cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium involvement in the stimulation of sex pheromone production by PBAN in the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract An in vitro assay was used to study the stimulation of sex pheromone production by pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) in female European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis . Synthetic Bom-PBAN was active at 0.25 nM and maximally stimulated in vitro pheromone production at 2.5 nM. With 2.5 nM Bom-PBAN, maximum pheromone production was reached within 90 min of incubation. The calcium ionophore, A23187, stimulated pheromone production independent of PBAN. Both Bom-PBAN-stimulated and ionophore-stimulated pheromone production are dependent on the presence of calcium in the incubation medium. A calcium-free incubation medium and a medium with calcium replaced by 5 mM magnesium did not support Bom-PBAN-stimulated and ionophore-stimulated pheromone production. Furthermore, a potent calcium blocker, lanthanum, inhibits Bom-PBAN stimulated pheromone production at 0.5 mM. These results suggest that the activation of sex pheromone production by PBAN in ECB is mediated, in part, by calcium ion.
Moral responsibility for actions: epistemic and freedom conditions

Two questions guide this article. First, according to Fischer and Ravizza (jointly and otherwise), what epistemic requirements for being morally responsible for performing an action A are not also requirements for freely performing A? Second, how much progress have they made on this front? The article's main moral is for philosophers who believe that there are epistemic requirements for being morally responsible for A-ing that are not requirements for freely A-ing because they assume that Fischer (on his own or otherwise) has shown that this is so. In showing that this assumption is false, I reopen an important question for these philosophers: How are epistemic requirements for being morally responsible for A-ing related to requirements for freely A-ing? This is an interesting question in its own right, of course.
Critical Issues: Reading and Responding to Literature at the Level of Activity

Drawing on the sociocultural activity theory of learning, this report defines the components of activity systems shaping readers' responses to literature - the components of object/outcome, tools, ...
Evening and morning blood gases in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Abstract Background and purpose The purpose of this study was to see if blood oxygen levels deteriorate overnight during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Before and after sleep, arterial blood gases (ABGs) in OSA subjects and controls were drawn during a diagnostic night, as well as during a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) night for the OSA subjects. Patients and methods Subjects, both male and female, were referred to our sleep laboratory for symptoms of daytime somnolence. Subjects consisted of a control group ( N =13) with a mean apnea hypopnea index (AHI) of 3.3 events/h and a study group ( N =22) with a mean baseline AHI of 57 events/h. Results With the subject supine, resting room air ABGs were drawn at ‘lights out’ on the evening before (PM) nocturnal polysomnography and in the morning (AM) at discontinuation (‘lights on’) of the sleep study. In controls, PM PaO 2 (79.4±9.7 mmHg) was not significantly different from AM PaO 2 (80.2±8.9 mmHg, P =0.5). In apneic subjects, the PM PaO 2 was 78.7±7.2 mmHg compared to an AM PaO 2 of 72.6±8.3 mmHg ( P 2 after a night of CPAP treatment in the OSA subjects was 77.5±10.2 mmHg compared to the PM PaO 2 of 76.0±6.0 mmHg (NS). The PM and AM PaCO 2 s were not different in controls or in study subjects under baseline conditions. However, during titration with nasal CPAP, the PaCO 2 was significantly higher in the morning after CPAP treatment [43.1±4.8 vs. 46.1±4.8 mmHg, respectively ( P Conclusions OSA subjects showed a fall in overnight resting oxygenation. This could be accounted for by overnight deterioration of gas exchange and is ameliorated by CPAP.
Systemic stress signalling: understanding the cell non-autonomous control of proteostasis

Proteome maintenance is crucial to cellular health and viability, and is typically thought to be controlled in a cell-autonomous manner. However, recent evidence indicates that protein-folding defects can systemically activate proteostasis mechanisms through signalling pathways that coordinate stress responses among tissues. Coordination of ageing rates between tissues may also be mediated by systemic modulation of proteostasis. These findings suggest that proteome maintenance is a systemically regulated process, a discovery that may have important therapeutic implications.
The nitrogen content of corn grain as affected by hybrid, population, and location

Abstract Samples were taken from 9 of the 20 major experiments which comprised the Illinois commercial corn (Zea mays L.) performance trial and evaluated for grain yield, percent grain N, and grain N yield. The mean percent N in the grain was 1.54%, with 91.8% of the samples between 1.34 to 1.74%. Although location and plant population affected the mean values, the range of values about the mean was relatively unaffected. Grain N yield was more closely correlated with grain yield than with percent grain N.
Coulomb effects and hopping transport in granular metals

We investigate effects of Coulomb interaction and hopping transport in the insulator phase of granular metals and quantum dot arrays considering both spatially periodic as well as irregular grain or dot arraignments. We study the Mott transition between the insulating and metallic phases in a strictly periodic system and find the dependence of the Mott gap on the intergranular coupling. In this case the conductivity of the insulating state has the activation form with the Mott gap entering the exponent. In the irregular arrays the electrostatic disorder induces the finite density of states near the Fermi level giving rise to the variable range hopping conductivity. We derive the transport properties of the irregular array in the dielectric, low coupling limit and show that the conductivity follows the Efros-Shklovskii law. We develop a theory of tunneling through a chain of grains and discuss in detail both elastic and inelastic cotunneling mechanisms; the former dominates at very low temperatures and very low applied electric fields, while the inelastic mechanism controls tunneling at high temperature or fields. Our results are obtained within the framework of the technique based on the mapping of the quantum electronic problem onto the classical gas of Coulomb charges. The processes of quantum tunneling of real electrons are represented in this technique as trajectories (world lines) of charged classical particles in $d+1$ dimensions. The Mott gap is related to the dielectric susceptibility of the Coulomb gas in the direction of the imaginary time axis.
Observation of collision-free spectral relaxation in p-difluorobenzene

Abstract Collision-free evolution of the fluorescence spectrum of p-difluorobenzene was observed directly by means of picosecond time gating. A rapid evolution (6–10 ps) of the structured portion of the emission was attributed to near resonant light scattering, while a slower (≈ 103 ps) decay of the ratio of the structured to unstructured parts of the spectrum was attributed to intramolecular vibrational relaxation. This result compares well with the IVR time measured by O2 quenching methods
The difficulty of achieving economic reality through foreign currency translation

Abstract The Financial Accounting Standards Board attempted to alleviate the problems with the reporting of foreign operations and foreign currency translation adjustments by issuing SFAS No. 52. This study examines the sign and magnitudes of the reporting errors that result under the best translation approach—current cost translated at the current exchange rate. Accordingly, a benchmark is established regarding the “best” we will be able to accomplish when certain foreign currency market conditions exist. Unfortunately, the results demonstrate that a foreign currency translation that is economically interpretable is not easily achieved. To achieve economic interpretability, we suggest that supplemental information regarding current values, the timing of asset acquisitions, historical exchange rates at the time of the acquisitions, and the current exchange rates should be provided in financial statements or the accompanying footnotes.
Concurrent Validity of the Bem Sex Role Inventory: A Person-Environment Approach.

The operational definitions of instrumentality and emotional expressiveness provided by the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) were examined in terms of their relationships with instrumental and emotionally expressive behavior. A sample of situation-response pairs was developed so that half of the situations described required a stereotypically masculine, instrumental response and half required a stereotypically feminine, emotionally expressive response. The experimental task required subjects to read a situation description, read the response designated as appropriate in that situation, and indicate on a rating scale how likely they would be to respond in the appropriate manner. Regression analyses were performed to examine the contributions of sex and the traits of instrumentality and emotional expressiveness (as measured by the BSRI) to self-reported instrumentality and emotional expressiveness. The trait of instrumentality was significantly related to instrumental behavior and the trait of emotional expressiveness to emotionally expressive behavior.
Surface Chemistry of Combustion-Synthesized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Determined by Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy

Particulate matter (PM) that is composed of a complex mixture of organic compounds, soot, transition metals, sulfates, nitrates, and other trace elements has been associated with a range of adverse health effects. The effect of the separate components of PM and their interaction with each other is important in order to understand the origins of toxicity in these materials. Iron and soot are common environmental contaminants occurring in ultrafine particulate matter in the air, and have been experimentally generated, in a manner simulating high-temperature, industrial processes, through the combustion of iron pentacarbonyl in a mixture of acetylene and ethylene. Nanoprobe electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the transmission electron microscope was used to collect Fe L 3 :L 2 white line-intensity ratios from the interiors and surfaces of iron oxide nanoparticles present in samples generated under low and high soot conditions. This ratio is sensitive to any change in the iron oxidation state, and indicated that iron oxide nanoparticles co-generated with large quantities of soot during combustion processes show a subsurface layer (of thickness 2–3 nm) of decreased iron oxidation state. A quantitative analysis of the iron L 32 EELS ionization edge measured in nanoprobe mode indicated that in these particles, the oxidation state of iron at the surface is decreased from Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ , possibly explaining the toxicity of these materials in the respiratory tract. The application of EELS to understanding the nanoscale distribution of the various components and their chemical interactions in these samples, and correlation of these results with acute respiratory toxicity studies of the laboratory-generated particulate matter, are discussed.
The effect of vitamin E on prostaglandin levels in the immune organs of chicks during the course of an E coli infection

Abstract The effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation on prostaglandin levels in the bursa and spleen of E. coli infected chicks was studied in two separate but similar experiments. In the first experiment Single Comb White Leghorn chicks were fed either a control diet (adequate in vitamin E) or a supplemented diet (containing an additional 300 IU per kilogram) and sacrificed at 21 days at several time points after infection. Infection had its maximum effect on PGE 2 and PGF 2α at 1 to 4 h post infection in the spleen and 24 to 48 h in the bursa. Vitamin E reduced PGF 2α levels in bursa but not in the spleen. In the second experiment the use of broiler chicks provided enough tissue to also determine thromboxane B 2 and 6-keto PGF 1α levels. Broiler chick bursa levels of PGE 2 , PGF 2α , 6-keto PGF 1α and thromboxane B 2 were depressed by vitamin E supplementation whereas only PGF 2α was decreased in the spleen. Infection resulted in increased levels of PGE 2 , PGF 2α and thromboxane B 2 in the spleen but not in the bursa.
Viscosity of dilute gases and vapors.

Abstract The well-known formula for calculating the viscosity of hard sphere gases, ηo = 2(mkT)1/2/3π3/2σ2, where σ2 is molecular cross section, is altered to ηo = K(MT)1/2/Vt2/3, where Vt is the molal volume of a liquid that has expanded sufficiently to permit mean free paths long enough to have significant fractions of the random thermal momenta of molecules in free flight and M is molal mass. This formulation places upon a single straight line points for all nonpolar molecules, mono- and polyatomic molecules alike, over long ranges of temperature.
The importance of maintaining horizontal sieve screens when using a Ro-Tap

Sieve size analysis, using a Ro-Tap shaking machine, for horizontal and non-horizontal sieve screen nests are compared. The non-horizontal sieve condition results in more sediment being retained on the topmost sieve, with less sediment reaching certain sieves within the nest. It is thus essential to maintain the nest of sieves perfectly horizontal.
EXOTIC TRAJECTORIES AND THE POMERANCHUKON IN A VENEZIANO REPRESENTATION FOR KN AND anti KN SCATTERING.

The $\mathrm{KN}$ and $\overline{K}N$ scattering processes are studied within the framework of the Veneziano model. Apart from the normal trajectories, $\ensuremath{\rho}$, $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$, $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$, and ${Y}_{1}^{*}$, appearing in these processes, for the first time the contribution of the Pomeranchuk trajectory is included in a quantitative manner. An immediate consequence, if one is to avoid exchange degeneracy of the Pomeranchukon. is that baryon trajectories with exotic quantum numbers have to be introduced also. With reasonable parameters for the normal as well as the exotic trajectories, good agreement with a wide range of experimental data for $\mathrm{KN}$ and $\overline{K}N$ scattering is obtained. In particular, we fit ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ and ${K}^{+}n$ charge-exchange differential cross sections, ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ and ${K}^{+}p$ elastic scattering in both forward and backward directions, ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ and ${K}^{+}p$ total cross sections, and the polarization parameters for ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ and ${K}^{+}p$ elastic scattering. The parameters for the best fit imply reasonable properties of the normal as well as the exotic trajectories - the absence of parity partners of $\ensuremath{\Lambda}(1115)$, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}(1520)$, $\ensuremath{\Sigma}(1190)$, and ${Y}_{1}^{*}(1385)$, and the correct signature property for the Pomeranchuk trajectory. The normal trajectories come out with a slope of about 1 ${\mathrm{GeV}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. The slope of the Pomeranchukon, which is the same for the exotic trajectories, is found from the best fits to be about 0.75 ${\mathrm{GeV}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, while the exotic trajectories have an intercept of about - 3.4. The properties of resonances lying on the normal and exotic trajectories are discussed.
Development of kinematics for gimballed mirror systems

In order to meet the performance contraints imposed on modern stabilization and tracking systems, a wide variety of gimbal and optical configurations are required. As mechanisms become more complex, understanding the kinematic relationships within the assemblies becomes less intuitive. Therefore careful analysis is needed to insure the mechanisms operate properly and to identify appropriate means for control. The analysis should include the development of kinematics for transforming vectors through the gimbal set. Such vectors could be vehicle angular rate, target position, and gravity. This paper outlines the general steps to be followed in such a development and then presents a specific gimballed mirror system to serve as an example for other development of this type. This system uses a strapdown detector and mounts the optics (two front-surface flat mirrors and a derotation prism) on gimbals to stabilize and point the Line-of-Sight. Finally, this system is also used to illustrate the analysis of the kinematics necessary for maintaining the target image upright in the displayed field-of-view.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Analysis of BaI C2Π-X2Σ+ (0, 0) band for high rotational levels

Using laser-induced fluorescence, rotationally resolved spectra of the BaI C2Π-X2Σ+ (0, 0) band have been observed for J″ values from 339.5 to 486.5 in the P12, 57.5 to 494.5 in the P2, and 124.5 to 370.5 in the R21 branches. The BaI molecules are formed from the reaction of Ba and HI. These new data have been combined with lower J″ lines (J″ < 156.5) previously measured by Johnson, Noda, McKillop, and Zare [Can. J. Phys. 62, 1467–1477 (1984)]. All the high J″ lines have been unambiguously assigned, although lines in the P12 branch between J″ values of 156.5 and 338.5 have not been observed. A rotational analysis has been carried out by performing a nonlinear least-squares fit to the eigenvalue differences of the model Hamiltonians for the upper and lower states. In addition, a further least-squares fit was carried out including all the (0, 0) band data and the six X2Σ+ v = 0 microwave rotational transitions of Torring and Dobl [Chem. Phys. Lett. 115, 328–332 (1985)]. Six out of the twelve rotational branches form blue-shaded bandheads at J″ well over 400. These bandheads are caused by the difference between the centrifugal distortion constants D′ and D″. The model Hamiltonians are able to describe the transitions, although the highest rotational energy (about 6300 cm−1) is much larger than the energy separation of the vibrational levels (about 150 cm−1).
Variations in Solution Chemistry During the Low‐Temperature Formation of Hydroxyapatite

Both the kinetics and the microstructure of monolithic hydroxyapatite formed by a low-temperature dissolution and precipitation reaction strongly depend on the conditions in solution during the reaction. The relationships between the molar ratio of the particulate reactants (dicalcium phosphate and tetracalcium phosphate), the solution chemistry, and the rates of formation of hydroxyapatite are examined. During reaction, steady-state solution conditions are rapidly achieved. However, the steady states attained are not those associated with the metastable invariant point involving the reactants. Rather, the steady-state condition varies depending on the molar ratio of the reactants. The ultimate product of the reactions investigated is calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite formation occurs in two stages: initial formation of nearly stoichiometric hydroxyapatite followed by its conversion to calcium-deficient material. Microstructural evidence indicates that the formation of hydroxyapatite occurs in association with dicalcium phosphate, eventually causing the dissolution of the hydroxyapatite reactant to become diffusionally controlled. Effects of common ions, sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, on the chemistry of the aqueous phase and on microstructural development are investigated.
Cloning and functional characterization of Neisseria gonorrhoeae tonB, exbB and exbD genes

Summary Neisseria gonorrhoeae is able to utilize iron (Fe) from a variety of sources including transferrin (TF) and lactoferrin (LF). To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms used by gonococci to scavenge Fe from TF and LF, we cloned a 3.5 kb segment of wild-type DNA that repaired the defect in tlu mutants, which are unable to take up Fe from either TF or LF despite exhibiting apparently normal ligand binding to the receptor. Nucleotide sequence determination identified three open reading frames (ORFs), designated ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3, which were arranged in tandem. The deduced amino acid sequence of the 852 bp ORF1 encoded a 28 kDa protein that exhibited 26‐32% identity with TonB proteins of nine other bacteria. The 663 bp ORF2 predicted a 24 kDa protein and the 435 bp long ORF3 predicted a 15 kDa protein. These predicted protein sequences exhibited 32‐38% and 24‐36% identity, respectively, with ExbB and ExbD proteins of three other bacteria. Thus, the sequence comparison identified the ORF1, ORF2 and ORF3 as gonococcal homologues of the E. coli tonB, exbB and exbD genes. An insertional mutation in the tonB homologue resulted in the failure of gonococci to grow with TF, LF or human haemoglobin (HB) as sole Fe sources and in the inability to take up 55 Fe from TF and LF. The tonB mutation did not prevent the utilization of Fe from citrate (CT) or haemin (HM). Binding of TF, LF and HB to whole cells in a solid-phase binding assay was largely unaffected by the tonB mutation. We conclude that the pathways for utilization of Fe bound to TF, LF and HB but not to HM or CT were dependent on the TonB system.
Wave propagation through random media: Contributions from ocean acoustics

Recent theoretical and experimental progress in understanding sound transmission through a random field of internal waves is reviewed. Some attempt is made to place this work in historical relation to similar efforts in radio-wave propagation through the ionosphere and light propagation through the atmosphere. It is emphasized that internal waves as a random medium possess several new features unfamiliar to those dealing with homogeneous isotropic turbulence. The effect of a background deterministic wave-speed variation (the ocean sound channel) is central to the theoretical treatment, which is based on a path-integral solution of the parabolic wave equation. A distinction is made between two sections of the saturated region and some emphasis is placed on the region of partial saturation. Comparison with experiment is discussed with examples from the two-point mutual coherence function of time, frequency, and vertical separation; the intensity correlation in time, frequency, and vertical separation; the spectra of phase and log intensity, pulse propagation, and the higher moments of intensity.
Tattooing as a means of acute affect regulation

In this report, we describe the case of a 19-year-old male who acutely used the process of tattooing, and its associated physical pain, to regulate negative affective states. While tattooing has been described in the literature as serving individuals in a variety of ways (e.g. establishing a sense of individuality, externalizing important feelings), we are unaware of any prior case reports describing this affective function. Indeed, in this case, tattooing may have functioned more like self-harm behaviour, and we discuss this potential implication. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transneuronal tracing of neural pathways controlling abdominal musculature in the ferret

Abstract Abdominal musculature participates in generating a large number of behaviors and protective reflexes, although each abdominal muscle is frequently activated differentially during particular motor responses. For example, rectus abdominis has been reported to play less of a role in respiration than other abdominal muscles, such as transversus abdominis. In the present study, the inputs to transversus abdominis and rectus abdominis motoneurons were determined and compared using the transneuronal transport of two recombinant isogenic strains of pseudorabies virus. After a 5-day post-inoculation period, infected presumed motoneurons were observed principally in cord levels T10–T15 ipsilateral to the injections. The injection of a monosynaptic tracer, β-cholera toxin, into transversus abdominis confirmed the distribution of motoneurons innervating this muscle. In the brainstem, neurons transneuronally infected following injection of pseudorabies virus into rectus abdominis or transversus abdominis were located in the same regions, which included the medial medullary reticular formation, the medullary raphe nuclei, and nucleus retroambiguus (the expiration region of the caudal ventral respiratory group). Double-labeled cells providing inputs to both rectus and transversus motoneurons were present in both the medial medullary reticular formation and nucleus retroambiguus. These data show that the medial medullary reticular formation contains neurons influencing the activity of multiple abdominal muscles, and support our hypothesis that this region globally affects the excitability of motoneurons involved in respiration.
Usefulness of interlocking detachable coil for embolization of the major aorto‐pulmonary collateral artery: A case report

A 5-yr-old male had undergone a right-modified Blalock-Taussig shunt operation at the age of 1 mo for stenotic patient ductus arteriosus and pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect. Before a corrective operation, the angiogram revealed one large major aorto-pulmonary collateral artery from the descending aorta to the right upper lung. Embolization of the major aorto-pulmonary collateral artery was successfully performed using interlocking detachable coils. This is the first reported case of embolization of the major aorto-pulmonary collateral artery using this device.
Origin of Pleural Cells After Lung Transplantation*: From Donor or Recipient?

We evaluated the change in the percentage of cells of donor origin in pleural fluid of 13 consecutive patients who underwent lung transplantation. Pleural fluid was sampled 2, 4, and 8 days after lung transplantation. DNA, which was extracted from the blood of donors and recipients and from the pleural fluid, was amplified using a polymerase chain reaction technique. The reaction products were electrophoresed, and bands indicating amplified human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR alleles were quantified by determining the area under the curve (AUC) by a densitometric analysis. HLA-DR alleles, which were present only in recipient cells (recipient allele), were analyzed and compared to HLA-DR alleles that were present only in donor cells (donor allele). A dilution study was first performed to provide a standard curve relating the percentage of donor and recipient cells in a mixture to their AUC. The AUC of the recipient alleles did not change significantly over the first 8 postoperative days. The AUC of the donor alleles was less on postoperative days 4 and 8 than on day 2 (p
Multiple-Criteria Optimization: A More General Approach

An earlier article in this journal (Roy, 1974) explored an alternative multiple-criteria optimization condition in which relative goal satisfaction takes lexicographic priority over absolute goal achievement. The present paper attempts to clarify the implications of such an approach and to show that it can be a special case of a more general, fairly standard utility maximization model.
Formation of Radium E and Polonium by Deuteron Bombardment of Bismuth

The direct production of RaE and Po by deuteron bombardment of bismuth has been reinvestigated. Present results indicate that as the deuteron energy is lowered from 8.8 to 7.3 Mev, the production ratio of RaE/Po increases 25 percent but as the deuteron energy is dropped from 7.3 Mev to 5.5 Mev, the ratio more than doubles. The trend is in agreement with the Oppen-heimer-Phillips reaction in which RaE is produced by a $d$, $p$ reaction and Po is produced by a $d$, $n$ reaction. Assuming these reaction cross sections to be respectively proportional to Bethe's OP penetration factor and to the Gamow-Condon-Guerney penetration factor, best agreement of the variation with energy of the ratios of these cross sections is obtained with a nuclear radius of $2.0{A}^{\frac{1}{2}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm for bismuth.
Bias-Stress-Stable Solution-Processed Oxide Thin Film Transistors

We generated a novel amorphous oxide semiconductor thin film transistor (AOS-TFT) that has exellent bias-stress stability using solution-processed gallium tin zinc oxide (GSZO) layers as the channel. The cause of the resulting stable operation against the gate bias-stress was studied by comparing the TFT characteristics of the GSZO layer with a tin-doped ZnO (ZTO) layer that lacks gallium. By photoluminescence, X-ray photoelectron, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we found that the GSZO layer had a significantly lower oxygen vacancy, which act as trap sites, than did the ZTO film. The successful fabrication of a solution-processable GSZO layer reported here is the first step in realizing all-solution-processed transparent flexible transistors with air-stable, reproducible device characteristics.
Lens-less approach to image the optically-tweezed assembly

We present an alternative approach to image and analyze a large amount of optically-bound particles without using microscope objective lenses. The polystyrene spheres were trapped and patterned in the one dimensional optical potential traps formed by two counter-propagating laser beams. Diffraction patterns from such polystyrene sphere assembly were studied and the result are reported. This method offers a significantly larger field of view and faster analysis over the conventional high-power microscope-based imaging technique. The applications of such technique to investigate the statistic (macroscopic) behaviors of a large number of microscopic particles trapped in the optical field were proposed.
How HIV evades CTL recognition.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is unique in its capacity to produce chronic disease in almost all infected hosts. To accomplish this, it has evolved multiple mechanisms to effectively evade the immune response. HIV encodes at least one protein that makes infected cells resistant to CTL killing by downmodulating epitope (peptide plus MHC-I protein) density on the infected cell surface. In addition, HIV encodes several mechanisms to promote apoptosis of HIV-specific CTLs. The end result is that infected cells have a reduced susceptibility to CTLs, survive longer and produce more viral antigenic variants that can further evade the immune response. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to cause approximately 40,000 new infections in the United States each year, and in sub-Saharan Africa alone, more than 25 million people are infected (1). Almost all people who become infected will develop AIDS, unless they receive treatment. However, available drugs that effectively control the disease are too expensive for most developing nations to afford. Moreover, even if these drugs were universally available, they would not eradicate the virus - but merely keep it under control as long as the infected person was compliant and resistance did not develop. Thus, it seems that effective, worldwide control of HIV can best be achieved by continued efforts at prevention and by vaccine development. Unfortunately, it has become clear that the development of an HIV vaccine will be difficult. However, it is hoped that a greater understanding of HIV immune evasion will facilitate the development of an effective vaccine.
Variation in Protein Indirect Relaxation Effects in One- and Two-Dimensional Exchange-Transferred Overhauser Experiments

Exchange-transferred nuclear Overhauser experiments (NOE) probe the three-dimensional conformation of small-molecule ligands bound to macromolecules and have been used to study ligand structural features in a number of ligand−protein complexes. A complete rate matrix analysis, including interactions between the ligand and macromolecule, of a selective saturation, one-dimensional transferred experiment is reported here to supplement previous matrix descriptions for inversion recovery, two-dimensional experiments. Simulation studies allowed a comparison of the magnitude of indirect relaxation effects from pathways involving the protein between these alternative perturbation experiments. The results show that the effect on a ligand−ligand transferred-NOE intensity from protein indirect relaxation pathways varies between a saturation 1D experiment and a recovery 2D experiment. Attenuation by intermolecular indirect relaxation is diminished in the saturation experiment, while intermolecular relaxation effects ...
The effects of road design and harvest intensity on forest damage caused by selective logging: empirical results and a simulation model from the Bosque Chimanes, Bolivia

Abstract Selective harvesting in tropical forests has been shown to cause considerable damage to residual trees in stands that have relatively high densities of commercial trees. To complement existing studies, we measured forest damage caused by the selective harvesting of mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla ), a very low density species in the Bosque Chimanes, Bolivia. Secondary damage along main roads and skid trails accounted for most of the damage measured in the study site. Total damage was low (4.39% of the study area), but results from our simulation model suggested that damage could be decreased by up to 25% by requiring main roads and skid trails to be linear. We used our simulation model to investigate the relationship between harvest intensity and forest damage. At low harvest intensities, most forest damage occurs from the construction of main roads. As harvest intensity increases, secondary damage from skid trails and tree felling comes to dominate forest damage. Overall, less damage will result to the forest for a given harvest volume if the harvest area is reduced and harvest intensity increased. Additional benefits to increasing harvest intensity are that re-entry into the logged site can be delayed, allowing the forest more time to recover, and regeneration of light-demanding species such as mahogany can be enhanced. The main impediment to increasing the harvest intensity in selective harvesting operations in Latin America is the lack of international markets for lesser known species, although there is some local and national demand.
The septal strut for nasal projection following closed rhinoplasty.

Background Nasal tip projection following closed rhinoplasty is difficult to predict and maintain. Objective We describe a procedure using the septum as an autologous strut to preserve the stability of the nasal tip following closed rhinoplasty. Methods Using an intra-cartilaginous approach for closed rhinoplasty, the medial cura of the lower lateral cartilages were dissected and attached to the septum. The septum was contoured prior to placement of the lower lateral cartilages to provide a stable tongue-and-groove joint. Results Between January 2001 and December 2003, the author performed 123 closed primary rhinoplasty procedures. Septal struts were used in 76 patients. Adequate projection was maintained in 74 of 76 patients. No patient experienced an infection. Conclusions When properly prepared, the septum can provide a useful strut that will maintain adequate tip projection and prevent rotational changes following closed rhinoplasty.
On cluster validity for the fuzzy c-means model

Many functionals have been proposed for validation of partitions of object data produced by the fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithm. We examine the role a subtle but important parameter-the weighting exponent m of the FCM model-plays in determining the validity of FCM partitions. The functionals considered are the partition coefficient and entropy indexes of Bezdek, the Xie-Beni (1991), and extended Xie-Beni indexes, and the Fukuyama-Sugeno index (1989). Limit analysis indicates, and numerical experiments confirm, that the Fukuyama-Sugeno index is sensitive to both high and low values of m and may be unreliable because of this. Of the indexes tested, the Xie-Beni index provided the best response over a wide range of choices for the number of clusters, (2-10), and for m from 1.01-7. Finally, our calculations suggest that the best choice for m is probably in the interval [1.5, 2.5], whose mean and midpoint, m=2, have often been the preferred choice for many users of FCM. >
TWO-BODY RADIATIVE GLUINO DECAYS

A gluino can decay into a color-singlet neutral fermion by radiating off a gluon. We study this process in a minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. A significant branching fraction is possible depending on how much overlaps with the Higgs fermion which couples to the t quark and the mass of the t quark itself.
Implementation of Six Bit ADC and DAC Using Quantum Dot Gate Non-Volatile Memory

This paper presents the implementation of six-bit analog to digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) using quantum dot gate non-volatile memory (QDNVM). The charge accumulation in the gate region varies the threshold voltage of QDNVM which can be used as a reference voltage source in a comparator circuit. A simplified comparator circuit can be implemented using the quantum dot gate non-volatile memory (QDNVM). In this work, we discuss the use of QDNVM based comparators in designing 6-bit Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) and Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs).
Unusual reticulin staining pattern in well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma

Special stains, such as reticulin stain and CD34 immunostain, are very helpful in the diagnosis of well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most studies have shown that absent or decreased reticulin stain or an abnormal reticulin pattern with widened trabeculae is reliable for the diagnosis of well-differentiated HCC. We report here two cases of well differentiated HCC with an unusual reticulin staining pattern. A strongly positive reticulin network was preserved within the tumor, which surrounded individual tumor cells in a monolayered trabecular pattern. At the same time, an increased CD34 stain was present in the tumor. This unusual reticulin pattern represents part of the diverse reticulin staining patterns seen in HCC. Although this staining pattern is rare, it should be recognized when diagnosing well-differentiated HCC in small samples such as cellblock of fine needle aspiration or small core biopsies.
Blood Sugar—Food for Thought?

With the continuous rise in life expectancy and the aging of the population, increasing rates of dementia have become a major public health concern. However, detection of early risk factors for dementia remains a challenge. Strikingly, there is a parallel increase in the rates of obesity and diabetes. However, studies assessing the association between obesity or diabetes and the risk of dementia have yielded inconsistent results. A large longitudinal study now suggests that higher concentrations of glucose, even among subjects without diabetes, may be a risk factor for dementia. During a median follow-up of almost 7 years, the authors collected over 35,000 measurements of glucose concentrations from 2067 participants in the Adult Changes in Thought Cohort (mean age at baseline was 76 years). Among participants with diabetes, higher average glucose concentrations were significantly linked to a higher risk of dementia. Notably, a higher risk for dementia was also observed among study participants without diabetes. Strikingly, a relatively moderate increase in average blood glucose from 100 mg/dL to 115 mg/dL was associated with an 18% increase in the incidence of dementia (95% confidence interval 1.04 to 1.33). The increase in the risk attributed to elevated blood glucose was confirmed in a multivariate model to be independent of other confounders such as age, sex, exercise, blood pressure, coronary artery disease or cerebrovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, and smoking. The increased risk for dementia was documented across the entire spectrum of observed glucose concentrations. Although the exact mechanisms linking increased glucose concentrations and dementia cannot be elucidated from this observational study, the authors discuss potential mechanisms such as acute and chronic hyperglycemia and insulin resistance and increased microvascular disease in the central nervous system. This large longitudinal study provides the first evidence for a strong correlation between elevated blood glucose (in the presence or absence of diabetes) and an increased risk of dementia. This important observation provides the rationale for interventional studies aimed at primary prevention of dementia using glucose lowering medications. P. K. Crane et al ., Glucose levels and risk of dementia. N. Engl. J. Med. 369 , 540–548 (2013). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23924004
Recent Studies in Poetry and Music of the English Renaissance (1986–2007)

AbstractThis essay updates that of Louise Schleiner (ELR 16.1 [1986], 253–68). The past 20 years have seen major new studies of music and poetry in seventeenth‐century England, the court masque, the lute ayre, Thomas Campion's works, and Shakespeare's songs. Archival research has identified the authorship of anonymous song lyrics, uncovered previously unknown musical settings of poems, and reconstructed the textual histories of ballad and hymn tunes. New editions, bibliographies, and online databases will facilitate further discoveries. Major figures such as Sidney, Campion, and Milton continue to attract a major share of critical attention. In recent years, however, the focus has shifted from formalist analyses of musico‐poetic relations to considerations of the writing and singing of poetry to music as social practices, and of the location of such practices within the broader “soundscape” of early modern England. This new scholarship suggests rich possibilities for future work. (L. C. D.)
Synthesis and stereochemistry of the terminal spiroketal domain of the phosphatase inhibitor dinophysistoxin-2.

Abstract An expedient synthesis of both axially and equatorially C35 methyl substituted spiroketals representing the C28–C38 domain of the potent and selective protein serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitor dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX-2) was developed to enable comparative stereochemical analyses and a stereochemically correct total synthesis of DTX-2. Comparison of proton and carbon NMR data of the synthetic diastereomers with those published for DTX-2 indicates that DTX-2 possesses the (30S∗,34R∗,35S∗)-relative configuration with an axial C35 methyl substituent.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Increases Infant Acute Respiratory Illness Severity, but not Childhood Asthma.

It is unknown whether gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) during infancy affects infant bronchiolitis severity or childhood asthma inception. Four hundred thirty-two infants presenting with acute respiratory illness due to bronchiolitis or upper respiratory infection were studied. The primary exposure was the parental report of a previous GERD diagnosis. Outcomes included bronchiolitis severity at initial presentation and childhood asthma diagnosis at age 4. Infants with parentally reported GERD had a higher bronchiolitis severity score (range=0–12, clinically significant difference=0.5), indicating more severe disease, than infants without reported GERD (median 5.5 [interquartile range 3.5–9.0] among those with reported GERD versus 4.0 [1.0–7.0] among those without, P=0.005). This association persisted after adjusting for infant age, race, gender, and secondhand smoke exposure by a propensity score (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–3.46, P=0.02). The parental report of ...
Translating country‐of‐origin effects into prices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of country stereotyping, bad press, and consumer ethnocentrism on the prices a country can command and be competitive.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 767 consumers were given prices for products in 11 different categories, then told each product was made in China. They were then asked how much more (if anything) they would be willing to pay if the product was made in Germany, the USA, or India.Findings – Price premiums were significant for all categories, and increased for those scoring higher on a Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CET Scale). However, completing the CET Scale before answering price questions caused respondents to have a lower price premium for US products. The size of the price premium was also positively correlated with the amount of exposure to negative news concerning Chinese products.Research limitations/implications – It is unknown how consumers would respond to categories not studied.Practical implications...
Shell texture functions

We propose a texture function for realistic modeling and efficient rendering of materials that exhibit surface mesostructures, translucency and volumetric texture variations. The appearance of such complex materials for dynamic lighting and viewing directions is expensive to calculate and requires an impractical amount of storage to precompute. To handle this problem, our method models an object as a shell layer, formed by texture synthesis of a volumetric material sample, and a homogeneous inner core. To facilitate computation of surface radiance from the shell layer, we introduce the shell texture function (STF) which describes voxel irradiance fields based on precomputed fine-level light interactions such as shadowing by surface mesostructures and scattering of photons inside the object. Together with a diffusion approximation of homogeneous inner core radiance, the STF leads to fast and detailed raytraced renderings of complex materials.
Birds, grandfathers, and neoteric sorcery in Aeneid 4.254 and 7.412

On his way to convey Jupiter's rebuke to Aeneas, Mercury passes by his maternal grandfather Atlas, a mountain vividly personified as an old man with snowy beard/frozen rivers running down his chin (4.249–51). Here he pauses, then flings himself into the waves (4.253–4):
Expression of Endothelial and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthases and Nitric Oxide Production in Ovine Placental and Uterine Tissues During Late Pregnancya

Abstract We evaluated the expression of endothelial (eNOS) and inducible (iNOS) nitric oxide (NO) synthases, NO production, and the role of angiotensin II (ANG II) in regulating NO production during late ovine pregnancy (day 110–142). Samples of the following tissues were obtained: fetal [cotyledonary (COT)] and maternal [caruncular (CAR)] portions of the placentoma, intercotyledonary fetal chorioallantoic membrane (ICOT) and intercaruncular maternal endometrium (ICAR). Using immunohistochemistry, eNOS positive staining was detected in all four tissues, primarily in the endothelium, chorioallantoic membrane, and luminal and glandular epithelium. For iNOS, the positive staining was observed primarily in stromal cells in ICOT and ICAR. Expression of eNOS and iNOS proteins was confirmed in COT using Western immunoblot. eNOS protein levels increased ( P 0.05) approximately 3.5-fold from day 110 to 130 and then declined at term, whereas no change in iNOS protein levels was observed throughout the days studied. The tissue explants of COT, CAR, ICOT and ICAR were cultured in media in the absence or presence of ANG II (10 −9 or 10 −7 m) for 24h. Total NO (nitrate and nitrite) levels in the explant-conditioned media were determined by chemiluminesence. In fetal COT, total NO levels increased ( P 0.05) 3.5-fold from day 110 to 130 and then declined ( P 0.05) at term. In ICOT, total NO levels exhibited a gradually increasing trend ( r 2 =0.96, P 0.01) from day 110 to days 130 and 142. In maternal CAR, total NO levels were higher ( P 0.05) on day 130 than those on days 120 and 142, whereas no change in total NO levels was observed in ICAR. ANG II at 10 −7 m treatment decreased ( P 0.05) total NO levels in COT on day 130. Thus, during late ovine pregnancy: (1) eNOS is expressed in COT, CAR, ICOT and ICAR while iNOS is primarily seen in stromal cells of ICOT and ICAR; (2) NO production by COT exhibits a biphasic pattern and parallels the changes in eNOS, but not iNOS protein levels, suggesting that eNOS is a predominant NOS isoform for the NO production; and (3) ANG II may contribute partially to decreases in NO production by COT at term.