cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Case report: Miliary blastomycosis with cerebral involvement

A patient was diagnosed as having labyrinthitis and an intracranial brain tumor. At the time a very fine nodularity to the bronchopulmonary markings was noted on the chest roentgenogram. Subsequent follow up examination revealed diffuse nodular densities throughout both lung fields having the appearance of a miliary distribution. Antituberculous therapy was begun empirically, but the patient expired within three weeks. At autopsy multiple granulomas were found in the cerebrum, cerebellum and meninges. By culture and histologic examination, these were determined to contain Blastomyces dermatitidis. The lungs contained numerous small granulomata almost to the exclusion of native pulmonary architecture. Lesions were also seen in spleen, lymph nodes and pancreas.
Competitive Balance and Game Attendance in Major League Baseball

This article tests for the effects of a change in competitive balance on attendance at Major League Baseball games using game-level attendance data for the 2000-2002 seasons. Employing the differen...
The effect of various buffer-layer structures on the material quality and dislocation density of high composition AlxGa1-xAs laser material grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The effect of various types of buffer layers on the generation and propagation of dislocations in epitaxial layers of high composition (x=0.85) AlxGa1−xAs grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on horizontal Bridgman (HB) and liquid‐encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) substrates is examined. Bulk epilayers of high composition (x=0.85) AlxGa1−xAs and graded‐barrier quantum‐well laser structures with confining layers of the same composition were grown simultaneously on high‐quality/low etch‐pit density (EPD) HB substrates and comparatively lower quality/high EPD LEC substrates with one of four types of compositionally graded and/or superlattice buffer‐layer structures. The bulk material was characterized by delineation and measurement of surface EPD and the observation of overall surface morphology. Data are also presented on the device characteristics of graded‐barrier quantum‐well laser diodes grown with these same buffer layers in order to determine the correlation between dislocation density...
Beta adrenergic blockade decreases the immunomodulatory effects of social disruption stress.

During physiological or psychological stress, catecholamines produced by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) regulate the immune system. Previous studies report that the activation of β-adrenergic receptors (βARs) mediates the actions of catecholamines and increases pro-inflammatory cytokine production in a number of different cell types. The impact of the SNS on the immune modulation of social defeat has not been examined. The following studies were designed to determine whether SNS activation during social disruption stress (SDR) influences anxiety-like behavior as well as the activation, priming, and glucocorticoid resistance of splenocytes after social stress. CD-1 mice were exposed to one, three, or six cycles of SDR and HPLC analysis of the plasma and spleen revealed an increase in catecholamines. After six cycles of SDR the open field test was used to measure behaviors characteristic of anxiety and indicated that the social defeat induced increase in anxiety-like behavior was blocked by pre-treatment with the β-adrenergic antagonist propranolol. Pre-treatment with the β-adrenergic antagonist propranolol did not significantly alter corticosterone levels indicating no difference in activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. In addition to anxiety-like behavior the SDR induced splenomegaly and increase in plasma IL-6, TNFα, and MCP-1 were each reversed by pre-treatment with propranolol. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis of cells from propranolol pretreated mice reduced the SDR-induced increase in the percentage of CD11b+ splenic macrophages and significantly decreased the expression of TLR2, TLR4, and CD86 on the surface of these cells. In addition, supernatants from 18 h LPS-stimulated ex vivo cultures of splenocytes from propranolol-treated SDR mice contained less IL-6. Likewise propranolol pre-treatment abrogated the glucocorticoid insensitivity of CD11b+ cells ex vivo when compared to splenocytes from SDR vehicle-treated mice. Together, this study demonstrates that the immune activation and priming effects of SDR result, in part, as a consequence of SNS activation.
Rhinitis in the geriatric population

The current geriatric population in the United States accounts for approximately 12% of the total population and is projected to reach nearly 20% (71.5 million people) by 2030[1]. With this expansion of the number of older adults, physicians will face the common complaint of rhinitis with increasing frequency. Nasal symptoms pose a significant burden on the health of older people and require attention to improve quality of life. Several mechanisms likely underlie the pathogenesis of rhinitis in these patients, including inflammatory conditions and the influence of aging on nasal physiology, with the potential for interaction between the two. Various treatments have been proposed to manage this condition; however, more work is needed to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of the various forms of geriatric rhinitis and to develop more effective therapies for this important patient population.
Parallel calculations on the wind-driven oceanic circulation using Fourier pseudospectral methods

The shallow-water equations for the wind-driven oceanic circulation were solved in parallel, using Fourier pseudospectral methods. A domain decomposition approach was used to perform two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transforms (2-D FFTs), as part of a computational scheme for the parallel solution of the time dependent partial differential equations.The algorithm was implemented using a shared memory approach, and tested on the ACE experimental multiprocessor workstation. The performance of the parallel code, including timings for execution, processor intercommunication and synchronization is discussed. It was found that the parallel efficiency of the method is satisfactory for reasonable problem sizes.
Multiple Congenital PSS in a Dog: Case Report and Literature Review

A 4 yr old spayed female mixed-breed dog presented with a 2 yr history of recurring increases in liver enzymes. Two congenital portosystemic shunts (PSSs) were identified using computed tomography (CT) angiography, which included a portoazygous and portorenal extrahepatic shunt. Double right renal veins were also identified. The shunts were successfully identified and attenuated with cellophane banding. Multiple congenital PSS is a rare phenomenon, but should be considered during exploratory laparotomy for PSS and in dogs with poor response to surgical attenuation of a single PSS. CT proved to be a crucial part of accurate diagnosis and surgical planning for this dog with multiple congenital PSS.
Complex seismic anisotropy in the top of the Earth's inner core beneath Africa

[1] We report complex seismic anisotropy in the top 80 km of the Earth's inner core beneath Africa. The anisotropy in the top 80 km of the inner core is constrained using differential travel times, amplitude ratios, and waveforms of the PKiKP-PKIKP phases sampling Africa along various directions. The differential PKiKP-PKIKP time residuals (relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model [PREM]) along the polar paths are larger than those along the equatorial paths by 0–1.4 s, indicating the presence of seismic anisotropy in the top 80 km of the inner core. Furthermore, the observations along the polar paths show complex regional variations beneath Africa: the differential PKiKP-PKIKP travel time residuals vary from 1.2 s beneath eastern Africa, to −0.1 s beneath central Africa, and to −0.2 to 0.8 s beneath western Africa. A correlation between small PKIKP/PKiKP amplitude ratios and large differential PKiKP-PKIKP travel time residuals is observed. The waveform data are spatially binned into six groups to constrain the regional dependence of velocity and attenuation anisotropy in the top 80 km of the inner core. Overall, the seismic data can be explained by an isotropic upper inner core (UIC) overlying an anisotropic lower inner core (LIC) in the top 80 km of the inner core across Africa. The thickness of the isotropic UIC varies from 0 to 50 km, and the P velocity transition from the isotropic UIC to the anisotropic LIC is sharp, with velocity increases laterally varying from 1.6% to 2.2%. The attenuation structure along the polar paths has a Q value of 600 for the isotropic UIC and Q values varying from 150 to 400 for the anisotropic LIC. The complex seismic anisotropy in the top of the inner core is found in a region where a rapid change of the inner core boundary (ICB) between 1993 and 2003 was discovered (Wen, 2006) and may be explained by complex alignments of iron crystals, resulting from a localized anomalous solidification of the inner core.
Characteristics of Small Barium Fluoride (BaF2) Scintillator for High Intrinsic Resolution Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography

The implementation of BaF2 for high spatial and TOF resolution PET cameras has been investigated. Intrinsic characteristics relating to the exclusive use of its fast 220 nm component, such as self-absorption, reflection material, optical coupling, energy resolution, timing resolution, number of fast photons, photofractrion, coincidence efficiency, and photomultiplier are presented. Extrinsic characteristics such as intrinsic spatial resolution variation with radius, the need for tungsten partition and the optimization of detector ring radius and tungsten partition thickness were investigated. Schemes of using multiple scintillators on a single PMT due to the absence of small PMT with small transit time spread and economic reasons are also presented.
Purification and substrate specificity of lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase from human plasma.

Lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase is active in the production of cholesterol esters and lysolecithin from the free cholesterol and lecithin moieties of the mammalian plasma lipoproteins, and is the major source of human plasma cholesterol esters [ 1, 21. In the present research, this enzyme has been purified 2500-fold from human plasma. The purified enzyme is active only against the HDLa and VHDL classes of plasma lipoproteins. It has a half life of 3 hr at 4”. The protein moiety of these classes is required for the significant esterification of cholesterol in sonically dispersed lipid emulsions.
Early quantitative evaluation of indocyanine green angiography in patients with critical limb ischemia.

Objective Patients requiring lower extremity revascularization are increasingly complex. Traditional means of evaluating perfusion before and after revascularization are often limited by the presence of medial calcinosis, open wounds, prior toe or forefoot amputations, and infection. We evaluated the initial application of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) to patients with severe lower extremity ischemia to develop quantitative, reproducible parameters to assess perfusion. Methods ICGA uses a charge-coupled device camera, a laser, and intravenous contrast to visually assess skin surface perfusion. From January 2011 to April 2012, we performed ICGA within 5 days of 31 revascularization procedures in patients with Rutherford class 5 and 6 ischemia. We also compared ICGA before and after revascularization in a subset of 13 patients. We evaluated multiple, quantitative parameters to assess perfusion. Results Twenty-four patients underwent ICGA associated with 31 revascularization procedures (26 endovascular, four open, one hybrid) for 26 lower limb wounds; 92% were diabetic and 20% were dialysis-dependent. In 50% of these patients, it was not possible to measure ankle-brachial indexes due to medial calcinosis. Paired analysis of ingress (increase in pixel strength [PxS]), ingress rate (slope of increase in PxS), curve integral (area under the curve in PxS over time), end intensity (PxS at end of study), egress (decrease in PxS from maximum), and egress rate (slope of decrease in PxS) increased significantly ( P Conclusions ICGA provides rapid visual and quantitative information about regional foot perfusion. We believe this is the first report describing quantification of foot perfusion before and after lower extremity revascularization for severe limb ischemia. Further study is warranted to help define the utility of this intriguing new technology to assess perfusion, response to revascularization, and potentially, to predict likelihood of wound healing.
Limits of model-based prediction of socioeconomic system behavior

The use of mathematical and computer-implemented models for study of socioeconomic system dynamics has become increasingly popular in recent years. In their enthusiasm for these methods, many investigators have ignored, or seriously underestimated, certain intricate technical problems which place stringent limitations on the validity of model-based predictions. This article is intended to provide a brief discussion of these matters. For clarity it is perhaps best to begin with a few simple definitions.
Problems in measurement of erythrocyte calcium

As calcium has increasingly been the object of study in erythrocyte physiology, we reviewed the current methodologies for determination of calcium by atomic absorption spectrometry. The published normal values for erythrocyte calcium vary from 5 to 500 mumol/liter of packed cells. A method based on Harrison and Long's determination of calcium is presented and shows normal red cell calcium concentration to be 0.0149 +/- 0.0023 mumol/ml of packed red cells. The influence of temperature and type of crucible used in ashing red cells is assessed. The method of additions is employed to corroborate our results.
Phasic Dopamine Release Drives Rapid Activation of Striatal D2-Receptors

Striatal dopamine transmission underlies numerous goal-directed behaviors. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are a major target of dopamine in the striatum. However, as dopamine does not directly evoke a synaptic event in MSNs, the time course of dopamine signaling in these cells remains unclear. To examine how dopamine release activates D2-receptors on MSNs, G protein activated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK2; Kir 3.2) channels were virally overexpressed in the striatum, and the resulting outward currents were used as a sensor of D2-receptor activation. Electrical and optogenetic stimulation of dopamine terminals evoked robust D2-receptor inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in GIRK2-expressing MSNs that occurred in under a second. Evoked D2-IPSCs could be driven by repetitive stimulation and were not occluded by background dopamine tone. Together, the results indicate that D2-receptors on MSNs exhibit functional low affinity and suggest that striatal D2-receptors can encode both tonic and phasic dopamine signals.
The Social Space of Language: Vernacular Culture in British Colonial Punjab

Farina Mir, The Social Space of Language: Vernacular Culture in British Colonial Punjab (2010), x + 277 (University of California Press, Berkeley, £27.95/$40.00). The social history of language and...
Some aspects of vibronic coupling in circular dichroism

Abstract After a review of the quantum mechanical formulation of vibrational-electronic coupling, the adiabatic approximations for ordinary absorption dipole strength and circular dichroic absorption rotatory strength are presented and interpreted. The expressions include the effect of two vibrational quantum changes coupled to electronic excitation in addition to the more familiar concept of coupling by a one quantum change. A polarizability theory of vibronically coupled rotatory strength is presented which is comparable to the polarizability theory of rotatory strength without regard to vibration.
Large highly connected clusters in protein-protein interaction networks

The edge (vertex) connectivity of a graph is the minimum number of edges (vertices) that must be removed to disconnect the graph. Connectivity is an important property of a graph but has seldom been used in the study of protein-protein interaction (PPI) and other biological networks. Connectivity differs from edge density in that it is based on the number of paths between all vertices in the graph, while edge density is based solely on the number of edges. Connectivity may be a better indicator of large clusters than edge density: in real-world networks, as the number of vertices in a cluster increases, the edge density tends to decrease rapidly, but the connectivity tends to remain constant.We developed algorithms to search for subgraphs with high connectivities, proved their correctness and complexity, and applied these algorithms to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human PPI networks. We discovered that PPI networks have large subgraphs (20-130 vertices) with high connectivity that were previously unrecognized. The function of these subgraphs remains unknown, but they are far more highly connected than subgraphs in random networks and are significantly enriched with proteins with shared biological functions, suggesting that these are biologically significant.
Discursive contradictions: Questions about Heiner Müller's “Autobiography’

Heiner Muller's recent autobiography provides an occasion to review Muller's long career as the successor to Brecht and the most important GDR playwright for the last thirty years. The book is interesting in part for its historic scope, and in part for the revisionist reading that Muller gives of his career: he claims never to have been a sincere Communist, but instead to have been always a “playwright” purely. His political disclaimer seems scarcely credible in view of the consistently leftist social critique he has carried out in his plays, which show an attraction to anarchistic, asocial utopia. Muller is now placing his hopes for social revolution on the contradictions and violence endemic to the victorious capitalist world.
Helping the international student understand the American university

Intensive English programs provide many opportunities for international students to connect with American students and other international students, as well as to feel part of a global community.
New twist in twisted nematic liquid crystals: propagation and optimization of Stokes parameters for arbitrary twisted nematic liquid crystals

Twisted nematic liquid (TN) crystal structures have been widely employed to rotate the input polarization of the light by 90 degrees. For optimum performance, materials optimization is necessary for exact linear polarization rotation. By using Stokes parameter formalism, we derive the generalized relationship, which allows the calculations of the parameters that are necessary for arbitrary rotation of the linearly polarized light for twisted structures with arbitrary amounts of twist. We show that 'Gooch and Tarry' relation is a specialized case of our generalized results.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Should the US and Russia destroy their stocks of smallpox virus

Smallpox was eradicated in 1980, but the virus still exists in WHO controlled depositories. Edward Hammond maintains that stocks should be destroyed to prevent the disease re-emerging, but John Agwunobi insists further research is essential for global security
Hydroxyapatite chromatography of deoxyribonucleic acids from Euglena gracilis.

Summary The chromatographic behavior of native Euglena gracilis DNA's on hydroxyapatite columns has been investigated. Total nucleic acid preparations can be fractionated by column chromatography to yield nuclear DNA and organelle (mitochondrial + chloroplast) DNA. A batch procedure permits the rapid separation of organelle DNA from total nucleic acid preparations. Chromatography of DNA preparations from heat-bleached mutants permits the separation of mitochondrial DNA from nuclear DNA. Chromatography of DNA preparations from chloroplast-enriched fractions of Euglena permits the separation of chloroplast DNA, and in addition, of a satellite DNA previously described (ϱ = 1.700 g/cm3). Some physical and chemical properties of the Euglena DNA's, as obtained by chromatography on hydroxyapatite, are reported.
Microcavitation and cell injury in RPE cells following short-pulsed laser irradiation

Abstract Our research investigates the mechanism of retinal injury from short laser pulses.We used an ex-vivo porcine model and time resolved strobe imaging to examinemechanical effects associated with sub-nanosecond absorption by the retinal pigmentepithelium (RPE). We present a unique method of imaging high speed events in the RPEwith a resolution of approximately 1 tim. Microcavitation bubbles were first imagedaround single melanosomes, after irradiation with a 40 ps, 532 nm pulse. The thresholdfor bubble formation was 50 mJ/cm2. A few times threshold, stress waves could beobserved around the melanosomes. At 0.68 J/cm2 we measured shock waves with anaverage velocity of 2700 mIs, 1 ns after irradiation. After exposures above 50 mJ/cm2,RPE cells were found to be non-viable. We compare these results with MVL datacollected using live animal models. 1. Background Laser injury to the retina has been studied since the advent of the laser. Safetystandards exist for visible and near JR light from continuous down to nanosecondexposures.1' Currently, an effort is underway to extend the maximum allowableexposure to pulse widths below a nanosecond. Our work focuses on the mechanism forsub-nanosecond injury to the RPE. Specifically, we are examining 532 nm, 40 ps pulsesimpinging on exposed RPE cells, unremoved from their native environment. Wehypothesize that under such conditions microcavitation bubbles, formed aroundmelanosomes is the primary mechanism for injury at threshold.1.1 RPE ModelMost work studying retinal injury utilizes live animal models and relies onophthalmoscopic visibility or fluorescein angiography to determine injury.2'3'4' Thethreshold for injury is defined as the laser fluence, measured at the cornea, whichproduces a lesion 50% of the time. Our model is an ex-vivo, porcine preparation. Weobtained freshly inoculated porcine eyes from animals sacrificed for other experiments, in
Disrupted Membrane Homeostasis and Accumulation of Ubiquitinated Proteins in a Mouse Model of Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy Caused by PLA2G6 Mutations

Mutations in the PLA2G6 gene, which encodes group VIA calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA(2)beta), were recently identified in patients with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. A pathological hallmark of these childhood neurodegenerative diseases is the presence of distinctive spheroids in distal axons that contain accumulated membranes. We used iPLA(2)beta-KO mice generated by homologous recombination to investigate neurodegenerative consequences of PLA2G6 mutations. iPLA(2)beta-KO mice developed age-dependent neurological impairment that was evident in rotarod, balance, and climbing tests by 13 months of age. The primary abnormality underlying this neurological impairment was the formation of spheroids containing tubulovesicular membranes remarkably similar to human INAD. Spheroids were strongly labeled with anti-ubiquitin antibodies. Accumulation of ubiquitinated protein in spheroids was evident in some brain regions as early as 4 months of age, and the onset of motor impairment correlated with a dramatic increase in ubiquitin-positive spheroids throughout the neuropil in nearly all brain regions. Furthermore accumulating ubiquitinated proteins were observed primarily in insoluble fractions of brain tissue, implicating protein aggregation in this pathogenic process. These results indicate that loss of iPLA(2)beta causes age-dependent impairment of axonal membrane homeostasis and protein degradation pathways, leading to age-dependent neurological impairment. iPLA(2)beta-KO mice will be useful for further studies of pathogenesis and experimental interventions in INAD and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation.
Resurrecting the asymptotics of linear recurrences

Abstract Once on the forefront of mathematical research in America, the asymptotics of the solutions of linear recurrence equations is now almost forgotten, especially by the people who need it most, namely combinatorists and computer scientists. Here we present this theory in a concise form and give a number of examples that should enable the practicing combinatorist and computer scientist to include this important technique in her (or his) asymptotics tool kit.
Testosterone therapy for sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women

Background After menopause, both surgical and natural, increases occur in the number of women experiencing sexual dysfunction. Although a direct link between sexual dysfunction and endogenous testosterone levels has not been clearly established, testosterone therapy is known to improve the signs and symptoms related to hypoactive sexual desire. However, testosterone supplementation is not approved in the United States for these clinical indications, primarily because of a lack of data evaluating the possible side-effects of these drugs.Method A MEDLINE search was performed, with a priority for well-designed studies (randomized, controlled trials, meta-analysis), for published data related to the efficacy and safety of testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women.Results Randomized trials have demonstrated an improvement in sexual function with testosterone in postmenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, particularly after oophorectomies. Side-effects have been well tolerated and reversible...
Effects of improvement in aerobic power on resting insulin and glucose concentrations in children.

In this study we determined the influence of improving aerobic power (V˙O2max) on basal plasma levels of insulin and glucose of 11- to 14-year-old children, while accounting for body fat, gender, pubertal status, and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) levels. Blood samples were obtained from 349 children after an overnight fast and analyzed for plasma insulin and glucose. Height, mass, body mass index (BMI), and sum of skinfolds (Σ triceps + subscapular sites) were measured. LTPA levels and pubertal status were estimated from questionnaires, and V˙O2max was predicted from a cycle ergometry test. Regardless of gender, insulin levels were significantly correlated (P = 0.0001) to BMI, skinfolds, pubertal stage, and predicted V˙O2max, but were not related to LTPA levels. Fasting glucose levels were not correlated to measures of adiposity or exercise (LTPA score, V˙O2max) for females; however, BMI and skinfolds were correlated for males (P < 0.006). The children then took part in an 8-week aerobic exercise program. The 60 children whose V˙O2max improved (≥3 ml · kg−1 · min−1) had a greater reduction in circulating insulin than the 204 children whose V˙O2max did not increase −16 (41) vs −1 (63) pmol · l−1; P = 0.028. The greatest change occurred in those children with the highest initial resting insulin levels. Plasma glucose levels were slightly reduced only in those children with the highest insulin levels whose V˙O2max improved (P < 0.0506). The results of this study indicate that in children, adiposity has the most significant influence on fasting insulin levels; however, increasing V˙O2max via exercise can lower insulin levels in those children with initially high levels of the hormone. In addition, LTPA does not appear to be associated with fasting insulin status, unless it is sufficient to increase V˙O2max.
Simulation study of a novel cache replacement algorithm

This work proposes a new scheme for the replacement of cache lines in computer systems. Performance of the proposed algorithm was tested by conducting simulation experiments. Several simulation models were developed for the cache and neural network paradigms. Our simulation engine was driven by traces from the real world workloads/benchmarks. The proposed strategy uses learning properties of non- estimating type of neural networks to understand the replacement phenomenon and guide the replacement decisions made by the cache controller. Therefore, the strategy was successful in being able to eliminate dead lines from the cache memory more efficiently as compared to the conventional algorithms. We observed from the simulation experiments that a well- designed non-estimating neural network- based replacement policy does provide excellent performance as compared to the overwhelmingly used LRU scheme. The new approach can be applied to the page replacement and prefetching algorithms in virtual memory systems.
Local and regional imprints on radiolarian assemblages from California coastal basin sediments

Abstract Radiolarian assemblages in two sediment cores representing the last century's history of two contiguous California borderland basins (Santa Barbara and Santa Monica) are distinctive in terms of species-abundance structure. A few dominant species in either core are virtually absent from the other. The dominance hierarchies are stable within both cores and the contrasts between them are consistent over the past century at approximately annual resolution. Viewed as cumulative plankton records, the cores seem to reflect a local-biogeographic framework otherwise difficult to recognize within the complex California Current System. Comparison of radiolarians from several California Miocene localities indicates similar local provincialism suggesting Cenozoic ecologic analogs of the present-day basins.
Phytophthora Species Emerging as Pathogens of Forest Trees

Species of Phytophthora are prominent in lists of emerging threats to forest ecosystems. We explore the conditions leading to and the consequences of the emergence of some Phytophthora species from their presumptive coevolved roles in undisturbed forest ecosystems to destructive agents as invasive forest pathogens. Phytophthora species are widespread, relatively abundant, very diverse, and poorly understood in many relatively undisturbed forest ecosystems. Three examples are examined in detail to illustrate the range of pathways to emergence and the varied consequences to forest environments. Phytophthora lateralis causes Port-Orford cedar root disease in western North America and now Europe. Phytophthora ramorum is causing unprecedented mortality in oak and tanoak forests in California, as the cause of sudden oak death, and is killing planted larch in the UK, and Phytophthora cinnamomi kills trees in parts of the world where it has been introduced. Active programs are underway in each case to manage, if not eliminate, their damage. In no case, however, has eradication been achieved. Prevention, by blocking initial introduction, has the highest probability of success.
Differential responses of germinating Venturia inaequalis conidia to kresoxim-methyl

A new class of agricultural fungicides derived from strobilurins act as respiration inhibitors by binding to mitochondrial cytochrome b. The effects of the strobilurin, kresoxim-methyl, on conidia germination, mycelial growth and the protection of apple leaves from scab development were investigated for two isolates of Venturia inaequalis randomly selected from a culture collection. Inhibition of mycelial growth required relatively high doses of kresoxim-methyl (ED50=1 μg ml-1) for both isolates. In comparison, germination of conidia was highly sensitive for one of the isolates (ED50=0·005 μg ml-1), while the level of inhibition achieved for the second isolate was 60-fold less (ED50=0·3 μg ml-1). As deduced from identical sequences of cytochrome b cDNAs prepared from both isolates, the different responses of germinating conidia to kresoxim-methyl were not caused by differences in the sequence of cytochrome b as the target site for strobilurin action. Strong synergistic effects of salicylhydroxamic acid on kresoxim-methyl inhibitory potency suggested that the reduced kresoxim-methyl sensitivity observed for germinating conidia was caused by interference of the alternative respiratory pathway with inhibitor action. However, this mechanism of target site circumvention in germinating conidia had no adverse effects on the protection of apple leaves from scab infection by kresoxim-methyl. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry
American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2009 Presidential Address

It has been a distinct honor and a real pleasure to serve as your president for this year. When I first joined ASRM over 30 years ago, I never dreamed that one day I would be standing here as your president.
A Galois theory of commutative rings

Abstract Galois objects—Galois groups, rings, Lie rings, and birings G —act on commutative rings A and satisfy Galois correspondence theorems which support Galois descent. This generalizes the Galois theory of fields to a Galois theory of commutative rings. In particular, the classical correspondence of Galois, the Jacobson–Bourbaki correspondence [N. Jacobson, Lectures in Abstract Algebra, vol. 3, Van Nostrand, 1964; D.J. Winter, The Jacobson descent theorem, Pacific J. Math. 104 (2) (1983) 495–496; D.J. Winter, The Structure of Fields, Springer-Verlag, 1974], the Jacobson differential correspondence [N. Jacobson, op. cit.; D.J. Winter, The Structure of Fields, op. cit.], the Galois birings correspondence of [D.J. Winter, The Structure of Fields, op. cit.], and corresponding theories of Galois descent [N. Jacobson, Forms of algebras, Yeshiva Sci. Confs. 7 (1966) 41–71; D.J. Winter, The Jacobson descent theorem, op. cit.; D.J. Winter, The Structure of Fields, op. cit.] generalize from fields to commutative rings. The Galois Lie rings correspondence Theorem 4.2 solves the simple restricted irreducible derivation rings Problem 8.4 in the finitely generated case.
How to inventory tropical flies (Diptera)—One of the megadiverse orders of insects

A new approach to inventory Diptera species in tropical habitats is described. A 150 x 266 m patch of cloud forest at Zurqui de Moravia, Costa Rica (10.047N, 84.008W) at 1585 meters asl was sampled with two Malaise traps for slightly more than one year (Sept. 12, 2012–Oct. 18, 2013). Further concomitant sampling with a variety of trapping methods for three days every month and collecting during a one-week intensive "Diptera Blitz", with 19 collaborators collecting on-site, provided diverse additional samples used in the inventory. Two other Costa Rican sites at Tapanti National Park (9.720N, 83.774W, 1600 m) and Las Alturas (8.951N, 82.834W, 1540 m), 40 and 180 km southeast from Zurqui de Moravia, respectively, were each sampled with a single Malaise trap to allow for beta-diversity assessments. Tapanti National Park was sampled from Oct. 28, 2012–Oct. 13, 2013 and Las Alturas from Oct. 13, 2012–Oct. 13, 2013. A worldwide group of 54 expert systematists are identifying to species level all 72 dipteran families present in the trap samples. Five local technicians sampled and prepared material to the highest curatorial standards, ensuring that collaborator efforts were focused on species identification. This project, currently in its final, third year of operation (to end Sept. 1, 2015), has already recorded 2,348 species and with many more yet expected. Unlike previous All Taxon Biodiversity Inventories, this project has attainable goals and will provide the first complete estimate of species richness for one of the four megadiverse insect orders in a tropical region. Considering that this is the first complete survey of one of the largest orders of insects within any tropical region of the planet, there is clearly great need for a consistent and feasible protocol for sampling the smaller but markedly more diverse smaller insects in such ecosystems. By weight of their species diversity and remarkable divergence of habit, the Diptera are an excellent model to gauge microhabitat diversity within such systems. Our model appears to be the first to provide a protocol that can realistically be expected to provide a portrayal of the true species diversity of a megadiverse order of insects in the tropics.
Size Reduction of Cellulosic Biomass in Biofuel Manufacturing: Effects of Biomass Crystallinity and Particle Size

Gradual depletion of world petroleum reserves and increasing environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions make it urgent to develop sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based transportation fuels. Cellulosic biofuels provide one such alternative in the short to medium term. In order to convert cellulosic biomass into biofuels, size reduction is a necessary step. In the literature, there are inconsistent reports about the effects of particle size and biomass crystallinity on sugar yield (proportional to biofuel yield). An important reason for this inconsistence is that particle formation in current size reduction methods is not well controlled, causing the effects of these two variables confounded. This paper presents an experimental study on size reduction of poplar wood using a lathe, where particle formation could be well controlled to prevent the effects of these two variables from being confounded. In this study, particle size was controlled by different numbers of slots cut on the workpiece. Particles with the same crystallinity but different particle sizes were produced. This will make it possible to study the effects of particle size on biofuel yield independently, and reveal future research opportunities to understand the effects of size reduction in cellulosic biofuel manufacturing.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Regulation of reverse cholesterol transport and clinical implications

Plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and its major protein, apolipoprotein A-I, are inversely correlated with the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Low HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels often are found in association with other cardiovascular risk factors, including the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, overexpression of apolipoprotein A-I in animals has been shown to reduce progression and even induce regression of atherosclerosis, indicating that apolipoprotein A-I is directly protective against atherosclerosis. A major mechanism by which apolipoprotein A-I inhibits atherosclerosis may be by promoting cholesterol efflux from macrophages and returning it to the liver for excretion, a process termed reverse cholesterol transport. This article focuses on new developments in the regulation of reverse cholesterol transport and the clinical implications of those developments.
Different Types of Ions in Hydrogen

IN a previous letter (NATURE, June 16, 1923, p. 810), and more recently in the Proceedings of the Royal Society (105, p. 116, 1924), I described some experiments on the products of ionisation in hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. It may be recalled that the method depended on the combination of an ordinary ionising potential arrangement with a simple positive ray analysis apparatus.
Genetic sequences of hormone response elements share similarity with predicted alpha helices within DNA binding domains of steroid receptor proteins: A basis for site-specific recognition

Abstract The 150 amino acid sequence comprising the DNA binding region of rat glucocorticoid receptor protein, RGRDBR, was compared to amino acid sequences of members of the superfamily of eukaryotic DNA regulatory proteins. Maximal similarity fell within the 86 amino acid sequence of RGRDBR reported to contain both DNA binding and transcription regulating properties and within the reported DNA binding regions of those proteins to which it was compared. Chou-Fasman secondary structure predictions within these DNA binding domains revealed a conserved alpha helix-beta turn-alpha helix motif. The 450 nucleotide sequence comprising the complementary DNA (cDNA) of amino acids making up RGRDBR was compared to a nucleotide sequence (−312 to −38) from mouse mammary tumor virus 5′ long terminal repeat, MMTV5LTR, known to contain glucocorticoid response elements (GREs). The maximally similar subsequence was found within the coding region for predicted alpha helix B of RGRDBR (nucleotides 1376 to 1412) and within a reported GRE of MMTV5LTR (nucleotides −199 to −131). This MMTV5LTR GRE sequence contains an imperfect palindrome of TGTTCT which is the specific recognition motif for DNA binding by both glucocorticoid and progesterone receptors. Since there are multiple coding possibilities for the majority of the 20 known amino acids, the exceptions being methionine and tryptophan which have a single codon, to thoroughly investigate the extent of genetic information conserved between RGRDBR and GRE, we converted this MMTV5LTR GRE nucleotide subsequence (−199 to −131) to amino acids in all three reading frames reading rightward and leftward in both strands. This procedure revealed all coding possibilities within the MMTV5LTR nucleotide subsequence, as well as the location of the codon sites. A comparison of these MMTV5LTR amino acid coding possibilities to RGRDBR predicted helix B amino acids revealed highly conserved genetic information localized within the GRE half-sites, predominantly in the right half-site containing the TGTTCT sequence. In the absence of atomic coordinates for eukaryotic DNA regulatory proteins, a computer model of a eukaryotic/procaryotic hybrid protein was created with RGRDBR predicted helix B replacing helix of F of E. coli cAMP-dependent regulatory protein (CRP) for which coordinates from X-ray crystallography were available. This hybrid protein was docked onto MMTV5LTR at the region of maximal similarity to helix B. Our computer model shows that the side chains of amino acids within RGRDBR helix B are oriented toward, and appear to be capable of interacting with, nucleotides on both strands of their respective codons within a functional GRE. Calculations of H-bonding in this model indicate that amino acids of helix B are forming H-bonds with nucleotides of their cognate codon/anti-codon sites within the major grooves of the GRE half-sites.
Ketone Bodies Stimulate Chaperone-mediated Autophagy

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is a selective lysosomal proteindegradative process that is activated in higher organisms under conditions ofprolonged starvation and in cell culture by the removal of serum. Ketonebodies are comprised of three compounds (β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate,and acetone) that circulate during starvation, especially during prolongedstarvation. Here we have investigated the hypothesis that ketone bodies induceCMA. We found that physiological concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate(BOH) induced proteolysis in cells maintained in media with serum and withoutserum; however, acetoacetate only induced proteolysis in cells maintained inmedia with serum. Lysosomes isolated from BOH-treated cells displayed anincreased ability to degrade both glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase andribonuclease A, substrates for CMA. Isolated lysosomes from cells maintainedin media without serum also demonstrated an increased ability to degradeglyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and ribonuclease A when the reactionwas supplemented with BOH. Such treatment did not affect the levels oflysosome-associated membrane protein 2a or lysosomal heat shock cognateprotein of 70 kDa, two rate-limiting proteins in CMA. However, pretreatment ofglyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and ribonuclease A with BOH increased their rate ofdegradation by isolated lysosomes. Lysosomes pretreated with BOH showed noincrease in proteolysis, suggesting that BOH acts on the substrates toincrease their rates of proteolysis. Using OxyBlot™ analysis to detectcarbonyl formation on proteins, one common marker of protein oxidation, weshowed that treatment of substrates with BOH increased their oxidation.Neither glycerol, another compound that increases in circulation duringprolonged starvation, nor butanol or butanone, compounds closely related toBOH, had an effect on CMA. The induction of CMA by ketone bodies may providean important physiological mechanism for the activation of CMA duringprolonged starvation.
Longitudinal Bone Transport for Treatment of Primary Bone Tumors in Dogs: Technique Description and Outcome in 9 Dogs

Objective— To describe a surgical technique for bone transport osteogenesis (BTO) limb salvage and report outcome in 9 dogs with primary bone tumors. Animals— Nine dogs with spontaneously occurring primary bone tumors. Results— BTO surgery was performed as a primary means of limb salvage in 7 dogs and as a salvage procedure after catastrophic allograft infection and failure in 2 dogs. Mean defect size was 9.5 cm with a mean of 123 days distraction until docking. Mean time from surgery to fixator removal was 205 days. Minimum follow-up was 9 months. There were 2 histologically confirmed local recurrences where although limb function was excellent, eventually resulted in limb amputation. Limb function was good to excellent in all but 2 dogs; 1 was chronically non-weight bearing before BTO surgery because of complications associated with an allograft limb salvage that had been performed previously on the same limb. The cause of lameness in the other dog was undetermined. Conclusions— BTO limb salvage can be successful in dogs with primary bone tumors. Whereas allograft limb salvage may be simpler from an initial management perspective, BTO has some unique advantages when compared with the allograft technique. Clinical Relevance— BTO has an emerging role in limb salvage surgery for dogs with primary bone tumors. BTO provides excellent long-term outcomes in some dogs with primary bone tumors and will likely become increasingly more attractive as technique modifications allow the duration of the treatment to be shortened.
Interaction of filipin with junctional membrane at different stages of the junction's life history

The relationship of filipin-sterol complexes to tight and gap junctions during their formation, maturation, internalization, and degradation was studied in separate cell lines. Filipin-sterol complexes tended to be excluded from mature junctions in tight junction forming COLO 316 cells and gap junction forming SW-13 cells. Once internalized, unlabeled junctional membrane appeared to fuse with heavily labeled vesicles, presumably lysosomes. Although the absence of filipin-sterol complexes from junctional membrane does not necessarily reflect the absolute sterol content of this membrane, the fact that filipin-sterol complexes are largely excluded from these areas indicates that this membrane is different from surrounding membrane. The absence of filipin-sterol complexes also permits the visualization of 'mixing' of this specialized unlabeled membrane domain with other filipin labeled membrane systems.
VILLAGE TENSIONS IN EARLY VIRGINIA: SEX, LAND, AND STATUS AT THE NECK OF LAND IN THE 1620s

The conventional picture of early Virginia suggests an almost exclusively male population, intent on personal profit, ruthlessly ignoring social considerations, lacking stability. This article argues that such a picture is an exaggeration, and draws attention to three communities, the inhabitants of which more closely resembled the rural English societies from which they had come. Particular attention is paid to the Neck of Land in Charles City, upriver from Jamestown close to the falls. The survival of administrative records makes possible an account of this small community between 1613 and 1629, revealing a hamlet of healthy married families whose concerns were sex, land, and status, rather than death and disease or the neighbouring Indian menace; and where stability in the 1620s did not, however, mean the absence of social tensions. Thus the Neck of Land, taken together with the communities at Point Comfort and on the Eastern Shore, demonstrates the inadequacy of current perceptions of early Virginian society.