cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diversifying the Biological Sciences: Past Efforts and Future Challenges

I am honored to receive the E. E. Just Award for 2010. In my invited essay, I have opted to discuss the state of diversity in the biological sciences with some recommendations for moving forward toward a more positive and inclusive academy. The need to develop cohorts of minority scientists as support groups and to serve as role models within our institutions is stressed, along with the need to ensure that minority scientists are truly included in all aspects of the academy. It is imperative that we increase our efforts to prepare for the unique challenges that we will face as the United States approaches a "majority minority" population in the next 50 years.
Caveolin-1 deficiency dampens toll-like receptor 4 signaling through eNOS activation

Caveolin-1 (Cav1), the scaffolding protein of caveolae, has been shown to play an important role in host defense and inflammation. However, the underlying molecular basis for these actions remains elusive. Here, using double mutant mice with genetic deletions of Cav1 and NOS3, we show that chronic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation secondary to loss of Cav1 serves a crucial immunomodulatory function through tyrosine nitration-mediated impairment of interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase (IRAK)4, a signaling component required for nuclear factor-®B activation and innate immunity. We observed an eNOS-dependent decrease in the plasma concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and marked improvement of survival in Cav1−/− mice following lipopolysaccharide challenge. Activation of eNOS secondary to loss of Cav1 resulted in decreased activation of nuclear factor-®B in response to lipopolysaccharide challenge, and thereby protected the animals from lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury. IRAK4 was prominently nitrated in Cav1-deficient endothelial cells, whereas eNOS deletion in Cav1-deficient endothelial cells resulted in marked decrease of IRAK4 nitration and restored the inflammatory response after lipopolysaccharide challenge. Furthermore, in vitro nitration of IRAK4 resulted in impairment of the kinase activity. Thus, eNOS activation secondary to loss of Cav1 signals dampening of the innate immune response to lipopolysaccharide through IRAK4 nitration and the resultant impairment of kinase activity, and consequently mitigates inflammatory lung injury.
Are planetary regolith particles back scattering? response to a paper by M. Mishchenko

In a recent paper Mishchenko asserts that soil particles are strongly forward scattering, whereas particles on the surfaces of objects in the solar system have been inferred to be back scattering. Mishchenko suggests that this apparent discrepancy is an artifact caused by using an approximate light scattering model to analyse the data, and that planetary regolith particles are actually strong forward scatterers. The purpose of the present paper is to point out the errors in Mishchenko's paper and to show from both theoretical arguments and experimental data that inhomogencous composite particles which are large compared to the wavelength of visible light, such as rock fragments and agglutinates, can be strongly back scattering and are the fundamental scatterers in media composed of them. Such particles appear to be abundant in planetary regoliths and can account for the back scattering character of the surfaces of many bodies in the solar system. If the range of phase angles covered by a data set is insufficient, serious errors in retrieving the particle scattering properties can result whether an exact or approximate scattering model is used. However, if the data set includes both large and small phase angles, approximate regolith scattering models can correctly retrieve the sign of the particle scattering asymmetry.
On-Chip, Picosecond, Electrical-Characterization Measurements For Si Integrated Circuits

We have developed integrated photoconductors for picosecond pulse generation and sampling on Si integrated circuits. Here we describe the device implementation.
Employment deconcentration in the nonmetropolitan migration turnaround

Since 1970, metropo1itan-to-nonmetropo1itan migration has substantially exceeded the corresponding and historically greater stream of migrants from nonmetropolitan to metropolitan areas. Previous research has concentrated on the changes in retirement mobility, growth of recreation and tourism, and residential preferences responsible in part for the new trends in population distribution. Relatively less attention has been paid to the corresponding phenomenon of the deconcentration of persons who remain actively engaged in the labor force. This research uses data from the Continuous Work History Sample merged with a file of county characteristics to examine trends in location of employed workers from 1960 to 1975. The analyses document changes of county of employment that parallel the trends in general population mobility. The CWHS data show increased movement of employed workers out of the largest SMSAs and into the smaller SMSAs and into both adjacent and nonadjacent nonmetropolitan counties. These data also indicate that the rate of change is greatest for nonadjacent counties. Both increased metropolitan outmovement and decreased nonmetropolitan outmovement are significant in producing the observed net changes.
Mrp3, a mitogen-regulated protein/proliferin gene expressed in wound healing and in hair follicles.

During cutaneous wound healing, a marked increase in the local expression of growth factors results in increased migration and proliferation of the cells responsible for tissue repair. The mitogen-regulated protein (MRP)/proliferin proteins are growth factors and angiogenesis factors. Here it is demonstrated that Mrp3 is induced in wound edge keratinocytes during cutaneous wound healing and also temporally appears in the outer root sheath of the hair follicle during the late anagen phase of the hair cycle. In cultured keratinocytes, Mrp3 is induced by keratinocyte growth factor, but not by epidermal growth factor or by transforming growth factor type α. Transgenic mice, expressing lacZ under the combined control of the cytomegalovirus immediate early enhancer and the Mrp3 flanking sequences, demonstrate wound- and hair cycle-induced transgene expression. These results show that elements within the flanking regulatory sequences of the Mrp3 gene are involved in the activation of Mrp3 in response to these ev...
Diabetes Insipidus in Pregnancy

Diabetes insipidus (DI) and pregnancy may coexist and, when they do, present challenging diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Women with preexisting central DI usually experience increased thirst and require additional hormone replacement. Women with nephrogenic DI have an increased water turnover. Of interest is a group of women with transient DI of gestation. In some of these patients, central DI is brought to the fore by increases in water turnover during pregnancy as well as increments in the metabolic clearance of arginine vasopressin (AVP), especially near term. Others have a "vasopressin-resistant" form of the disease, which in one case followed by us appeared to be due to marked increments in circulating cystine-aminopeptidase (vasopressinase). This patient's DI was resistant to pitressin, but she concentrated her urine when given dDAVP. Her vasopressinase levels 2 weeks postpartum were still several-fold those of normal term gravidas. Her DI remitted, and she concentrated her urine appropriately 2 months postpartum. This article reviews the different forms of DI peculiar to pregnancy.
Comparison of Severity Assessment Methods for Predicting Yield Loss to Rhizoctonia Foliar Blight in Soybean

ABSTRACT Rhizoctonia foliar blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn anastomosis group 1, causes rapid and severe destruction of soybean foliage and pods during hot, wet weather. The objectives of...
Tillage, Seed Size, and Seed Density Effects on Performance of Soft White Winter Wheat

Conservation tillage systems, which leave residues on or near the soil surface, can suppress soft white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) emergence, early development of seedlings, and grain yield. This field study evaluated effects of tillage, seed size, and seed density on the above parameters. Commercially processed, untreated «Stephens» winter wheat grains, separated into size-density combinations of large-dense, largelight, small-dense, small-light, and unsorted, were seeded into tilled and nontilled soil in the fall of 1990 and 1991. In 1990, when seed zone soil moisture was adequate, tillage significantly decreased seminal root intercepts at 3 cm (16%) and 5 cm (24%) below the seed. There was no significant effect of seed size-density [...]
Influence of retirement on leisure-time physical activity: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

Cross-sectional data suggest that leisure-time physical activity may increase during retirement. Prospective population-based studies are necessary to characterize leisure activity patterns through retirement among the same persons to verify this observation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the influence of retirement on leisure activity using data from Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort participants aged 45-64 years at baseline. Physical activity was measured by the Baecke questionnaire in 1,825 African-American and 5,957 White participants who were working at the initial visit (1986-1989) and either retired or working 6 years later (1993-1995). Participants who retired during follow-up were more likely to increase their sport participation and television watching than those who continued to work over the 6-year period. Among those reporting sport or exercise at baseline, those retiring over follow-up were more likely to maintain their sport and exercise participation than those who continued to work across race-gender groups. Among those not reporting sport or exercise at baseline, those who retired were more likely to adopt activity than those who continued to work except for African-American women. In this study, retirement was associated with gains in sport and exercise participation as well as television watching. Am J Epidemiol 2002;155:692-9.
Californium-252 in the Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas are a heterozygous group of malignancies with various treatment related outcomes that are based on factors such as grade, histology, primary site among others [1–3]. Recent series including a randomized trial from Memorial Sloan Kettering has attempted to define the role of brachytherapy in the treatment of STS. However, as with most reviews this and other reported series are limited in the traditional use or radioactive source such as I-125 or Ir-192 [4–6]. In an effort to help overcome some of the limitations placed on traditional low dose rate brachytherapy, attempts at high dose rate or pulsed high dose rate brachytherapy have been reported [7–8]. During the past thirty years, a remarkable radioactive source (Cf-252) introduced which may offer preferential benefits when compared to the traditionally utilized radiation sources. Although it has been clinically used and described in various sites such as cervix, head and neck, and brain, little has been described in its use for the treatment of STS [9–11].
Differential ‘Galois’ extensions with new constants

Abstract Let F be a differential field with algebraically closed field of constants C and let E be a differential field extension of F. The field E is a differential Galois extension if it is generated over F by a full set of solutions of a linear homogeneous differential equation with coefficients in F and if its field of constants coincides with C . We study the differential field extensions of F that satisfy the first condition but not the second.
A fuzzy control approach to a two-axis mirror laser beam alignment system

Abstract Fuzzy logic and fuzzy expert control systems have been one of the most active research and development areas of artificial intelligence in recent years. Thanks to tremendous technical advances and industrial applications in Japan, fuzzy logic enjoys an unprecedented popularity. In this paper fuzzy logic is used to control a two-axis mirror gimbal for aligning a laser beam onto the center of a target (quadrant detector). A PC-based controller is implemented with a simple rule set to control and stabilize the device. A comparison between a non-fuzzy (full-state) proportional controller and the fuzzy controller was made. Experiments were performed to study the tracking characteristics and the effect of rule pruning on the system response. Considerable improvements on the overshoot and response time of the system under fuzzy control have been achieved. The paper presents the problem, hardware, software, and the experimental results.
Planting date and development of spring-seeded irrigated canola, brown mustard and camelina

Abstract With increased emphasis on bio-diesel fuels, the influence of spring planting on development of brown mustard (Brassica juncea cv. Arid), canola (B. napus cv. Hyola 401) and camelina (Camelina sativa cv. Boa) has become important. Field trials were conducted at Scottsbluff, NE, in 2005 and 2006 at planting dates of 24 February, 24 March, 7 April, 21 April and 5 May, and 3 March, 3 April, 10 April, 27 April, 11 May, and 2 Jun, respectively. Emergence time was shorter with later planting. Flowering date was later with later planting but occurred within a range of degree days (P-days). Fruiting was affected by date and P-days, but seed maturity was not affected by planting date and was unrelated to P-days. Fleabeetle (Phyllotreta spp.) damage was very high in brown mustard and canola. Bird, primarily house finch (Carppodacus mexicanus), feeding was a major problem with brown mustard planted before mid April and in canola, only with the first planting. Camelina was not affected by either. Planting in April gave the best yields, and canola could yield over 2200 kg ha−1. Oil content of the Brassica was highest when planted from late March and later. For camelina, planting date had no effect. In brown mustard and canola, 60–65% of oil was C18:1, in camelina, about 15%. Later planting increased C18:1 content for the three crops. The second fatty acid was C18:2 with 20% in brown mustard, 18% in canola and 20% in camelina. Later planting increased C18:2 in camelina only. The major fatty acid in camelina was C18:3 at 32–37%; earlier planting increased the content of C18:3. In Camelina, C20:1 comprised about 12% of the oil and was highest with April planting. Canola and camelina seeded in April could be grown for oil successfully in western Nebraska.
Assumed Attitude Similarity and Instructor Evaluation

Summary The extent of the relationships of assumed and actual student-instructor attitudinal similarity to instructor and course evaluations was investigated in a sample comprising 409 undergraduates and 14 instructors involved in 21 divisions of an educational psychology course. The hypothesized positive correlation between assumed similarity and attraction to the instructor was confirmed (p < .001). Several other instructor and course evaluation variables also evidenced moderately positive correlations with assumed similarity, whereas there appeared to be little evidence of any relationships existing between actual similarity and these evaluation variables. These findings were interpreted as evidence for the presence of Newcomb's “strain toward symmetry” in students' evaluative responses to instructors.
High temperature intrinsic defects in fused silica

Abstract The equilibrium concentrations of intrinsic defects in fused silica are estimated in the temperature range 1000–2000 K, assuming that thermal SiO bond breaking in a regular glass network creates a pair of moveable intrinsic defects: (a) 3-coordinated Si atoms and (b) non-bridging O atoms. Besides the recombination of moveable defects, which restores the regular network (R ⇆ a + b), two 3-coordinated Si atoms create an O vacancy (A ⇆ a + a) and two non-bridging O atoms create a bridging peroxy linkage (B ⇆ b + b). With the use of single SiO, SiSi and OO bond energies as activation energies for these reactions, the differential equations for the bridging peroxy linkage equilibrium defect concentrations are solved for different environments. There is good correlation between the temperature dependence of the equilibrium concentration of bridging peroxy linkages and the dependence of the intensity of the Raman 606 cm−1 mode on fictive temperatures. On this basis, bridging peroxy linkages are proposed as the source of the 606 cm−1 Raman mode.
High prevalence of dementia among people with learning disabilities not attributable to Down's syndrome.

Background. For many years, it has been known that dementia can occur in people with learning disabilities, but there have been few research studies. Studies that do quote rates for dementia show these to be high, but this important fact has received remarkably little attention.Method. Comprehensive psychiatric and medical assessments were undertaken on the whole population (ascertained as far as is possible) of people with learning disabilities aged 65 years and over living in Leicestershire, UK (N=134), in order to ascertain rates of DCR defined dementia, and associated factors.Results. Dementia was diagnosed in 21·6%, against an expected prevalence of 5·7%, for a group with this age structure. The rate of dementia increased in successive age cohorts: 15·6% aged 65–74 years; 23·5% aged 65–84 years; and 70·0% aged 85–94 years. People with dementia tended to be older, female, with more poorly controlled epilepsy, a larger number of additional physical disorders, less likely to be smokers and had lower adaptive behaviour scores than did the elderly people without dementia. They were more likely to live in health service accommodation.Conclusions. Dementia occurs at a much higher rate among elderly people with learning disabilities than it does among the general population; this is independent of the association between dementia and Down's syndrome. Whether this relates aetiologically to genetics, lack of brain ‘reserve’ or history of brain damage is yet to be determined.
Transdermal delivery of theophylline from alcohol vehicles

Abstract The fluxes of theophylline (Th) through hairless mouse skin from suspensions in straight alkyl chain alcohols have been measured ( J i ). The fluxes of theophylline from these first applications was least from methanol (C 1 ), increased by almost 100-fold for fluxes of theophylline from pentanol (C 5 ), hexanol (C 6 ), heptanol (C 7 ) octanol (C 8 ) and nonanol (C 9 ), then decreased 10-fold for the flux of theophylline from undecanol (C 11 ). The second application of a standard solute–solvent, theophylline–propylene glycol (Th–PG), was used to assess damage to the skin caused by the first application. The flux from this subsequent application of Th–PG ( J j ) was least after application of Th–C 1 , increased almost 60-fold after application of Th–C 5 , then remained relatively constant after application of theophylline in the longer chain alcohols. The trend in the fluxes of Th–PG in the second application was the same as the trend in the fluxes of Th–PG subsequent to the application of the neat alcohols previously reported. The ratios J i / J j showed that there were no significant increases in fluxes of theophylline from the first application without concomitant increases in fluxes of theophylline from the second application ( J i / J j =1.3–2.2) except for the application of Th–C 3 where J i / J j =7.7. Control experiments showed that the fluxes of the alcohols from the suspensions and the back-diffusion of water into the donor phases in the first application, determined using 1 H NMR spectroscopy, were of the same magnitude and gave the same trend as from the application of the neat alcohols previously reported.
Necessary indeterminacy and the microethnographic study of reading as a social process

This article discusses a microethnographic approach to the study of classroom reading and writing. Inherent to a microethnographic perspective is a view of reading and writing as social and cultural processes. Reading and writing are viewed as a set of social and cultural events, in which people act and react to each other. This view of reading and writing is contrasted with dominant psychologically-oriented views. Two dimensions of reading and writing as social and cultural processes are emphasized in the article: (1) author-reader interaction, and (2) social relationships among people during a reading or writing event. The actions and reactions that people take to each other are necessarily indeterminate in meaning and significance, their meaning and significance is negotiated and reconstructed as people continue to interact. The indeterminacy of actions, reactions, and utterances provides a basis for dialogue and the co-construction of meaning and action. A transcript of part of a classroom reading lesson is analyzed and discussed to provide an illustration of a microethnographic approach to understanding reading and writing as social and cultural processes and the role of indeterminacy. Implications of viewing reading and writing as social and cultural processes and the concept of necessary indeterminacy are extended to the conduct of reading research.
Cutting Cataloging Costs: Accepting LC Classification Call Numbers from OCLC Cataloging Copy

Cataloging policy at the University of Alabama Libraries allows the acceptance of LC classification call numbers from OCLC cataloging copy into the local database without shelflisting. In this study, we measured error rates for locally unshelflisted samples and a control group of locally assigned and shelflisted call numbers to determine whether this policy produces disarrangement of the local online shelflist. The results show no significant differences between samples, indicating that cataloger’s task of local shelflisting is not a cost-effective use of their time. An analysis of the error data suggests that the types of disorder created by shelflisting errors would not impede the retrieval of items while subject browsing, but further study is needed to confirm this.
Fundamentals of interaction of ionizing radiations with chemical, biochemical, and pharmaceutical systems

A literature review is presented of the chemical and biological effects of ionizing radiations with special reference to the pharmaceutical sciences. A review of the theoretical principles of interactions of high energy radiations with matter is presented with re gard to three stages of the process: physical, physiocochemical, and chemical. In a discussion of the irradiation of gases the ionization of gas molecules and modes of reaction of free positive ions in gas media are considered. The irradiation of liquids is discussed with regard to water, aqueous solutions, and organic liquids. The irradiation of solids is reviewed with regard to metallic crystals, valence crystals, ionic crystals, and molecular crystals. A review of chemical protection from ionizing radiations considers energy and charge transfer, scavenging intermediates, and complex formation. Effects of ionizing radiations on biological molecules are reviewed with regard to carbohydrates; amino acids and peptides; proteins and enzymes; respiratory proteins, vitamins, and coenzymes; and nucleic acids. Studies on pharmaceutical systems are concerned with radioprotective drugs such as sulfhydryl compounds, estrogens, and bacterial lipopolysaccharides. (HLW)
Revisiting the antagonistic pleiotropy theory of aging: TOR-driven program and quasi-program.

A half century ago, antagonistic pleiotropy (AP) theory had solved a mystery of aging, by postulating genes beneficial early in life at the cost of aging. Recently it was argued however that there are very few clear-cut examples of antagonistically pleiotropic (AP) genes other than p53. In contrast, here I discuss that p53 is not a clear-cut example of AP genes but is rather an aging-suppressor (gerosuppressor). In contrast, clear-cut examples of AP genes are genes that encode the TOR (target of rapamycin) pathway. TOR itself is the ultimate example of AP gene because its deletion is lethal in embryogenesis. Early in life the TOR pathway drives developmental program, which persists later in life as an aimless quasi-program of aging and age-related diseases.
A performance analysis of local synchronization

Synchronization is often necessary in parallel computing, but it can create delays whenever the receiving processor is idle, waiting for the information to arrive. This is especially true for barrier, or global, synchronization, in which every processor must synchronize with every other processor. Nonetheless, barriers are the only form of synchronization explicitly supplied in MPI and OpenMP.Many applications do not actually require global synchronization; local synchronization, in which a processor synchronizes only with those processors from which it has an incoming edge in some directed graph, is often adequate. However, the behavior of a system under local synchronization is more difficult to analyze, since processors do not all start tasks at the same time.In this paper, we show that if the synchronization graph is a directed cycle and the task times are geometrically distributed with p = 0.5, the time it takes for a processor to complete a task, including synchronization time, approaches an exact limit of 2 + √2 as the number of processors in the cycle approaches infinity. Under global synchronization, however, the time is unbounded, increasing logarithmically with the number of processors. Similar results also apply for p ≠ 0.5.We give a new proof of the constant upper bounds that apply when tasks are normally distributed and the synchronization graph is any graph of bounded degree. We also prove that for some power-law distributions on the tasks, there is no constant upper bound as the number of processors increases, even for the directed cycle. Finally, we show that constant upper bounds apply for some cases of a different synchronization model in which a processor waits for only a subset of its neighbors.
Evolution and targeting of Omp85 homologs in the chloroplast outer envelope membrane

Translocon at the outer-envelope-membrane of chloroplasts 75 (Toc75) is the core component of the chloroplast protein import machinery. It belongs to the Omp85 family whose members exist in various Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts of eukaryotes. Chloroplasts of Viridiplantae contain another Omp85 homolog called outer envelope protein 80 (OEP80), whose exact function is unknown. In addition, the Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes truncated forms of Toc75 and OEP80. Multiple studies have shown a common origin of the Omp85 homologs of cyanobacteria and chloroplasts but their results about evolutionary relationships among cyanobacterial Omp85 (cyanoOmp85), Toc75, and OEP80 are inconsistent. The bipartite targeting sequence-dependent sorting of Toc75 has been demonstrated but the targeting mechanisms of other chloroplast Omp85 homologs remain largely unexplored. This study was aimed to address these unresolved issues in order to further our understanding of chloroplast evolution. Sequence alignments and recently determined structures of bacterial Omp85 homologs were used to predict structures of chloroplast Omp85 homologs. The results enabled us to identify amino acid residues that may indicate functional divergence of Toc75 from cyanoOmp85 and OEP80. Phylogenetic analyses using Omp85 homologs from various cyanobacteria and chloroplasts provided strong support for the grouping of Toc75 and OEP80 sister to cyanoOmp85. However, this support was diminished when the analysis included Omp85 homologs from other bacteria and mitochondria. Finally, results of import assays using isolated chloroplasts support outer membrane localization of OEP80tr and indicate that OEP80 may carry a cleavable targeting sequence.
Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium Guidelines for Cytochrome P450 2D6 Genotype and Codeine Therapy: 2014 Update

Codeine is bioactivated to morphine, a strong opioid agonist, by the hepatic cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6); hence, the efficacy and safety of codeine are governed by CYP2D6 activity. Polymorphisms are a major cause of CYP2D6 variability. We summarize evidence from the literature supporting this association and provide therapeutic recommendations for codeine based on CYP2D6 genotype. This document is an update to the 2012 Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines for CYP2D6 genotype and codeine therapy.
RAG2 gene knockout in mice causes fatigue.

The effect of a disrupted immune system on the neuromuscular system is poorly characterized. We compared the strength and fatigue of RAG2−/− mice, which lack T-cells and B-cells, with immune intact controls. RAG2−/− mice demonstrated fatigue with shorter inverted hang-times (HT) and voluntary wheel-running (VWR) distance and total run times; they increased body weight more slowly but had proportionally normal forelimb grip strength (FGS) and VWR speed. Medial rectus femoris histopathology showed no change in fiber type proportions, no variation in type 2b fiber diameter, and no change in the percentage of central nuclei. There was no change in serum creatine kinase (CK) levels. Thus, in RAG2−/− mice body weight and fatigue were directly affected by a hypoactive immune system. Whether these effects were centrally or peripherally mediated is unknown. This model may help to explain fatigue in human conditions in which the immune system is suppressed or absent. Muscle Nerve, 2007
First Report of Amylostereum areolatum in Pines in the United States

The wood decay fungus Amylostereum areolatum (Fr.) Boidin, native to Eurasia and North Africa (4), is the mycosymbiont of several siricid woodwasps including Sirex noctilio Fabricius, a major pest of pines in New Zealand, Australia, South America, and South Africa where it has been introduced. Adult females of S. noctilio are effective vectors of arthrospores (hyphal fragments) of the fungus, stored internally within mycangia in the abdomen, which are injected with the eggs and a phytotoxic mucus into the outer sapwood of coniferous tree hosts during oviposition. The toxin is translocated upward into the foliage causing needle wilting, necrosis, and crown dieback. The fungus decays the wood (white rot) and provides food for hatching larvae that form borer galleries. Extensive damage to the host via wood decay, galleries, and toxin effects cause mortality in heavily infested trees. S. noctilio adults have been intercepted from several locations in North America prior to 2003, but there has been no evidence...
Unitary spin as a necessary concomitant of the structure of space-time

It is shown that a unique Hamiltonian description of the geodesics in spaces of constant curvature leads, necessarily, to spins that are direct products of Dirac spin with generators of SU(3) or higher SU groups.
Mass-spectrometric determination of the half-life of 235Np

Abstract A precise measurement of the half-life of 235Np has been made by a mass-spectrometric method, in which the isotopic ratio of 235Np to 236Np (long-lived isomer) was measured as a function of time. The apparent half-life, after 630 days, was 396·1 ± 1·2 days.
The Fixed-Charge Perishable Inventory Problem

This paper deals with the problem of determing both optimal and approximate ordering policies for a fixed-life perishable commodity when there is a fixed charge or set-up cost for placing an order. The structure of the optimal policy can be inferred from the analysis of a one-period model under the assumption that the outdating is paid for when the order arrives rather than when the outdating actually occurs. An approximate model is constructed for which s, S policies are optimal by approximating the one expected single-period cost and the transfer function. Two different bounds on the expected out-dating per period are used to obtain two different s, S approximations. Computations are performed for a discrete version of the problem with three different demand distributions and 24 configurations of the cost structure to compare the effectiveness of both approximations with the optimal policy.
Murine Mammary Gland Carcinogenesis Is Critically Dependent on Progesterone Receptor Function

To define the functional relevance of progesterone-initiated intracellular signaling in mammary gland tumorigenesis, the progesterone receptor knockout (PRKO) mouse model was used in the context of an established carcinogen-induced mammary tumorigenesis system. In carcinogen-treated, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), pituitary-isografted mice, there was a marked reduction in mammary tumor incidence in PRKO mice as compared with isogenic wild types (WT). Mammary tumors arose in 12 (60%) of 20 WT mice compared with 3 (15%) of 20 PRKO mice by 44 weeks after the initial DMBA treatment. In the absence of a pituitary isograft, mammary tumors developed in 4 (20%) of 20 WT mice versus 4 (20%) of 20 PRKO mice by 47 weeks. At the time of carcinogen administration, the proliferative index of the pituitary-stimulated WT gland was at least 4-fold higher than similarly treated PRKO glands, supporting the importance of PR-mediated proliferative pathways in the genesis of this tumor type. Unlike the WT gland, the PRKO gland was unable to exhibit alveologenesis in response to pituitary isograft stimulation; thus, DMBA-initiated mammary tumors observed in the PRKO were assumed to be exclusively of ductal origin. Compared with previous tested strains, by 47 weeks, a higher incidence of DMBA-induced ovarian tumors was observed in this mouse strain: (a) 4 (20%) of 20 WT mice and 9 (45%) of 20 PRKO mice with a pituitary isograft; and (b) 10 (50%) of 20 WT mice and 10 (50%) of 20 PRKO mice without a pituitary isograft. Despite the host-strain's underlying propensity for DMBA-induced ovarian neoplasms, our studies underscore the specific importance of the PR (as distinct from the estrogen receptor) as a mandatory mediator for those intracellular signaling pathways that are essential for the initiation of the majority of murine mammary tumors induced by DMBA. Apart from providing strong support for progesterone's role in mammary gland tumorigenesis as well as furthering our fundamental understanding of breast cancer etiology, these studies may have implications for the routine use of progestins.
A database for handwritten text recognition research

An image database for handwritten text recognition research is described. Digital images of approximately 5000 city names, 5000 state names, 10000 ZIP Codes, and 50000 alphanumeric characters are included. Each image was scanned from mail in a working post office at 300 pixels/in in 8-bit gray scale on a high-quality flat bed digitizer. The data were unconstrained for the writer, style, and method of preparation. These characteristics help overcome the limitations of earlier databases that contained only isolated characters or were prepared in a laboratory setting under prescribed circumstances. Also, the database is divided into explicit training and testing sets to facilitate the sharing of results among researchers as well as performance comparisons. >
Style and Sociolinguistic Variation.

Style and Sociolinguistic Variation. Penelope Eckert and John R. Rickford. eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 344 pp.
EFFECT OF PILOT INJECTION TIMING, PILOT QUANTITY AND INTAKE CHARGE CONDITIONS ON PERFORMANCE AND EMISSIONS FOR AN ADVANCED LOW-PILOT-IGNITED NATURAL GAS ENGINE

Diesel engines may be converted readily to operate primarily on natural gas using the injection of a diesel pilot to achieve ignition. Advanced low-pilot-ignited natural gas (ALPING) engines show significant potential to match diesel engines in their part-load and full-load efficiencies. Experiments were performed to study the effects of pilot injection timing (-15 to -60 degrees ATDC), pilot quantity, intake manifold pressure and intake charge temperature on the performance and emissions from an ALPING engine under half-load (21 kW at 1700 r/min) and full-load (42 kW at 1700 r/min) conditions. Low NOx emissions (below 0.03 g/kW h at -60 degrees ATDC) with satisfactory fuel conversion efficiency (31 per cent) for half-load and NOx emissions of 0.2 g/kW h at -60 degrees ATDC with fuel conversion efficiency of 40 per cent could be obtained for full-load engine operation. High HC emissions, 96 g/kW h at -20 degrees ATDC for half-load and 21 g/kW h at -60 degrees ATDC for full-load operation, were recorded. The NOx emissions showed an interesting trend for varied injection timings with maximum NOx emissions occurring at-35 degrees ATDC and minimum at -60 degrees ATDC injection timing. Increased pilot quantity, intake charge temperature and lower intake manifold pressures resulted in increased NOx emissions and fuel conversion efficiency, and decreased HC emissions. (A)
Health Inequalities: Trends, Progress, and Policy

Health inequalities, which have been well documented for decades, have more recently become policy targets in developed countries. This review describes time trends in health inequalities (by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status), commitments to reduce health inequalities, and progress made to eliminate health inequalities in the United States, United Kingdom, and other OECD countries. Time-trend data in the United States indicate a narrowing of the gap between the best- and worst-off groups in some health indicators, such as life expectancy, but a widening of the gap in others, such as diabetes prevalence. Similarly, time-trend data in the United Kingdom indicate a narrowing of the gap between the best- and worst-off groups in some indicators, such as hypertension prevalence, whereas the gap between social classes has increased for life expectancy. More research and better methods are needed to measure precisely the relationships between stated policy goals and observed trends in health inequali...
Accelerating multi-core processor design space evaluation using automatic multi-threaded workload synthesis

The design and evaluation of microprocessor architectures is a difficult and time-consuming task. Although small, hand-coded microbenchmarks can be used to accelerate performance evaluation, these programs lack the complexity to stress increasingly complex architecture designs. Larger and more complex real-world workloads should be employed to measure the performance of a given design or to evaluate the efficiency of various design alternatives. These applications can take days or weeks if run to completion on a detailed architecture simulator. In the past, researchers have applied machine learning and statistical sampling methods to reduce the average number of instructions required for detailed simulation. Others have proposed statistical simulation and workload synthesis techniques, which can produce programs that emulate the execution characteristics of the application from which they are derived but have a much shorter execution period than the original. However, these existing methods are difficult to apply to multi-threaded programs and can result in simplifications that miss the complex interactions between multiple, concurrently running threads. This study focuses on developing new techniques for accurate and effective multi-threaded workload synthesis, which can significantly accelerate architecture design evaluation of multi-core processors. We propose to construct synchronized statistical flow graphs that incorporate inter-thread synchronization and sharing behavior to capture the complex characteristics and interactions of multiple threads. Moreover, we develop thread-aware data reference models and wavelet-based branching models to generate accurate memory access and dynamic branch statistics. Experimental results show that a framework integrated with the aforementioned models can automatically generate synthetic programs that maintain characteristics of original workloads but have significantly reduced runtime.
The Interaction of Catalytically Inactive Proteolytic Enzymes with Protein Inhibitors Methyl-Chymotrypsin

Over the past three decades a considerable amount of information has accumulated concerning the interaction of protein inhibitors with proteolytic enzymes. The following appear to be the three principal factors involved: 1. Protein inhibitors form strongly associated, physically demonstratable complexes with proteolytic enzymes. There are high degrees of specificity in these interactions but the stoichiometries may vary. 2. A single amino acid residue on the inhibitor, usuallya residue compatable with the normal substrate specificity of the enzyme is required for inhibitory activity. Crystallographic evidence suggests that this required residue fits into the substrate binding site of the enzyme in a conformation very close to that expected for a good substrate. In addition, in many but not all cases, hydrolysis of a single specific peptide bond of the inhibitor has been observed. 3. The catalytic activity of the enzyme, however, does not play an essential role in the formation of the complex. This is most clearly seen in the formation of highly associated complexes between inhibitors and catalytically inactive derivatives of proteolytic enzymes.
Too Far, Too Close: Religious Affiliations and Asians' Perceptions of US and China's Influence

This article examines the impact of sociopolitical and spiritual factors on Asians' perceptions of US and China's influence. From the 2003 AsiaBarometer survey, seven Asian countries with diverse socioeconomic and religious components are analyzed—India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. Multilevel estimates reveal that (i) individuals from the seven nations show fewer similarities than do members of different religious institutions concerning US and China's influence in the region; (ii) only Muslims strongly oppose US influence in the region, while other religious affiliations do not wield any significant explanatory power. Contrastingly, individuals affiliated with religions positively perceive China's influence; (iii) sociopolitical contentment substantially boosts favorable perception about the United States and China; and (iv) spiritual perseverance discourages approval of the United States and China, but not trust in religious organizations.
The IL18RAP Region Disease Polymorphism Decreases IL-18RAP/IL-18R1/IL-1R1 Expression and Signaling through Innate Receptor–Initiated Pathways

Fine-tuning of cytokine-inducing pathways is essential for immune homeostasis. Consistently, a dysregulated increase or decrease in pattern-recognition receptor (PRR)-induced signaling and cytokine secretion can lead to inflammatory bowel disease. Multiple gene loci are associated with inflammatory bowel disease, but their functional effects are largely unknown. One such region in chromosome 2q12 (rs917997), also associated with other immune-mediated diseases, encompasses IL18RAP. We found that human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) from rs917997 AA risk carriers secrete significantly less cytokines than G carriers upon stimulation of multiple PRRs, including nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2). We identified that IL-18 signaling through IL-18RAP was critical in amplifying PRR-induced cytokine secretion in MDMs. IL-18RAP responded to NOD2-initiated early, caspase-1-dependent autocrine IL-18, which dramatically enhanced MAPK, NF-κB, PI3K, and calcium signaling. Reconstituting MAPK activation was sufficient to rescue decreased cytokines in NOD2-stimulated IL-18RAP-deficient MDMs. Relative to GG carriers, MDM from rs917997 AA carriers had decreased expression of cell-surface IL-18RAP protein, as well as of IL-18R1 and IL-1R1, genes also located in the IL18RAP region. Accordingly, these risk-carrier MDMs show diminished PRR-, IL-18-, and IL-1-induced MAPK and NF-κB signaling. Taken together, our results demonstrate clear functional consequences of the rs917997 risk polymorphism; this polymorphism leads to a loss-of-function through decreased IL-18RAP, IL-18R1, and IL-1R1 protein expression, which impairs autocrine IL-18 and IL-1 signaling, thereby leading to decreased cytokine secretion in MDMs upon stimulation of a broad range of PRRs.
The Generalization Effects of Parent Training Across Stimulus Settings.

Five parents of nonverbal children were trained in two home settings to modify antecedents and consequences to their children's vocalizations. Generalization effects of the parent training on both the parent's and children's behaviors under different stimulus conditions were investigated using multiple-baseline designs. Increases in parent prompting and reinforcing their children's vocalizations generalized only minimally to a new setting in the home where parent training had not occurred. Child increases in vocalizations produced by the parents in the training settings did generalize to this new setting in the home. There was minimal generalization of child vocalizations to a free-play setting at school. In a formal speech session conducted by a behavior specialist at school, only one child showed definite increases in acquisition rate as a function of the parents starting to train the sound at home.
Organization matters: Mental organization of addition knowledge relates to understanding math equivalence in symbolic form

a b s t r a c t Two quasi-experiments examined mental organization of addition knowledge as a potential source of individual differences in under- standing math equivalence in symbolic form. We hypothesized that children who mentally organize addition knowledge around con- ceptually related groupings would have better understanding of math equivalence. In Quasi-experiment 1, we assessed 101 second and third grade students' mental organization of addition knowl- edge based on their use of decomposition strategies to solve addi- tion problems (e.g., 3 + 4 = 3 + 3 + 1 = 6 + 1 = 7). In Quasi-experiment 2, we assessed 94 second grade students' mental organization based on their ability to generate a set of equations equal to a target value. In both quasi-experiments, children whose mental organi- zation better reflected conceptually related groupings exhibited better understanding of math equivalence. Results thus support the
Characteristics and Outcomes of Ethics Consultations in an Oncologic Intensive Care Unit

Objective:To evaluate the frequency, characteristics, and outcomes of ethics consultations in critically ill patients with cancer.Design, Setting, and Methods:This is a retrospective analysis of all adult patients with cancer who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a comprehensive cancer center and had an ethics consultation between September 2007 and December 2011. Demographic and clinical variables were abstracted along with the details and contexts of the ethics consultations.Main Results:Ethics consultations were obtained on 53 patients (representing 1% of all ICU admissions). The majority (90%) of patients had advanced-stage malignancies, had received oncologic therapies within the past 12 months, and required mechanical ventilation and/or vasopressor therapy for respiratory failure and/or severe sepsis. Two-thirds of the patients lacked decision-making capacity and nearly all had surrogates. The most common reasons for ethics consultations were disagreements between the patients/surrog...