cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purchasing Travel Time Data: Investigation of Travel Time Data Service Requirements

Given recent advances in technology that support probe-based traffic monitoring, many transportation agencies are considering purchasing travel time data from private providers to supplement or replace data currently collected using agency-owned point sensors. Although this new approach potentially offers significant benefits, it also brings substantial risk. To mitigate the risk, it is essential that agencies develop clear, thorough requirements to use in travel time data purchasing agreements. The purpose of this research was to develop proposed travel time data service requirements. First, the research team conducted a critical analysis of expected data users and their applications. On the basis of that analysis, proposed requirements were developed in the following categories: (a) travel time measure requirements defining what data should be provided in the agreement, (b) spatial coverage requirements defining the directional link structure that should be used for travel time measurements, (c) temporal requirements defining the measurement time intervals, (d) data quality requirements defining minimum acceptable data quality to be provided, (e) data quality validation requirements defining the methodology to use in assessing data quality, and (f) data use requirements defining acceptable uses of the data by the purchasing agency.
Use of smart trials for soft-tissue balancing in total knee replacement surgery

Smart trials are total knee tibial trial liners with load bearing and alignment sensors that will graphically show quantitative compartment load-bearing forces and component track patterns. These values will demonstrate asymmetrical ligament balancing and misalignments with the medial retinaculum temporarily closed. Currently surgeons use feel and visual estimation of imbalance to assess soft-tissue balancing and tracking with the medial retinaculum open, which results in lower medial compartment loads and a wider anteroposterior tibial tracking pattern. The sensor trial will aid the total knee replacement surgeon in performing soft-tissue balancing by providing quantitative visual feedback of changes in forces while performing the releases incrementally. Initial experience using a smart tibial trial is presented.
Influence of valproic acid on hepatic carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

Abstract Valproic acid (dipropylacetic acid), an antiepileptic agent known to be hepatotoxic in some patients, caused inhibition of lactate gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and fatty acid synthesis by isolated hepatocytes. The latter process was the most sensitive to valproic acid, 50% inhibition occurring at ca. 125 μ m with cells from meal-fed female rats. The medium-chain acyl-CoA ester fraction was increased whereas coenzyme A (CoA), acetyl-CoA, and the long chain acyl-CoA fractions were decreased by valproic acid. The increase in the medium chain acyl-CoA fraction was found by high-pressure liquid chromatography to be due to the accumulation of valproyl-CoA plus an apparent CoAester metabolite of valproyl-CoA. Salicylate inhibited valproyl-CoA formation and partially protected against valproic acid inhibition of hepatic metabolic processes. Octanoate had a similar protective effect, suggesting that activation of valproic acid in the mitosol is required for its inhibitory effects. It is proposed that either valproyl-CoA itself or the sequestration of CoA causes inhibition of metabolic processes. Valproyl-CoA formation also appears to explain valproic acid inhibition of gluconeogenesis by isolated kidney tubules. No evidence was found for the accumulation of valproyl-CoA in brain tissue, suggesting that the effects of valproic acid in the central nervous system are independent of the formation of this metabolite.
Dynamic Programming and Graph Optimization Problems

Abstract Several classes of graph optimization problems, which can be solved using dynamic programming, are known to have more efficient tailor-made algorithms. This paper discusses four such classes and the underlying constraints on their subproblem interrelationships that yield these efficient algorithms. These classes are also extended to handle more general cost functions.
Identification and classification of viruses that have not been propagated

Microorganisms that cannot be grown in the laboratory can now be tentatively identified, by cloning and sequencing particular nucleic acid segments and then carrying out a comparative sequence analysis with an appropriate database. For bacteria, a few universally distributed genes and gene products have enabled comparative sequence analysis to be used for tentative identification and classification of uncultured bacteria. For viruses, there is no universally distributed viral gene or gene product. However, in a few cases, viruses that could not be propagated in the laboratory have been identified and classified. In these cases, either the entire viral genome sequence was determined or partial sequence information was supplemented with additional data. The Executive Committee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) has reviewed the issue of identification and classification of viruses that have not been propagated. Under the ICTV system, formal review of any taxonomic proposal is carried out by the relevant ICTV Subcommittee or Study Group. The few examples of unpropagated viruses that have arisen thus far have been readily accommodated within existing viral taxonomy, with the international group of experts comprising each Subcommittee and Study Group determining the necessary and sufficient amount of information needed for classification of an unpropagated virus on a case-by-case basis.
Neuropeptide Modulation of Microcircuits

Neuropeptides provide functional flexibility to microcircuits, their inputs and effectors by modulating presynaptic and postsynaptic properties and intrinsic currents. Recent studies have relied less on applied neuropeptide and more on their neural release. In rhythmically active microcircuits (central pattern generators, CPGs), recent studies show that neuropeptide modulation can enable particular activity patterns by organizing specific circuit motifs. Neuropeptides can also modify microcircuit output indirectly, by modulating circuit inputs. Recently elucidated consequences of neuropeptide modulation include changes in motor patterns and behavior, stabilization of rhythmic motor patterns and changes in CPG sensitivity to sensory input. One aspect of neuropeptide modulation that remains enigmatic is the presence of multiple peptide family members in the same nervous system and even the same neurons.
Tadalafil as monotherapy and in combination regimens for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the use of tadalafil as monotherapy and in combination regimens for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A systematic English language search of the medical literature using PubMed was conducted between January 1960 and May 2012 using the search terms 'tadalafil', 'therapy', 'pulmonary (arterial) hypertension' and 'combination therapy'. Special emphasis was given to controlled clinical trials and case studies relevant for the use of tadalafil in PAH. The search revealed 113 relevant publications, 31 of which were clinical trials, 52 were reviews and 12 were case reports. Of these, 12 were clinical studies in human patients with PAH who were treated with tadalafil alone, and seven were clinical studies in human patients with PAH who were treated with tadalafil in combination with other agents. Only clinical studies in human patients were included. Exclusion criteria were monotherapy other than using tadalafil and any combination therapy that excluded tadalafil as part of the treatment regimen. Overall, 1353 human subjects were studied; 896 were treated with tadalafil alone while 457 subjects were treated with tadalafil in coadministration. Tadalafil appears to be an effective and a safe treatment option for patients with PAH. It improves clinical status, exercise capacity, hemodynamic parameters, compliance issues and quality of life and reduces the occurrence of clinical worsening. Tadalafil in combination therapy seems to be additive and synergistic in relaxing pulmonary vascular muscle cells but more clinical trials on human subjects are warranted.
Folded conformations of N-(aminoalkyl)-9-phenanthrenecarboxamides in the crystal and solution

The molecular structures of three tertiary N-(aminoalkyl)-9-phenanthrenecarboxamides were investigated in solution and the solid state by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy and x-ray crystallography. The tertiary amides exist as a mixture of E and Z isomers in solution and the aminoalkyl groups exist as a mixture extended and folded conformers. A crystalline N-(aminoethyl)amide was obtained as the pure Z isomer in which the phenanthrene and amide planes are nearly perpendicular and the aminoethyl group is folded over the less hindered face of the amide group. Rotation about the Ar–C(O) bond is slow in resolution rendering these molecules chiral on the NMR time-scale. As a consequence, the α-methylene protons display large diasterotopic splittings when the aminoalkyl group is syn to the amide carbonyl. Folded conformations place the Z and E aminoalkyl groups in the deshielding and shielding regions, respectively, of the phenanthrene rings, resulting in large differences in chemical shifts. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hypothesized link between Neoproterozoic greening of the land surface and the establishment of an oxygen-rich atmosphere

Considerable geological, geochemical, paleontological, and isotopic evidence exists to support the hypothesis that the atmospheric oxygen level rose from an Archean baseline of essentially zero to modern values in two steps roughly 2.3 billion and 0.8–0.6 billion years ago (Ga). The first step in oxygen content, the Great Oxidation Event, was likely a threshold response to diminishing reductant input from Earth’s interior. Here I provide an alternative to previous suggestions that the second step was the result of the establishment of the first terrestrial fungal–lichen ecosystems. The consumption of oxygen by aerobes respiring this new source of organic matter in soils would have necessitated an increase in the atmospheric oxygen content to compensate for the reduced delivery of oxygen to the weathering environment below the organic-rich upper soil layer. Support for this hypothesis comes from the observed spread toward more negative carbon isotope compositions in Neoproterozoic (1.0–0.542 Ga) and younger limestones altered under the influence of ground waters, and the positive correlation between the carbon isotope composition and oxygen content of modern ground waters in contact with limestones. Thus, the greening of the planet’s land surfaces forced the atmospheric oxygen level to a new, higher equilibrium state.
Identification of phosphopeptides andγ-carboxyglutamic acid-containing peptides in epiphyseal growth plate cartilage

Uncalcified cartilage from the epiphyseal portion of bovine scapulae, both distant and adjacent to the epiphyseal growth plate, and the calcified cartilage of the epiphyseal growth plate itself were analyzed for the presence of O-phosphoserine [Ser(P)], O-phosphothreonine [Thr(P)] and γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla). Only trace amounts of these Ca2+-binding amino acids or the peptides containing them were found in the unmineralized tissues. In contrast, whole calcified cartilage, and especially the most mineralized fraction obtained by density centrifugation, contained considerable amounts of all three amino acids. Essentially all of the Gla and the majority of the Ser(P) and Thr(P) were present in non-collagenous, non-diffusible proteins extractable in EDTA at near-neutral pH.
Generalized Speech Interference Noise Contours

Based on an extensive literature review of the effects of noise on speech intelligibility, a series of noise rating curves are developed. These Speech Interference (SI) contours are intended to bri...
Two‐moment approximations to some null distributions in order‐restricted inference: Unequal sample sizes

Bartholomew's statistics for testing homogeneity of normal means with ordered alternatives have null distributions which are mixtures of chi-squared or beta distributions according as the variances are known or not. If the sample sizes are not equal, the mixing coefficients can be difficult to compute. For a simple order and a simple tree ordering, approximations to the significance levels of these tests have been developed which are based on patterns in the weight sets. However, for a moderate or large number of means, these approximations can be tedious to implement. Employing the same approach that was used in the development of these approximations, two-moment chisquared and beta approximations are derived for these significance levels. Approximations are also developed for the testing situation in which the order restriction is the null hypothesis. Numerical studies show that in each of the cases the two-moment approximation is quite satisfactory for most practical purposes.
Gauge Model of Generation Nonuniversality

An electroweak gauge model is discussed, where generations are associated with separate gauge groups with different couplings. The observed ..mu..-e universality is the result of a mass-scale inequality, ..nu../sub 03/ M/sub W/ and M/sub Z//sub i/>M/sub Z/.
Hardware/software system for characterization of microwave electronics materials

A hardware/software system for characterization of GaAs thin-film structures is described. The system makes it possible to determine the concentration of vacant deep traps at the film-substrate (or film-buffer layer) interface and to predict the MESFET threshold voltage from C-V measurements under infrared illumination
Acceptable Protein and Solvent Behavior in Primary Hydration Shell Simulations of Hen Lysozyme

The “primary hydration shell” method in molecular dynamics simulations uses a two- to three-layer thick shell of explicitly represented water molecules as the solvent around the protein of interest. We show that despite its simplicity, this computationally cheap model is capable of predicting acceptable water and protein behavior using the CHARMM22/CMAP potential function. For protein dynamics, comparisons are made with Lipari-Szabo order parameters. These have been derived from NMR relaxation parameters for pico-nano second motions of the NH groups in the main-chain and NH2 groups in Asn/Gln side chains in hen lysozyme. It is also shown that an even simpler, and therefore faster, water-shell model leads to results in similarly good agreement with experiments, and also compared with simulations using a full box of water with periodic boundary conditions or with an implicit solvation model. Thus, the primary hydration shell method should be useful in making larger systems accessible to extensive simulations.
The relationship of preoperative thrombus load and location to the development of type II endoleak and sac regression

Background Few studies have specifically correlated the amount of thrombus in the aneurysm sac and the presence of type II endoleaks (TIIE). This study examined the correlation of preoperative thrombus load and location to the incidence of TIIE and late sac regression. Methods Prospectively collected data from 266 endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) patients were analyzed. Maximum thrombus thickness (MTT) and percentage of the circumference of the aortic wall lined by thrombus (thrombus-lined aneurysm circumference [TLAC]) were determined from preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) images at four levels: neck, maximum abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) diameter (zone B), zone A (between neck and zone B), and zone C (between zone B and aortic bifurcation). The number of aortic side branches (ASB) was also recorded (inferior mesenteric artery [IMA], accessory renals, lumbar, and middle sacral). Logistic regression was used to determine the association of TIIE with each variable. Results Thirty-three (12%) early and 32 (13%) late TIIE were noted at a mean follow-up of 22 months (range, 1-87 months). The mean MTT at zone B was 19.7 mm in patients without early TIIE and 18.8 mm in patients without late TIIE vs 14.4 and 17.2 mm in patients with early and late TIIE ( P = .0137 and P = .444, respectively). The mean percentage of TLAC was 76% and 75% vs 65% and 64% in patients without vs with early and late TIIE ( P = .0329 and P = .044, respectively). There was no correlation of early and late TIIE and thrombus location by zones. The IMA was patent in 7% and 7% of patients without early and late TIIE vs 16% and 15% with TIIE ( P = .0367 and P = .077, respectively). The mean number of ASB in patients without (early and late) TIIE was 5.8 and 5.6 vs 5.8 and 7 with endoleak ( P = .932 and P = .001, respectively). Univariate analysis showed the following variables decreased the incidence of early TIIE: MTT for zone B (odds ratio [OR] 0.79 for 5-mm increase; P = .014), MTT zone A (OR, 0.78; P = .028), MTT zone C (OR, 0.82; P = .043), and percentage of TLAC (OR, 0.88 for 10% increase; P = .036). For late TIIE: percentage of TLAC (OR, 0.88 for 10% increase; P = .048), and ASB (OR, 1.39 for each additional vessel; P = .001). A multiple regression model showed only ASB (OR, 1.34; P = .009) was a predictor for late TIIE. Four of five patients (80%) with late sac expansion vs 24 of 208 (12%) without expansion had late TIIE ( P = .001). Conclusions MTT, percentage of TLAC, number of ASB, and patent IMA influenced early TIIE; however, only the number of ASB influenced late TIIE.
Interactions among soil invertebrates, microbes and plant growth in the tallgrass Prairie

Abstract The tallgrass prairie of North America contains a diverse and abundant soil fuana well represented by earthworms, macro-and microarthopods and nematodes. A portion of this fauna representing a large fraction of the animal biomass has been introduced in the last 200 years, and functional roles and regulatory mechanisms may have been altered because of these introductions. Four years of experimental manipulations of plant and fauna variables have failed to establish a definitive net effect of the soil fauna on primary productivity. However, measurable effects of the fauna on nutrient dynamics of the grassland ecosystem have been observed. Experimental manipulations of plant root dynamics and addition of inorganic nitrogen and fixed carbon have demonstrated that both resource quality and resource quantity are factors limiting the size of soil fauna populations.
Current Understanding and Future Prospects of Host Selection, Acceptance, Discrimination, and Regulation of Phorid Fly Parasitoids That Attack Ants

Phorid fly parasitoids (Diptera: Phoridae) have evolved a diverse array of cues used to successfully parasitize their ant hosts. Successful parasitism often involves (a) host habitat location, (b) host location, (c) host acceptance, (d) host discrimination, and (e) host regulation. In this paper we discuss our current understanding of how phorid flies use each of these steps to successfully parasitize ant hosts. We examine the wide variety of strategies and cues used by a multiple species of phorid flies within three separate genera that most commonly parasitize ants (Apocephalus, Pseudacteon, and Neodohrniphora) and discuss future directions within this field of study.
Comparison of a piezoelectric contact sensor and an accelerometer for examining mechanomyographic amplitude and mean power frequency versus torque relationships during isokinetic and isometric muscle actions of the biceps brachii

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare a piezoelectric contact sensor with an accelerometer for measuring the mechanomyographic (MMG) signal from the biceps brachii during submaximal to maximal isokinetic and isometric forearm flexion muscle actions. Following determination of isokinetic peak torque (PT) and the isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), 10 adults (mean±SD age=22.8±2.7yrs) performed randomly ordered, submaximal step muscle actions of the dominant forearm flexors in 20% increments from 20% to 80% PT and MVC. Surface MMG signals were recorded simultaneously from a contact sensor and an accelerometer placed over the belly of the biceps brachii muscle. During the isokinetic and isometric muscle actions, the contact sensor and accelerometer resulted in linear increases in normalized MMG amplitude with torque ( r 2 range=0.84–0.97) but the linear slope of the normalized MMG amplitude versus isokinetic torque relationship for the accelerometer was less ( p p >0.05) relationship for normalized MMG mean power frequency (MPF, %max) versus isokinetic and isometric torque for the contact sensor, but the accelerometer demonstrated a quadratic ( R 2 =0.94) or linear ( r 2 =0.83) relationship for the isokinetic and isometric muscle actions, respectively. There were also a number of significant ( p
Lysis of a Single Cyanobacterium for Whole Genome Amplification

Bacterial species from natural environments, exhibiting a great degree of genetic diversity that has yet to be characterized, pose a specific challenge to whole genome amplification (WGA) from single cells. A major challenge is establishing an effective, compatible, and controlled lysis protocol. We present a novel lysis protocol that can be used to extract genomic information from a single cyanobacterium of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 known to have multilayer cell wall structures that resist conventional lysis methods. Simple but effective strategies for releasing genomic DNA from captured cells while retaining cellular identities for single-cell analysis are presented. Successful sequencing of genetic elements from single-cell amplicons prepared by multiple displacement amplification (MDA) is demonstrated for selected genes (15 loci nearly equally spaced throughout the main chromosome).
Antiterrorist Finance 2.0

Countering the Financing of Terrorism. Edited by Thomas J. Biersteker, Sue E. Eckert New York: Routledge, 2008. 344 pp., $160.00 cloth (ISBN-13: 978-0-4153-9642-4). How effective have the United States’ regulatory initiatives been in stemming the flow of funds to Islamist terrorist organizations and, particularly, to al Qaeda? This question animates Countering the Financing of Terrorism , which combines the work of scholars, attorneys, investigative reporters, World Bank analysts, and former government officials, from the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore and Switzerland. One can only hope that this text, which is well-thought out without being formulaic, is the first of a multiple volume series, which would allow it to delve yet further into the myriad questions yet to be addressed in the field. Built on the practical—and accurate—observation made by Jessica Stern and Amit Modi, that terrorist groups’ social organizations vary—and that this structure matters for how groups move money—the book challenges five assumptions underlying the United States’ regulatory response: that terrorist groups are similar, that the formal financial sector is or can be the primary means by which terrorists transfer funds; that the mechanisms adopted to regulate the formal sector can be transferred to informal networks and other ways of raising and moving funds; that informal value transfer systems are key to terrorist networks and organizations; and that organized crime and terrorism increasingly share a “nexus.” The ensuing text finds each of these assumptions wanting, suggesting that the US post-9/11 response fails at even a basic level to comprehend the unique challenges of Islamist terrorism. Indeed, as the opening chapter by Thomas Bierstker and Sue Eckert makes clear, our state of “knowledge” about the financing …
Effect of fiber gripping method on the single fiber tensile test: II. Comparison of fiber gripping materials and loading rates

Single poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) fiber tensile tests were carried out under quasi-static and high strain rate loading conditions using poly(methyl methacrylate) and rubber grips to investigate effects of grip materials and loading rates on fiber tensile properties. Differences in ultimate tensile strengths, failure strains, and moduli of PPTA fibers obtained by two different grip materials were insignificant. On the other hand, the fiber tensile properties showed significantly rate-dependent behaviors, which were graphically confirmed by kernel density plots as a non-parametric statistical analysis. Strength models considering three aspects (stochastic, fracture mechanics, and polymer chain domain behaviors) were also shown to link the loading rate effect in relation to fracture mechanisms.
Density mapping and chemical component calibration development of four-component compacts via terahertz pulsed imaging.

Abstract The purpose of this research was to investigate suitable procedures for generating multivariate prediction vectors for quantitative composition and density analysis of intact solid oral dosage forms using terahertz pulsed imaging (TPI) spectroscopy. Both frequency- (absorbance and refractive index) and time-domain data are presented. A set of calibration and prediction samples were created according to a quaternary mixture design with five levels of compaction at each concentration design point. Calibration models were generated by partial least-squares, type II (PLS-2) regression of the TPI spectra against nominal composition and relative density reference measurements. Quantitative frequency-domain composition calibration models were created for all crystalline components ( R 2 > 0.90), but the calibration models for individual amorphous components ( R 2 R 2 = 0.948). While refractive index spectra were sensitive to density ( R 2 = 0.937), the absorbance spectra were not. Surface density maps were prepared based on refractive index calibrations.
The photo-induced toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to larvae of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Abstract The toxicity of 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to larvae of the fathead minnow in the presence of simulated sunlight was examined. A measure of relative toxicities of the toxic compounds is described in which waveband radiation intensity, molar extinction coefficients, and molar body concentration of PAH are considered. In addition, a structure-lethality relationship has been developed, based on molecular structure and photochemical properties, that classifies compounds as being phototoxic or non-phototoxic.
Estimating distribution of age of the onset of detectable asymptomatic cancer

In this paper, we develop a model and a deconvolution technique to estimate the distribution of the age of onset of detectable preclinical cancer. using incidence data and information about cancer growth rate. Our approach considers the effect of age on both the growth rate and competing causes of death. We illustrate our methodology using data on breast cancer, and discuss implications for breast cancer screening.
Histopathology of ovarian cancer

Ovarian tumors which form a complex group due to the variety of tissues composing the ovary are classified according to World Health Organization criteria with minor variations. The histopathology of the most common ovarian carcinomas, common epithelial tumors and germ cell tumors is discussed in detail.
Association of Bowel Habits with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men: Findings from the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose: We examine the association between self-reported lower urinary tract symptoms and bowel habits in men in a large, cross-sectional, population based cohort study.Materials and Methods: The study included 3,077 men participating in the 2005–2006 or 2007–2008 cycles of the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) who were 40 years old or older and without a history of prostate cancer. Men were considered to have lower urinary tract symptoms if they reported nocturia, urinary hesitancy and/or incomplete bladder emptying. Bowel habits were characterized by frequency of bowel movements per week and stool consistency based on the Bristol Stool Form Scale. Weighted associations between bowel habits and lower urinary tract symptoms were determined using univariate and multivariate techniques, adjusting for age, race, body mass index, diabetes, alcohol intake, activity level and smoking.Results: The prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms was 37%, with 4% reporting all 3 symptoms. Repor...
Managing supply chain risk and disruption from IT security incidents

Supply chain practices often put companies and their supply chains at risk. One of the most serious risks is disruptions. While many types of disruptions have been considered, little attention has been given to disruptions caused by information technology (IT) security incidents. Partner cooperation can assist in preventing or mitigating damage from IT security breaches in supply chains, where breaches can disrupt production, cause loss of essential data, and compromise confidential information. We develop a generalizable mathematical model that quantifies IT security risk in the supply chain. We then show how to find solutions for optimal risk reduction under several definitions of optimality: minimizing upstream risk, minimizing downstream risk, and minimizing global (supply chain) risk. We show how to develop curves for each of the above scenarios that indicate when extra funds should be spent on security, which security controls should be implemented, and when subsidies among partners are beneficial.
Of mice and men: evolution and the socialist utopia. William Morris, H.G. Wells, and George Bernard Shaw.

During the British socialist revival of the 1880s competing theories of evolution were central to disagreements about strategy for social change. In News from Nowhere (1891), William Morris had portrayed socialism as the result of Lamarckian processes, and imagined a non-Malthusian future. H.G. Wells, an enthusiastic admirer of Morris in the early days of the movement, became disillusioned as a result of the Malthusianism he learnt from Huxley and his subsequent rejection of Lamarckism in light of Weismann’s experiments on mice. This brought him into conflict with his fellow Fabian, George Bernard Shaw, who rejected neo-Darwinism in favour of a Lamarckian conception of change he called “creative evolution.”
Systematic implications of the peroxidase isoenzymes in the Xanthium strumarium complexes

Starch-slab gel electrophoresis showed two patterns of peroxidase isoenzymes in the polymorphic taxon. Xanthium strumarium L. The “strumarium” morphological complex (X. strumarium, in the sense of Millspaugh and Sherff), the putative indigenous plants of the Old World, contained a different pattern from that shown by putative introductions from the New World. Experimental F1 hybrids between “strumarium” and other complexes, “italicum-pennsylvanicum”, “chinense”, “oviforme” and “cavanillesii”, had the peroxidase pattern of the American plants. These peroxidase isoenzyme patterns were not influenced by the environmental growing conditions, but, along with partial genetic incompatibility, support the taxonomic separation of X. strumarium from other taxa of section Euxanthium.
The NIH Roadmap: Are Psychologists In or Out?

Psychologists often express concerns about the inclusion of psychology in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap initiative. Most Roadmap themes focus on biomedical research, forming the basis for psychologists’ concerns. Although most Roadmap funding goes toward biomedical research, social and behavioral scientists do win support. It is reasonable to ask, however, why the Roadmap is focused so exclusively on medical research. One explanation is that medical interventions are seen as the natural translation of basic biomedical research, whereas psychological interventions are not perceived as following from basic behavioral research. Psychologists working in academic health centers represent the best opportunity for creating such linkages, and therefore the best potential bridge for psychology connecting to the NIH Roadmap.
Methanol incorporation in clathrate hydrates and the implications for oil and gas pipeline flow assurance and icy planetary bodies

One of the best-known uses of methanol is as antifreeze. Methanol is used in large quantities in industrial applications to prevent methane clathrate hydrate blockages from forming in oil and gas pipelines. Methanol is also assigned a major role as antifreeze in giving icy planetary bodies (e.g., Titan) a liquid subsurface ocean and/or an atmosphere containing significant quantities of methane. In this work, we reveal a previously unverified role for methanol as a guest in clathrate hydrate cages. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and NMR experiments showed that at temperatures near 273 K, methanol is incorporated in the hydrate lattice along with other guest molecules. The amount of included methanol depends on the preparative method used. For instance, single-crystal XRD shows that at low temperatures, the methanol molecules are hydrogen-bonded in 4.4% of the small cages of tetrahydrofuran cubic structure II hydrate. At higher temperatures, NMR spectroscopy reveals a number of methanol species incorporated in hydrocarbon hydrate lattices. At temperatures characteristic of icy planetary bodies, vapor deposits of methanol, water, and methane or xenon show that the presence of methanol accelerates hydrate formation on annealing and that there is unusually complex phase behavior as revealed by powder XRD and NMR spectroscopy. The presence of cubic structure I hydrate was confirmed and a unique hydrate phase was postulated to account for the data. Molecular dynamics calculations confirmed the possibility of methanol incorporation into the hydrate lattice and show that methanol can favorably replace a number of methane guests.
Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana Virginiana) from Yavapai County, Arizona

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only marsupial native to the United States. In recent times, D. virginiana has expanded its range through natural movements and anthropogenic introductions. Didelphis virginiana has been present in southern Arizona owing to range expansion by the Mexican subspecies (D. v. californica) and anthropogenic introductions of the eastern subspecies (D. v. virginiana). Here, we document the recent collection of an opossum in central Arizona. We also discuss how it possibly moved there and report on its stomach contents at the time of collection. RESUMEN.—El tlacuache norteno (Didelphis virginiana) es el unico marsupial nativo de Estados Unidos. En tiempos recientes, D. virginiana ha expandido su area de distribucion tanto por movimientos naturales como por introducciones antropogenicas. Didelphis virginiana se ha encontrado en el sur de Arizona debido a la expansion de la subespecie mexicana (D. v. californica) y a introducciones antropogenicas de la subespecie oriental (D. v. virginiana). Aqui documentamos la colecta reciente de un tlacuache en el centro de Arizona. Tambien discutimos como podria haber llegado hasta alli e informamos sobre los contenidos de su estomago al tiempo de la colecta.
Dopamine receptor and adrenoceptor agonists inhibit prolactin release from MMQ cells.

Abstract MMQ cells, a prolactin-secreting cell line possessing dopamine receptors, were exposed to the calcium channel activator maitotoxin and dopamine or adrenoceptor agonists or antagonists. Dopamine (500 nM) or the dopamine agonists lisuride (50 nM), terguride (50 nM), and N-0437 (50 nM) decreased maitotoxin-stimulated prolactin release from perifused MMQ cells. In this system, sulpiride (100 nM), a dopamine D2 antagonist, reversed the prolactin inhibition produced by lisuride (20 nM). In static incubations of MMQ cells, lisuride (10–500 nM) inhibited maitotoxin-stimulated prolactin release in a concentration-dependent manner; this inhibition was attenuated in a concentration-related manner by sulpiride (100–500 nM). In addition, sulpiride reversed dopamine (50–500 nM), lisuride (10–500 nM), and terguride (50–500 nM) inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP generation. The α2-adrenergic agonist clonidine inhibited maitotoxin-stimulated prolactin release from perifused MMQ cells; this inhibition was abolished by idazoxan, an α2-adrenergic antagonist. In contrast, serotonin or the serotonin antagonist methysergide had no effect on prolactin release from MMQ cells. These data indicate that activation of dopamine D2 receptors and α2-adrenoceptors by classically defined pharmacological agents inhibits prolactin release and cellular cAMP levels in MMQ cells. Therefore, MMQ cells may provide a valuable model for the development of pharmacological agents and assist in the identification of the mechanisms involved in the dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin release.
Overexpression of Urokinase by Plaque Macrophages Causes Histological Features of Plaque Rupture and Increases Vascular Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity in Aged Apolipoprotein E–Null Mice

Background— The mechanisms of atherosclerotic plaque rupture are poorly understood. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is expressed at elevated levels by macrophages in advanced human plaques. Patients with evidence of increased plasminogen activation have an elevated risk of major cardiovascular events. We used atherosclerotic mice to test the hypothesis that increased macrophage uPA expression in advanced plaques would cause histological features similar to those in ruptured human plaques. Methods and Results— Bone marrow from transgenic mice with increased macrophage uPA expression or nontransgenic controls (all apolipoprotein E–null [Apoe−/−]) was transplanted into 35-week-old Apoe−/− recipients, and innominate lesions and aortas were examined 8 to 13 weeks later. Donor macrophages accumulated in innominate lesions adjacent to plaque caps and in aortas, increasing uPA expression at both sites. Recipients of uPA-overexpressing macrophages had an increased prevalence of intraplaque hemorrhage (6...
Use of Monte Carlo simulation in remote sensing data analysis

In the summer of 2011, the Aquarius earth science satellite was launched to measure Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) using a L-band microwave radiometer/scatterometer. This is an important oceanic parameter for monitoring the earth's water cycle over oceans and for modeling global climate change. The microwave remote sensing of SSS is a challenging objective. The SSS signal is weak and there are many interfering error sources that must be corrected to achieve an accurate SSS measurement. This paper deals with the use of random processes theory for assessing the effects of rainfall on the retrieved SSS. In this paper we use the Monte Carlo method that is one of the best methods for analysis of random processes, to investigate the multilayer effect caused by rainfall on the L-band brightness temperature and the resulting SSS retrieval.
A field test of three LQAS designs to assess the prevalence of acute malnutrition

Results Hypothesis tests showed GAM as <10% for the 33 � 6 design and GAM as 510% for the 67 � 3 and Sequential designs. Point estimates for the 33 � 6 and 67 � 3 designs were similar to those of the 30 � 30 cluster-survey for GAM (6.7%, CI ¼ 3.2–10.2%; 8.2%, CI ¼ 4.3–12.1%, 7.4%, CI ¼ 4.8–9.9%) and all other indicators. The CIs for the LQAS designs were only slightly wider than the CIs for the 30 � 30 cluster-survey; yet the LQAS designs required substantially less time to administer. Conclusions The LQAS designs provide statistically appropriate alternatives to the more timeconsuming 30 � 30 cluster-survey. However, additional field-testing is needed using independent samples rather than a nested study design.
A hermetic glass-silicon micropackage with high-density on-chip feedthroughs for sensors and actuators

This paper describes the development of a hermetic micropackage with high-density on-chip feedthroughs for sensor and actuator applications. The packaging technique uses low-temperature (320/spl deg/C) electrostatic bonding of a custom-made glass capsule (Corning 7740, 2/spl times/2/spl times/8 mm/sup 3/) to fine grain polysilicon in order to form a hermetically sealed cavity. High-density on-chip multiple polysilicon feedthroughs (200 per millimeter) are used for connecting external sensors and actuators to the electronic circuitry inside the package. A high degree of planarity over feedthrough areas is obtained by using grid-shaped polysilicon feedthrough lines that are covered with phosphosilicate glass (PSG), which is subsequently reflown at 1100/spl deg/C in steam for 2 h. Saline and DI water soak tests at elevated temperatures (85 and 95/spl deg/C) were performed to determine the reliability of the package. Preliminary results have shown a mean time to failure (MTTF) of 284 days and 118 days at 85 and 95/spl deg/C, respectively, in DI water. An Arrhenius diffusion model for moisture penetration yields an expected lifetime of 116 years at body temperature (37/spl deg/C) for these packages. In vivo tests in guinea pigs and rats for periods ranging from one to two months have shown no sign of infection, inflammation, or tissue abnormality around the implanted package.
Infusing reliability techniques into software safety analysis

Software safety analysis for a large software intensive system is always a challenge. Software safety practitioners need to ensure that software related hazards are completely identified, controlled, and tracked. This paper discusses in detail how to incorporate the traditional reliability techniques into the entire software safety analysis process. In addition, this paper addresses how information can be effectively shared between the various practitioners involved in the software safety analyses. The author has successfully applied the approach to several aerospace applications. Examples are provided to illustrate the key steps of the proposed approach.
Editorial Commentary: A Tale of 2 Pneumococcal Vaccines

Pneumonia isthe leading infectious cause of death in all age groups. After 4 decades with just a single bacterial vaccine to prevent the disease, we now have conjugate pneumococcal vaccines licensed across most age groups to complement the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23),which has beenthe mainstay of efforts to protect persons aged >2 years from pneumococcal infections. Two articles in the current issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases from authors in adjacent European countries advance our knowledge on the effectiveness of these vaccines, although the clarity of their messages are starkly different. From Angoulvant et al in France [1], we see the extraordinary effectiveness of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) just a year after introduction when given to infants without any catch-up program for older children. In an observational effectiveness study dedicated to the late Edouard Bingen, a giant in pediatric microbiology in France, his colleagues used PCV13 introduction to illustrate vaccine effectiveness and to provide insight into the pneumococcal etiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and empyema in children. Their article contains at least 5 interesting messages. First, they observed a rapid (within a year) reduction of 31% among nearly 2000 radiographically-confirmed pneumonias in the target age group of children <2 years seen in the emergency rooms of 8 hospitals across France. This study illustrates that surveillance of radiographicallyconfirmed pneumonia in a limited number of hospitals is a useful measure of PCV effectiveness, beyond surveillance for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) alone. The impact of PCV13 on IPD was recently demonstrated in a similar study in 8 US hospitals [2]. The observed reduction of several hundred episodes of radiographically-confirmed pneumonia in the French study contrasts with the small (4%) yield of pneumococcal cultures from blood from these patients and makes the argument that the evaluation of PCV impact may be possible in developing countries without microbiology facilities if radiography can be provided and performed in an adequate fashion with surveillance inplaceatemergency rooms of large urban hospitals.
An Analysis of 10-Gigabit Ethernet Protocol Stacks in Multicore Environments

This paper analyzes the interactions between the protocol stack (TCP/IP or iWARP over 10-Gigabit Ethernet) and its multicore environment. Specifically, for host-based protocols such as TCP/IP, we notice that a significant amount of processing is statically assigned to a single core, resulting in an imbalance of load on the different cores of the system and adversely impacting the performance of many applications. For host-offloaded protocols such as iWARP, on the other hand, the portions of the communication stack that are performed on the host, such as buffering of messages and memory copies, are closely tied with the associated process, and hence do not create such load imbalances. Thus, in this paper, we demonstrate that by intelligently mapping different processes of an application to specific cores, the imbalance created by the TCP/IP protocol stack can be largely countered and application performance significantly improved. At the same time, since the load is a better balanced in host-offloaded protocols such as iWARP, such mapping does not adversely affect their performance, thus keeping the mapping generic enough to be used with multiple protocol stacks.
The Efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis spp. Galleriae Against Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for Integrated Pest Management in California Rice

Rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kushel) is the most damaging insect pest of rice in the United States. Larval feeding on the roots stunt growth and reduce yield. Current pest management against the weevil in California relies heavily on pyrethroids that can be damaging to aquatic food webs. Examination of an environmentally friendly alternative biopesticide based on Bacillus thuringiensis spp. galleriae chemistry against rice water weevil larvae showed moderate levels of activity in pilot studies. We further examined the performance of different formulations of Bt.galleriae against the leading insecticide used in California rice, λ-cyhalothrin. The granular formulation performed as well as the λ-cyhalothrin in use in California in some of our greenhouse and field studies. This is the first reported use of B. thuringiensis spp. galleriae against rice water weevil.
Resistance to malaria in humans: the impact of strong, recent selection

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and has been suggested as the most potent type of selection in humans in recent millennia. As a result, genes involved in malaria resistance are excellent examples of recent, strong selection. In 1949, Haldane initially suggested that infectious disease could be a strong selective force in human populations. Evidence for the strong selective effect of malaria resistance includes the high frequency of a number of detrimental genetic diseases caused by the pleiotropic effects of these malaria resistance variants, many of which are “loss of function” mutants. Evidence that this selection is recent comes from the genetic dating of the age of a number of these malaria resistant alleles to less than 5,000 years before the present, generally much more recent than other human genetic variants. An approach to estimate selection coefficients from contemporary case–control data is presented. In the situations described here, selection is much greater than 1%, significantly higher than generally observed for other human genetic variation. With these selection coefficients, predictions are generated about the joint change of alleles S and C at the β-globin locus, and for α-thalassaemia haplotypes and S, variants that are unlinked but exhibit epistasis. Population genetics can be used to determine the amount and pattern of selection in the past and predict selection in the future for other malaria resistance variants as they are discovered.
Separate entry pathways for phosphate and oxalate in rat brain microsomes.

ATP-dependent 45Ca uptake in rat brain microsomes was measured in intracellular-like media containing different concentrations of PO4 and oxalate. In the absence of divalent anions, there was a tra...