cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional neutrophils from human ES cells

In this issue of Blood, Yokoyama and colleagues demonstrate in vitro differentiation of hESCs into mature neutrophils with functional capabilities (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, microbicidal oxidase activity, and bacterial killing) approaching or equal to that of normal peripheral blood neutrophils.
Anomalous low temperature mechanical properties of single-crystal silicon

Abstract We have measured the low temperature mechanical properties of a high Q oscillator fabricated from single crystal silicon. Operated at strains of 10−7, the oscillator exhibits unusual behavior in both the dissipation and resonant frequency. In addition, we have performed systematic frequency sweeps through resonance at varying strain amplitudes. We observe the dramatic onset of non-linear behavior at temperatures below a few hundred millikelvin.
Serological identification of rodent strains of Actinomyces viscosus and their relationship to Actinomyces of human origin.

Abstract Strains of Actinomyces viscosus of rat and hamster origin, known to be morphologically and biochemically similar, appeared identical when compared by agglutination reactions, fluorescent antibody staining, and gel diffusion. Reference strains of known Actinomyces species were easily differentiated from the rodent strains. In a sampling of 65 Actinomyces isolates from human dental plaque, 32 strains showed varying degrees at agglutination of comparatively low titres below 1:800, when tested against high titre antiserum to the hamster-type strain. Ten strains agglutinated spontaneously and 23 strains showed no agglutination. Fluorescent-tagged gamma globulin fractions of high titre antiserum provided a specific means of differentiating the rodent serotype of A. viscosus from known Actinomyces species and from 65 randomly isolated strains of human origin. Direct microscopic examination of dental plaque material from 24 subjects failed to detect any cells that reacted at significant titre with fluorescent tagged antiserum specific for the rodent serotype of A. viscosus.
SH2 and SH3‐containing adaptor proteins: redundant or independent mediators of intracellular signal transduction

Molecules which contain Src Homology 2 (SH2) and SH3 domains provide one of the principal ways by which signals are transduced in cells using protein-protein interactions between proline-rich motifs and SH3 domains and induced interactions between phosphotyrosine residues and SH2 domains. The simplest of SH2/SH3-containing proteins are the Crk, Grb2 and Nck adaptor proteins which contain SH2 and SH3 domains but no intrinsic catalytic activity. Whereas Grb2 connects activated receptor tyrosine kinases with Sos and activates p21ras, recent evidence suggests that this may not be the major mechanism by which Crk and Nck signal to downstream effectors. Identification of novel binding partners for Crk, Grb2 and Nck indicate that these adaptor proteins control distinct aspects of tyrosine kinase signalling.
Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: role of systemic corticosteroid therapy

Objective To investigate systematically the role of systemic corticosteroid therapy in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION).
Stimulatory Effect of Cocaine on ACTH Secretion: Role of the Hypothalamus

The administration of cocaine to rats causes the release of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). The observation that immunoneutralization of endogenous corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) significantly blunts this response has suggested the importance of CRF-dependent pathways in this response. As the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus represents a major source of the CRF delivered to the pituitary, the present studies investigated the role of this hypothalamic nucleus in mediating cocaine-induced ACTH secretion. We first observed that one single iv injection of 5 mg cocaine/kg, or two sequential sc injections of 40 mg cocaine/kg, caused a measurable increase in steady-state levels of CRF mRNA. Bilateral lesions of the PVN significantly (P < 0.01) decreased the ability of cocaine to release ACTH measured 15 min later. Though we failed to measure any changes in the levels of the mRNA encoding for vasopressin (VP) following either regimen of drug administration, we noted that rats in which the magnocellular portion of the PVN (which contains VP perikarya) was spared, showed a normal ACTH response to cocaine. We therefore studied the possibility that VP might regulate the activity of the corticotrophs in response to cocaine. However, prior iv injection of polyclonal antibodies against VP did not measurably alter cocaine-induced ACTH secretion, while in the same experiment, immunoneutralization of endogenous CRF completely blocked the stimulatory action of cocaine. Taken together, these results show that CRF of PVN origin represents the major modulator of ACTH released in response to cocaine, while VP does not appear to play an important role.
Tissue distribution of malic enzyme-NADP+ in D. melanogaster imaginal discs

The spatial distribution patterns of malic enzyme-NADP+ (ME) inDrosophila melanogaster imaginal discs and other structures were demonstrated histochemically. Staining in the imaginal discs was limited to specific areas where intense reactions occurred primarily in differentiating structures. The eye-antennal disc possessed the most distinctive staining pattern. The ommatidial preclusters and clusters of the eye portion both stained, with heavier deposition in mature clusters. Staining in the preclusters closest to the morphogenetic furrow (MF) was obscured by a band of stained cells on either side of the MF that extends dorsoventrally across the disc. The ME low activity mutantMenNCl showed a dramatic reduction in staining of this band of cells but had no visible effect on eye morphogenesis. The larval optic nerve which traverses the entire length of the eye-antennal disc was a consistently stained feature. Two structures specifically stained in the leg discs. The most prominent was the chordotonal organ, while the second was a larval nerve extending the length of the disc. Limited staining was observed in the wing disc. No ME staining could be detected in the labial disc or haltere disc. Even though the genital discs did not stain for ME, the enzyme was induced sometime during the pupal stage since intense staining was noted in several adult internal genital disc derived structures. In general, ME staining in imaginal discs was associated with structures from the nervous system.
Insulin-like growth factor-I and prostate cancer: a meta-analysis.

Some, but not all, epidemiological found have shown that high circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. We performed a meta-analysis on all the studies reported so far to evaluate this association. In our Medline search, 14 case-control studies were identified. A standard protocol abstracted information for each study. Hedges' standardized mean difference (HSMD) and odds ratio (OR) were used to estimate the effect of IGF-I and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP-3). The combined data showed that circulating levels of IGF-I were significantly higher in prostate cancer patients (HSMD = 0.194). The OR for prostate cancer was 1.47 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-1.77) among men with high IGF-I compared to those with low IGF-I. The OR was 1.26 (95% CI 1.03-1.54) for IGFBP-3. Circulating levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are likely to be higher in prostate cancer patients than in the controls. These findings support the suggestion that high IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Diglyceryl lipase activity in mouse platelets.

Abstract These studies reveal for the first time that mouse platelets have substantial diglyceryl lipase (DGL) activity (b38±29 nmols/hr/10 9 platelets) compared with human 37±56 mmols/hr/10 9 platelets) or rat platelets (25±11 nmols/hr/10 9 platelets). Our demonstration of the enzyme in rat platelets contrasts with the scant activity of DGL in that species as reported by others. The activity of DGL in mouse platelets was inhibited by RHC80267, an agent previously described as an inhibitor of DGL in dog and rat platelets.
Temperature-Dependent Chemical Shift and Relaxation Times of 23Na in Na4HTm[DOTP]

Abstract We describe the characterization of a 23 Na temperature-dependent chemical shift and relaxation rates in the complex, Na 4 HTm[DOTP]. This is the first characterization of a 23 Na temperature-dependent chemical shift in a nonmetallic sample. The 23 Na temperature-dependent chemical shift coefficient is ∼−0.5 PPM/°C for both an aqueous solution and a 6% agarose gel of this compound. This is 50 times the magnitude of the temperature-dependent chemical shift coefficient of water protons. The relaxation times, T 1 , T 2f , and T 2s increased by 0.1, 0.01, and 0.05 ms/°C, respectively. Applications of these unique properties for designing an MRI technique for monitoring heat deposition in tissue and tissue phantoms are discussed.
Blockbusters and blackboards

Collaboration between computer graphics researchers in university labs and engineers and artists in movie production studios spreads risk and multiplies benefits.
Breakfast consumption with and without vitamin-mineral supplement use favorably impacts daily nutrient intake of ninth-grade students

Abstract Purpose: To assess the contribution of breakfast consumption (with and without dietary supplement intake) on total daily nutrient intake of ninth-grade students. Methods: Twenty-four-hour recall of dietary intake was collected from a random sample of 711 ninth-grade students attending 12 Archdiocesan high schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. Analysis of variance techniques, Pearson's Chi-square statistic, and Breznahn–Shapiro method with Scheffe probabilities were used to analyze nutrient intake data, dietary adequacy, and nonorthogonal comparisons, respectively. Results: Nineteen percent of 15-year-olds skipped breakfast, with more females skipping breakfast than males (23% vs. 14%, respectively). Thirty-six percent of nonwhite females versus 20% white females skipped breakfast. Eleven percent of subjects took some type of dietary supplement, most commonly a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Among those who ate breakfast, average energy intake from breakfast was 437 kcal. Percentage of total daily energy intake was higher from fats and lower from carbohydrates for adolescents who skipped breakfast, compared with adolescents who consumed breakfast. The percentage of subjects consuming at least two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowance was significantly lower among adolescents skipping breakfast than those consuming breakfast. Conclusion: Regardless of supplement use, breakfast consumption makes an important nutritional contribution to total daily intake of ninth-grade students. Encouraging breakfast consumption and healthful breakfast choices is an important step toward improving the nutritional quality of diets of this age group.
Highly Precise Optical-Hybrid Matrix Processor

An optical-hybrid matrix processor is presented and compared in its speed with a digital electronic processor. Optical-hybrid matrix processors are shown to be far more superior in their speed in solving systems of linear equations. This advantage in speed increases with the increase of the matrix size. The problem of the convergence of the solution using the optical-hybrid is investigated. It is found that even with using elctro-optical systems with an error as high as 5% in the I/O devices, convergence was achieved for matrices with condition numbers as high as 150. Some means of improving the condition number of a matrix are also intoduced.
Extending SERS into the infrared with gold nanosphere dimers

Here we discuss some of the challenges of using dimers of spheres for SERS at long wavelengths. We show that the field enhancement in the gap between two spheres scales with a local surface plasmon metric, effectively limiting the range of wavelengths for which the largest SERS enhancements can be obtained for this class of structures to the near-IR.
Cerebral infarction in eclampsia

Abstract Objective This study was undertaken to characterize the neuroimaging findings of cerebral edema associated with eclamptic seizures by use of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Study design During the 3-year period ending March 2002, 27 nulliparous women with eclampsia were evaluated with diffusion-weighted MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping. Those with findings of restricted diffusion suggestive of cytotoxic edema underwent neuroimaging again 6 weeks post partum. Results All but 2 of these 27 women (93%) had reversible vasogenic edema. Six were also found to have areas of cytotoxic edema consistent with cerebral infarction. Five of these 6 women had persistent imaging findings of infarction when studied post partum, however, without clinical neurologic deficits. Conclusion The spectrum of cerebral lesions in eclampsia as seen with MRI varies from initially reversible areas of vasogenic edema that may progress to cytotoxic edema and infarction in up to a fourth of women.
High-performance tunable filter.

The tuning performance of a liquid-crystal, electro-optically tunable, Lyot filter is described. This filter is widely tunable across the visible region up to a wavelength of approximately 630 nm and has very high performance characteristics that are preserved over the entire tuning range. These include a narrow passband of 0.1 nm, a large-aperture performance of at least 30 mm, a wide field of view of ±8.5°, and the ability to be tuned to an accuracy that is one tenth of the linewidth of the passband. Possible applications for such a filter include remote sensing, multispectral sensing, and laser environmental and underwater monitoring.
Scene understanding by statistical modeling of motion patterns

We present a novel method for the discovery and statistical representation of motion patterns in a scene observed by a static camera. Related methods involving learning of patterns of activity rely on trajectories obtained from object detection and tracking systems, which are unreliable in complex scenes of crowded motion. We propose a mixture model representation of salient patterns of optical flow, and present an algorithm for learning these patterns from dense optical flow in a hierarchical, unsupervised fashion. Using low level cues of noisy optical flow, K-means is employed to initialize a Gaussian mixture model for temporally segmented clips of video. The components of this mixture are then filtered and instances of motion patterns are computed using a simple motion model, by linking components across space and time. Motion patterns are then initialized and membership of instances in different motion patterns is established by using KL divergence between mixture distributions of pattern instances. Finally, a pixel level representation of motion patterns is proposed by deriving conditional expectation of optical flow. Results of extensive experiments are presented for multiple surveillance sequences containing numerous patterns involving both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
PDGF Receptor-α Does Not Promote HCMV Entry into Epithelial and Endothelial Cells but Increased Quantities Stimulate Entry by an Abnormal Pathway

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRα) were reported to mediate entry of HCMV, including HCMV lab strain AD169. AD169 cannot assemble gH/gL/UL128-131, a glycoprotein complex that is essential for HCMV entry into biologically important epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and monocyte-macrophages. Given this, it appeared incongruous that EGFR and PDGFRα play widespread roles in HCMV entry. Thus, we investigated whether PDGFRα and EGFR could promote entry of wild type HCMV strain TR. EGFR did not promote HCMV entry into any cell type. PDGFRα-transduction of epithelial and endothelial cells and several non-permissive cells markedly enhanced HCMV TR entry and surprisingly, promoted entry of HCMV mutants lacking gH/gL/UL128-131 into epithelial and endothelial cells. Entry of HCMV was not blocked by a panel of PDGFRα antibodies or the PDGFR ligand in fibroblasts, epithelial, or endothelial cells or by shRNA silencing of PDGFRα in epithelial cells. Moreover, HCMV glycoprotein induced cell-cell fusion was not increased when PDGFRα was expressed in cells. Together these results suggested that HCMV does not interact directly with PDGFRα. Instead, the enhanced entry produced by PDGFRα resulted from a novel entry pathway involving clathrin-independent, dynamin-dependent endocytosis of HCMV followed by low pH-independent fusion. When PDGFRα was expressed in cells, an HCMV lab strain escaped endosomes and tegument proteins reached the nucleus, but without PDGFRα virions were degraded. By contrast, wild type HCMV uses another pathway to enter epithelial cells involving macropinocytosis and low pH-dependent fusion, a pathway that lab strains (lacking gH/gL/UL128-131) cannot follow. Thus, PDGFRα does not act as a receptor for HCMV but increased PDGFRα alters cells, facilitating virus entry by an abnormal pathway. Given that PDGFRα increased infection of some cells to 90%, PDGFRα may be very useful in overcoming inefficient HCMV entry (even of lab strains) into the many difficult-to-infect cell types.
Sales-Force Incentives and Inventory Management

This article studies the problem of sales-force compensation by considering the impact of sales-force behavior on a firm's production and inventory system. The sales force's compensation package affects how the salespeople are going to exert their effort, which in turn determines the sales pattern for the firm's product and ultimately drives the performance of the firm's production and inventory system. In general, a smooth demand process facilitates production/inventory planning. Therefore, it is beneficial for a firm to induce its salespeople to exert effort in a way that actually smoothes the demand process. The article proposes a compensation package to induce such behavior. It evaluates and compensates the sales force on a moving-time-window basis, where the length of the time window is determined by the production lead time. Numerical examples show that the proposed package is beneficial to the firm relative to a widely used compensation plan based on annual quotas.
Shame among people living with HIV: a literature review

Shame is consistently associated with poor adjustment (e.g., depressive symptoms) among community samples but, surprisingly, has rarely been directly examined among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). This limited research on shame is likely due, in part, to shame's having been subsumed within measures of internalized stigma, an imprecise construct with varied definitions in the HIV literature. The current review summarizes research directly examining the correlates of shame among PLWH. Findings indicate that shame is associated with greater depressive symptoms, less healthcare utilization, and poorer physical health among PLWH. Directions for future research examining shame among PLWH are highlighted, including the need for more prospective research examining shame as a predictor of future adjustment.
Kinetics of Nitric Oxide Formation Behind Shock Waves

The infrared radiation of nitric oxide (NO) behind a shock wave in O2-N2 mixtures has been calculated by two different techniques, and compared with recent shock-tube experiments. The first technique (model I) utilizes the Park model. This model incorporates the vibrational relaxation of O2 and N2 and assumes a Boltzmann distribution of vibrational energy during the relaxation process. Model II uses a master equation solution, employing recently published state-to-state vibration-translation and vibration-vibration transition probabilities. Vibration-chemistry coupling is provided through the MacheretFridman-Rich model (MFR). The calculations are compared with experimental results for shock waves in the range of 3-4 km/s. Results of the two model calculations are compared at speeds up to 9 km/s, for both normal shocks and bow shocks. The two models predict nearly the same NO production rates behind all of the normal shocks, and show the prominent effect of N2 vibrational coupling in the reaction N2 + O —> NO + N. For high-altitude bow shocks, where extreme vibrational nonequilibrium is present, there are large differences in the results calculated by the Park and MFR coupling techniques.
A Conserved Dileucine-Containing Motif in p6gag Governs the Particle Association of Vpx and Vpr of Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses SIVmac and SIVagm

Vpr is a small accessory protein of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV) that is specifically incorporated into virions. Members of the HIV-2/SIV sm /SIV mac lineage of primate lentiviruses also incorporate a related protein designated Vpx. We previously identified a highly conserved L-X-X-L-F sequence near the C terminus of the p6 domain of the Gag precursor as the major virion association motif for HIV-1 Vpr. In the present study, we show that a different leucine-containing motif (D-X-A-X-X-L-L) in the N-terminal half of p6 gag is required for the incorporation of SIV mac Vpx. Similarly, the uptake of SIV mac Vpr depended primarily on the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif. SIV mac Vpr was unstable when expressed alone, but its intracellular steady-state levels increased significantly in the presence of wild-type Gag or of the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. Collectively, our results indicate that the interaction with the Gag precursor via the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif diverts SIV mac Vpr away from the proteasome-degradative pathway. While absent from HIV-1 p6 gag , the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif is conserved in both the HIV-2/SIV sm /SIV mac and SIV agm lineages of primate lentiviruses. We found that the incorporation of SIV agm Vpr, like that of SIV mac Vpx, is absolutely dependent on the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif, while the L-X-X-L-F motif used by HIV-1 Vpr is dispensable. The similar requirements for the incorporation of SIV mac Vpx and SIV agm Vpr provide support for their proposed common ancestry.
The impact of juveniles' ages and levels of psychosocial maturity on judges' opinions about adjudicative competence.

This study investigated whether defendants’ ages and levels of psychosocial maturity would affect judges’ ratings of juveniles’ adjudicative competence in juvenile and criminal court. Three hundred forty two judges reviewed a forensic psychological report about a hypothetical defendant; only the defendant’s age (12–17) and maturity level (mature, immature) varied across reports. Results revealed a main effect of age, with older juveniles generally deemed more competent, and a main effect of maturity, with mature juveniles generally deemed more competent. No interaction was found. Results suggest that age and maturity play major roles in judicial determinations of juvenile competency.
EQUIVALENCE OF THE MECHANICAL AND ENTROPIC DESCRIPTIONS OF ELASTOTHERMODYNAMIC DAMPING IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS

SUMMARY In 1938 Zener showed that for an isotropic homogeneous solid, the elastothermodynamic damping may be predicted using either a mechanical description or an entropic description. The objective of this paper is to extend Zener's result to a composite material with anisotropic subregions and thermally imperfect interfaces. Specifically, we will show that for time-harmonic vibrations, the external work lost per cycle throughout the body is equal to the entropy produced per cycle throughout the body times the equilibrium temperature. However, contrary to intuition we will show that the work lost per unit volume per cycle at a point is not equal to the entropy produced per unit volume per cycle at that point times the equilibrium temperature.
Elements of a generalized duration forecasting model of test-and-fix cycles

Rework is integral to product development. The dynamism, circularity and concurrency properties of rework cycles inhibit attempts to estimate the duration and resources required of development phases. This difficulty is especially evident in testing of software-intensive systems. Dynamic modeling of test-and-fix cycles has addressed this problem and provided good forecasting of test phase durations, but has also produced good results in supporting resource allocation and process improvement decisions. A different model was produced for each of six projects. Though models of test-and-fix processes can be very detailed, a basic model of common elements has been identified through an analysis of commonality and variation in the six project models. The analysis has been used to specify a generalized test-and-fix model.
Ultrasparse, ultrawideband arrays

This paper investigates the properties of highly thinned ultrawideband (UWB) arrays. The design aim is high resolution and very low side radiation levels (SL). One- and two-dimensional ultrasparse UWB arrays can be designed to achieve both. The minimum available pulse-echo SL is shown to approach N/sup -4/ where N is the number of elements in the transmit and receive arrays. Periodic thinning is shown to be superior to random thinning, and amplitude taper is shown to raise the SL. Two-dimensional curvilinear deployment of elements are shown to outperform rectilinear designs, and different transmit and receive arrays in pulse-echo systems are shown to outperform systems that use the same array for transmit and receive. Very low SL is achievable in an ultrasparse UWB system with so few elements that echo signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) rather than SL becomes the constraint on the minimum number of elements required by the system for the array to be useful for imaging. For example, in ultrasonic pulse-echo breast imaging, SL /spl ap/-70 dB is desired to distinguish small cysts from tumors. A 2-D randomly thinned array requires about 10,000 elements. A 2-D ultrasparse UWB periodic array requires less than 100 to satisfy SL, a reduction of 100:1, but provides insufficient SNR. A 500-element, 7.5 MHz array operating with 4 cm penetration depth satisfies both. Experimental results demonstrate the theory.
The role of filter banks in sinusoidal frequency estimation

Abstract The problem of estimating the frequencies of sinusoids buried in noise has been one of great interest to the signal processing community for many years, especially to those involved in the field of array processing. While many methods have been proposed to solve this problem, most involve processing in the fullband. In this paper, we investigate the effects of carrying out estimation in the subbands of an analysis bank of a multirate filter bank and show that there are some benefits to be reaped. In particular, we observe that with properly chosen analysis filters, the local signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and line resolution in the subbands will exceed that in the fullband. Also, through the use of the spectral flatness measure, we show that if the input noise is colored, then the noise processes seen in the subbands will be more flat on average. This can be useful if the exact statistics of the input noise process are not known. Various examples are shown giving evidence to the fact that estimation in the subbands is superior to that in the fullband.
Against particle/field duality : Asymptotic particle states and interpolating fields in interacting QFT (or : Who's afraid of Haag's theorem?)

This essay touches on a number of topics in philosophy of quantum field theory from the point of view of the LSZ asymptotic approach to scattering theory. First, particle/field duality is seen to be a property of free field theory and not of interacting QFT. Second, it is demonstrated how LSZ side-steps the implications of Haag's theorem. Finally, a recent argument due to Redhead (1995), Malament (1996) and Arageorgis (1995) against the concept of localized particle states is addressed. Briefly, the argument observes that the Reeh-Schlieder theorem entails that correlations between spacelike separated vacuum expectation values of local field operators are always present, and this, according to the above authors, dictates against the notion of a localized particle state. I claim that this moral is excessive and that a coherent notion of localized particles is given by the LSZ approach. The underlying moral to be drawn from this analysis is that questions concerning the ontology of interacting QFT cannot be appropriately addressed if one restricts oneself to the free theory.
The New Vulnerability: Data Security and Personal Information

This book chapter was originally written for a conference on privacy and security at Stanford Law School held in March 2004. The chapter argues that abuses of personal information are caused by the failure to regulate the way companies manage personal information. Despite taking elaborate technological measures to protect their data systems, companies readily disseminate the personal information they have collected to a host of other entities and sometimes even to anyone willing to pay a small fee. Companies provide access to their record systems over the phone to anybody in possession of a few easy-to-find pieces of personal information such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, and mothers' maiden names. Reforming this problematic state of affairs requires a rethinking of the way the law comprehends the abuse of personal information. The law fails to focus on the causes of information abuses; instead, it becomes involved when information misuses such as identity theft actually occur, not earlier on in the process. If the law addressed information leaks and insecurity, it would more effectively curtail abuses.
Chemical basis of host-plant resistance to aphids

Abstract The importance of host-plant resistance of crop plants in the biological control of aphids and the formation of aphid biotypes is discussed. The rapid response of plant breeders to the formation of new aphid biotypes requires detailed knowledge on the mechanism of host-plant resistance. Current knowledge on the chemical basis of host-plant resistance to aphids is summarized. Of central importance to this relationship is the aphid-pectinase plant-pectin interdependence. Parallels between the mechanism of aphid-plant and pathogen-plant attack are pointed out and how aphid bacterial endo-symbiotes play a central role in host-plant selection.
Design and Implementation of a Self-Configuring Instrument Control System

The trend in the design of complex instruments is toward distributed control systems implemented with networks of embedded devices. Historically these embedded networks have been implemented using field busses such as CAN, Lon Works, or Profi Net but the ubiquitous nature and low cost of Ethernet has made it the trend in embedded network applications. Ethernet, however, largely depends on DHCP and DNS servers or static IP addressing scheme to enable communication between devices on the network. This paper presents a service-oriented architecture for self-configuring Ethernet-based distributed control systems that is able to adapt to changes in network topology without manual intervention. The three core technologies used to enable self-configuration are all part of Zero Configuration Networking: link-local address auto-configuration for automatic IP address assignment, multicast DNS for automatic hostname resolution, and multicast DNS service discovery for automatic discovery of services. A temperature control system is developed as a case study implementation of the architecture using Java and SOAP web services. Programming web services is simplified using the Java API for XML-Web Services. Programmer productivity is also improved since Java enables the use of enterprise level development tools for debugging and deployment.
Foveal cone thresholds.

Abstract The method of constant stimuli was used to estimate the psychometric functions for detection of one or two flashes when two light pulses were presented. The test stimulus consisted of two simultaneous 0.5 msec, 1′ pulses separated by 17′. Observers reported seeing 0, 1 or 2 flashes. A computer-controlled direct-view apparatus allowed sampling of slightly different foveal locations on each trial. The data were analyzed assuming a binomial probability for sampling of L and M cones and Poisson distributed quantal fluctuation. Under these assumptions, the measurements imply that detection requires a minimum of 5–7 quanta absorbed per cone, and that the effective number of cones illuminated by the 1′, 0.5 msec pulse is two. The estimated LM cone ratio was 1.6 for one observer and 4.0 for the other; each observer's ratio was in general agreement with the value estimated independently by heterochromatic flicker photometry.
Improvements in Fixed-Valve Micropump Performance Through Shape Optimization of Valves

The fixed-geometry valve micropump is a seemingly simple device in which the interaction between mechanical, electrical, and fluidic components produces a maximum output near resonance. This type of pump offers advantages such as scalability, durability, and ease of fabrication in a variety of materials. Our past work focused on the development of a linear dynamic model for pump design based on maximizing resonance, while little has been done to improve valve shape. Here we present a method for optimizing valve shape using two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics in conjunction with an optimization procedure. A Tesla-type valve was optimized using a set of six independent, non-dimensional geometric design variables. The result was a 25% higher ratio of reverse to forward flow resistance (diodicity) averaged over the Reynolds number range 0<Re⩽2000 compared to calculated values for an empirically designed, commonly used Tesla-type valve shape. The optimized shape was realized with no increase in forward flow resistance. A linear dynamic model, modified to include a number of effects that limit pump performance such as cavitation, was used to design pumps based on the new valve. Prototype plastic pumps were fabricated and tested. Steady-flow tests verified the predicted improvement in diodicity. More importantly, the modest increase in diodicity resulted in measured block-load pressure and no-load flow three times higher compared to an identical pump with non-optimized valves. The large performance increase observed demonstrated the importance of valve shape optimization in the overall design process for fixed-valve micropumps.
Change in permeation parameters and the decontamination efficacy of three chemical protective gloves after repeated exposures to solvents and thermal decontaminations.

Background Chemical protective clothing (CPC) and gloves, which provide adequate protection, are usually too expensive to be considered disposable. Repeated use of CPC without effective decontamination may result in secondary exposure and injury. However, decontamination may change the physical and/or chemical properties of the barrier material, causing variations in breakthrough time (BT) and steady-state permeation rate (SSPR). Methods Glove materials including neoprene, Guardian butyl rubber, and nitrile synthetic rubber were selected for this study. Toluene and acetone were chosen as the challenge chemicals. Permeation was measured in a closed loop system using a 2.5 cm permeation cell and a MIRAN infrared analyzer (Foxboro, MA). Following the permeation test, the samples were thermally decontaminated. After each exposure/decontamination cycle, BT and SSPR were measured. A total of 260 permeation tests were conducted. Permeation test results were collected on each material/chemical combination for up to 10 exposure/decontamination cycles. Results On average, changes in BT and SSPR in comparison with respect to new swatches were 11.5% and 13.7% after seven exposure/decontamination cycles. The percentages increased to 26.6% and 15.9% after 10 exposure/decontamination cycles, respectively. For at least seven cycles, the BT mean for four out of five material/chemical combinations tested (neoprene/acetone, neoprene/toluene, nitrile/acetone, and nitrile/toluene) was not significantly different from the original value of the BT for each corresponding swatch. Similarly, the SSPR mean for each of the five material/chemical combinations after at least five cycles was not significantly different from those for new swatches. The BT mean for the butyl/toluene combination, however, was significantly different from the new swatches even after the first exposure/decontamination. The SSPR mean was significantly different after five cycles compared to the new swatches. Conclusions Except for the butyl/toluene combination, thermal decontamination was an effective method in removing the solvents from the matrix of selected glove materials. Multiple reuses of some chemical protective gloves could be safe if effective decontamination methods are used and the glove materials do not have significant degradation. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:131–143, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pattern and variation of the time budget of yellow-bellied marmots

We measured the time budgets of yellow-bellied marmots to determine what constraints limited energy acquisition and whether trade-offs occurred among the behaviors. Therefore, we focus on which behaviors form a consistent pattern among marmot populations, the degree of phenotypic plasticity in the time allocated to the behaviors, and the biotic and abiotic factors associated with variations in time allocations. Time budgets for 14 behaviors were recorded at six sites in the Upper East River Valley in western Colorado over two active seasons. Data were analyzed for cohort, day-period and season-period, and for interactions among the main effects. Sitting and vigilance, accounting for 63% of aboveground activity, are strongly associated with wariness, the need for marmots to monitor the presence of conspecific and predatory intruders. Foraging accounts for 15% of daily activity. These three activities are the major contributors to time budgets at all sites. Radiation, acting as a thermal constraint, greatly...
Limits and the Continuity of Functions

Definition 5.1 Let E ℝ be a set and let f be a real-valued function with domain E. Fix a point P∈ ℝ that is either in E or is an accumulation point of E. We say that f has limit l at P, and we write $$ \mathop {\lim }\limits_{E \mathrel\backepsilon x \to P} f(x) = \ell ,$$ with l a real number, if for each ∈ > 0 there is a δ > 0 such that when x ∈ E and 0 <-P< δ then $$ |f(x) - \ell | < \in .$$
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALTERED RUNOFF IN THE SEMIARID PORTION OF MONO BASIN, CALIFORNIA

Mono Basin is a closed hydrologic unit and is highly sensitive to anticipated changes in temperature and precipitation related to global warming. Available water in the basin is limited and intensely managed. Cottonwood Creek and Bridgeport Creek drain the northern non-Sierra portion of the Mono Basin, and while these watersheds contribute relatively little of the total runoff into Mono Lake, their hydroclimatic conditions are representative of the majority of the Mono Basin drainage area. The hydrologic balance for these watersheds is modeled and selected climate change scenarios are simulated to determine the magnitude of change in water surplus resulting from altered temperature of ±1° and ±2° C and precipitation changes of ±10% and ±20%. Changes in modeled water surplus expressed as a percentage of existing conditions range between 154% and 35% for Cottonwood Creek and 174% and 20% for Bridgeport Creek. Both watersheds display a greater response to a given change in precipitation than to a change in t...
Teaching The Internet of Things Concepts

Named one of the disruptive technologies of the current world, Internet of Things (IoT) is being adopted in many areas of every day life. With an expected growth of exponential measures, IoT brings the promise of generating huge revenues. Companies are taking notice and investing in IoT related products. With this growth rate, we can see an increasing demand for professionals trained in developing and maintaining IoT related projects. The escalated demand for the professionals in computing fields with the knowledge of IoT motivated us to teach IoT concepts as special topics courses to the Computer Information Systems (CIS) majors. This paper summarizes our efforts, experiences, and reflections while teaching two offerings of IoT course.
Multilayer and Three-dimensional Super-Resolution Imaging of Thick Biological Samples

We have demonstrated super-resolution imaging of protein distributions in cells at depth at multiple layers with a lateral localization precision better than 50nm. The approach is based on combining photoactivated localization microscopy with temporal focusing.
Integrated Water Resources Management in Latin America and the Caribbean

In this chapter, we present an overview of selected Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) schemes, legislation, policies, plans, and governance structures designed and implemented by the countries of the region of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Conceptual reasons required a brief introduction on the inspiring ideas of IWRM, stress having been made on the justification of the concept as reflected in its “integrated” note. Such preamble should enable the reader to assess the orthodoxy of the IWRM schemes predominant in the Region as well as the national enabling instruments, measures, and policies enumerated in the second part of the paper, as compared with the IWRM theoretical tenets. Also mentioned is the coordinating, financial, and advisory role of international organizations in response to the limitations of countries to resolve transboundary water issues and in some cases challenges created in federal states by multiple (national, state/provincial, municipal) jurisdictions. Reference is additionally made to the endemic LAC issue of mismatch between abstract legal instruments and actual implementation, as an additional criterion for the reader to judge the value of the actions pursued in this area by the individual nations. The main part of this chapter includes country-by-country available information on the schemes and instruments in force in the Region. The final section of the chapter concludes with findings and an overall assessment of the Region’s achievements and margins for improvement going forward.
Deterioration of Three Potentially Biodegradable Plastic Mulches Before and After Soil Incorporation in a Broccoli Field Production System in Northwestern Washington

Three potentially biodegradable plastic mulch products, Mater-bi based black film (BioAgri), experimental polyhydroxyalkanoate film (Crown 1), and experimental spunbonded polylactic acid fabric (SB-PLA-11), were evaluated over two broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) growing seasons to determine deterioration before and after soil incorporation. Pretillage mulch deterioration was evaluated in both growing seasons by rating the percent visual deterioration (PVD). Crown 1 had the greatest PVD throughout the study (P £ 0.05) and BioAgri also had significant pretillage deterioration. SB-PLA-11 showed no appreciable deterioration based on PVD (<1.3%) in either growing season. Postincorporation mulch deterioration was measured for 13 months after rototilling at the end of the first growing season. The average fragment area of all mulch products decreased over time after soil incorporation. The number of postincorporation mulch fragments initially increased for all mulch products, with Crown 1 and BioAgri reaching maximum fragment counts 132 and 299 days after incorporation, respectively. As the number of fragments declined, the average area of fragments did not change, suggesting that a threshold fragment size may exist at which biodegradation accelerates. At the end of the study period, 397 days after soil incorporation, Crown 1 and BioAgri had deteriorated 100% and 65%, respectively; whereas SB-PLA-11 showed very little deterioration.
Autonomy and Normative Obligation

Thus far, I have set out to examine two opposing conceptions of autonomy. In doing so, I argued that a conception of autonomy as self-rule based upon the metaphor of the helmsman does not fall prey to the “dictates” of external influences in the manner feared by the view of autonomy as autarkeia. In this chapter, I shall turn my attention toward a specific type of external consideration, that of normative obligation.
Micro-structured high-efficiency semiconductor neutron detectors

Perforated semiconductor diode detectors have been under development for several years at Kansas State University for a variety of neutron detection applications. The detectors are fabricated from high purity n-type Si. Sinusoidal trenches are etched into the substrate, into which shallow p-type junctions are diffused. The trenches are then backfilled with 6LiF powder to make the device sensitive to neutrons. Thermal neutron measurements from a 0.0253 eV diffracted neutron beam yielded 17% intrinsic detection efficiency for devices with 50 micron deep trenches and 29% intrinsic detection efficiency for devices with 100 micron deep trenches.
Some questions for further research

Mathematics can be compared to a living organism with many different systems, each affecting and interacting with the others. For this reason it is impossible to anticipate what new topics commutative algebraists may address in the future, but it is possible to identify certain gaps in areas of past research. That is what this paper attempts to do. It identifies eight areas, with two or three questions in each. The selection of questions has been strongly influenced by preparations made for a survey talk, "Forty years of commutative ring theory", that I gave at the conference Venezia 2002 (see [OG]). While the purpose of that talk was not to discuss open questions per se, it was a personal goal of mine to mention a few such questions that I considered to be significant. The talk included six open questions. One, concerning the content formula for polynomials, has since been resolved, and four of the other five are repeated here. As one would expect, most of the questions in this paper have appeared elsewhere. To be sure, in compiling the current list I consulted the following lists of questions on commutative ring theory that appear in the literature.
Changes in the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics: The Role of Technology

The past decade has seen significant changes in the teaching of mathematics in the United States. There are new curriculum guidelines for primary and secondary school mathematics written by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. There is a flurry of activity around the teaching of calculus, both at the university and at the secondary school level. There has been a tremendous upsurge in the number of presentations on educational issues at professional meetings.
Power-to-load balancing for heaving asymmetric wave-energy converters with nonideal power take-off

Abstract The aim of this paper is to maximize the power-to-load ratio for asymmetric wave energy converters undergoing heave motion. Linear hydrodynamic theory is used to calculate bounds of the expected time-averaged power (TAP) and corresponding surge-restraining force, pitch-restraining torque, and power take-off (PTO) control force with the assumption of sinusoidal displacement. This paper formulates an optimal control problem to handle an objective function with competing terms in an attempt to maximize power capture while minimizing structural and actuator loads in regular and irregular waves. Penalty weights are placed on the surge-restraining force, pitch-restraining torque, and PTO actuation force, thereby allowing the control focus to concentrate on either power absorption or load mitigation. The penalty weights are used to control peak structural and actuator loads that were found to curb the additional losses in power absorption associated with a nonideal PTO. Thus, in achieving these goals, a per-unit gain in TAP would not lead to a greater per-unit demand in structural strength, hence yielding a favorable benefit-to-cost ratio. Demonstrative results for “The Berkeley Wedge” in the form of output TAP, reactive TAP needed to drive WEC motion, and the amplitudes of the surge-restraining force, pitch-restraining torque, and PTO control force are shown.