cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioenergetics of growth, pregnancy and lactation in the laboratory mouse, Mus musculus

Abstract 1. 1. Multiple regression models for reproductivity active (RA) female mice show bioenergetic parameters to be functions of total live weight of the reproducing unit and reproductive day but not related to litter size or daily weight gain. 2. 2. For growing, non-reproductively active (NRA) females, bioenergetic parameters are linear functions of live weight. 3. 3. Weight specific daily energy budgets are constant for RA and NRA females. 4. 4. Productivity of RA females exceeds that of NRA mice reaching a peak at 10% at the end of lactation. 5. 5. Weight specific average daily metabolic rate of pregnant females is lower than that of NRA mice.
Ontogeny of basal and regulated secretion from POMC cells of the developing anterior lobe of the rat pituitary gland.

Abstract Proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-producing cells are present in both the anterior (AL) and intermediate (IL) lobes of the adult rat pituitary. Both cell types are derived from a single embryonic rudiment, Rathke's pouch, and synthesize the same hormone precursor, POMC, but differ in the pattern of precursor processing and regulation of peptide secretion. Here we have used the reverse hemolytic plaque assay to determine the ontogeny of basal and regulated secretion by AL POMC cells. Basal secretion of β-endorphin was first observed at Embryonic Day 13.5 (e13.5), the age when POMC-derived peptides were first detected immunocytochemically. Peptide secretion stimulated by corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH; 10 −8 M ) was first detected at e15.5. The CRH-stimulated secretion involved two different components: (1) an increase in the amount of hormone secreted per cell (increase in plaque size) as well as (2) an increase in the number of plaque-producing cells. The greatest stimulation by CRH was observed at e16.5, a time when AL POMC mRNA levels increase significantly and when CRH neurons are first detected immunocytochemically in the hypothalamus. CRH-stimulated secretion, but not basal release, was inhibited by preincubation with dexamethasone (DEX; 10 −6 M ) as early as e15.5, while the dopamine agonist ergocryptine (ERG; 10 −6 M ) did not alter basal or CRH-stimulated release at any age studied. These results demonstrate that AL POMC cells are capable of hormone secretion as early as POMC peptides are first detected immunocytochemically and that these cells respond in an adult-like manner to physiological regulators soon after their initial appearance. Moreover, these responses remain unaltered during the early postnatal stress-nonresponsive period, suggesting that deficits at this time must lie at a level other than the corticotroph. Taken together, these results show that AL POMC cells possess functional regulatory receptor systems prior to maturation of the hypothalamic–hypophyseal portal system.
Pink shrimp as an indicator for restoration of everglades ecosystems

Abstract The pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, familiar to most Floridians as either food or bait shrimp, is ubiquitous in South Florida coastal and offshore waters and is proposed as an indicator for assessing restoration of South Florida's southern estuaries: Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and the mangrove estuaries of the lower southwest coast. Relationships between pink shrimp and salinity have been determined in both field and laboratory studies. Salinity is directly relevant to restoration because the salinity regimes of South Florida estuaries, critical nursery habitat for the pink shrimp, will be altered by changes in the quantity, timing, and distribution of freshwater inflow planned as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP). Here we suggest performance measures based on pink shrimp density (number per square meter) in the estuaries and propose a restoration assessment and scoring scheme using these performance measures that can readily be communicated to managers, policy makers, and the interested public. The pink shrimp is an appropriate restoration indicator because of its ecological as well as its economic importance and also because scientific interest in pink shrimp in South Florida has produced a wealth of information about the species and relatively long time series of data on both juveniles in estuarine nursery habitats and adults on the fishing grounds. We suggest research needs for improving the pink shrimp performance measure.
Transformation—More Than Meets the Eye: Teacher Candidates' Journeys to Cultural Competence

The author provides a narrative describing how one group of teacher candidates enrolled in a 5th-year master of arts in teaching program explore the concepts of multicultural education culminating in an out-of-class assignment that provides a catalyst for transformative learning as identified by Mezirow. The candidates chart their progress using Gallavan's Cultural Competence Compass and connect these experiences to their pedagogical knowledge using the Pathwise Classroom Observation Protocol. The results show that candidates gained a greater awareness of self, stronger appreciation of others, and higher levels of commitment to creating a positive learning environment for their own students.
Relation of dietary inorganic arsenic to serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) at different threshold concentrations of tap water arsenic

U.S. EPA Star Grant # R83399201-0; University of Arizona Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) (NIH/NCI Grant # CA95060); Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (NIEHS Grant # ES06694)
RNA double helices generated from crystal structures of double helical dinucleoside phosphates

Abstract The dinucleoside phosphates ApU and GpC form right-handed anti-parallel double helical fragments within their crystal lattices. Using a least squares procedure, we have generated the extended double helices which these fragments represent. ApU corresponds to a double helix with 11.9 residues per turn and a pitch of 28. 1A. The GpC double helix has 10.4 residues per turn and a pitch of 26. 9A.
Heat capacity of diluted cerium magnesium nitrate and its potential for the production of very low temperatures

We present measurements of the magnetic heat capacity of pure cerium magnesium nitrate (CMN) and La-diluted CMN. From the measurements, we conclude that it may be possible to use the diluted salt as a refrigerant to 0.7 mK.
THE CLASSROOM AS A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY LABORATORY

Abstract The typical classroom illustrates many common social psychology concepts and phenomena, although often with less–than–desirable results. I give examples of self–handicapping, self–serving bias, belief perseverance, the fundamental attribution error, social categorization, and the overjustification effect as they occur in the classroom. It is possible that alerting instructors and students to these principles may lessen their occurrence.
Secretion of curli fibre subunits is mediated by the outer membrane-localized CsgG protein

Summary Produced by many Enterobacteriaceae spp., curli are biologically important amyloid fibres that have been associated with biofilm formation, host cell adhesion and invasion, and immune system activation. CsgA is the major fibre subunit and CsgE, CsgF and CsgG are non-structural proteins involved in curli biogenesis. We have characterized the role of CsgG in curli sub- unit secretion across the outer membrane. Directed mutagenesis of CsgG confirmed that its activity is dependent on localization to the outer membrane. Rotary Shadow electron microscopy of purified CsgG suggested that this protein assembles into an oligo- meric complex with an apparent central pore. Oligo- meric CsgG complexes were confirmed using co- purification experiments. Antibiotic sensitivity assays demonstrated that overexpression of CsgG rendered Escherichia coli susceptible to the antibiotic erythro- mycin. A 22-amino-acid sequence at the N-terminus of CsgA was sufficient to direct heterologous proteins to the CsgG secretion apparatus. Finally, we deter- mined that CsgG participates in an outer membrane complex with two other curli assembly proteins, CsgE and CsgF.
GROWTH Its Significance in Medicine Viewed as Human Biology

IT IS with a very real sense of humility that I accept the Borden Award from the Academy of Pediatrics. I am happy to receive it in San Francisco since this was the scene of some of my earlier adventures in pediatrics. It is not quite polite, I suppose, to question the wisdom of the committee which made this award. Perhaps, however, its members will not be offended if I point out that I am only one member of a team—that such contributions as have been made from the Child Research Council during the past two decades are the product of the teamwork and loyalty of many investigators. A brief description of our institute will serve as an easy introduction to my subject. We are following intensively a small group of individuals. At present we have 137, ranging in age from birth to 25 years. Each new baby is registered in the study early in his prenatal career. Thus we have the opportunity of knowing something about the mother9s health and diet, as well as some beginning understanding of the family and home into which this new human being is to be born. Each baby is then observed frequently, regularly, and from many different aspects through infancy, childhood, adolescence and on into the mature years; for we have become an institute engaged in following the whole life-span of individual persons. We try to make use of the wisdom and skills from many fields of science. We are not using human subjects as "guinea pigs" to contribute new knowledge to a specific field but, instead, all fields of science are being utilized to contribute to an awareness of the unique individuality of each child—to an understanding of how his own peculiar characteristics and patterns of growth contribute to his chance for healthy development and happy adaptation to his environment.
High Density Double and Triple Layer Tantalum Pentoxide Decoupling Capacitors

High-performance integrated circuits (ICs) require extremely low impedance power distribution. The low voltage, high current requirements of these devices must be provided by decoupling capacitors very close to the IC. Currently this decoupling is provided by discrete surface mount capacitors with relatively high parasitic inductance, requiring many devices in parallel to provide low impedance at high frequencies. Thin film, large area tantalum pentoxide (TaO) dielectric capacitors exhibit very low parasitic inductance, but have been limited in capacitance density to 100nF/cm for single layer devices. Multilayer thin film capacitors can substantially increase the available capacitance. These multilayer thin film capacitors can be fabricated in a variety of ways, allowing them to be embedded between FR-4 layers, under ICs, or even embedded in IC packages. We previously described the initial results of two-layer capacitors fabricated on silicon . These devices had two dielectric layers and three copper plates. Recently we extended the technology to three dielectric layers, and fabricated devices with dielectrics as thin as 1000, to yield a total capacitance density of 0.6F/cm. Capacitors were fabricated on silicon wafers by sputtering a metal plate topped with tantalum, and then wet anodizing the tantalum layer. The process was repeated to create a multilayer stack. The stack was then patterned from top to bottom by successive lithographic and etching steps. This paper will describe the fabrication process in detail. Detailed electrical properties for the resulting two and three layer devices, such as capacitance density, leakage current, breakdown voltage, and impedance will be presented. Using the three-layer process, we fabricated devices for inclusion in a 3-D electronic assembly for a DARPA program, and these devices will be described. Screening and test methods to ensure device reliability will be briefly discussed.
Osteopontin: A Novel Cytokine Involved in the Regulation of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis Infection in Periparturient Dairy Cattle

Osteopontin (Opn), an important mediator of the cell-mediated immune response, enhances the host immune response against mycobacterial infections. Infections caused by Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) have a devastating effect on the dairy industry. We sought to characterize Opn at the level of gene and protein expression in periparturient dairy cows naturally infected with MAP. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from control, subclinical, and clinical periparturient dairy cows naturally infected with MAP beginning 3 wk precalving to 5 wk postcalving and incubated with medium alone (non-stimulated: NS), concanavalin A (ConA), or a whole-cell sonicate of MAP (MPS). Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate expression of Opn and classical Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Results demonstrated greater Opn expression in nonstimulated PBMC isolated from subclinical cows compared with control and clinical cows. For clinical cows, there was a strong correlation between Opn expression and expression of the Th1 cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-1 alpha for nonstimulated PBMC and IFN-gamma and IL-12 for PBMC stimulated with MPS. Expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was greater in clinical cows than the other groups. Nonstimulated, ConA, and MPS-stimulated PBMC from subclinical cows secreted more IFN-gamma, and MPS-stimulated PBMC from clinical cows secreted more IL-4 compared with the other groups. Immunoblot analysis of PBMC detected 4 Opn proteins at 60, 52, 34, and 27 kDa. This is the first study to evaluate the role of Opn on the immune response of dairy cows naturally infected with MAP, and results suggest Opn may be a key regulator against MAP infection.
Secure caching with non-uniform demands

Caching helps in reducing network load at times of heavy traffic by utilizing content duplication, local file storage and multicast content delivery. The multicast delivery could be prone to information leakage if a user becomes malicious or if the multicast link is tapped by an external adversary. In this paper, we introduce the concept of information-theoretically secure file delivery when the files have a non-uniform popularity distribution. For this scenario, the cache memory of each user is split into two parts: one part is used to store data (some function of the files), whereas the other part is used to store keys. A novel algorithm for storing data and keys in the users' cache while accounting for the non-uniform file popularities is presented. This design is then exploited to simultaneously reduce the delivery rate while keeping the multicast communication secure. We show that the proposed scheme can guarantee information theoretic security at a negligible cost compared to insecure schemes, especially for large number of files and users. The secure-rate-vs-memory trade-off of the proposed scheme is analyzed and shown to be close to the information theoretic optimal for all feasible values of problem parameters.
Comparison of Shuttle Orbiter Surface Pressures with Wind Tunnel and Theoretical Predictions

Surface pressure information obtained from measurements in the forward fuselage region of the Space Shuttle Orbiter during its re-entry through the atmosphere can be used in various aerodynamic calculations. These pressure data are part of the overall flight data system on the Orbiter and are designated Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI). In order that ground-based pressure distribution prediction techniques may be verified by the actual performance of the Orbiter in flight, a comparison between this flight pressure data and both wind tunnel and computational data is presented. An analysis of the Orbiter's pressure data system, including the transducers, their behavior, and calibration, is also presented. This analysis provides the opportunity for an error assessment calculation for the flight data and an explanation of any differences between flight- and ground-based data.
Radiation Exposure From Medical Imaging in Patients With Chronic and Recurrent Conditions

Purpose Advances in medical imaging have been associated with increased utilization and increased radiation exposure, especially for patients with chronic and recurrent conditions. The authors estimated the cumulative radiation doses from medical imaging for specific cohorts with chronic and recurrent conditions. Methods All patients diagnosed with hydrocephalus (n = 1,711), pulmonary thromboembolic disease (n = 3,220), renal colic (n = 5,855), and cardiac disease (n = 11,072) from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2005, were retrospectively identified. Each imaging examination that used ionizing radiation from 2000 to 2008 was incorporated into an estimate of total effective dose and organ-specific doses. Patients with high levels of radiation exposure after 3 years (total effective dose > 50 mSv; dose to the ocular lens > 150 mSv) were identified. Results The mean estimated effective doses for the surviving diagnostic cohorts after 3 years were 12.3 mSv for patients with hydrocephalus, 21.7 mSv for those with pulmonary thromboembolic disease, 18.7 mSv for those with renal colic, and 14.0 mSv for those with cardiac disease. Among patients with hydrocephalus, 26.3% (339 of 1,291) had radiation doses > 150 mSv to the ocular lens within 3 years. In all cohorts, the proportion of patients with total effective doses > 50 mSv within 3 years was significantly higher for those diagnosed in 2004 and 2005 than for those diagnosed in 2000 and 2001. Conclusion Patients with hydrocephalus, pulmonary thromboembolic disease, renal colic, and cardiac disease received radiation exposures that may put them at increased risk for cancer. Moreover, the proportion who received estimated total effective doses > 50 mSv within 3 years was significantly higher for those diagnosed most recently. It is the responsibility of institutions and physicians to critically evaluate their infrastructures, diagnostic strategies, and imaging techniques for each individual patient, with an eye toward minimizing cumulative medical radiation exposure.
External Fixation of Subglottic Tracheal Stents

Bronchoscopically placed silicone stents are used increasingly for treating patients with tracheal stenosis due to benign or malignant airway disease. When stenosis occurs in the immediate subglottic region, however, complications of stent insertion, especially migration, are troublesome. The purpose of this report is to describe a technique of external fixation of subglottic stents that may be used when tracheotomy, Montgomery T-tubes, or other therapeutic measures are undesirable or have failed. This technique may also be considered in carefully selected patients with severe malacia and subglottic stenosis who have failed indwelling stent placement because of stent migration.
Greybody factors for black holes in four dimensions: Particles with spin

We compute the emission spectrum of minimally coupled particles with spin that are Hawking radiated from four-dimensional black holes in string theory. For a range of the black hole parameters the result has a product structure that may be interpreted in terms of the respective right- and left-moving thermal correlation functions of an effective string model. For spin-1 and spin-2 particles a novel cancellation between contributions to the wave function is needed to ensure this outcome. The form of the spectra suggests that the four-dimensional effective string description is {open_quotes}heterotic:{close_quotes} particles with spin are emitted from the right-moving sector, only. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Treatment of Migraine Headaches with Sumatriptan in Pregnancy

OBJECTIVETo review the literature for treatment of migraine headaches with sumatriptan during pregnancy.DATA SOURCESStudies and reports were located in International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-September 2003) and MEDLINE (1966-week 3 September 2003).DATA SYNTHESISResearch has been performed to evaluate the risk of teratogenesis after sumatriptan exposure in pregnant patients. Data have been collected in areas including placental transmission of sumatriptan, prospective pregnancy registries, open-labeled and controlled prospective studies, and a retrospective prescription-linked study. As of August 6, 2004, no randomized controlled trials have been conducted with exposure to sumatriptan during pregnancy.CONCLUSIONSTeratogenesis occurs in approximately 150 000 births per year which represents an incidence of 3–5%. Available literature to date indicates that exposure to sumatriptan during pregnancy has no additional risk of birth defects compared with the incidence in the general population.
Quantitative modeling of the anisotropy of ultrasonic backscatter from canine myocardium

Reports extensions and new results of the First Time Domain Born approximation model used by Mottley and Miller (1982) to describe the anisotropy of ultrasonic backscatter measured in canine myocardium. The interaction of an ultrasonic plane wave impulse with a single cylindrical scatterer using time and frequency domain approaches is reviewed. Myocardial tissue is modeled as a suspension of aligned cylindrically shaped scatterers uniformly distributed in a homogeneous medium. The authors propose extensions to this model to deal with nonideal scatterer orientation, by introducing axial distribution functions and scatterer size distributions based on histology, modeled as a uniform distribution. The backscatter coefficient in the range 2.0-8.0 MHz is calculated. An algorithm to compute the average differential scattering cross section is presented. Ultrasonic elastic properties of myocardial tissue are discussed. Results of the anisotropy of the numerically computed backscatter parameters for model media having nominal mechanical and acoustic properties of canine myocardial tissue are presented and compared to available experimental data along with discussion of possible conclusions. >
Sleeping Beauty, awake! Regulation of insulin gene expression by methylation of histone H3.

In all cell types of the body, save one, the insulin gene is quiescent and is ensconced in a compact and protected environment of chromatin. How the insulin gene is coaxed out of its chromatin slumber in the pancreatic β-cell is unknown. Moreover, this question is of practical concern to current efforts to transform stems cells or other cells types to become insulin-secreting cells as means for treating type 1 diabetes. The DNA of all eukaryotic organisms including humans is wrapped around an octamer of the histone proteins H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 and garnished with a large array of proteins that collectively orchestrate the higher-order packaging, DNA replication, chromosomal division and recombination, and gene transcription. In recent years, molecular biologists have discovered that an essential step of teasing a gene out of dormancy is to modify the histones that lie in direct contact with the regulatory regions of genes. The two most important enzymatic histone modifications in this process are acetylation and methylation (1–3), which act together to open the chromatin structure and allow access of the promoter regions of genes to RNA polymerase and other transcription factors. Methylation of a specific lysine residue (Lys4) in the H3 histone (H3K4) is the most common modification in the gene promoter region of “poised” or actively transcribing genes (4,5). The methylation of H3K4 can vary between one to three methyl groups being added to this …
Bias modeling for image denoising

In this paper, we study the bias characteristics of image denoising algorithms. Recently introduced state-of-the-art denoising methods produce biased estimates of pixel intensities. The bias in each case is dependent on the underlying image geometry. Hence, we cluster the image into groups of patches that share a common underlying structure and study the bias independently in each cluster. We show that the bias in each cluster can be modeled effectively by an affine function, where the parameters of the model differ between clusters and algorithms. We validate our model through experimental results, both visually and quantitatively.
Principles of Large-Signal MESFET Operation

The large-signal RF operating principles of MESFET amplifiers are investigated using a circuit simulator that incorporates a physics based MESFET model which has been augmented with a new gate breakdown model. It is demonstrated that the main saturating mechanisms of the MESFET under large-signal RF operation are forward and reverse conduction of the gate electrode. Maximized RF performance of MESFET amplifiers is obtained by optimally positioning the dynamic load line relative to the RF-IV plane. The position of the dynamic v i characteristic is determined by device breakdown, bias, and circuit tuning conditions.
The broadly insecticidal Photorhabdus luminescens toxin complex a (Tca): Activity against the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, and sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci

Toxin complex a (Tca), a high molecular weight insecticidal protein complex produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens, has been found to be orally toxic to both the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, and the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci biotype B. The 48 hour LC50 for Tca against neonate L. decemlineata was found to be 2.7 ppm, and the growth of 2nd instar L. decemlineata exposed to Tca for 72 hours was almost entirely inhibited at concentrations above 0.5 ppm. B. tabaci was highly susceptible to Tca as well; newly emerged nymphs that were artificially fed Tca developed poorly, or not at all. Tca concentrations between 0.1 and 0.2 ppm reduced the number of nymphs reaching the second instar by 50%. In addition, a preparation of Tca missing two prominent subunits, TcaAii and TcaAiii, was found to be at least as toxic to L. decemlineata and B. tabaci as Tca itself, indicating that the activity of Tca is not dependant on the presence of these subunits at the time of ingestion.
MILITANT AND COOPERATIVE INTERNATIONALISM AMONG AMERICAN RELIGIOUS PUBLICS

Although there has been much speculation about the way that religion shapes American attitudes on foreign policy, there are few empirical analyses of that influence. This paper draws on a large national sample of the public in 2008 to classify religious groups on Eugene Wittkopf’s (1990) classic dimensions of foreign policy attitudes, militant internationalism and cooperative internationalism. We find rather different religious constituencies for each dimension and demonstrate the influence of ethnoreligious and theological factors on both. Combining the two dimensions, we show that American religious groups occupy different locations in Wittkopf’s hardliner, internationalist, accommodationist, and isolationist camps.
Assessing the Patient Care Implications of “Concierge” and Other Direct Patient Contracting Practices: A Policy Position Paper From the American College of Physicians

As physicians seek innovative practice models, one that is gaining ground is for practices to contract with patients to pay directly for some or all services-often called cash-only, retainer, boutique, concierge, or direct primary care or specialty care practices. Such descriptions do not reflect the variability found in practices. For the purposes of this paper, the American College of Physicians (ACP) defines a direct patient contracting practice (DPCP) as any practice that directly contracts with patients to pay out-of-pocket for some or all of the services provided by the practice, in lieu of or in addition to traditional insurance arrangements, and/or charges an administrative fee to patients, sometimes called a retainer or concierge fee, often in return for a promise of more personalized and accessible care. This definition encompasses the practice types previously described. The move to DPCPs is based on the premise that access and quality of care will be improved without third-party payers imposing themselves between the patient and the physician. Yet concerns have been raised that DPCPs may cause access issues for patients who cannot afford to pay directly for care. This ACP position paper, initiated and written by its Medical Practice and Quality Committee and approved by the Board of Regents on 25 July 2015, assesses the impact of DPCPs on access, cost, and quality; discusses principles from the ACP Ethics Manual, Sixth Edition, that should apply to all practice types; and makes recommendations to mitigate any adverse effect on underserved patients.
Victims of violence and post-traumatic stress disorder

PTSD can occur in victims of violence. It is not known whether PTSD is caused by the psychological reaction of helplessness, shame, and guilt in the face of a traumatic stressor, whether there is some sort of fundamental psychobiologic change in the CNS in response to a stressor, or whether psychological reactions lead to biologic changes and both then coexist. PTSD after experiencing violence is characterized by re-experiencing phenomena, numbing or the avoidance of stimuli associated with the violent event, and symptoms of increased arousal. The disorder may begin immediately after the trauma or onset may be delayed for months or even years. Even after PTSD is resolved, it can return years later in response to an event that reminds the trauma victim of his earlier experience. Treatment consists of individual psychotherapy, family therapy, group therapy, and a range of pharmacotherapeutic interventions. Experimental therapies are being developed such as those that combine narcosynthesis and talking therapy, and descriptions of these appear in the literature. It is important for the psychiatrist attempting individual psychotherapy of a sufferer of PTSD for the first time to consider supervision with a colleague who possesses expertise in treating the disorder, for many treatment efforts fail because of countertransference reactions. Similarly, those who employ other forms of talking therapy will benefit from supervision. Language: en
A Mid-Term Grade for the Bush Administration

When President George W. Bush entered the White House, it was clear to observers that he wanted to pursue a different regulatory review philosophy than his predecessor. So what has the Bush administration done since arriving in Washington? What grade should we give its performance?
A Method of Collecting and Maintaining Insect Larvae to Establish Incidence of Parasitism and Disease in Field Populations

When incidence of parasitism and diseases of insects are to be determined by recovering the organisms, large numbers of field-collected insects often must be brought into the laboratory. Parasites can be recovered by rearing their hosts until the parasites emerge either as adults or as mature larvae. At the Northern Grain Insects Research Laboratory at Brookings, S. Dak., we developed a collecting technique for use in field studies to recover parasites and to determine incidence of parasitism in the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth); the army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote); and the pale western cutworm, Agrotis orthogonia Morrison.
Examining Korean and Korean American older adults’ perceived acceptability of home-based monitoring technologies in the context of culture

ABSTRACTObjective: Despite the increasing use of home-based monitoring technologies by older adults, few studies have examined older adults’ acceptance of these technologies, especially among people from diverse cultural groups. The purpose of this study was to explore Korean and Korean American older adults’ attitudes toward and perceptions of home-based monitoring technologies in a cultural context. Methods: A qualitative analysis of focus groups and individual interviews using inductive coding methods and a constant comparative approach for emerging themes was conducted.Results: Several cultural factors that determine the acceptability of home-based monitoring technologies were identified. Most notably, the necessity of living alone due to loosened filial tradition and immigration was a main motivator for adopting these technologies for both Korean and Korean Americans. The level of satisfaction with the health care system or therapeutic interaction affected participants’ perceived need for technologie...
Interactions Between Insect Vectors and Propagative Plant Viruses

Plant-infecting viruses that are transmitted in a persistent-propagative manner must persist and replicate in two divergent hosts, plants and insects. There are five groups of persistent-propagative plant viruses: rhabdoviruses, reoviruses, bunyaviruses, marafiviruses, and tenuiviruses. Throughout the transmission cycle of a persistent-propagative virus, there is a close association between virus and vector that is dependent on specific interactions. The –omic technologies that are now widely used for simultaneous examination of thousands of genes (genomics), mRNAs (transcriptomics), and proteins (proteomics) combined with high-throughput bioinformatic tools to extract a vast amount of information have become a popular approach to better understand virus-vector interactions. The integration of the available datasets that result from these –omic studies is contributing to the identification of host factors that are required for the viral replication cycle. Current knowledge of the vector components that function in viral infection is still limited for the majority of persistent-propagative viruses. However, the emerging information on genomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes for insect vectors of plant viruses provides unique opportunities for studying the function of genes involved in virus attachment, acquisition, and transmission in different vector species. In this chapter we discuss the major groups of plant viruses transmitted in a persistent-propagative manner, the biology of these viruses, the interactions with their vectors, and the –omic technologies applied to study these virus-vector pathosystems.
Series Connection Structure Design of Downhole Oil-water Separation System

In downhole oil-water separation syetem,the multilevel series connection of hydrocyclone can advance the dispose precision of oil-water mixture to attain the water injection index demands of water treatment on land.The whole space dispose and the design of up joint and down joint are the key to the whole design,logical design of the liquid flow channel can implement the entrance liquid,underflow liquid and overflow liquid insulate from each other.
Identifying trauma symptoms among adjudicated youth using the BASC-2 SRP and CROPS

AbstractThis study examines the ability of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Self Report of Personality-Adolescent, 2nd edition (BASC-2-SRP-A) to predict trauma symptomatology as measured by the Child Report of Post-traumatic Stress among a sample of 59 male and 59 female adjudicated youth. Logistic regression revealed that clinically significant CROPS scores were predicted by BASC-2-SRP Social Stress and Somatization scale scores. A second logistic regression indicated that among youth with significant CROPS scores, gender was predicted by Sensation Seeking and Depression scale scores. Further, 47.4% (n = 56) of juvenile offenders’ CROPS scores were clinically significant, with females scoring significantly higher than males. Results endorse the validity of the CROPS and suggest that with additional analysis the BASC-2-SRP may also have the potential to identify juvenile offenders with a history of trauma.
Bottom-Up and Top-Down Input Augment the Variability of Cortical Neurons

Neurons in the cerebral cortex respond inconsistently to a repeated sensory stimulus, yet they underlie our stable sensory experiences. Although the nature of this variability is unknown, its ubiquity has encouraged the general view that each cell produces random spike patterns that noisily represent its response rate. In contrast, here we show that reversibly inactivating distant sources of either bottom-up or top-down input to cortical visual areas in the alert primate reduces both the spike train irregularity and the trial-to-trial variability of single neurons. A simple model in which a fraction of the pre-synaptic input is silenced can reproduce this reduction in variability, provided that there exist temporal correlations primarily within, but not between, excitatory and inhibitory input pools. A large component of the variability of cortical neurons may therefore arise from synchronous input produced by signals arriving from multiple sources.
Rieske Iron-Sulfur Protein Movement and Conformational Changes in Cytochrome bc–bf Complexes

A detailed description is provided of the different positions observed for the Rieske iron-sulfur protein in different crystal structures of the bc 1 complex, and the conformational changes taking place in the “neck” or “linker” region to make those positions possible. Significant movement in the neck is limited to residues 69–71. The effect of neck mutations is interpreted in terms of their effect on the tension exerted by the neck on the extrinsic domain, rather than flexibility of the neck.
Discovering What You're Known For: A Contextual Poisson Factorization Approach

Discovering what people are known for is valuable to many important applications such as recommender systems. Unlike an individual's personal interests, what a user is known for is reflected by the views of others, and is often not easily discerned for a long-tail of the vast majority of users. In this paper, we tackle the problem of discovering what users are known for through a probabilistic model called Bayesian Contextual Poisson Factorization. Moving beyond just modeling user's content, it naturally models and integrates additional contextual factors, concretely, user's geo-spatial footprints and social influence, to overcome noisy online activities and social relations. Through GPS-tagged social media datasets, we find that the proposed method can improve known-for prediction performance by 17.5% in precision and 20.9% in recall on average, and that it can capture the implicit relationships between a user's known-for profile and her content, geo-spatial and social influence.
Chloroplast DNA-Based Phylogeography of Tilia americana (Malvaceae)

A comprehensive picture of how plant species and communities move and evolve over time will require that a variety of species be studied, including plants with different life histories, rarity, and distributions. Relatively few phylogeographic studies have focused on trees. In the present study, the phylogeographic history of Tilia americana, American basswood, was investigated. Samples were collected from throughout the United States and Mexican ranges of basswood, and a phylogenetic analysis was conducted based on sequence data from two non-coding chloroplast DNA regions. The results showed no evidence for the various hypotheses of multiple basswood species within the U. S. A., but there is evidence for a divergence between a Mexican and U. S. A. clade within basswood. Population genetics and spatial statistical analyses were also performed, and supported the conclusion that the only significant geographic barrier within the North American basswoods is found between U. S. A. and Mexico. An attempt was also made to interpret the anomalous geographic distribution of certain chloroplast haplotypes, raising further questions about past migration routes of North American temperate forest trees.
Design under uncertainty for reliable power generation of piezoelectric energy harvester

In recent years, vibration energy harvesters have been widely studied to build self-powered wireless sensor networks for monitoring modern engineered systems. Although there has been significant research effort on different energy harvester configurations, the power output of a vibration energy harvester is known to be sensitive to various sources of uncertainties such as material properties, geometric tolerances, and operating conditions. This article proposes a reliability-based design optimization method to find an optimum design of energy harvester that satisfies the target reliability on power generation. This optimum design of vibration energy harvester demonstrates reliable power generation capability in the presence of the various sources of uncertainties.
Nursing home nurses’ and community-dwelling older adults’ reported knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward antibiotic use

Antibiotic overuse causes antibiotic resistance, one of the most important threats to human health. Older adults, particularly those in nursing homes, often receive antibiotics when they are not indicated. To understand knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of nursing home (NH) nurses and community-dwelling older adults towards antibiotic use, especially in clinical situations consistent with antibiotic overuse, we conducted a mixed-method survey in two NHs and one Family Medicine clinic in North Carolina, among English-speaking nurses and community-dwelling, cognitively intact adults aged 65 years or older. Based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice model, the survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards antibiotic use, including three vignettes designed to elicit possible antibiotic overuse: asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), a viral upper respiratory illness (URI), and a wound from a fall. Of 31 NH nurses and 66 community-dwelling older adults, 70% reported knowledge of the dangers of taking antibiotics. Nurses more often reported evidence-based attitudes towards antibiotics than older adults, except 39% agreed with the statement “by the time I am sick enough to go to the doctor with a cold, I expect an antibiotic”, while only 28% of older adults agreed with it. A majority of nurses did not see the need for antibiotics in any of the three vignettes: 77% for the ASB vignette, 87% for the URI vignette, and 97% for the wound vignette. Among older adults, 50% did not perceive a need for antibiotics in the ASB vignette, 58% in the URI vignette, and 74% in the wound vignette. While a substantial minority had no knowledge of the dangers of antibiotic use, non-evidence-based attitudes towards antibiotics, and behaviors indicating inappropriate management of suspected infections, most NH nurses and community-dwelling older adults know the harms of antibiotic use and demonstrate evidence-based attitudes and behaviors. However, more work is needed to improve the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors that may contribute to antibiotic overuse.
Einsatz eines Enzympräparats aus Penicillium citreo-viride bei der Isolierung von Protoplasten aus pflanzlichen Gewebekulturen

Summary Enzymically active proteins isolated from culture medium concentrates of a strain of Penicillium citreo-viride were partially purified and tested for their cell wall degrading activity and thus for their ability of protoplast production from plant cells cultured in vitro. Demonstrating the whole cycle —-tissue culture —. isolated protoplast — cell wall regeneration — cytokinesis — colony formation — tissue culture — in Catharanthus roseus the efficiency and potential non-toxicity of the enzyme preparations are shown. Furthermore, their capacity of cell wall degradation was tested in a series of diverse tissue cultures, with satisfactory results.
Stereochemical effects on the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of renewable polyurethanes derived from isohexides and hydroxymethylfurfural

Biomass-derived polyurethanes were synthesized using 2,5-bishydroxymethylfuran (BHMF) and diisocyanate functionalized isohexides, isosorbide bis(3-isocyanatopropanoate) (ISBIP) and isomannide bis(3-isocyanatopropanoate) (IMBIP), at varying feed ratios. PU compositions accurately reflect the feed of ISBIP and IMBIP used as determined by NMR spectroscopy and polarimetry measurements. Differential scanning calorimetry, pycnometry, tensile testing, and rheology reveal that the isosorbide versus isomannide content within the PU effects the glass transition temperature, density, and entanglement molar mass ultimately resulting in different mechanical properties at similar molar mass. Other properties, such as thermal stability and amorphous character, remain similar. The isohexide isomer effects on properties are discussed.
Exploring Multi-touch Contact Size for Z-Axis Movement in 3D Environments

In this paper we examine two methods for using relative contact size as an interaction technique for 3D environments on multi-touch capacitive touch screens. We refer to interpreting relative contact size changes as “pressure” simulation. We conducted a 2 x 2 within subjects experimental design using two methods for pressure estimation (calibrated and comparative) and two different 3D tasks (bidirectional and unidirectional). Calibrated pressure estimation was based upon a calibration session, whereas comparative pressure estimation was based upon the contact size of each initial touch. The bidirectional task was guiding a ball through a hoop, while the unidirectional task involved using pressure to rotate a stove knob. Results indicate that the preferred and best performing pressure estimation technique was dependent on the 3D task. For the bidirectional task, calibrated pressure performed significantly better, while the comparative method performed better for the unidirectional task. We discuss the implications and future research directions based on our findings.
The trade-off between the median and range of assigned demand in facility location models

In this paper, we present an extension of the classic p-median facility location model. The new formulation allows the user to trace the trade-off between the demand-weighted average distance (the traditional p-median objective) and the range in assigned demand. We extend the model to incorporate additional constraints that significantly reduce the computation time associated with the model. We also outline a genetic algorithm-based approach for solving the problem. The paper shows that significant reductions in the range in assigned demand are possible with relatively minor degradations in the average distance metric. The paper also shows that the genetic algorithm does very well at identifying the approximate trade-off curve. The model and algorithms were tested on real-life data-sets ranging in size from 33 nodes to 880 nodes.
Financing regional development through tax sharing: the story of a plan called jedd

This article describes the implementation of Joint Economic Development Districts between the City of Akron, Ohio and surrounding townships. We examine the capacity of the JEDD structure to make Akron’s boundaries more “elastic” without contentious annexation, explore its capacity to serve as a vehicle for cooperative regional economic development, and assess its utility as mechanism for generating the funds necessary to finance the infrastructure improvements required for economic development. Preliminary indications are that the JEDD mechanism will allow the benefits of economic development to accrue to Akron while it avoids costly and contentious annexations and will generate funds to support economic development, but it does not manifest a cooperative, regional approach to economic development.
Nano livers: A sobering discovery

Hepatocyte-mimicking nanocapsules carrying key liver enzymes reduce blood alcohol concentration in intoxicated mice.