cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cationic Dependence of X-ray Induced Damage in Strontium and Barium Nitrate

The response of solids to X-ray irradiation is not well understood in part because the interactions between X-rays and molecules in solids depend on the intra- and/or intermolecular electronic properties of the material. Our previous work demonstrated that X-ray induced damage of certain ionic salts depends on the irradiating photon energy, especially when irradiated with photons of energy near the cation's K-edge. To advance understanding of the cationic dependence of X-ray photochemistry, we present studies of X-ray induced damage of barium nitrate and strontium nitrate. Polycrystalline samples of barium and strontium nitrate were irradiated with high flux monochromatic synchrotron X-rays at selected energies near the K-edge of the respective cations. The damage processes were studied with powder X-ray diffraction, and irradiation products, NO2 and O2, were characterized via Raman spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that irradiating barium and strontium nitrate with photons of energy greater than the K-edge of the cation promotes a higher rate of decomposition compared to that observed when irradiating with photons of energy below the K-edge. Additionally, differences in X-ray induced damage between the two compounds are examined and discussed, and evidence of the diffusion of irradiation products is presented.
Race to the Top: The impact of an innovation award on the subsequent organizational innovation

We examine the legitimacy and reputation bestowed on winners and non-winners of an awards program. We empirically examine why some organizations choose to participate in an award while others do no...
Department Environment and Work-to-Life Conflict Among Faculty in the STEM Fields:

Identifying factors contributing to work-to-life conflict among STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) faculty members is crucial to improving how STEM faculty manage multiple rol...
Facilitating University Compliance Using Regulatory Policy Incentives

Internal compliance programs have proliferated at colleges and universities in response to the federal government’s regulatory expansion within higher education. Institutions increasingly utilize these programs in order to manage their myriad compliance obligations and the attendant increase in risk. Yet, even properly designed programs possess many areas of potential weakness that hinder their effectiveness. Concurrently, calls for regulatory reform have grown louder. Although several viable options have been proposed and should be taken seriously, none adequately leverage the compliance function so many universities have recently adopted. Institutional policies are an inseparable component of an effective compliance program and their status as such justifies their inclusion as a central feature of higher education regulatory reform. In lieu of issuing mere affirmative or prohibitive compliance obligations, Congress and the Department of Education should strategically incentivize the development of university-level policies that address regulated issues in order to encourage the internal collaborative processes that lead to effective compliance outcomes. In addition to examining the practical aspects and effects of compliance programs and institutional policies, this Article draws from institutional theory to demonstrate that the higher education sector benefits from the open exchange of policies and best practices among peer institutions. The federal government’s use of regulatory policy incentives or mandates can facilitate this exchange and similar modeling behaviors, which in turn can increase efficiencies at the institutional level. In sum, this Article contends that a legal compliance mandate is more likely to be included within the scope of a university’s compliance program (formal or informal as it may be) and implemented effectively if it takes the form of a policy disclosure obligation originating in statute or regulation.
African Futures Past: Material Horizons of Peasant Expectations in Senegal

Recent anthropological research in Africa has been buzzing with the question of “futures”. In times of economic uncertainty and global volatility, in areas of the world struck by widening inequalities, poverty and risk, where people have been compelled to try their luck abroad, the future is a pressing concern. It is also a key ethnographic prism for seeing how Africans (re)imagine time, expectations and possibility in late modernity. As recently pointed out by Janet Roitman, these conversations have acquired salience in relation to a global mood of “crisis”. Crisis, Roitman argues, does not mark an objective break with a normative “before”, a new experiential condition; rather, it is a narrative that imparts new moral weight to history in the present, and thus places a distinct spin on what and how futures can be imagined. Moved by this landscape of concerns, this article wonders what archaeology might contribute to contemporary feelings about “the future” in Africa. How does a look back, and a look forward from the past, help us to tease apart the temporalities that have shaped African worlds in the long term? How might a look at the kinds of time nested in material culture recast ongoing reflections on the present and future in Africa? How might it reframe the terms – crisis, melancholia, nostalgia, hope – in which continental futures are envisioned today? I hope to address these questions by reviewing recent archaeological research in rural West Africa and drawing on my own study of the hopes and anxieties that have framed peasant social expectations in Senegal over the past 300 years. My argument, though preliminary, is that examining Africa’s future pasts – material experiences and expectations of time in recent history – offers a lively contestation of the temporal frameworks into which the continent and its futures have been written.
News framing of avian flu: Media advocacy and response to a public health crisis:

This study explores how South Korean newspapers reported the issue of AI (avian influenza) by employing framing, and the concepts of media advocacy and mobilizing information (MI). Results indicate...
Threshold occupational science concepts for lifestyle change: “Doing” wellness in a course for US college students

ABSTRACTThis theoretical paper proposes threshold concepts for lifestyle change rooted in the premise that an occupational approach, or ‘doing,’ is central to creating more sustainable and effectiv...
Gamification improves melanoma visual identification among high school students: Results from a randomized study.

Identification of melanoma or worrisome moles is often taught as an important part of routine skin checks. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of gamified education vs. traditional ABCDEs education on melanoma identification and self-confidence in identifying worrisome moles. We report that in our cohort (n = 271), participants randomized to the gamified intervention were more likely to correctly identify melanoma and non-melanoma skin lesions than those randomized to the ABCDE control cohort (74.2% vs 63.5% correct, P < .0001) and perceived confidence in self-identifying worrisome lesions was slightly higher in the gamified group than the traditional group, though the trend was not significant. These novel findings have significant implications on improved ways to educate young patients on the visual identification of melanoma and worrisome moles.
CHAPTER 9 – Nitrogen Metabolism of Amino Acids

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the nitrogen metabolism of amino acids. There exists a variety of enzymes capable of catalyzing deamination, transamination, and deamidation—reactions as a result of which amino acids, amines, and amides are freed of their nitrogen moiety. While in the case of amino acid catabolism in mammals, oxidative deamination has been assumed to be the main initiating reaction, it is apparent that the known general L-amino acid oxidases neither have the activity nor the breadth of substrate specificity to account for the catabolism of all the L-amino acids as a group. There is no evidence for the existence of highly specific L-amino acid oxidative systems except for L-glutamic acid. It would, thus, appear that some additional mechanism must be operative in the deamination of L-amino acids. An obvious possibility is the one proposed by Braunstein and Azarkh, namely, that amino acids first participate in a transamination reaction with α-ketoglutarate to form glutamate and the corresponding α-keto acid in accordance with reaction. With the clear demonstration of the wide scope of transamination in animal tissues, this cycle seems a highly likely one, and evidence in support of this has been published. More recently, it has been clearly demonstrated that in the oxidative deamination of tyrosine, transamination is an obligatory intermediate step. The role of a coupled transaminase–glutamic dehydrogenase system in amino-acid synthesis, that is, the reverse of deamination, has been suggested by many, particularly in the case of plant tissues.
Effect of Newer Generation Anticonvulsant Prophylaxis on Seizure Incidence After Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background The role of prophylactic antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in preventing seizures and/or improving the outcomes after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has remained controversial. The current guidelines have recommended against AED prophylaxis. However, these recommendations were based on older studies that had primarily used phenytoin as the AED of choice. Newer medications, such as levetiracetam, have yet to be extensively studied. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients with ICH from 2010 to 2015. The patient demographic data, seizure data, and outcomes were collected. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and quantile regression. The primary outcome was seizure incidence. Results A total of 360 patients with a median age of 70 years had met the inclusion criteria. Of the 360 patients, 30 (8.3%) had had recorded seizure events, 54% were men, and 81% had a history of hypertension. The median admission National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score was 7 (interquartile range [IQR], 14), and the median discharge NIHSS score was 5.0 (IQR, 13). The median hematoma size was 7.1 mL (IQR, 13 mL), and 143 patients (40%) had had cortical involvement. Of the 360 patients, 273 (76%) had received prophylaxis and 87 (24%) had not. After adjustment for the admission NIHSS and the presence of cortical involvement, the rate of new seizure events after ICH remained significantly lower for the patients who had received AED prophylaxis (adjusted odds ratio, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.11–0.71; P = 0.008). Conclusion The administration of, predominantly, levetiracetam for AED prophylaxis after ICH reduced the odds of new seizure events, independently of the admission NIHSS score and the presence of cortical involvement.
Numerical analysis of three-dimensional echo decorrelation imaging

A numerical model for three-dimensional echo decorrelation imaging, a pulse-echo ultrasound method applicable to thermal ablation monitoring, is presented. Beam patterns for steered transmit and receive array apertures are combined with a three-dimensional numerical tissue model to yield beamformed scan lines in a pyramidal configuration, volumetric B-mode images, and spatial maps of normalized decorrelation between sequential image volumes. Simulated three-dimensional echo decorrelation images of random media are analyzed as estimators of local tissue reflectivity decoherence, mimicking thermal ablation effects. The estimation error is analyzed as a function of correlation window size, scan line density, and ensemble averaging of decorrelation maps.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of immunosuppressants

Abstract Immunosuppressive drug monitoring is required for optimizing individualized therapeutic effectiveness and minimizing side effects and serious adverse events, especially those mediated by calcineurin inhibitors. Vigorous analytical methods with a high level of precision are required for quantitating blood concentrations of cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, mycophenolic acid, and more recently everolimus. Most laboratories in the United States measure immunosuppressive drugs by immunoassay. Immunoassay methods suffer from significant metabolite cross-reactivity and can be extremely variable. Metabolite cross-reactivity can be avoided by using liquid chromatography separation coupled with mass spectrometry (LC–MS)–detection methods. However, these methods are typically only utilized by large laboratories. Immunoassays are commonly used because they are automated, have low start-up costs, and are easy to perform without specialized training. Recent advancements in the instrumentation and reagents designed for use with LC–MS detection systems are rapidly becoming an economically viable and practical approach for monitoring immunosuppressive drugs.
Genomic Analysis of Vascular Invasion in HCC Reveals Molecular Drivers and Predictive Biomarkers

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Vascular invasion (VI) is a critical risk factor for HCC recurrence and poor survival. The molecular drivers of vascular invasion in HCC are open for investigation. Deciphering the molecular landscape of invasive HCC will help identify therapeutic targets and noninvasive biomarkers. APPROACH AND RESULTS To this end, we undertook this study to evaluate the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profile of tumors with VI using the multiplatform cancer genome atlas (The Cancer Genome Atlas; TCGA) data (n = 373). In the TCGA Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma cohort, macrovascular invasion was present in 5% (n = 17) of tumors and microvascular invasion in 25% (n = 94) of tumors. Functional pathway analysis revealed that the MYC oncogene was a common upstream regulator of the mRNA, miRNA, and proteomic changes in VI. We performed comparative proteomic analyses of invasive human HCC and MYC-driven murine HCC and identified fibronectin to be a proteomic biomarker of invasive HCC (mouse fibronectin 1 [Fn1], P = 1.7 × 10-11 ; human FN1, P = 1.5 × 10-4 ) conserved across the two species. Mechanistically, we show that FN1 promotes the migratory and invasive phenotype of HCC cancer cells. We demonstrate tissue overexpression of fibronectin in human HCC using a large independent cohort of human HCC tissue microarray (n = 153; P < 0.001). Lastly, we showed that plasma fibronectin levels were significantly elevated in patients with HCC (n = 35; mean = 307.7 μg/mL; SEM = 35.9) when compared to cirrhosis (n = 10; mean = 41.8 μg/mL; SEM = 13.3; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Our study evaluates the molecular landscape of tumors with VI, identifying distinct transcriptional, epigenetic, and proteomic changes driven by the MYC oncogene. We show that MYC up-regulates fibronectin expression, which promotes HCC invasiveness. In addition, we identify fibronectin to be a promising noninvasive proteomic biomarker of VI in HCC.
Collective Transport: From Superconductors to Earthquakes

In these lectures, a variety of non-equilibrium transport phenomena are introduced that all involve, in some way, elastic manifolds being driven through random media. A simple class of models is studied focussing on the behavior near to the critical ``depinning'' force above which persistent motion occurs in these systems. A simple mean field theory and a ``toy'' model of ``avalanche'' processes are analyzed and used to motivate the general scaling picture found in recent renormalization group studies. The general ideas and results are then applied to various systems: sliding charge density waves, critical current behavior of vortices in superconductors, dynamics of cracks, and simple models of a geological fault. The roles of thermal fluctuations, defects, inertia, and elastic wave propagation are all discussed briefly.
Protecting Local News Outlets from Fatal Litigation Expenses

As lawsuits targeting the press continue to rise in response to today’s political climate, local news outlets are more likely to find themselves facing unexpected legal expenses. Although the national news media can generally weather the costs of libel lawsuits and subpoena requests, smaller news outlets have gone bankrupt or barely escaped such a fate while paying off legal fees, even when these outlets have ultimately been successful in their legal battles. Because local news outlets serve a critical role in underserved communities and are powerful agents of positive social change, they ought to be protected against fatal legal expenses. This article examines the important functions of local journalism, explains the recent legal challenges that local news outlets have been facing and their resulting impact, and exposes the problematic gaps of statutory frameworks that fail to adequately protect local news outlets from fatal legal expenses. In so doing, this article argues that enacting strong state anti-SLAPP statutes and reporter’s shield laws is necessary to combat the costly attacks against the press as of late and to preserve the vitality of the local media.
Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence

This chapter will focus on the relationship between intimate partner violence and substance use/abuse. A lot of previous work has been done trying to identify how substance abuse is a potential risk factor for domestic violence perpetrators. IPV survivors are prone to substance abuse which is used as a coping mechanism. Common substances abused include marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol. Alcohol seems to be the most common substance abused by the perpetrators and victims. Healthcare providers should be mindful to screen for intimate partner violence when interviewing their substance patients and thereby providing holistic care for both the substance abuse and IPV.
Stability and Vulnerability of the Latin American Middle Class

Using panel data-sets from Mexico and Chile for the first years of the 21st century, the authors examine the determinants of middle-class intra-generational mobility. The middle class is defined by means of a latent index of economic well-being that is less sensitive to short-term fluctuation and measurement error than standard measures of income. The authors find high rates of both upward and downward mobility in Mexico and Chile, indicating that the middle class has opportunities to move to higher levels of well-being but is also vulnerable to falling into poverty. In both countries, labour-market resources (education and occupational status of the household head and number of members in the labour market) are much stronger determinants of mobility than demographic factors, suggesting the importance of policies that foster human capital and protect workers from shocks. Rural middle-class households are substantially more vulnerable to falling into poverty and have little chance of advancing to upper classes than their urban counterparts.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security for Social Networks and Internet of Transportation

Social media systems have been the vehicle for spreading false rumors that could be damaging to the individuals and cause great harm. In addition, the social media systems as well as the analysis techniques could be compromised due to cyber-attacks and as a result the information posted could be compromised. Another type of network that AI and Cyber Security are being applied is the Internet of Transportation. With the advent of the web, it is now possible to collect, store, manage, and analyze vast amounts of sensor data emanating from numerous devices and sensors including from various transportation systems. Such systems collectively are known as the Internet of Transportation Systems. However, security and privacy for the Internet of Transportation and the infrastructures that support it is a challenge. Due to the large volumes of heterogeneous data being collected from numerous devices, the traditional cyber security techniques such as encryption are not efficient to secure the Internet of Transportation. Some Physics-based solutions being developed are showing promise. This keynote presentation will be divided into two parts. The first part explores the use of the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for social media as well as examines how social media systems could be protected from cyber-attacks. In addition, the privacy violations that could occur are also addressed. The presentation will also explore some of the emerging challenges we are faced with due to the fake news being posted and the novel cyber-attacks on social media systems. The second part of the presentation examines the developments on securing the Internet of Transportation and its supporting infrastructures as well as the privacy implications. Finally, it describes ways in which AI and Security could be incorporated into the Internet of Transportation and Infrastructures.
Projected All-Cause Deaths Attributable to COVID-19-Related Unemployment in the United States.

Objectives. To project the range of excess deaths potentially associated with COVID-19–related unemployment in the United States and quantify inequities in these estimates by age, race/ethnicity, g...
c-Kit expression in smooth muscle cells reduces atherosclerosis burden in hyperlipidemic mice.

Abstract Background and aims Increased receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activity has been historically linked to atherosclerosis. Paradoxically, we recently found that global deficiency in c-Kit function increased atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic mice. This study aimed to investigate if such unusual atheroprotective phenotype depends upon c-Kit's function in smooth muscle cells (SMC). Methods We studied atherosclerosis in a SMC-specific conditional knockout mice (KitSMC) and control littermate. Tamoxifen (TAM) and vehicle treated mice were fed high fat diet for 16 weeks before atherosclerosis assessment in the whole aorta using oil red staining. Smooth muscle cells were traced within the aortic sinus of conditional c-Kit tracing mice (KitSMC eYFP) and their control littermates (KitWT eYFP) by immunofluorescent confocal microscopy. We then performed RNA sequencing on primary SMC from c-Kit deficient and control mice, and identified significantly altered genes and pathways as a result of c-Kit deficiency in SMC. Results Atherosclerosis significantly increased in KitSMC mice with respect to control groups. In addition, the loss of c-Kit in SMC increased plaque size and necrotic core area in the aortic sinus of hyperlipidemic mice. Smooth muscle cells from KitSMC eYFP mice were more prone to migrate and express foam cell markers (e.g., Mac2 and MCAM) than those from control littermate animals. RNAseq analysis showed a significant upregulation in genes associated with cell proliferation, migration, lipid metabolism, and inflammation secondary to the loss of Kit function in primary SMCs. Conclusions Loss of c-Kit increases SMC migration, proliferation, and expression of foam cell markers in atherosclerotic plaques from hyperlipidemic mice.
The modeling of weak shock waves in highly porous powder beds and comments on its relevance to exploding bridgewire (EBW) detonators

A computer modeling study is reported about the constant-piston-velocity compaction response of a 50% porous fine particle and air mixture. It is established that for the 10- $$\upmu \hbox {m}$$ average particle diameter powder chosen (sugar), over the piston velocity range 100–1000 $$\hbox {m}\,\hbox {s}^{-1}$$ , a self-similar shock is formed in 12–14 particle diameters of motion ( $${\approx }\,140~\upmu \hbox {m}$$ ). The shock is found to be statistically bounded, but temporally and spatially variable. At the resulting shock velocities identified for this powder, this results in self-similar behavior if the shock is supported for approximately 100 ns. Therefore, the use of the shock jump equations to estimate the post-shock state is valid after this duration. Further, it is found that a linear shock- and particle-velocity relation works well to model the low-pressure compaction of the powder. The intercept of this relation (commonly called the bulk sound speed in solid materials) is very low (50–100 $$\hbox {m}\,\hbox {s}^{-1}$$ ), but positive. The implications of this powder response on the functioning of exploding bridgewire detonators and the porous pentaerythritol-tetranitrate fill commonly used in them are discussed and compared with other literature on the topic.
Relationships Among Rheological, Sensory Texture, and Swallowing Pressure Measurements of Hydrocolloid-Thickened Fluids

The objective of this study was to examine the relationships among three categories of measurements (rheological, sensory texture, and swallowing pressure) from fluids thickened to two different viscosities with 15 different hydrocolloids. Fluids at viscosities of 300 and 1500 cP (at 30 s−1) were targeted because these are the viscosities corresponding to the barium standards used in radiographic dysphagia diagnosis. Within the low viscosity (nectar) fluids (300 cP), the sensory properties thickness, stickiness, adhesiveness, mouth coating, and number of swallows were highly positively correlated with each other and highly positively correlated with the flow behavior index, n value (an indicator of shear-thinning behavior). Within the higher viscosity (thin honey) fluids (1500 cP), the sensory textures of adhesiveness, stickiness, mouth coating, and number of swallows correlated positively with rheological measures of n value. Swallowing pressures measured in the anterior oral cavity correlated negatively with the consistency coefficient k [shear stress/(shear rate)n]. Samples that were more shear thinning (lower n values, higher k values) were generally perceived as less thick, with less adhesive properties (stickiness, adhesiveness, mouthcoating, and number of swallows). This information can be useful for selecting thickeners for people with dysphagia. A desirable thickener for many dysphagic patients would be one that allowed for a safe swallow by being viscous enough to reduce airway penetration, yet pleasant to drink, having the minimal perceived thickness and mouthcoating associated with greater shear thinning.
Determinants of Sperm Transfer by Males of the Noctuid Moth Heliothis virescens

Ejaculate composition can be an important determinant of male reproductive success in the face of sperm competition, which varies with the mating history of the female. Here we examine the effect of various male and female mating histories and morphological traits on ejaculate sperm numbers in the polyandrous moth Heliothis virescens. We show that when mating with nonvirgin females, males passed larger sperm packages (spermatophores) but did not alter either the sperm count or the ratio of nucleated-to-nonnucleated sperm. Males also passed fewer sperm in their second ejaculates. Finally, older males passed more sperm than did younger males. Earlier research found that females store more sperm from older males and that older males are more likely to gain sperm precedence over younger rivals. These earlier results, taken together with the present results, indicate that the advantage enjoyed by older males is due to an increased sperm count.
Criminal justice system data analysis and visualization

The criminal justice system in Charlottesville/Albemarle, VA, is a national leader in promoting Evidence Based Decision Making (EBDM)—relying on data to support decisions and evaluate policies and practices rather than on anecdotes or judgment alone. To implement EBDM more effectively, local criminal justice authorities—police, jail, pre- and post-trial services, and courts—are working together to use and share data across legacy systems better. One important facet of this effort is to design improved methods for data visualization, analysis, and interpretation. In this effort, we demonstrate how data and analytics are used to assess how well criminal justice system objectives are met and how analysis results can be presented using an advanced data visualization tool. The visualizations displayed using Tableau® contain charts, graphs, and dashboards, that allow an analyst to evaluate EBDM performance measures. These reports were developed using historical data to illustrate how an integrated database can be used to produce reports once the database is implemented. With this in mind, reports are general while envisioning what the new database structure will be. Decision makers within the Charlottesville system now have dashboards that they can use to evaluate program efficiency, and determine how well initiatives are working. Our work also consisted of helping with overall data organization, both in ensuring clean data and efficient data entry. We explored the implementation of 2D barcode scanners to read data electronically in different areas throughout the system. Electronic data entry improves data consistency and efficiency in entering data into the system. Ultimately, correct data entry and clean data will lead to more trustworthy analysis of Charlottesville's criminal justice system.
The Breakdown of the United States Government Purchase Card Program and Proposals for Reform

The Government Purchase Card Program introduced purchase cards to streamline the acquisition of items and services under $2,500. Purchase cards have proved to be extremely efficient, with some estimates putting the savings for the Government at $75 per transaction. Unfortunately, the Government has failed to maintain effective controls over cardholders and this has led to systemic abuse, preventing the Government from realizing the full potential of the purchase card program. There are three main problems with the current scheme. First, cardholders are ignoring internal controls, resulting in purchases that supervisors cannot verify as consistent with procurement regulations. Second, the proliferation of cardholders has also led to a lack of control. In some agencies, one out of every four employees carries a purchase card, making it difficult to accurately supervise spending. Finally, cardholders do not receive enough training before being authorized to spend taxpayer money.This paper recommends a thorough overhaul of the purchase card program. The GAO has recommended several initiatives, including; pre-approval of purchase card transactions; establishment of documentation requirements; and a reduction in the number of cardholders. In addition to adopting these recommendations, the Government must improve its relationships with financial institutions and take advantage of the data-mining software those institutions have available. The Government should also learn from the private sector by implementing a policy of stringent oversight, to include daily and monthly spending limits; blocks on specific categories of expenditure; and “24/7 monitoring” of spending. These improvements would allow the Government to truly benefit from this efficient method of procurement.
Sex differences in gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity in Sprague-Dawley rats.

The effects of sex differences and of fasting on gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity were determined in Sprague-Dawley rats. Gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity and enzyme protein levels were higher in female than in male rats. Ovariectomy and orchiectomy had no effect on alcohol dehydrogenase and did not alter the sex difference in enzyme activity. Fasting decreased the enzyme activity more in female than in male rats, abolishing the sex difference. Serum gastrin levels measured in female rats decreased on fasting and returned to normal levels within 24 hours of refeeding. Shortand long-term administration of pentagastrin to fasted and fed female rats did not affect the enzyme activity or enzyme protein level, except for a transient increase in enzyme activity but not in enzyme protein level 12 hours after administration to fasted fats. Omeprazole, which increased serum gastrin levels and decreased enzyme activity but not enzyme protein levels, was found to be a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme with a Ki of 0.40 mmol/L. The mechanisms for the sex differences and changes with fasting in rat gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity remain unknown.
Replication and mobility

Mobility of users and services and its impact on data replication and migration will be one of the main technical problems to be resolved. In fact, the authors view mobility as probably the most challenging new issue facing distributed systems of the future. The distinct new element which mobility brings into the issues of data replication is system's uncertainty about its own state (meaning primarily location). Thus the cost of communication between two mobile users is dependent not only on the distance between them but also on the cost of search necessary to determine the exact value of location. The authors address some of the questions, by proposing an adaptive replication scheme for mobile data. >
In Vitro Evidence Supports Membrane Alanyl Aminopeptidase N as a Receptor for a Plant Virus in the Pea Aphid Vector

Insect-borne plant viruses cause significant agricultural losses and jeopardize sustainable global food production. Although blocking plant virus transmission would allow for crop protection, virus receptors in insect vectors are unknown. Here we identify membrane alanyl aminopeptidase N (APN) as a receptor for pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) coat protein (CP) in the gut of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, using a far-Western blot method. Pulldown and immunofluorescence binding assays and surface plasmon resonance were used to confirm and characterize CP-APN interaction. PEMV virions and a peptide comprised of PEMV CP fused to a proline-rich hinge (-P-) and green fluorescent protein (CP-P-GFP) specifically bound to APN. Recombinant APN expressed in Sf9 cells resulted in internalization of CP-P-GFP, which was visualized by confocal microscopy; such internalization is an expected hallmark of a functional gut receptor. Finally, in assays with aphid gut-derived brush border membrane vesicles, binding of CP-P-GFP competed with binding of GBP3.1, a peptide previously demonstrated to bind to APN in the aphid gut and to impede PEMV uptake into the hemocoel; this finding supports the hypothesis that GBP3.1 and PEMV bind to and compete for the same APN receptor. These in vitro data combined with previously published in vivo experiments (S. Liu, S. Sivakumar, W. O. Sparks, W. A. Miller, and B. C. Bonning, Virology 401:107–116, 2010, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2010.02.009) support the identification of APN as the first receptor in a plant virus vector. Knowledge of this receptor will provide for technologies based on PEMV-APN interaction designed to block plant virus transmission and to suppress aphid populations. IMPORTANCE A significant proportion of global food production is lost to insect pests. Aphids, in addition to weakening plants by feeding on their sap, are responsible for transmitting about half of the plant viruses vectored by insects. Growers rely heavily on the application of chemical insecticides to manage both aphids and aphid-vectored plant viral disease. To increase our understanding of plant virus-aphid vector interaction, we provide in vitro evidence supporting earlier in vivo work for identification of a receptor protein in the aphid gut called aminopeptidase N, which is responsible for entry of the plant virus pea enation mosaic virus into the pea aphid vector. Enrichment of proteins found on the surface of the aphid gut epithelium resulted in identification of this first aphid gut receptor for a plant virus. This discovery is particularly important since the disruption of plant virus binding to such a receptor may enable the development of a nonchemical strategy for controlling aphid-vectored plant viruses to maximize food production.
The formulation makes the honey bee poison.

Dr. Fumio Matsumura's legacy embraced a passion for exploring environmental impacts of agrochemicals on non-target species such as bees. Why most formulations are more toxic to bees than respective active ingredients and how pesticides interact to cause pollinator decline cannot be answered without understanding the prevailing environmental chemical background to which bees are exposed. Modern pesticide formulations and seed treatments, particularly when multiple active ingredients are blended, require proprietary adjuvants and inert ingredients to achieve high efficacy for targeted pests. Although we have found over 130 different pesticides and metabolites in beehive samples, no individual pesticide or amount correlates with recent bee declines. Recently we have shown that honey bees are sensitive to organosilicone surfactants, nonylphenol polyethoxylates and the solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), widespread co-formulants used in agrochemicals and frequent pollutants within the beehive. Effects include learning impairment for adult bees and chronic toxicity in larval feeding bioassays. Multi-billion pounds of formulation ingredients like NMP are used and released into US environments. These synthetic organic chemicals are generally recognized as safe, have no mandated tolerances, and residues remain largely unmonitored. In contrast to finding about 70% of the pesticide active ingredients searched for in our pesticide analysis of beehive samples, we have found 100% of the other formulation ingredients targeted for analysis. These ‘inerts’ overwhelm the chemical burden from active pesticide, drug and personal care ingredients with which they are formulated. Honey bees serve as an optimal terrestrial bioindicator to determine if ‘the formulation and not just the dose makes the poison’.
Juvenile hormone regulation of the left colleterial gland in intact and ovariectomized Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Abstract The left colleterial glands of intact and ovariectomized females were shown to accumulate protein in response to juvenile hormone III. Their distal tubule diameter was highly correlated with their protein content. While intact females excreted the oothecal proteins to produce an egg case, ovariectomized females retained these proteins without apparent loss from the gland. In overiectomized females the colleterial gland therefore became larger and contained more protein than in intact females. The size and protein content of the left colleterial gland of ovariectomized females were arrested after the insects were allatectomized, and both were induced by injections of synthetic juvenile hormone III. Thus, the left colleterial gland can be used as a cumulative record of circulating juvenile hormone within an individual ovariectomized female, much as the basal oocytes are used in intact females, and it can be used to distinguish betwen females that had increased juvenile hormone synthesis and those that had not.
A Regional Poverty Profile for Indonesia

A regional poverty profile can be deceptive if it does not treat people with the same standard of living in different regions the same way. This is particularly important if the profile is being used to guide regional priorities in formulating antipoverty policies. A new regional poverty profile for Indonesia in 1990 is constructed which tries to assure that the poverty lines used for different regions reflect the same purchasing power over basic consumption needs. A wide range of poverty measures is presented. We also examine some proximate determinants of the regional poverty profile and the regional variation in inequality.
Electrochemically prepared polymer solar cell by three-layer deposition of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(2,2′-bithiophene)/fullerene (PEDOT/PBT/C60)

Abstract A new electrochemical approach to fabricate polymer solar cell has been developed. Electropolymerization of 2,2′-bithiophene was done on top of the electrodeposited p-doped PEDOT layer. Fullerene was deposited as a third layer after initiating n-doping of the polymers. Composition and oxidation states of the polymers were monitored by UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. Morphological changes were followed with Atomic Force Microscopy (ATM) revealing rough nanostructures of the layers. The composition and performance of the solar cells were compared to the cells fabricated by using conventional spin-coating technique. Photoresponse with the maximum V oc of 0.47 V and the highest J sc of 0.55 mA/cm 2 was measured.
Gammaherpesviruses and "Hit-and-Run" oncogenesis.

Two gammaherpesviruses are known to infect humans. Both are predominantly latent. Both were first discovered in tumor specimens and both carry one or more transforming genes. They are the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8. First discovered in association with endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma, EBV is the etiological agent of infectious mononucleosis and has a long-recognized association with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease. 1-4 More recent but well established associations include a subset of Hodgkin’s disease, 5-7 nasal lymphoma, 8 smooth muscle tumors in immunocompromised patients, 9,10 a subset of gastric carcinoma, 11,12 AIDS primary central nervous system lymphoma, 13 a subset of other AIDS lymphomas, and a subset of peripheral T cell lymphomas. 2,14 Less well established associations have recently been reported in hepatocellular and breast carcinomas. 15-17 KSHV was first discovered in Kaposi’s sarcoma in AIDS patients but has also proven to be associated with all other epidemiological forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma. 18 The virus is also associated with primary effusion lymphoma and a subset of Castleman’s disease. 19-21 An association with multiple myeloma has been reported but remains a subject of contention. 22
Aberration-corrected quantum temporal imaging system

We describe the design of a temporal imaging system that simultaneously reshapes the temporal profile and converts the frequency of a photonic wave packet, while preserving its quantum state. A field lens, which imparts a temporal quadratic phase modulation, is used to correct for the residual phase caused by field curvature in the image, thus enabling temporal imaging for phase-sensitive quantum applications. We show how this system can be used for temporal imaging of time-bin entangled photonic wave packets and compare the field lens correction technique to systems based on a temporal telescope and far-field imaging. The field-lens approach removes the residual phase using four dispersive elements. The group delay dispersion $D$ is constrained by the available bandwidth $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}$ by $Dgt/\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}$, where $t$ is the temporal width of the wave form associated with the dispersion $D$. This is compared to the much larger dispersion $D\ensuremath{\gg}\ensuremath{\pi}{t}^{2}/8$ required to satisfy the Fraunhofer condition in the far-field approach.
Purification and characterization of tropomyosin from bovine thyroid.

Abstract A tropomyosin has been purified from bovine thyroid and its properties compared with those of rabbit skeletal muscle tropomyosin. Thyroid tropomyosin was separated from contaminating vascular smooth muscle tropomyosin by hydroxyapatite chromatography. Thyroid tropomyosin resembles tropomyosin from other non-muscle cells in regard to subunit size, mobility on SDS-polyacrylamide gels in the presence and absence of 6 M urea, amino acid composition and morphology. Thyroid tropomyosin has a subunit molecular weight of 30 000 and forms Mg2+ paracrystals with an axial period of 345 A, while paracrystal periodicities of muscle tropomyosins are 400 A. The amino acid composition of thyroid tropomyosin is very similar to that of other non-muscle cell tropomyosins. However, thyroid tropomyosin differs from other non-muscle cell tropomyosins in its ability to bind actin and troponin as described below. Although the binding of brain tropomyosin to F-actin is thought to be weaker than that of muscle tropomyosin (Fine et al. (1973) Nature New Biol. 245, 182–186), both thyroid and muscle tropomyosins bind to actin in a similar ratio of 1 tropomyosin/6–7 actin monomers at saturation. The binding of tropomyosin to F-actin is strongly dependent on the Mg2+ concentration. With thyroid tropomyosin, binding begins at 1 mM and is complete at about 4–5 mM Mg2+ while, with muscle tropomyosin, binding is initiated at 1 mM Mg2+ and reaches saturation at 2–3 mM Mg2+. At saturation, both thyroid and muscle tropomyosins bind to the same binding site(s) on actin filaments with similar affinity. In contrast to platelet tropomyosin (Cote et al. (1978) FEBS Lett. 94, 131–135), thyroid tropomyosin binds to skeletal tuscle troponin and troponin T. One-dimensional peptide maps of thyroid and rabbit skeletal muscle tropomyosin are distinctly different from each other. The air oxidation of thyroid tropomyosin yields covalently linked dimers similar to skeletal muscle tropomyosin dimers. In contrast to muscle tropomyosins, [32P]phosphate is not incorporated into thyroid tropomyosin.
Nursing performance as measured by behavioral expectation scales: A multitrait-multirater analysis

Abstract Behavioral expectation scales (BES) developed by Smith and Kendall (1963) for assessment of nursing performance were evaluated by a multitrait-multirater analysis ( Campbell & Fiske, 1959 ; Lawler, 1967 ). Two nursing supervisory levels, Head Nurses ( N = 9) and Supervisors ( N = 5), evaluated staff registered nurses ( N = 98). Results indicated moderate convergent validity, but no discriminant validity. The use of BES is discussed in terms of perspectives of different levels of raters and methodological problems.
Etorphine elicits anomalous excitatory opioid effects on sensory neurons treated with GM1 ganglioside or pertussis toxin in contrast to its potent inhibitory effects on naive or chronic morphine-treated cells.

The ultra-potent opioid analgesic, etorphine, elicits naloxone-reversible, dose-dependent inhibitory effects, i.e. shortening of the action potential duration (APD) of naive and chronic morphine-treated sensory dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, even at low (pM-nM) concentrations. In contrast, morphine and most other opioid agonists elicit excitatory effects, i.e. APD prolongation, at these low opioid concentrations, require much higher (ca. 0.1–1 μM) concentrations to shorten the APD of naive neurons, and evoke only excitatory effects on chronic morphine-treated cells even at high > 1–10 wM concentrations. In addition to the potent agonist action of etorphine at μ-, δ- and κ-inhibitory opioid receptors in vivo and on DRG neurons in culture, this opioid has also been shown to be a potentantagonist of excitatory μ-, δ- and κ-receptor functions in naive and chronic morphine-treated DRG neurons. The present study demonstrates that the potent inhibitory APD-shortening effects of etorphine still occur in DRG neurons tested in the presence of a mixture of selective antagonists that blocks all μ-, δ- and κ-opioid receptor-mediated functions, whereas addition of the epsilon (e)-opioid-receptor antagonist, β-endorphin(1–27) prevents these effects of etorphine. Furthermore, after markedly enhancing excitatory opioid receptor functions in DRG neurons by treatment with GM1 ganglioside or pertussis toxin, etorphine showsexcitatory agonist action onnon-μ-/δ-/κ-opioid receptor functions in these sensory neurons, in contrast to its usual potent antagonist action on μ-, δ- and κ-excitatory receptor functions in naive and even in chronic morphine-treated cells which become supersensitive to the excitatory effects of μ-, δ- and ϰ-opioid agonists. This weak excitatory agonist action of etorphine on non-μ-/δ-/κ-opioid receptor functions may account for the tolerance and dependence observed after chronic treatment with extremely high doses of etorphine in vivo.