role in at least the early phases of ethanol-induced liver injury.
Culturing life from air: using a surface air system to introduce discovery-based research in aerobiology into the undergraduate biology curriculum.

Although the field of aerobiology predates Louis Pasteur’s classic experiments in the late 19 th century, the atmosphere has recently emerged as one of the last great frontiers in the field of microbiology. Recent research has demonstrated that airborne microbes are more diverse than previously thought and are metabolically active in some cases, influencing atmospheric chemistry and meteorological patterns. Furthermore, concern continues to grow regarding airborne travel of biothreat agents and emerging infectious diseases in an increasingly global society. Despite the increased recognition of the atmosphere as a frontier for microbiological exploration in both basic and applied sciences, students are generally not exposed to this field of research in the undergraduate biology curriculum. We describe the use of the Surface Air System (SAS) SUPER 180 (Bioscience International, Rockville, MD), an extremely rugged, easy-to-use, portable and nearly maintenance-free instrument that impacts defined volumes of air directly onto petri dishes to facilitate the study of culturable airborne microorganisms. We successfully employed this instrument in a Biology I course in which freshmen, with no prior research experiences, conducted discovery-based research that produced data that was presented at a national meeting and made a genuine contribution to the field of aerobiology. We also describe how such discovery-based research experiences in aerobiology can be used as a platform for teaching core biological concepts and basic laboratory skills. Editor's Note : The ASM advocates that students must successfully demonstrate the ability to explain and practice safe laboratory techniques. For more information, read the laboratory safety section of the ASM Curriculum Recommendations: Introductory Course in Microbiology and the Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories, available at www.asm.org . The Editors of JMBE recommend that adopters of the protocols included in this article follow a minimum of Biosafety Level 2 practices, with the possibility of Biosafety Level 3 depending upon medium used for selection.
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass or Gastric Banding: Which Operation is Best?

Data from the available published literature support that laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding are safe and effective bariatric procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity. Compared with gastric bypass, gastric banding is commonly associated with a shorteroperative time and length of hospital stay, and lower perioperative morbidity. However, the medium- and long-term weight losses were consistently and dramatically better after gastric bypass. The 2 preoperative factors predictive of poor weight loss in patients with gastric banding were male gender and patients with a BMI greater than or equal to 50 kg/m2. With this knowledge, the final decision regarding gastric bypass versus gastric banding will rely on an in-depth discussion between patients and surgeons with regard to perioperative and late complication data, long-term weight loss and variability of weight loss between the 2 operations, as well as the data regarding the rate for remission of comorbidities between the 2 operations. At the current time, there is ample evidence for surgeons and patients to make a well-informed decision with regard to which operation is best for the individual patient.
Bilateral tectal innervation by regenerating optic nerve fibers in goldfish: A radioautographic, electrophysiological and behavioral study

Summary Following unilateral enucleation and optic nerve crush in goldfish, the remaining nerve regenerates and innervates both optic tecta. Approximately 5% of the nerve fibers reach the ipsilateral optic tectum (IOT) via the ipsilateral tract at the chiasma. Comparable debris in both tracts was not sufficient to result in an IOT projection since when both nerves were crushed simultaneously the usual pattern was seen, i.e., each nerve innervated a contralateral optic tectum (COT). When the arrival of one nerve at the chiasma was delayed by staggering the nerve crushes, the nerve that first arrived at the chiasma partially innervated the IOT. In most instances the entire IOT was innervated, however, the stratigraphic distribution of fibers in the various tectal lamina was atypical. Electrophysiological analysis indicated that fibers from each area of the retina innervated the IOT visuotopically. The COT was ablated in order to determine whether the IOT projection could mediate behavior. All fish failed to respond to changes in illumination as measured by respiration and failed to swim with or against the stripes in an optomotor drum. Thus, the IOT input, possibly because of its sparseness, could not be shown to be behaviorally functional.
Aging and Mind Wandering: Reduced Inhibition in Older Adults?

Hasher and Zacks (1988) theorize that aging disrupts the efficient operation of an inhibitory mechanism that, when functioning normally, is thought to suppress information irrelevant to one's cognitive goals. Problems with this inhibitory mechanism should produce increased mind wandering, and the present experiment examined this possibility using a performance-based measure of mind wandering. Younger and older participants were presented with a long list of words and were occasionally stopped (at unpredictable intervals) and asked to recall the most recently presented items. Mind wandering was inferred by conditionalizing recall on these unpredictable trials with recall on short, predictable trials (in which, presumably, participants were able to maintain full attention to the recall task). Whereas mind wandering was shown to be higher on longer trials than shorter ones, there was no evidence of age differences in mind wandering.
Novel aperture design method in ultrasound imaging

Conventional techniques used to design transducer apertures for medical ultrasound are generally iterative and ad-hoc. They do not guarantee optimization of parameters such as mainlobe width and sidelobe levels. We propose a dynamic aperture weighting technique, called the Minimum Sum Squared Error (MSSE) technique, that can be applied in arbitrary system geometries to design apertures optimizing these parameters. The MSSE technique utilizes a linear algebra formulation of the Sum Squared Error (SSE) between the point spread function (psf) of the system, and a goal or desired psf. We have developed a closed form expression for the aperture weightings that minimize this error and optimize the psf at any range. We present analysis for Continuous Wave (CW) and broadband systems, and present simulations that illustrate the flexibility of the technique.
Inelastic events do not just randomize the phase.

The effect of inelastic scattering is calculated for a model system with two alternate paths to the final states. It is found that an inelastic event in either path eliminates completely the alternate path, rather than simply randomizing the relative phase for the two paths. The elimination of the second path occurs through a factor of the zero overlap between the ground-state and excited-state wave functions of the oscillator that is excited. A phase randomization would also eliminate interference between the two paths, as does the elimination of the alternative path. However, an assumed randomizing of the phase does not predict the correct correlation between the electronic and oscillator final states for this model system.
Cost and efficiency considerations in community-based trials of vitamin A in developing countries

Recent investigations conducted in Indonesia have identified an important role for adequate vitamin A nutriture in preventing mortality in young children. A randomized, community-based trial of vitamin A supplementation in northern Sumatra demonstrated a 34 per cent reduction in mortality among pre-school aged children who received twice yearly vitamin A supplementation. These results have stimulated renewed interest in vitamin A as a potentially important mediator of improved child survival. Cost and efficiency considerations are important in these types of trials but must be balanced with logistical constraints that are unique to these environments. A number of these issues are discussed and some general guidelines are proposed for such investigations.
Intracardiac thrombus in Behcet’s disease: A rare case in the United States

Abstract Behcet’s disease is a rare systemic disorder which is associated with an underlying vasculitis. Most cases of BD occur in Asia and North American cases are rare. Patients often present with aphthous ulcers and have a number of other clinical findings including genital lesions, skin lesions (folliculitis, erythema nodosum, and acne), and uveitis. Hemoptysis and cough in BD may be a sign of pulmonary involvement with include pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAA). Intracardiac thrombus is another rare occurrence in BD but should be suspected if there is a right heart mass detected on imaging. We present a case of suspected BD who presented with hemoptysis and was diagnosed with PAA and intracardiac thrombus. His aphthous ulcers were not diagnoses until subsequent hospitalization for hemoptysis. Clinicians should be aware of unusual presentations of BD because of the associated high mortality.
Reaching African-American men on the down low : sampling hidden populations: implications for HIV prevention.

ABSTRACT Studies on the impact of the HIV epidemic among African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) have largely neglected men who self-identify as heterosexual but engage in same-sex behavior. These men, commonly referred to as men on the “down low,” pose formidable challenges to researchers conducting prevention studies. This article addresses the methodological issues that create limitations in sampling this population. It presents a novel approach to locate and access these men, describes the success in using this approach, and suggests implications for future research employing this sampling approach.
The Sensitivity of SIR-C Backscatter to Fire-Related Forest Spatial Patterns

This research investigates the use of Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-C) data to analyze spatial patterns in forests experiencing different fire histories between 1943 and 1994. C-HH, C-HV, L-HH, and L-...
Role of iNOS in Human Host Defense

In 2001, S. Thoma-Uszynski et al. wrote in Science , “in humans the TLR-activated antimicrobial pathway is NO [nitric oxide]-independent” ([1][1]). In the Report “Toll-like receptor triggering of a vitamin D-mediated human antimicrobial response” (P. T. Liu et al. , 24 Mar., p. [1770][2];
Strange bedfellows? NGO–corporate relations in international development: an NGO perspective

In the last decade, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increasingly diversified their corporate engagement offering, among other things, research partnerships to develop new products and advice to improve value chains and positively impact on development. These partnerships present new opportunities for NGOs. But opportunities habitually come with risks, and NGOs are frequently ill-equipped to deal with them because they are still using old tools to assess new and more complex realities. If NGOs are to develop relationships with the private sector that are beneficial for both them and the communities they work with, they must bring their systems and policies for private sector engagement up to date with the new realities. This paper examines some of the current weaknesses in NGO–corporate engagement and presents recommendations for improvement that include adopting a much more comprehensive approach that does not only assess risks associated with specific (funding or corporate campaigning) relatio...
An exact solution to steady heat conduction in a two-dimensional slab on a one-dimensional fin: application to frosted heat exchangers

Abstract The thermal conditions for frost forming on a metallic fin are considered, and a numerical solution to the two-dimensional conduction problem is used to identify the parametric space for which the problem reduces to a two-dimensional slab on a one-dimensional fin. An analytical solution gives rise to an eigenvalue problem that requires an unusual scalar product definition. A one-term approximation to the new analytical solution provides fin efficiency calculations useful for a range of conditions, including most frosted-coated metallic fins. The series solution and the one-term approximation are of general applicability to low-conductivity coatings on high-conductivity fins.
Application of an extended Lee-Kesler corresponding-states technique to prediction of vapor-liquid equilibria in multicomponent mixtures containing polar components

Mixing rules for an extended Lee-Kesler (ELK) corresponding-states method for prediction of thermodynamic properties are presented. The mixing rules, which do not contain adjustable parameters, permit calculation of vapor-liquid equilibria in mixtures containing one or more polar components. While a single heat-of-mixing datum may be included for strongly associating components, generally only pure component properties are used in the calculations. A comparison of calculated bubble-point pressures and equilibrium vaporization ratios to experimental values is made for 26 ternary mixtures (791 points) and 5 quaternary mixtures (175 points). Bubble-point pressures are predicted quite well with ELK (9.1 % AAD for ternaries and 7.9% for quaternaries). Composition predictions are difficult to compare in multicomponent systems, but ELK predictions appear to be acceptable on both a system-by-system and an overall AAD basis.
Imaging hypoxia using 3D photoacoustic spectroscopy

Purpose: The objective is to develop a multivariate in vivo hemodynamic model of tissue oxygenation (MiHMO2) based on 3D photoacoustic spectroscopy. Introduction: Low oxygen levels, or hypoxia, deprives cancer cells of oxygen and confers resistance to irradiation, some chemotherapeutic drugs, and oxygen-dependent therapies (phototherapy) leading to treatment failure and poor disease-free and overall survival. For example, clinical studies of patients with breast carcinomas, cervical cancer, and head and neck carcinomas (HNC) are more likely to suffer local reoccurrence and metastasis if their tumors are hypoxic. A novel method to non invasively measure tumor hypoxia, identify its type, and monitor its heterogeneity is devised by measuring tumor hemodynamics, MiHMO2. Material and Methods: Simulations are performed to compare tumor pO2 levels and hypoxia based on physiology - perfusion, fractional plasma volume, fractional cellular volume - and its hemoglobin status - oxygen saturation and hemoglobin concentration - based on in vivo measurements of breast, prostate, and ovarian tumors. Simulations of MiHMO2 are performed to assess the influence of scanner resolutions and different mathematic models of oxygen delivery. Results: Sensitivity of pO2 and hypoxic fraction to photoacoustic scanner resolution and dependencies on model complexity will be presented using hemodynamic parameters for different tumors. Conclusions: Photoacoustic CT spectroscopy provides a unique ability to monitor hemodynamic and cellular physiology in tissue, which can be used to longitudinally monitor tumor oxygenation and its response to anti-angiogenic therapies.
Methods and comparative aspects of embryo cryopreservation in domestic animals

Summary The most important principle of cryopreservation is that most of the water must be removed from cells before they freeze intracellularly. This is usually achieved by slow cooling after extracellular ice forms; dehydration occurs because the high concentration of salts in the medium remaining between the ice crystals draws water out of the cells. Cryoprotectants improve survival rates of frozen cells. However, osmotic damage must be minimised when cells are removed from cryoprotectant solutions after thawing. Successful methods of cryopreservation take these principles into account. Tolerance by embryos of cryopreservation procedures varies according to species and stage of embryonic development. Pig embryos are killed when cooled below 15°C. Of particular relevance is the finding that equine embryos less than 300 μm in diameter can by cryopreserved with current methods much more successfully than those larger than 300 μm. Further research is required to improve cryopreservation procedures for equine embryos.
Consumer poultry meat handling and safety education in three Texas cities

Shifting demographics, increased poultry consumption and a general ignorance concerning food safety measures provide the potential for increased foodborne illness. In order to determine where food safety educational efforts would be most effective and the needed content of the messages, a survey addressing poultry preparation, storage and thawing methods, and sources of food safety education was constructed and distributed in supermarkets in three Texas urban centers. Between 60 and 67% of consumers prepared poultry once or twice per week. A majority of Hispanics (57%), minors (79%) and uneducated (55%) respondents thaw poultry outside of the refrigerator, either on a counter, in a microwave, or in a sink of water. A majority of Caucasians receive food safety information from either magazines (52%) or television (60%), whereas minors receive education mainly from the educational system (57%) or family (71%). Through increased education in these areas, good food safety habits may be increased in those target groups, especially the next generation of consumers.
A longitudinal evaluation of an occupational goal-expectancy model in professional accounting organizations

Abstract This research study reports a longitudinal test of a cognitive goal-expectancy model of occupation-position attainment. The proposed model incorporates a goal-setting dimension within an expectancy framework, and hypothesizes that the expectancy theory variables determine goal choice which in turn directs effort and ultimately motivates behavior. The present study is designed to evaluate the model's ability to describe and explain the occupation-position choice decision processes of public accounting firm employees. Both short-run and long-run behavior are used as criteria for testing the model. The sample consists of 371 public accountants employed by four large CPA firms. The model is tested along two dimensions: classification accuracy and explained variation. These are used to determine the model variables' relationships with goal setting behavior and actual position attainment. The findings support the inclusion of a goal setting stage in the model and suggest that the model is useful in explaining and predicting professional accountants' goal choice behavior and, to a lesser extent, their position attainment.
Antitumor and antimetastatic activity of the differentiating agent N-methylformamide in murine tumor systems.

N-Methylformamide (NMF), a cell-differentiating agent, was assessed for its antitumor activity against a fibrosarcoma (FSA), a hepatocarcinoma (HCA-I) and a mammary carcinoma (MCA-K), syngeneic to C3Hf/Kam mice. Tumors were grown as solitary tumors in the leg or as artificial or spontaneous micrometastases in the lung. NMF, at a dose of 300 mg/kg, was administered i.p. daily for 6 to 18 days. NMF slowed the growth of FSA and HCA-I tumors and totally inhibited the growth of the MCA-K tumor. However, the effect was transient; tumors resumed their pretreatment growth rate upon cessation of the treatment. Histologically, MCA-K tumors treated with NMF (300 mg/kg daily for six days) underwent considerable cell depopulation and reduction in mitotic activity. The number of artificial metastases, as well as the incidence and the number of spontaneous metastases, were markedly reduced by NMF. This resulted in a prolongation of the survival of mice that had artificial metastases of MCA-K tumor. The in vitro clonogenicity of MCA-K, but not of FSA or HCA-I cells, was reduced. However, in vivo reduction of MCA-K cell clonogenicity was minimal, if any. Thus, NMF is effective in restricting the growth of both solitary tumors and metastases, but the degree of response is highly dependent on tumor type.
Comparative bioaccumulation of chlorinated hydrocarbons from sediment by two infaunal invertebrates.

Bioaccumulation of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHs) from field-contaminated sediments by two infaunal invertebrates, Rhepoxynius abronius (a non–deposit feeding amphipod) and Armandia brevis (a nonselective, deposit-feeding polychaete), was examined and species responses were compared. Sediments were selected over a large geographical area of the Hudson-Raritan estuary to assess the potential for bioaccumulation from a typical urban estuary. Unlike polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from these sediments, concentrations of CHs in interstitial water (IW) indicated that partition coefficients (Koc) were generally as expected, especially when based on predicted, nonsorbed, interstitial water CH concentrations (IWfree). Correlations between amphipod and polychaete tissue residues revealed that these species were responding similarly to a gradient of CH concentrations in sediment. While tissue residues and BAFloc (lipid/organic carbon normalized bioaccumulation factor) values for the trichlorobiphenyls were similar for both species, accumulation in the polychaete was three to 10 times higher for the more hydrophobic PCBs, which was attributed to differences in the route of exposure. A negative correlation between the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and total organic carbon (TOC) was found for both species, which was expected according to equilibrium partitioning theory. Because it was assumed that the amphipod was not feeding in these tests and the polychaete was ingesting sediment, comparison of their tissue residues and bioaccumulation factors was useful for highlighting the importance of sediment ingestion, especially for short-term, nonequilibrium exposures. These results may also help elucidate the limitations associated with assessing bioaccumulation and the resultant toxic response in standard 10-day toxicity tests with similar invertebrates.
Exchange of alkaline earth cations with the butylamine intercalate of α-zirconium phosphate

The ion uptake behavior of the butylamine intercalate of α-zirconium phosphate, Zr(HPO4) · H2O, towards alkaline earth cations has been examined. The rates of uptake are in the order Sr2+≈Ca2+>Ba2+≫Mg2+. Because of the high pH afforded by the amine intercalate, the exchanged phase is always the fully exchanged one, ZrM(PO4)2·nH2O. The values ofn were found to be 4 for Mg2+ and Ca2+, 3 for Sr2+ and 2 for Ba2+. Uptake of ions is quantitative to about 6 meq/g loading when no excess amine is present. Sharply reduced loadings occur in the presence of excess of free amine. A solution containing equal amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+ yields a new solid solution phase with a 12.6 A spacing.
Sexual sterilization of oriental fruit flies 1 and Mediterranean fruit flies 1 by thiotepa: Dosage‐response, mating competitiveness, and resistance to deprivation of food and water 2

Abstract When oriental fruit flies, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, of mixed sex were supplied with sugar treated with 0.026% thiotepa for 3 days after eclosion no eggs hatched. Only 0.2% hatched when the dose was 0.0065% thiotepa. A dose of 0.10% was toxic to the insects. Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were not completely sterilized at any dose tested although eggs hatched when flies of mixed sex were supplied with 0.051% thiotepa, and only 0.4, 0.7, 0.7, and 0.8% hatched when the dose was 0.051, 0.026, 0.013 or 0.0065%, respectively. A dose of 0.82% was toxic. Mortality of both species was lower among treated flies that were fed normally after treatment, especially among those treated at or near the threshold dosages, than among untreated flies. Also, when both species were deprived of food and water, treated flies survived longer than untreated flies. Treated oriental fruit fly males were 84% as competitive in mating with females as their untreated counterparts; treated male Mediterr...
Similarities in Function and Gene Structure of Cytohesin-4 and Cytohesin-1, Guanine Nucleotide-exchange Proteins for ADP-ribosylation Factors

Activation of ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs), approximately 20-kDa GTPases that are inactive in the GDP-bound form, depends on guanine nucleotide-exchange proteins (GEPs) to accelerate GTP binding. A novel ARF GEP, designated cytohesin-4, was cloned from a human brain cDNA library. Deduced amino acid sequence of the 47-kDa protein contains the same structural components present in cytohesin -1, -2, and -3, including an approximately 200-amino acid Sec7 domain with an approximately 100-residue pleckstrin homology domain near the C terminus. The Sec7 domain sequence is 77% identical to those of other cytohesins. Structures of the cytohesin-4 and cytohesin-1 genes were remarkably similar, except for an extra 3-base pair (GAG) exon present in cytohesin-1. Two mRNAs with and without the 3-base pair sequence were found in brain in different ratios for cytohesin-1, -2, and -3 but not cytohesin-4. Recombinant cytohesin-4 stimulated guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate binding by human ARF1 and ARF5 but not ARF6. Like other cytohesins and unlike the approximately 200-kDa ARF GEPs, it was not inhibited by brefeldin A. A cytohesin-4 mRNA of approximately 3.7 kilobases, abundant in leukocytes, was not detected in most tissues. Among separated populations of blood cells, approximately 90% of CD33(+) (monocytes), 80% of CD2(+) (NK/T), and 10-20% of CD19(+) (B) cells contained cytohesin-4 mRNA by in situ hybridization. Thus, in gene structure and brefeldin A-insensitive GEP activity, cytohesin-4 resembles other cytohesins, but its tissue distribution differs considerably, consistent with a different specific function.
Sozzy: a hormone-driven autonomous vacuum cleaner

Domestic robots are promising examples of the application of robotics to personal life. There have been many approaches in this field, but no successful results exist. The problem is that domestic environments are more difficult for robots than other environments, such as factory floors or office floors. Consequently, conventional approaches using a model of human intelligence to design robots have not been successful. In this paper, we report on a prototyped domestic vacuum-cleaning robot that is designed to be able to handle complex environments. The control software is composed of two layers, both of which are generally inspired by behaviors of living creatures. The first layer corresponds to a dynamically reconfigurable system of behaviors implemented in the subsumption architecture. The ability of the robot to support alternate configurations of its behaviors provides the robot with increased robustness. We have conveniently labeled particular configurations as specific `emotions' according to the interpretation of observers of the robot's behavior. The second layer simulates the hormone system. The hormone system is modeled using state variables, increased or decreased by stimuli from the environment. The hormone condition selects the robot's most suitable emotion, according to the changing environments. The robot hardware is built of off-the-shelf parts, such as an embedded CPU, inexpensive home-appliance sensors, and small motors. These parts keep the total building cost to a minimum. The robot also has a vacuum cleaning function to demonstrate its capability to perform useful tasks. We tested the robot in our laboratory, and successfully videotaped its robust behaviors. We also confirmed the hormone system to enhance the robot's plasticity and lifelike quality.
Phase diagrams for dextran-PEG aqueous two-phase systems at 22°C

We have determined phase diagrams at 22°C for the aqueous two-phase systems composed of dextran, polyethylene glycol, and water. The effects of polyethylene glycol and dextran molecular weight on phase separation are reported. These phase diagrams provide more complete data for dextran/PEG/water system, and will be needed for the correlation of biomolecule partitioning.
Characterization of inflammatory cells in autoimmune tubulointerstitial nephritis in rats

Characterization of inflammatory cells in autoimmune tubulointerstitial nephritis in rats. Brown Norway rats immunized with bovine tubular basement membrane (TBM) antigens develop tubulointerstitial nephritis. The composition of the inflammatory cell infiltrate was characterized in kidney tissue sections and cell suspensions obtained from affected kidneys. Anti-TBM antibody deposition in the kidney began 8 days after immunization and was followed on days 8 to 10 by C3 deposits and infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). After day 13, the infiltrate became almost exclusively mononuclear in character. On day 13, the inflammatory mononuclear cells recovered by Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation contained 10% Ig + cells (B cells), 60% W3/25 + cells (T helper cells), 9% OX8 + cells (T suppressor cells), 9% esterase + cells (monocytes/macrophages), 4% renal cells, and 8% other unidentified cells. Monocytes/macrophages were prominent only at the latest stages of the disease. The ratio of W3/25 + to OX8 + cells was higher in the kidney than in the spleen or peripheral blood. The sequential accumulation of T cells and then monocytes/macrophages after an initial antibody, complement, and PMN lesion suggests a role for the T cells (selective prevalence of the helper T cell population over that of suppressor T cells) both as inflammatory cells and in progression and regulation of the subsequent stages of injury. Caracterisation des cellules inflammatoires dans la nephrite tubulointerstitielle autoimmune chez des rats. Des rats Brown Norway immunises avec des antigenes de membrane basale tubulaire bovine (TBM) developpent une nephrite tubulo-interstitielle. La composition de l'infiltrat cellulaire inflammatoire a ete caracterisee dans des coupes de rein et dans des suspensions cellulaires obtenues a partir des reins malades. Le depot d'anticorps anti-TBM dans le rein commencait 8 jours apres l'immunisation et etait suivi aux jours 8 a 10 par des depots de C3 et une infiltration de leucocytes polymophonucleaires (PMN). Apres le jour 13, l'infiltrat devenait presque exclusivement de caractere mononucleaire. Au jour 13, les cellules mononucleaires inflammatoires recuperees par centrifugation au Ficoll-Hypaque contenaient 10% de cellules Ig + (cellules B), 60% de cellules W3/25 + (cellules T helper), 9% de cellules OX8 + (cellules T suppressives), 9% de cellules esterases + (monocytes/macrophages), 4% de cellules renales, et 8% d'autres cellules non identifiees. Les monocytes/macrophages predominaient seulement aux stades le plus tardifs de la maladie. Le rapport de cellules W3/25 + sur OX8 + etait plus eleve dans le rein que dans la rate ou le sang peripherique. L'accumulation sequentielle de cellules T puis de monocytes/macrophages apres un anticorps initial, le complement et la lesion PMN suggerent un role des cellules T (prevalence selective de la population cellulaire helper T sur celle des cellules T suppressives) a la fois comme cellules inflammatoires et dans la progression et la regulation des stades ulterieurs de la lesion.
Visualization of correlations in intrashell triply excited states of atoms

The internal wave functions of the eight lowest intrashell triply excited states of Li atoms are analyzed. By visualizing the equidensity surfaces we show that in four of the eight states the most probable shape of the three electrons is a coplanar equilateral triangle with the nucleus at the center. The relative energies of these four states resemble the rotational spectrum of a symmetric top. The remaining four states have nodal surfaces in their internal wave functions and thus have higher excitation energies. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Is Race‐Based Medicine Good for Us?: African American Approaches to Race, Biomedicine, and Equality

This article presents a preliminary framework for exploring the intersection of science and racial politics in the public debate about race-based pharmaceuticals, especially among African Americans. It examines the influence of three political approaches to race consciousness on evaluations of racial medicine and offers an alternative critique.
High-Frequency Skywave Radar Track of Tropical Storm Debra

Abstract Tropical Storm Debra was tracked over a 31 h period in the Gulf of Mexico using the Wide Aperture Research Facility (WARF) high-frequency (HF) skywave radar in California. In contrast to the first WARF skywave radar tracking experiment in which Anita, a well-developed, intense hurricane, was positioned from the radar measurements, Debra was a weak storm with a large, poorly defined center. This data set provided the opportunity to assess the tracking capability of HF skywave radar for weak storms. Tracking began at about 1800 GMT on 27 August 1978, while Debra was a tropical depression, and continued through landfall at 0017 GMT on 29 August 1978. A smooth track was computed from seven position estimates made from radar-derived surface wind direction maps. The rms error of a third-order polynomial least squares fit to the WARF data was ±25 km. Prior to Debra's intensification to a tropical storm, the WARF skywave radar smooth track was located ∼125 km west of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) s...
Selective alkylation of acidic hydroxyl groups in coal

Abstract The organic molecules which make up coal are held together not only by covalent bonds, but also by a substantial network of hydrogen bonds as well as certain other weak intermolecular associations, which together are called the secondary structure. It is believed that acidic hydroxyl groups are responsible for most of the secondary structure. These attractive forces have been diminished traditionally by solvent swelling the coal, then permanently removed by selective silylation or acetylation of the polar functionalities. A new selective alkylation procedure has been developed which converts polar hydroxyls into relatively non-polar ethers and esters, and has been successfully tested on a bituminous and sub-bituminous coal. This selective O-alkylation proceeds rapidly under very mild conditions and renders the coal essentially free from its secondary structure.
Harmful axions in superstring models

Abstract We show in this paper that the existing superstring models, E 8 ×E 8 and O(32), have the axion decay constant problem. It is either 300 GeV or 10 16 GeV, which are outside the cosmologically allowed region. It is also pointed out that the invisible axion with 10 8 GeV ⩽ v PQ ⩽ 10 12 GeV is a necessity for all theories which have an effective interaction ( φ n / M Pl )FF below the Planck scale.
Effects of Estimating Soil Hydraulic Properties and Root Growth Factor on Soil Water Balance and Crop Production

Accurate simulation of plant growth depends not only on plant parameters, but also on soil parameters. Although there is uncertainty in measured soil parameters and root distributions, their effects on simulated plant growth have been much less studied. This study evaluates the simulated responses of six crops, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), under various water and N management to different methods of estimating soil hydraulic properties and soil root growth factor (SRGF) in root zone water quality model (RZWQM2) that contains the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer (DSSAT) Version 4.0 plant growth models. The two methods of obtaining the soil water retention curve (SWRC) in RZWQM2 were based on (i) known soil water contents at both 33 and 1500 kPa suctions, or (ii) soil water content at 33 kPa only. The two methods of estimating saturated hydraulic conductivity (K sat ) were (i) soil texture class based average K sat or (ii) K sat calculated from effective porosity (difference between soil water contents at saturation and at 33 kPa). For the six crops, simulation results showed that the soil water balance was affected more by K sat than by SWRC, whereas the simulated crop growth was affected by both K sat and SWRC. Small variations in the SRGF did not affect soil and crop simulations, and SRGF could be estimated with a simple exponential equation.