cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in the Utah Agricultural Landscape Based on Trap Captures and Visual Sampling Studies

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stal), is a polyphagous, invasive insect of economic concern to agricultural production in North America. It was first discovered in Utah in 2012; crop damage was first reported in 2017. We propose that northern Utah's high elevation agricultural regions (> 1200 m), arid climate, and small-scale production fields surrounded by suburban development may invoke differences in BMSB attraction to baited traps and, thereby, influence the effectiveness of monitoring protocols compared with other BMSB-invaded regions. To evaluate these potential differences, we sampled the BMSB along transects with pyramid and sticky panel traps and visual plant inspections at nine orchard and community garden site-years (< 2.5 ha). Sites were selected to represent common specialty crops grown in Utah, including peach, apple, pear, tart cherry, and diverse vegetables. Sampling was conducted in four locations within sites; exterior, border, border-interior, and center; and in early, mid-, and late seasonal periods. Results did not support a BMSB preference for field-site borders as found in other regions and crop situations of the United States. Pyramid traps attracted significantly more BMSB than sticky panel traps throughout the growing season, and significantly more BMSB than visual plant inspections in the mid- and late season. Visual monitoring may be a cost-effective BMSB detection strategy when conducted near pheromone-baited traps in the early season. Overall, positive correlations between pyramid and sticky panel trap catch was weak in both 2018 and 2019. Therefore, we suggest that pyramid traps, especially in combination with visual plant inspections, are optimal for monitoring and detecting BMSB in the Utah agricultural landscape where populations are relatively low and field size is < 2.5 ha. Additionally, border-focused management strategies may be less effective in Utah compared with regions with higher BMSB infestations, larger field sizes, and adjacent agricultural or natural landscapes.
Transient visual disturbances as a primary manifestation of metastatic brain tumours

Ophthalmic signs and symptoms occur as an initial presentation in up to 50% of patients with brain tumours.1 Clinical challenges, risk of misdiagnosis or delayed treatment may occur when the presen...
Almost there: Another way of conceptualizing and explaining NGOs' quest for legitimacy in global politics

World politics is no longer about states interacting alone in a state of anarchy, but entails a complexity of interactions between states and a myriad of actors collectively referred to as non-state actors. Unlike non-state actors like multinational corporations (MNCs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), NGOs and other civil society groups and organizations do not enjoy full legal status and are often seen as anomalies in world politics. Yet, despite their alleged anomalous status, non-state actors like NGOs, not only outnumber states, MNCs and IGOs combined, but also are increasingly becoming almost indispensable players in global agenda setting, and in promulgating and enforcing global norms. Using NGOs as an example of non-state actors, this paper argues that NGOs have become or are increasingly becoming legitimate actors contrary to traditional theories of international law and international relations. First, it is argued the ontology of world politics has changed giving rise to multiple sites of authority (MSOA) and multiple sources of legitimacy (MSOL) rendering state consent less relevant as a source of legitimization. Second, NGOs may be deemed to be acquiring legitimacy or international legal personality implicitly. Specifically, recognition of NGOs in international legal instruments, their participation in the creation and enforcement of international law particularly in the environment, human rights, humanitarian areas, and increasing cooptation by states as agents through which to channel development funds are all evidence of NGOs' growing legitimacy in the system consistent with customary international law.
Pharmacodynamic Effects of Standard versus High Caffeine Doses in the Developing Brain of Neonatal Rats Exposed to Intermittent Hypoxia

(1) Background: Caffeine citrate, at standard doses, is effective for reducing the incidence of apnea of prematurity (AOP) and may confer neuroprotection and decrease neonatal morbidities in extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs) requiring oxygen therapy. We tested the hypothesis that high-dose caffeine (HiC) has no adverse effects on the neonatal brain. (2) Methods: Newborn rat pups were randomized to room air (RA), hyperoxia (Hx) or neonatal intermittent hypoxia (IH), from birth (P0) to P14 during which they received intraperitoneal injections of LoC (20 mg/kg on P0; 5 mg/kg/day on P1-P14), HiC (80 mg/kg; 20 mg/kg), or equivalent volume saline. Blood gases, histopathology, myelin and neuronal integrity, and adenosine receptor reactivity were assessed. (3) Results: Caffeine treatment in Hx influenced blood gases more than treatment in neonatal IH. Exposure to neonatal IH resulted in hemorrhage and higher brain width, particularly in layer 2 of the cerebral cortex. Both caffeine doses increased brain width in RA, but layer 2 was increased only with HiC. HiC decreased oxidative stress more effectively than LoC, and both doses reduced apoptosis biomarkers. In RA, both caffeine doses improved myelination, but the effect was abolished in Hx and neonatal IH. Similarly, both doses inhibited adenosine 1A receptor in all oxygen environments, but adenosine 2A receptor was inhibited only in RA and Hx. (4) Conclusions: Caffeine, even at high doses, when administered in normoxia, can confer neuroprotection, evidenced by reductions in oxidative stress, hypermyelination, and increased Golgi bodies. However, varying oxygen environments, such as Hx or neonatal IH, may alter and modify pharmacodynamic actions of caffeine and may even override the benefits caffeine.
The neuroethics of disorders of consciousness: a brief history of evolving ideas.

Neuroethical questions raised by recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of consciousness are rapidly expanding, increasingly relevant, and yet underexplored. The aim of this thematic review is to provide a clinically applicable framework for understanding the current taxonomy of disorders of consciousness and to propose an approach to identifying and critically evaluating actionable neuroethical issues that are frequently encountered in research and clinical care for this vulnerable population. Increased awareness of these issues and clarity about opportunities for optimizing ethically-responsible care in this domain are especially timely given recent surges in critically ill patients with unusually prolonged disorders of consciousness associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around the world. We begin with an overview of the field of neuroethics: what it is, its history and evolution in the context of biomedical ethics at large. We then explore nomenclature used in disorders of consciousness, covering categories proposed by the American Academy of Neurology, the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, including definitions of terms such as coma, the vegetative state, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, minimally conscious state, covert consciousness, and the confusional state. We discuss why these definitions matter, and why there has been such evolution in this nosology over the years, from Jennett and Plum in 1972 to the Multi-Society Task Force in 1994, the Aspen Working Group in 2002 and up until the 2018 American and 2020 European Disorders of Consciousness guidelines. We then move to a discussion of clinical aspects of disorders of consciousness, the natural history of recovery, and ethical issues that arise within the context of caring for persons with disorders of consciousness. We conclude with a discussion of key challenges associated with assessing residual consciousness in disorders of consciousness, potential solutions and future directions, including integration of crucial disability rights perspectives.
Biosensors based on peptide exposure show single molecule conformations in live cells

Summary We describe an approach to study the conformation of individual proteins during single particle tracking (SPT) in living cells. "Binder/tag" is based on incorporation of a 7-mer peptide (the tag) into a protein where its solvent exposure is controlled by protein conformation. Only upon exposure can the peptide specifically interact with a reporter protein (the binder). Thus, simple fluorescence localization reflects protein conformation. Through direct excitation of bright dyes, the trajectory and conformation of individual proteins can be followed. Simple protein engineering provides highly specific biosensors suitable for SPT and FRET. We describe tagSrc, tagFyn, tagSyk, tagFAK, and an orthogonal binder/tag pair. SPT showed slowly diffusing islands of activated Src within Src clusters and dynamics of activation in adhesions. Quantitative analysis and stochastic modeling revealed in vivo Src kinetics. The simplicity of binder/tag can provide access to diverse proteins.
Communist Pigs: An Animal History of East Germany’s Rise and Fall Thomas Fleischman: Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2020. 296 Pages. Hardcover ($40.00). ISBN: 9780295747309

In a 1967 interview, a senior director of an agricultural firm told East Germany’s party newspaper that he had spent so much time driving between Berlin and the new industrial meat processing facil...
Ethics and Statistics: Statistics for Cigarette Sellers

Remember How to Lie with Statistics? It turns out the author worked for the cigarette companies. Historian Robert Proctor, in his book, Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and th...
Hardy's Feminism: An Analysis of Gender Portrayals and Relations in Far From the Madding Crowd

This paper argues that Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd functions as a feminist novel by using evidence from the text and building on the work of other literary critics. Hardy's shattering of gender norms in intergendered interactions shows his support of female desire and power in relationships. Hardy's argument for romantic love based on equality and friendship, rather than on superficial "passion" is evident in the relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel. Hardy's positive depiction of Bathsheba as a strong, independent woman shows his approval of female autonomy and self-reliance. Finally, although Hardy's sardonic comments and free indirect discourse sometimes obscures his feminist views, his depiction of male and female equality supports a feminist reading of his novel.
EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ON FETAL BRAIN REAGGREGATE CULTURES. |[dagger]| 469

Fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading known cause of mental retardation. Clinical and experimental studies show a number of specific biochemical and morphological abnormalities of the cerebral cortex following ethanol exposure. To further characterize the direct effects of ethanol on fetal brain development, we have utilized a fetal brain reaggregate cell culture system grown in a serum free, chemically defined medium (SFCD). Cerebral cortices from gestational day 16 Sprague-Dawley fetal rats were removed. The brains were dispersed into single cells by mechanical dissociation, plated into SFCD media, and placed on a gyratory shaker in 10% CO2 at 37°C. After 48 hours, ethanol was added for a final concentration of 32 mM. Oxygen consumption, DNA and protein content, and DNA synthesis (thymidine uptake) were measured as a function of time. The results are shown in the followingtable (Ctl-control, EtOH-ethanol):
Automorphic Representations and L-Functions for the General Linear Group

This graduate-level textbook provides an elementary exposition of the theory of automorphic representations and L-functions for the general linear group in an adelic setting. Definitions are kept to a minimum and repeated when reintroduced so that the book is accessible from any entry point, and with no prior knowledge of representation theory. The book includes concrete examples of global and local representations of GL(n), and presents their associated L-functions. In Volume 1, the theory is developed from first principles for GL(1), then carefully extended to GL(2) with complete detailed proofs of key theorems. Several proofs are presented for the first time, including Jacquet's simple and elegant proof of the tensor product theorem. In Volume 2, the higher rank situation of GL(n) is given a detailed treatment. Containing numerous exercises by Xander Faber, this book will motivate students and researchers to begin working in this fertile field of research.
Abstract 671: CD38-specific engineered toxin body: Therapeutic potential for multiple myeloma

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of plasma cells that accounts for 10% of all hematological cancers. Current treatments for multiple myeloma include immunomodulatory agents, protease inhibitors and chemotherapies and, while these therapies are often initially effective, most patients experience relapse. New therapeutics are urgently required. CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein absent on most resting leukocytes but expressed on lymphoid malignancies, including multiple myeloma and lymphoma, making it an attractive target for directed therapy. Recent clinical trials with antibodies to CD38 have shown promise in multiple myeloma. While these antibodies rely on the recruitment of an immune response for cytotoxicity, we have developed an engineered toxin body (ETB) comprising a CD38 binding scFv and a de-immunogenized form of Shiga-like Toxin A (MT-4001) capable of specifically recognizing and directly killing CD38 expressing cells. Our results show that MT-4001 is a promising targeted therapeutic agent against CD38 positive cancer cells and is currently under further development. Citation Format: Sangeetha Rajagopalan, Brigitte Brieschke, Garrett L. Robinson, Jennifer Erdman, William Null, Jack P. Higgins, Erin K. Willert. CD38-specific engineered toxin body: Therapeutic potential for multiple myeloma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 671. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-671
Microbial Control of Oceanic Carbon Flux: The Plot Thickens

In his commentary Azam summarizes new work indicating that microbes in the ocean lead much different lives than we had supposed. They ingest both dissolved and particulate carbon and colonize particles of marine snow and other detritus. They can have enormous influence on the overall carbon flux in the ocean9s ecosystem.
An XML-based machining energy estimation tool from process plans

Excessive energy consumption has become a worldwide issue in today’s manufacturing industry. Software tools for estimating manufacturing energy consumption that could later be used to integrate with CAD/CAM systems are in demand. This research develops software tools for estimating manufacturing energy consumption in machining operations based on manufacturing process plans. This study first reviews literature and background in related areas and then presents the method to calculate manufacturing energy in machining operations. eXtended Markup Language XML has been adopted as the knowledge representation language for machining process plans and forms one of the inputs for energy estimation. Since XML plays an important role in estimating machining energy, this article introduces XML validation and parsing. The method is demonstrated via case studies for machining energy estimation in machining operations. The method will assist users who have little knowledge about energy computations to estimate energy consumption during the manufacturing phase. Such energy estimation can be used to redesign the part and assemblies, leading to products with reduced machining energy.
The real-time strategy game multi-objective build order problem

In this paper we examine the build order problem in real-time strategy (RTS) games in which the objective is to optimize execution of a strategy by scheduling actions with respect to a set of subgoals. We model the build order problem as a multi-objective problem (MOP), and solutions are generated utilizing a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA). A three dimensional solution space is presented providing a depiction of a Pareto front for the build order MOP. Results of the online strategic planning tool are provided which demonstrate that our planner out-performs an expert scripted player. This is demonstrated for an AI agent in the Spring Engine Balanced Annihilation RTS game.
A Genetically Amenable Platensimycin- and Platencin- Overproducer as a Platform for Biosynthetic Explorations: a Showcase of PtmO4, a Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase

Platensimycin (PTM) and platencin (PTN) are members of a new class of promising drug leads that target bacterial and mammalian fatty acid synthases. We previously cloned and sequenced the PTM and PTN gene clusters, discovered six additional PTM–PTN dual producing strains, and demonstrated the dramatic overproduction of PTM and PTN by inactivating the pathway-specific regulators ptmR1 or ptnR1 in five different strains. Our ability to utilize these PTM–PTN dual overproducing strains was limited by their lack of genetic amenability. Here we report the construction of Streptomyces platensis SB12029, a genetically amenable, in-frame ΔptmR1 dual PTM–PTN overproducing strain. To highlight the potential of this strain for future PTM and PTN biosynthetic studies, we created the ΔptmR1 ΔptmO4 double mutant S. platensis SB12030. Fourteen PTM and PTN congeners, ten of which were new, were isolated from SB12030, shedding new insights into PTM and PTN biosynthesis. PtmO4, a long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, is strongly implicated to catalyze β-oxidation of the diterpenoid intermediates into the PTM and PTN scaffolds. SB12029 sets the stage for future biosynthetic and bioengineering studies of the PTM and PTN family of natural products.
Does the inclusion of rare variants improve risk prediction

Every known link between a genetic variant and blood pressure improves the understanding and potentially the risk assessment of related diseases such as hypertension. Genetic data have become increasingly comprehensive and available for an increasing number of samples. The availability of whole-genome sequencing data means that statistical genetic models must evolve to meet the challenge of using both rare variants (RVs) and common variants (CVs) to link previously unidentified genome loci to disease-related traits. Penalized regression has two features, variable selection and proportional coefficient shrinkage, that allow researchers to build models tailored to hypothesized characteristics of the genotype-phenotype map. The following work uses the Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 data to investigate the performance of a spectrum of penalized regressions using at first only CVs or only RVs to predict systolic blood pressure (SBP). Next, combinations of CVs and RVs are used to model SBP, and the impact on prediction is quantified. The study demonstrates that penalized regression improves blood pressure prediction for any combination of CVs and RVs compared with maximum likelihood estimation. More significantly, models using both types of variants provide better predictions of SBP than those using only CVs or only RVs. The predictive mean squared error was reduced by up to 11.5% when RVs were added to CV-only penalized regression models. Elastic net regression with equally weighted LASSO and ridge components, in particular, can use large numbers of single-nucleotide polymorphisms to improve prediction.
Bridging the materials gap between single crystal and supported catalysts using polycrystalline Ni/Pt bimetallic surfaces for cyclohexene hydrogenation

Abstract The current work utilizes the adsorption of hydrogen and the hydrogenation of cyclohexene as probe reactions to bridge the materials gap between single crystal and polycrystalline Ni/Pt bimetallic surfaces. Previous studies on Ni-modified Pt(1 1 1) have identified the formation of a Pt–Ni–Pt(1 1 1) subsurface structure that binds atomic hydrogen and cyclohexene more weakly, leading to a low-temperature hydrogenation pathway not present on either of the parent metal surfaces. In the current work, the Pt–Ni–Pt subsurface structure is prepared by depositing Ni on a polycrystalline Pt foil substrate. The adsorption of hydrogen and hydrogenation of cyclohexene are investigated using surface science experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The polycrystalline Pt–Ni–Pt subsurface structure shows general similarities to Pt–Ni–Pt(1 1 1) in the low-temperature hydrogenation pathway, demonstrating the validity of using single crystals to predict activity trends for more complex surfaces.
A Content Analysis of Introductory Psychology Textbooks

A factor analysis of terms in texts and data on readability of texts highlights the predicament of the instructor in selecting a book for his students.
A self-evolving design methodology for power efficient multi-core systems

This paper introduces a new methodology that characterizes aging-duty cycle and aging-supply voltage relationships that are applicable to minimizing power consumption and task execution time to achieve low Bit-Energy-Ratio (BER). In contrast to the traditional workload balancing scheme where cores are regarded as homogeneous, we proposed a new task scheduler that ranks cores according to their various competitiveness evaluated based upon their reliability, temperature and timing requirements. Consequently, the new approach combines internal characteristics (aging-duty cycle and aging-supply voltage curves) into an integrated framework to achieve system performance improvement or graceful degradation with high reliability and low power. Experimental results show that the proposed method has achieved 18% power reduction with about 4% performance degradation (in terms of accomplished workload) compared with traditional workload balancing methods.
Identification and Characterization of a Polypeptide from a Lobster Neurosecretory Gland that Induces Cyclic GMP Accumulation in Lobster Neuromuscular Preparations

Several observations suggest that cyclic GMP might regulate some aspect of neuromuscular physiology or metabolism in the lobster. Homarus americanus: lobster muscle is one of the richest known sources of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase, the preparation contains several phosphoproteins whose state of phosphorylation is affected by cyclic GMP more effectively than by cyclic AMP, and guanylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase are active in this tissue. However, no factor has yet been identified that alters lobster muscle cyclic GMP levels. We have screened extracts of neural and neurosecretory structures for the capacity to promote cyclic GMP accumulation in isolated exoskeletal muscles. Extracts of the sinus gland (a neurohemal organ found in the eyestalk) contain a factor that induces up to 100-fold increases in muscle cyclic GMP content, whereas extracts of other tissues are ineffective. This factor can also act on targets other than muscle, with hepatopancreas, testis, and neuronal tissue showing the largest responses. The sinus gland factor does not appear to affect cyclic GMP metabolism by depolarizing the preparation or by mobilizing extracellular Ca2+. The effect on cyclic GMP levels is dose-dependent and linear with time. Biological activity is destroyed by boiling and by 90% ethanol. It is also destroyed by trypsin, chymotrypsin, or pronase, which suggests that the factor is a protein or peptide. Both gel filtration chromatography and experiments using dialysis tubing with different molecular weight exclusion limits indicate that the factor has an apparent molecular weight of 5,000-12,000 daltons. A preliminary fractionation scheme, based on gel filtration, ion-exchange, and reverse-phase chromatography, gives greater than 1,300-fold purification. Our long-range goal is to purify this factor to homogeneity, compare it to other peptide hormones, and use it as a probe to evaluate the role of cyclic GMP at the neuromuscular junction.
Construction of statistical shape atlases for bone structures based on a two-level framework.

Background The statistical shape atlas is a 3D medical image analysis tool that encodes shape variations between populations. However, efficiency, accuracy and finding the correct correspondence are still unsolved issues during the construction of the atlas. Methods We developed a two-level-based framework that speeds up the registration process while maintaining accuracy of the atlas. We also proposed a semi-automatic strategy to achieve segmentation and registration simultaneously, without knowing any prior information about the shape. Results We have separately constructed the atlas for the femur and spine. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of our methods. Conclusions Our two-level framework and semi-automatic strategy are able to efficiently construct the atlas for bone structures without losing accuracy. We can handle either 3D surface data or raw DICOM images. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Organic superconductors: The Bechgaard salts and relatives

Abstract Organic conductors were originally considered a route to achieving high temperature superconductivity. While that goal could not be met, what came to be was a class of materials in which the interplay between correlations and dimensionality, and sometimes geometric frustration, lead to a spectacular diversity of phases and phenomena that are tuned by magnetic field, pressure, and temperature. Highlighted here are the physical properties of the superconducting and normal states of the first family of organic superconductors, the quasi-one dimensional Bechgaard salts (TMTSF)2X, as well as the quasi-two dimensional compounds κ -(BEDT-TTF)2X. In both cases, the preponderance of experiments indicate that the superconductivity is nodal. As well, the importance of correlations is evident in the temperature/pressure phase diagrams, and the influence of low-energy magnetic fluctuations over the normal state properties above the superconducting transition temperature is substantial.
Statistical properties and broken symmetries within the shell model

Shell-model calculations in the $s\ensuremath{-}d$ shell have been utilized to examine how the statistical behavior of eigenvalues and reduced transition probabilities are affected by broken isospin symmetry. Calculations have been performed for the nuclides $^{22}\mathrm{Na},^{26}\mathrm{Al}$, and $^{34}\mathrm{Cl}$ and have been compared to existing experimental data for $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ and $^{30}\mathrm{P}$. The eigenvalue statistics depend on the magnitude of the Coulomb matrix element, and this is reflected in a sensitivity to the choice of single-particle energies. The distributions of reduced transition probabilities are not universal but depend upon the particular transition mode chosen; this behavior is qualitatively similar to experimental results.
Cationic Lipid Is Not Required for Uptake and Selective Inhibitory Activity of ICAM-1 Phosphorothioate Antisense Oligonucleotides in Keratinocytes

Keratinocyte intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is important in mediating retention of T cells within the epidermal compartment. To determine if antisense oligonucleotides designed to hybridize to various ICAM-1 mRNA regions could selectively influence cultured keratinocyte ICAM-1 expression following gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), cells were exposed to several antisense compounds, in the absence and presence of cationic lipid (lipofectin). Keratinocytes rapidly internalized sense and antisense compounds (within 30-60 min), even in the absence of lipofectin with approximately 30% of the cell possessing positive nuclei. Such nuclear accumulation was not observed in the absence of lipofectin in cultured fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, or endothelial cells, even though total cellular uptake within the cytoplasm was significantly increased in all these cell types. Using flow cytometry, IFN-gamma-inducible ICAM-1 expression was reduced 50% by antisense compounds with lipofectin, and by 30% without lipofectin. This inhibition was specific as no change was observed for HLA-DR or tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor expression. Northern blot hybridization studies confirmed that ICAM-1 antisense oligonucleotides selectively and significantly inhibited ICAM-1 expression. These results suggest that such antisense compounds interact with keratinocytes differently than other cell types, and provide the in vitro basis for clinical trials in which reduction (or elimination) of ICAM-1 expression by epidermal keratinocytes could be selectively accomplished without necessarily influencing dermal cell types such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, or smooth muscle cells.
Hydrothermal mineral deposits and fossil biota from a young (0.1 Ma) abyssal hill on the flank of the fast spreading East Pacific Rise: Evidence for pulsed hydrothermal flow and tectonic tapping of axial heat and fluids

Heat flow data indicate that most hydrothermal heat loss from ocean lithosphere occurs on the flanks of the mid-ocean ridge, but few ridge flank hydrothermal sites are known. We describe the first nonseamount, abyssal hill hydrothermal mineral deposits to be recovered from the fast spreading East Pacific Rise (EPR) flanks. Deposits were sampled at two sites on an abyssal hill ∼5 km east of the EPR axis, just north of Clipperton Fracture Zone at 10°20′N, on ∼0.1 Ma lithosphere. “Tevnia Site” is on the axis-facing fault scarp of the hill, and “Ochre Site” is located ∼950 m farther east near the base of the outward-facing slope. Clusters of fragile, biodegradable Tevnia worm tubes at both sites indicate that hydrothermal fluids carried sufficient H2S to sustain Tevnia worms, and that fluid flow waned too recently to allow time for tube destruction. Presence of microbial mats and other biota also are consistent with recent waning of flow. The deposits are mineralogically zoned, from nontronite-celadonite to hydrous Fe-oxide+opaline silica to Mn-oxide (birnessite and todorokite). This places them into a distinctive class of Fe-Si-Mn hydrothermal deposits found along tectonic cracks and faults in young oceanic crust, and suggests that (1) deposits precipitated along an O2 gradient between ambient seawater and hydrothermal fluid; (2) fluid temperatures were <150°C; and (3) undiluted fluids were Mg-depleted, and Fe-, K-, Si- and Mn-enriched. These fluids may derive from high temperature seawater-basalt interaction ± phase separation proximal to the axial melt zone, and lose Cu and Zn before venting due to conductive cooling and/or pH increase. Ochre Site samples are purely hydrothermal; however, Tevnia Site samples incorporate volcanic, sedimentary, and fossil components, and exhibit at least three generations of fracturing and hydrothermal cementation. The Tevnia Site breccias accumulated on the exposed fault scarp, possibly during multiple slip events and hydrothermal pulses as the abyssal hill was uplifted. We hypothesize that frequent earthquakes rejuvenate young abyssal hill hydrothermal systems episodically over 104–105 years, tapping axial heat and hydrothermal fluids, sustaining biota, and likely helping to chill the margins of the axial melt zone.
The Bending Stress in a Cracked Plate on an Elastic Foundation

Classical Kirchhoff bending solutions for a normally loaded elastically supported flat plate containing a semi-infinite straight crack are obtained using an integral equation formulation. Because the effects of initial spherical plate curvature are related to those of an elastic foundation, the solution can be applied to the problem of a crack in an initially curved unsupported plate as well. The explicit nature of the stresses near the crack point is found to depend upon the inverse half power of the nondimensional distance from the point, r/(D/k)1/4 , where D is the flexural rigidity of the plate and k the foundation modulus. The particular case of an infinite strip containing the crack along the negative x-axis and loaded by constant moments M* along y = ±y* is presented. The inverse half-power decay of stress is additionally damped by an exponential factor of the form exp(−λy*/2).
Robust wireless sharing of internet video streams

The gateways are the performance bottleneck of wireless mesh access networks and thus alleviating stress on them is essential to making such wireless networks robust and scalable. Using proxy servers or wireless peer-to-peer streaming techniques can help reduce the gateway load. However, these techniques, because they are data caching methods, do not save wireless resources. We instead consider a communication-sharing approach in this paper. Traditional stream sharing solutions depend on cooperation with the video server. However, in the wireless access network it is difficult to cooperate with online video sites. To address this problem in wireless mesh access networks, we propose a distributed video sharing technique called Dynamic Stream Merging (DSM). DSM is able to improve the robustness of the access network without cooperation from the online video site or the users and has the intelligence to handle sudden spikes in demand for certain videos due to specific events, thereby preventing adverse effects to other daily wireless traffic. The technique can also leverage the 80:20 data access pattern, common for many video applications, to substantially increase the service throughput. We explain the DSM technique, present the system prototype, and discuss the experimental results.
Toward an Ecological–Evolutionary Theory of the Incidence of Warfare in Preindustrial Societies

Prompted by the lack of attention by sociologists and the challenge of materialist explanations of warfare in "precivilized" societies posed by Keeley (1996), this paper tests and finds support for two materialist hypotheses concerning the likelihood of warfare in preindustrial societies: specifically, that, as argued by ecological-evolutionary theory, dominant mode of subsistence is systematically related to rates of warfare; and that, within some levels of technological development, higher levels of "population pressure" are associated with a greater likelihood of warfare. Using warfare measures developed by Ember and Ember (1995), measures of subsistence technology originally developed by Lenski (1966, 1970), and the standard sample of societies developed by Murdock and White (1969), this study finds evidence that warfare is more likely in advanced horticultural and agrarian societies than it is in hunting-and-gathering and simple horticultural societies, and that it is also more likely in hunting-and-gathering and agrarian societies that have above-average population densities. These findings offer substantial support for ecological-evolutionary theory and qualified but intriguing support for "population pressure" as explanations of cross-cultural variation in the likelihood of warfare. Language: en
Induced hypercholesterolemia and atherogenesis.

An attempt has been made to elicit atherosclerosis in rats by duplicating as far as possible those conditions which in other animals are atherogenic. By making the rats hypothyroid and feeding cholic acid and cholesterol, severe hypercholesterolemia and abnormal beta-lipoproteins appeared along with heavy lipid infiltration of the kidneys, liver, heart and aorta. Aortic and coronary atherosclerosis might have been expected in rats exposed to so much atherogenic material in the blood, but it was not found. Despite lipid infiltration in the intima of the vessels, no appreciable tissue reaction to it occurred; we believe the lack of tissue response is one of the chief causes for the failure of atherosclerosis to develop. Thus tissue response and receptivity to lipid deposition seem to be important mechanisms in atherogenesis.
The use of carbon dioxide for insufflation during GI endoscopy: a systematic review

Background Insufflation of the lumen is required for visualization during GI endoscopy. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has been proposed as an alternative to room air for insufflation. Objectives To assess the safety and efficacy of CO 2 insufflation for endoscopy. Design Systematic review that focuses on evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT). Methods Two investigators independently searched MEDLINE from 1950 to February 13, 2008, to identify all articles that reported the use of CO 2 in a GI endoscopy application. Bibliographies of relevant articles were also hand searched to identify other pertinent reports. Data from RCTs, as well as from nonrandomized studies, were extracted. Results Nine RCTs were identified that compared CO 2 and air insufflation for GI endoscopy. Fifteen other nonrandomized studies or reports were also reviewed. In the 8 RCTs in which postprocedural pain was assessed, pain was lower in the CO 2 insufflation group compared with the air group. Two RCTs found decreased flatus in the CO 2 group compared with the air group, and 3 RCTs showed there was decreased bowel distention on abdominal radiography in the CO 2 group compared with the air group. Also, in all 9 RCTs and 6 additional studies in which safety was assessed, there was no CO 2 retention and no adverse pulmonary events related to CO 2 insufflation. Limitations Because of study heterogeneity, meta-analytic techniques could not be used. Conclusions Consistent RCT evidence indicates that CO 2 insufflation is associated with decreased postprocedural pain, flatus, and bowel distention. CO 2 insufflation also appears to be safe in patients without severe underlying pulmonary disease.
Image-based dose planning of intracavitary brachytherapy: registration of serial-imaging studies using deformable anatomic templates.

Abstract Purpose: To demonstrate that high-dimensional voxel-to-voxel transformations, derived from continuum mechanics models of the underlying pelvic tissues, can be used to register computed tomography (CT) serial examinations into a single anatomic frame of reference for cumulative dose calculations. Methods and Materials: Three patients with locally advanced cervix cancer were treated with CT-compatible intracavitary (ICT) applicators. Each patient underwent five volumetric CT examinations: before initiating treatment, and immediately before and after the first and second ICT insertions, respectively. Each serial examination was rigidly registered to the patient’s first ICT examination by aligning the bony anatomy. Detailed nonrigid alignment for organs (or targets) of interest was subsequently achieved by deforming the CT exams as a viscous-fluid, described by the Navier-Stokes equation, until the coincidence with the corresponding targets on CT image was maximized. In cases where ICT insertion induced very large and topologically complex rearrangements of pelvic organs, e.g., extreme uterine canal reorientation following tandem insertion, a viscous-fluid-landmark transformation was used to produce an initial registration. Results: For all three patients, reasonable registrations for organs (or targets) of interest were achieved. Fluid-landmark initialization was required in 4 of the 11 registrations. Relative to the best rigid bony landmark alignment, the viscous-fluid registration resulted in average soft-tissue displacements from 2.8 to 28.1 mm, and improved organ coincidence from the range of 5.2% to 72.2% to the range of 90.6% to 100%. Compared to the viscous-fluid transformation, global registration of bony anatomy mismatched 5% or more of the contoured organ volumes by 15–25 mm. Conclusion: Pelvic soft-tissue structures undergo large deformations and displacements during the external-beam and multiple-ICT course of radiation therapy for locally advanced cervix cancer. These changes cannot be modeled by the conventional rigid landmark transformation method. In the current study, we found that the deformable anatomic template registration method, based on continuum-mechanics models of deformation, successfully described these large anatomic shape changes before and after ICT. These promising modeling results indicate that realistic registration of the cumulative dose distribution to the organs (or targets) of interest for radiation therapy of cervical cancers is achievable.
Soil Properties and Vegetative Development in Four Restored Freshwater Depressional Wetlands

Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 76:1482–1495 doi:10.2136/sssaj2011.0362 Received 27 Oct. 2011. *Corresponding author (kab226@cornell.edu). © Soil Science Society of America, 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison WI 53711 USA All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher. Soil Properties and Vegetative Development in Four Restored Freshwater Depressional Wetlands Wetland Soils
Intramolecular Alkene Aminopalladation Reactions of (dppf)Pd(Ar)[N(Ar1)(CH2)3CH═CH2] Complexes. Insertion of Unactivated Alkenes into Pd−N Bonds

The synthesis of (dppf)Pd(C6H4-p-F)[N(Ar1)(CH2)3CH═CH2] complexes (3), which are thought to be intermediates in Pd-catalyzed alkene carboamination reactions, is described. These complexes undergo syn-migratory insertion of the alkene into the Pd−N bond to yield observable (dppf)palladium(aryl)(pyrrolidin-2-yl-methyl) complexes 6. Reductive elimination from 6 provides 2-benzylpyrrolidine derivatives 4. The rates of conversion of 3 to 6 (k1) and 6 to 4 (k2) were measured and are within 1 order of magnitude of each other. The syn-migratory insertion stereochemistry was confirmed through a deuterium labeling experiment. These are the first examples of syn-migratory insertions of unactivated alkenes into Pd−N bonds of well-defined complexes.
Pitx2 is a Critical Early Regulatory Gene in Normal Cecal Development

Background The murine cecum is a critical digestive structure. Morphogenesis of the cecum involves several key genes, including Homeobox (Hox) d12. Ectopic expression of Hoxd12 has been shown to result in cecal agenesis and a down-regulation of both Fibroblast growth factor 10 (Fgf10) and the Pituitary homeobox 2 gene (Pitx2). Homozygous null mutation of Fgf10 or its cognate receptor Fgfr2IIIb results in severe cecal defects where there is the initiation of mesodermal budding, but a failure of the endoderm to grow and extend into this structure. We examined the expression of Pitx2 in the cecum and hypothesized that homozygous null mutation of Pitx2 would result in cecal agenesis. Methods IACUC approval was obtained for these studies. Whole mount in situ hybridizations for Pitx2 were performed on wild-type embryos between embryonic d (E)11.0 and E12.5. Pitx2 –/– and Fgfr2IIIb –/– embryos were generated from n/+ heterozygote breedings and harvested at E10.5, E11.5, and E13.5. Genotypes were confirmed by PCR. Morphology of Pitx2 –/– cecae were compared with those of wild-type littermates and Fgfr2IIIb –/– embryos at identical stages. Embryos were fixed overnight and photographed the following day. Results Pitx2 is expressed in the cecal mesoderm and endoderm as early as E11.0. Expression becomes increasingly more robust by E12.5. Homozygous null mutation of Pitx2 results in agenesis of the cecum. In contrast to Fgfr2IIIb –/– embryos, which demonstrate a persistent mesodermal bud as late as E18.5, no mesodermal bud is present in Pitx2 –/– embryos. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that Pitx2 is a critical regulatory gene in cecal morphogenesis and suggest that Pitx2 is required for initiation of mesodermal budding and likely resides upstream of Fgf10-Fgfr2IIIb signaling in the normal development of this structure.
Class III β-tubulin overexpression within the tumor microenvironment is a prognostic biomarker for poor overall survival in ovarian cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant carboplatin/paclitaxel

Critics have suggested that neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking may select for resistant clones or cancer stem cells when compared to primary cytoreduction. β-tubulins are chemotherapeutic targets of taxanes and epothilones. Class III β-tubulin overexpression has been linked to chemoresistance and hypoxia. Herein, we describe changes in class III β-tubulin in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma in response to NACT, in relationship to clinical outcome, and between patients who underwent NACT versus primary debulking; we characterize in vitro chemosensitivity to paclitaxel/patupilone of cell lines established from this patient population, and class III β-tubulin expression following repeated exposure to paclitaxel. Using immunohistochemistry, we observed among 22 paired specimens obtained before/after NACT decreased expression of class III β-tubulin following therapy within stroma (p=0.07), but not tumor (p=0.63). Poor median overall survival was predicted by high levels of class III β-tubulin in both tumor (HR 3.66 [1.11,12.05], p=0.03) and stroma (HR 4.53 [1.28,16.1], p=0.02). Class III β-tubulin expression by quantitative-real-time-polymerase-chain-reaction was higher among patients who received NACT (n=12) compared to primary cytoreduction (n=14) (mean±SD fold-change: 491.2±115.9 vs. 224.1±55.66, p=0.037). In vitro subculture with paclitaxel resulted in class III β-tubulin upregulation, however, cell lines that overexpressed class III β-tubulin remained sensitive to patupilone. Overexpression of class III β-tubulin in patients dispositioned to NACT may thus identify an intrinsically aggressive phenotype, and predict poor overall survival and paclitaxel resistance. Decreases in stromal expression may represent normalization of the tumor microenvironment following therapy. Epothilones warrant study for patients who have received neoadjuvant carboplatin and paclitaxel.
Assessment of a semi integral-direct local multi-reference configuration interaction implementation employing shared-memory parallelization

Abstract We present different integral-direct implementations in a local Cholesky-decomposed multi-reference configuration interaction framework. We discuss their performance, parallel efficiency and scaling properties for a range of alkyne test systems. As we are able to introduce accuracy-preserving integral truncations within a direct algorithm, we observe superior performance and, through the drastically reduced I/O operations, better parallel efficiency for the truncated integral-direct kernels compared to their conventional counterparts.
Effects of Alkylamine Chain Length on the Thermal Behavior of CdSe Quantum Dot Glassy Films

The competition between dimensional and domain effects for the packing of amphiphilic passivants on CdSe quantum dot (QD) surfaces is examined using temperature-dependent attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy. The results indicate that at very small particle sizes (r 22 A, a stable chain domain can be established where the chain packing thermodynamics is governed by purely dimensional effects related to the ratio of the chain length (〈L〉) to the particle radius (r). Using a mean field statistical mechanical calculation, we find the theoretical calculations predict the observed 〈L〉/r passivant layer stabilization for QD systems.
Ancient tRNA Synthetase Meets Modern Structural Biology

Use of heavy atoms to calculate the phases in protein X-ray crystallography has now been extended to include site-specific in vivo incorporation of 3-iodo-tyrosine, enabled by the use of an archaeal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (Sakamoto et al., 2009).