cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Species prioritization for monitoring and management in regional multiple species conservation plans

Successful conservation plans are not solely achieved by acquiring optimally designed reserves. Ongoing monitoring and management of the biodiversity in those reserves is an equally important, but often neglected or poorly executed, part of the conservation process. In this paper we address one of the first and most important steps in designing a monitoring program - deciding what to monitor. We present a strategy for prioritizing species for monitoring and management in multispecies conservation plans. We use existing assessments of threatened status, and the degree and spatial and temporal extent of known threats to link the prioritization of species to the overarching goals and objectives of the conservation plan. We consider both broad and localized spatial scales to capture the regional conservation context and the practicalities of local management and monitoring constraints. Spatial scales that are commensurate with available data are selected. We demonstrate the utility of this strategy through application to a set of 85 plants and animals in an established multispecies conservation plan in San Diego County, California, USA. We use the prioritization to identify the most prominent risk factors and the habitats associated with the most threats to species. The protocol highlighted priorities that had not previously been identified and were not necessarily intuitive without systematic application of the criteria; many high-priority species have received no monitoring attention to date, and lower-priority species have. We recommend that in the absence of clear focal species, monitoring threats in highly impacted habitats may be a way to circumvent the need to monitor all the targeted species.
Bicarbonate reabsorption and hydrogen ionexcretion in children with renal tubular acidosis

Nine children with renal tubular acidosis have been evaluated on the basis ofbicarbonate reabsorption during intravenous infusion, and of excretion of hydrogen ion following administration of ammonium chloride. In 3, who were shown to have distal renal tubular acidosis, bicarbonate threshold and rate of reabsorption were normal; they had small amounts of bicarbonate in urine, however, even at low levels of serum bicarbonate, owing to their inability to depress urinary pH below 6.5. Six children had proximal renal tubular acidosis, primary in 4 and due to the Fanconi syndrome in 2. Although all had a low bicarbonate threshold and 4 had a low Tm, urinary pH and excretion of hydrogen ion during metabolic acidosis were within normal limits in each subject when the serum bicarbonate was below the threshold. Classification of patients with renal tubular acidosis as either proximal or distal is of importance because of major differences in clinical features, complications, and therapy.
C2-ceramide attenuates phenylephrine-induced vasoconstriction and elevation in [Ca2+]i in rat aortic smooth muscle.

In the present study, we examined the effects of cell-permeable C2-ceramide on contraction of aortic smooth muscle and intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+] i ). C2-ceramide (10−7 to 10−4M) alone did not elicit any significant changes in either basal tension or resting levels of [Ca2+] i in rat aortic smooth muscle. However, C2-ceramide (10−7 to 10−4 M) attenuated phenylephrine-induced contractions in isolated rat aortic rings in a concentration-related manner, and inhibited elevations in [Ca2+] i in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells induced by phenylephrine. C2-ceramide-induced relaxation was found to be only slightly endothelium-dependent. However, nitric oxide inhibitors (l-NNA, l-NMMA), an inhibitor of prostanoid synthesis (indomethacin), an inhibitor of opiate actions, and several inhibitors of the pharmacologic actions of various vasoactive amines all failed to interfere with the vasorelaxant responses of C2-ceramide. Three different inhibitors of protein kinase C, when used in a wide concentration range, also failed to interfere with the ceramide-induced relaxations. Our results suggest that the sphingomyelin-signaling pathway may play an important regulatory role in arterial wall tone.
Suppression of Thermal Grain Growth in Nickel by Prior Electron Irradiation

An anomalous effect of electron irradiation on thermal grain growth in Ni has been observed using in situ TEM. Grain growth during thermal annealing was suppressed in areas irradiated with electrons. Grain growth suppression required a minimum electron energy between 100 and 200 keV. This alteration of thermal grain growth is attributed to electron beam injection of a surface contaminant such as carbon. This work points out that care must be exercised in the execution and evaluation of in situ TEM or ion beam experiments that deal with microstructural changes which are highly compositionally sensitive.
Ethnobiology 5: Interdisciplinarity in an Era of Rapid Environmental Change

Ethnobiology 5 stems from Eugene Hunn’s four phases of the history of ethnobiology and focuses on the relevance of ethnobiological research in the context of environmental and cultural change. It refers to a contemporary phase of the field’s historical development. In this paper, I argue that ethnobiology is preadapted to be a scholarly umbrella for a number of disciplines that concern human-environment interactions, suggesting that one goal of Ethnobiology 5 is to bridge traditional academic boundaries in order to broaden the community of ethnobiologists. Another goal of Ethnobiology 5 is to capitalize on and communicate the relevance of ethnobiological scholarship for solving problems related to contemporary environmental and cultural crises. Indeed, ethnobiology is not a subfield of any traditional discipline and by the nature of its name bridges humanities, social science, and science. Ethnobiology has always been interdisciplinary in terms of its subject matter, yet its community of scholars is relatively small compared to mission-driven disciplines, such as conservation biology. Venues for publication and presentation of ethnobiological research, as well as how ethnobiologists portray their research, are critical to growing ethnobiology.
Prosodic differences among function words

Function words in standard Serbian fall into two classes: prosodically free functional elements on the one hand, and prosodically bound functional elements, or clitics, on the other. The two classes have overlapping syntactic distributions, yet exhibit clear prosodic differences. Free functional elements may become prosodic words if they are minimally disyllabic, or if focused, and in this they crucially differ from clitics, whose only prosodic option is to be included into the host prosodic word. It is argued that the prosodic properties of the two classes of function words cannot be captured by a single set of ranked constraints, and that one of the classes, the class of clitics, needs to be encoded lexically, by virtue of prosodic prespecification. A crucial facet of the morphology/prosody interface is the inclusion of morphosyntactic elements in the prosodic hierarchy. Optimally, a morphosyntactic element is included in the prosodic hierarchy by assuming the status of a prosodic word. But while words of lexical categories strongly correlate with prosodic word status, forming a uniform prosodic class, members of functional categories exhibit a much more erratic pattern cross-linguistically, generally corresponding to more than one prosodic type, as noted in Selkirk (1984, 1995b), Inkelas & Zec (1993), Peperkamp (1997), among others. The central problem to be addressed here is the formal characterisation of prosodic distinctions within the class of functional categories. A relatively simple and straightforward response to this problem is presented in Selkirk (1995b), where all prosodic differences among English words, including those among distinct prosodic types within the functional class, are analysed by positing a single set of ranked constraints. Under this analysis, different prosodisations of functional elements directly follow from differences in their morphosyntactic properties and language-specific constraint rankings. However, what is proposed to be a straightforward correlation between a function word's prosody and its
Restoration in the Presence of Errors

The observed antenna temperature due to a celestial source distribution differs from the true distribution in being smoother; various methods are known for operating on the observed distribution to gain better agreement with the true distribution. Current practice includes restoration by successive substitutions, by the chord construction, etc., but also shows a trend towards complete omission of any restoration, which is, no doubt, partly due to awareness that the true distribution is not fully determined by the observations. The isolation of a principal solution has, however, removed uncertainty as to the significance of nonuniqueness. The remaining question as to the degree of restoration which can be tolerated is solved here in terms of statistical properties of the errors. The solution shows that any proposed method of restoration must include mention of the character of the true distribution and of the errors; otherwise cases could be constructed where the proposed method led to deterioration. In the simplest case of independent random errors and a poorly resolved distribution, the rms level of the errors relative to the observed temperature is the relevant parameter (represented by (c/b)1/2 in Fig. 3); e.g., with a random error level as great as 15 per cent, agreement with the true distribution improves up to the third stage of restoration by successive substitutions (Table I) or on application of the chord construction.
Prolonged Disease-Free Survival by Maintenance Chemotherapy among Patients with Recurrent Platinum-Sensitive Ovarian Cancer

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the potential benefit and complications of prolonged salvage and maintenance chemotherapy among patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer who achieve response to salvage chemotherapy. Methods. Patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer who were treated between 1982 and 1996 and achieved complete response to platinum-based salvage chemotherapy were offered prolonged (1 year) monthly salvage followed by maintenance (every 8 weeks) chemotherapy. Patients who accepted such treatment ( n = 16) were compared to those who refused and discontinued therapy ( n = 11) with regard to overall survival from time of initial diagnosis and overall and disease-free survival from time of recurrence. Chemotherapy-related toxicity in the study group was recorded. Survival curves were constructed according to the Kaplan and Meier method and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Results. Patients in the study and control groups were similar with regard to age, stage, histology, grade, performance status, primary cytoreductive surgery, type of primary and salvage chemotherapy, and method of assessment of tumor response. The study group had a significantly longer disease-free interval from date of recurrence than the control group (median: 35.0 versus 6.0 months, respectively, P = 0.001). The study group had longer overall survival from date of recurrence than the control group. However, the difference did not achieve statistical significance (median: 119 versus 90 months, respectively, P = 0.056). There was no significant difference between the study group and the control group as to survival from date of initial diagnosis (median: 157 versus 124 months, respectively, P = 0.28). Chemotherapy-related toxicity was minimal. Conclusions. Prolonged salvage and maintenance chemotherapy is a safe method of treatment that may extend disease-free interval among patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer who achieve response to salvage chemotherapy. These preliminary results need to be confirmed by a larger prospective randomized trial.
Classic measures of hip dysplasia do not correlate with three-dimensional computer tomographic measures and indices.

Acetabular dysplasia is a precursor to osteoarthritis of the hip, and it causes acute and degenerative injuries of soft tissue stabilisers. Traditional radiographic assessments of dysplasia are useful in moderate and severe dysplasia, but they have questionable reliability in mild dysplasia. Computed tomography (CT) reconstruction provides a method for calculation of acetabular geometry and analysis of existing radiographic methods.We performed a retrospective radiographic review of anteroposterior pelvic films and their corresponding pelvic CT scans. Using 30 skeletally mature patients, we analyzed the following five measurements for 60 hips: lateral centre edge angle of Wiberg (LCE), Tonnis angle, Sharp angle, a modified Sharp angle, and the depth to width acetabular index. We also estimated hip surface areas, volumes, and ratios from 3-D reconstructions of a CT scan taken within 60 days of the plain radiograph. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the plain ...
Influences of somatotropin on Na+-K+-ATPase, Mg2+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPases of porcine visceral tissues

Two experiments were conducted to determine the overall influence of porcine somatotropin (pST) administration on the specific activity of visceral tissue ATPases. Pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal-skim milk-based diet approximately 85% of ad libitum, such that for each experiment, control and pST-treated pigs consumed similar amounts of feed. As observed for pigs chronically treated with pST, enhanced growth of visceral tissues was evident in pigs treated for 6 and 14 days (d) with pST. The specific activity of detergent-activated Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase (ouabain-sensitive adenosine triphosphatase activity) was determined in fresh tissue homogenates prepared from liver, heart, kidney and duodenum. Treatment with pST was associated with a 19% increase in Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase-specific activity in the liver; specific activity of Mg(2+)-ATPase was not influenced by pST. Whole liver Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Mg(2+)-ATPase activities were 35% and 25% greater, respectively, in somatotropin-treated pigs. The specific activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in heart, kidney and duodenum were similar for controls and pigs treated for 14 d with pST. The specific activities of high- and low-affinity Ca(2+)-ATPase in kidney medulla were 20 and 26% lower, respectively, in pigs treated for 14 d with pST compared with controls. In contrast, Ca(2+)-ATPases in other tissues, including kidney cortex, were not influenced by pST treatment. These data indicate that some of the observed increase in energy expenditure associated with pST treatment may be attributable to increased organ size as well as to enhanced hepatic Na+ and K+ flux. While Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity is specifically enhanced in the liver, pST does not appear to be a general Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activator in all tissues and may be associated with depressed activity of Ca(2+)-ATPases in the kidney.
Efficient Reconstruction of Haplotype Structure via Perfect Phylogeny

Each person''s genome contains two copies of each chromosome, one inherited from the father and the other from the mother. A person''s genotype specifies the pair of bases at each site, but does not specify which base occurs on which chromosome. The sequence of each chromosome separately is called a haplotype. The determination of the haplotypes within a population is essential for understanding genetic variation and the inheritance of complex diseases. The haplotype mapping project, a successor to the human genome project, seeks to determine the common haplotypes in the human population. Since experimental determination of a person''s genotype is less expensive than determining its component haplotypes, algorithms are required for computing haplotypes from genotypes. Two observations aid in this process: first, the human genome contains short blocks within which only a few different haplotypes occur; second, as suggested by Gusfield, it is reasonable to assume that the haplotypes observed within a block have evolved according to a perfect phylogeny, in which at most one mutation event has occurred at any site. We present a simple and efficient polynomial-time algorithm for inferring haplotypes from the genotypes of a set of individuals assuming a perfect phylogeny. Using a reduction to 2-SAT we extend this algorithm to handle constraints that apply when we have genotypes from both parents and child. We also present a hardness result for the problem of removing the minimum number of individuals from a population to ensure that the genotypes of the remaining individuals are consistent with a perfect phylogeny. Our algorithms have been tested on real data and give biologically meaningful results.
Well interference tests at the Cerro Prieto geothermal field

Abstract Two well interference tests were carried out by the LBL at the Cerro Prieto geothermal field located in Baja California, Mexico, during 1978. The first test incorporated five wells located about 1 km south of the power plant. Well M-101 was monitored as an observation well while four wells, M-91, M-51, M-90 and M-50 were developed. Because the production wells in the main field were systematically taken off-line for maintenance purposes during this interference test, well M-6 was used as an observation well to monitor pressure changes resulting from the reduction of total flow rates in the main production area. The second interference test incorporated three wells in the eastern portion of the field. Wells M-10 and M-104 were chosen as observation wells while well M-53 was being developed. Standard analyses of the well interference test data yielded permeability estimates that are much higher than the values obtained from two-rate tests performed by the CFE during the development of production wells. Since the geologic structure of the field is not known in all its details (e.g. the location and hydraulic behavior of faults, and the connection between different parts of the geothermal reservoir), the results presented should be considered preliminary.
Sapronosis: a distinctive type of infectious agent

Sapronotic disease agents have evolutionary and epidemiological properties unlike other infectious organisms. Their essential saprophagic existence prevents coevolution, and no host–parasite virulence trade-off can evolve. However, the host may evolve defenses. Models of pathogens show that sapronoses, lacking a threshold of transmission, cannot regulate host populations, although they can reduce host abundance and even extirpate their hosts. Immunocompromised hosts are relatively susceptible to sapronoses. Some particularly important sapronoses, such as cholera and anthrax, can sustain an epidemic in a host population. However, these microbes ultimately persist as saprophages. One-third of human infectious disease agents are sapronotic, including nearly all fungal diseases. Recognition that an infectious disease is sapronotic illuminates a need for effective environmental control strategies.
Survival of fetal hippocampal CA3 cell grafts in the middle-aged and aged hippocampus: effect of host age and deafferentation.

The potential application of neural transplantation to many neurodegenerative disorders at early stages of disease progression would involve middle-aged and aged persons. Hence, it is important to examine critically the extent of graft cell survival in both intact and partially deafferented middle-aged and aged brain. We investigated the degree of survival of 5'-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled fetal hippocampal CA3 cells after grafting into both intact hippocampus and partially deafferented hippocampus (i.e., hippocampus contralateral to intracerebroventricular administration of kainic acid) of middle-aged and aged Fischer 344 rats. Absolute cell survival within these grafts was rigorously analyzed using BrdU immunostaining of serial sections and the optical fractionator cell counting method. In the intact hippocampus, graft cell survival was 23% of injected cells for middle-aged rats and 18% for aged rats, which is consistent with the survival of fetal hippocampal cells in the intact young adult hippocampus reported earlier (Shetty and Turner [1995] Neuroscience 67:561-582). A partial deafferentation at the time of grafting significantly enhanced the degree of graft cell survival to 35% of injected cells in the middle-aged hippocampus and 27% in the aged hippocampus. However, the overall graft cell survival after deafferentation was significantly (30%) greater in the middle-aged hippocampus compared with the aged hippocampus. These results reveal that 1) the degree of survival of fetal neural cells in the intact mature brain remains constant with aging and 2) a partial deafferentation of the mature host brain at the time of grafting enhances survival of grafted fetal cells, regardless of the host age. However, the overall extent of graft cell survival after deafferentation depends on the age of the mature brain at the time of deafferentation.
Competitive repertoire simplicity and firm performance: The moderating role of top management team heterogeneity

We extend Miller and Chen's (Strategic Manage J 1996; 17: 419–439) recent research on the impact of competitive repertoire simplicity on firm performance by exploring the extent to which top management team (TMT) demographic heterogeneity moderates this relationship. These authors found that competitive repertoire simplicity among firms in the airline industry was negatively related to firm performance. By contrast, our findings from a multi-industry study suggest that strategic repertoire simplicity is positively related to performance for firms led by heterogeneous TMTs, and negatively related for less heterogeneous TMTs. Accordingly, this finding advances theory within competitive dynamics and strategic leadership. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating Detection Limits in Ultratrace Analysis. Part II: Detecting and Counting Atoms and Molecules

Although the limit of detection (LOD) is a widely used means of indicating the detection power of an analytical technique, the application of conventional detection limit theory is not straightforward with respect to laser spectroscopic methods which are capable of detecting single atoms or molecules in the laser beam. In this paper, theoretical considerations in the detection and evaluation of these methods are addressed on the basis of a simple model of a typical laser spectroscopic experiment; in addition, the theoretical requirements for the precise counting of atoms, and factors which influence the signal variance in the model, are considered. Simple Monte Carlo computer simulations are used to verify and demonstrate the application of the theory of single atom detection (SAD) to typical experimental situations.
Activation of the Nrf2-ARE Pathway in Hepatocytes Protects Against Steatosis in Nutritionally Induced Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis in Mice

Oxidative stress is implicated in the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The Nrf2-antioxidant response element pathway protects cells from oxidative stress. Studies have shown that global Nrf2 deficiency hastens the progression of NASH. The purpose of this study was to determine whether long-term hepatocyte-specific activation of Nrf2 mitigates NASH progression. Transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active Nrf2 construct in hepatocytes (AlbCre+/caNrf2+) and littermate controls were generated. These mice were fed standard or methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet, a diet used to induce NASH development in rodents. After 28 days of MCD dietary feeding, mice developed significant increases in steatosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and HSC activation compared with those mice on standard diet. AlbCre+/caNrf2+ animals had significantly decreased serum transaminases and reduced steatosis when compared with the AlbCre+/caNrf2- animals. This significant reduction in steatosis was associated with increased expression of genes involved in triglyceride export (MTTP) and β-oxidation (CPT2). However, there were no differences in the increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and HSC activation from MCD diet administration between the AlbCre+/caNrf2- and AlbCre+/caNrf2+ animals. We conclude that hepatocyte-specific activation of Nrf2-mediated gene expression decreased hepatocellular damage and steatosis in a dietary model of NASH. However, hepatocyte-specific induction of Nrf2-mediated gene expression alone is insufficient to mitigate inflammation, oxidative stress, and HSC activation in this nutritional NASH model.
Behavior of Geocell-Reinforced Sand Under a Vertical Load

Geocells have a three-dimensional cellular structure, which can be used to stabilize foundations by increasing bearing capacity and reducing settlements. However, a considerable gap exists between the applications and the theories for the mechanisms of geocell-reinforced foundations. An experimental and numerical study on the behavior of geocell-reinforced sand under a vertical load is presented. A single geocell was filled with sand and subjected to a vertical load to failure. This test process was modeled by using the FLAC3D numerical software to investigate the mechanisms of geocell and sand interactions. Experimental and numerical results both demonstrated that the geocell increased the ultimate bearing capacity and the modulus of the sand. The numerical results include the distributions of displacements in the sand and geocell walls and the distributions of tensile stresses and shear stresses acting on the geocell walls. The numerical results for geocell-reinforced sand are compared to those for sand...
Fast squeezing flow of viscoelastic fluids

Abstract Fast squeezing flows of viscoelastic fluids between two parallel circular disks are analyzed with a generalized version of the Bird—Dotson—Johnson equation, which has been derived from a molecular theory and has been shown to predict many rheological properties reasonably well. By taking into account the tremendous macromolecular stretching in a early stage of squeezing, the analysis can predict approximately (i) the time required to squeeze out half of the liquid in a constant-force squeezing experiment, and (ii) the load capacity in a constant-speed squeezing experiment. These analytical results, which are considerably different from those for the power-law fluid squeezing, are in good agreement with the epxerimental data for the fast squeezing in several viscoelastic fluids.
Rank estimation of regression coefficients using iterated reweighted least squares

This paper is concerned with the rank estimator for the parameter vector β in a linear model which is obtained by the minimization of a rank dispersion function. The rank estimator has many advantages over the regular least squares estimator, but the inaccessibility of software to carry out its computation has limited its use. An iterated reweighted least squares algorithm is presented for the computation of the rank estimator. The method is simple in concept and can be carried out readily with a wide variety of statistical software. Details of the method are discussed along with some results on its asymptotic distribution and numerical stability. Some examples are presented to show advantages of the rank method.
A comparative study of multivariate and univariate hidden Markov modelings in time-binned single-molecule FRET data analysis.

We compare two different types of hidden Markov modeling (HMM) algorithms, e.g., multivariate HMM (MHMM) and univariate HMM (UHMM), for the analysis of time-binned single-molecule fluorescence energy transfer (smFRET) data. In MHMM, the original two channel signals, i.e., the donor fluorescence intensity (ID) and acceptor fluorescence intensity (IA), are simultaneously analyzed. However, in UHMM, only the calculated FRET trajectory is analyzed. On the basis of the analysis of both synthetic and experimental data, we find that, if the noise in the signal is described with a proper probability distribution, MHMM generally outperforms UHMM. We also show that, in the case of multiple trajectories, analyzing them simultaneously gives better results than averaging over individual analysis results.
Structural properties of metastable Cu-Mo solid solution thin films synthesized by magnetron sputtering

Copper is one of the most heavily used materials for a variety of applications from electrical connections to heat exchangers due to its high electrical and thermal conductivity. Uses of pure Cu, however, have been limited by its low mechanical strength. In addition to aerospace applications, Cu is a candidate for on-chip interconnections in multi-level metallization of very large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuits where Cu thin films are used. Recently, metastable Cu-Mo solid solutions have been synthesized by magnetron sputtering. In this paper, the authors report the structural properties of the as-deposited metastable Cu-Mo solid solutions as a function of Mo content. These solid solution thin films are currently used as novel back contacts in solar cells based upon copper indium diselenide (CuInSe{sub 2}) and related compounds and have been shown to yield improved adhesion to the CuInSe{sub 2}.
Estimating The Prevalence of Copycat Crime: A Research Note

Commonly perceived as rare, copycat crime has not been sufficiently studied. In an effort to encourage research, this research note offers a refined estimate of the proportion of offenders and at-r...
Müller cell localisation of glutamine synthetase in rat retina

IN retina as in brain, the metabolism of glutamic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is compartmentalised in biochemically defined pools1–4. When retinas are incubated in vitro with radioactive glutamate and GABA, the specific activity of the glutamine produced is greater than the specific activity of the total tissue glutamate. This indicates that glutamine is formed from a small glutamate pool of higher specific activity than the total glutamate pool. To understand better the metabolic organisation of these amino acids in retina, the anatomic localisation of the small glutamate pool is essential. There is evidence that Muller cells (retinal glia) may be the site of the small glutamate pool. Autoradiographic studies indicate that mammalian Muller cells take up GABA and glutamate5–8. Moreover, these cells contain succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase9 and GABA-transaminase10 which are enzymes involved in the degradative metabolism of GABA. In a number of species, glutamine synthetase (GS), a key enzyme of the small glutamate pool11, shows a striking increase in activity12–14 which parallels the morphological development of the Muller cell15–17. We describe here the localisation of GS to Muller cells in rat retina by immunohistochemical techniques.
Mechanism of β-silyl diacyl peroxide decomposition: A mild and stereoselective synthesis of β-silyl esters

A novel method for the formation of β-silyl esters is presented. Mechanistic studies were carried out on the formation and decomposition of β-silyl diacyl peroxides, showing that the decomposition pathway involves an ionic mechanism that is influenced by the presence of the β-silyl moiety. These studies exclude a free radical decomposition pathway as evidenced by the absence of chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) during the reaction and a strong correlation of the resulting regioisomeric product distribution to σ+. This reaction allows for the formation of β-silyl esters in 45−50% isolated yield with predictable regioselectivity and good to excellent diastereoselectivity. Studies demonstrate that ester products which are formed at benzylic centers have the erythro configuration, whereas ester products formed at alkyl centers have the threo configuration.
Malagasy at the Mascarenes: Publishing in a Servile Vernacular before the French Revolution

Research was generously funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and a Charles A. Ryskamp Research Fellowship administered by the American Council of Learned Societies.
Sorghum chlorotic spot virus binds to potyvirus cylindrical inclusions in tobacco leaf cells

Abstract Nicotiana benthamiana can be doubly infected with either potato virus Y or tobacco etch virus and sorghum chlorotic spot virus (SCSV). Immunogold labeling showed that cylindrical inclusions of either potyvirus bind virions of the unrelated rod-shaped furovirus SCSV. Not all cells in doubly infected N. benthamiana plants contained both viruses. In cells infected by the potyviruses but not by SCSV, cylindrical inclusions did not label with the antiserum to SCSV. Numbers of cells infected with SCSV did not increase in doubly infected plants compared to those in plants infected with SCSV alone. Systemic infection of N. benthamiana by either potyvirus was not prevented by SCSV infections. This provides further evidence that unrelated rod-shaped viruses can bind to potyvirus cylindrical inclusion bodies, and that this phenomenon is not limited to graminaceous hosts.
Induction, Recovery, and Hematological Responses of Largemouth Bass to Chemo- and Electrosedation

Abstract Sedating fish before handling minimizes the risk of injury to both fish and handler and may also minimize the fish's stress response. We conducted two experiments to quantitatively compare induction and recovery times of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides sedated with tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222), eugenol, benzocaine, carbon dioxide (CO2), or electrosedation (pulsed DC).We also assessed the fish's hematological profile following sedation with MS-222, eugenol, and electrosedation. Induction times varied significantly among the sedatives evaluated; electrosedation yielded the fastest inductions (0.2 ± 0.1 min; mean ± SE) and CO2 yielded the slowest (3.6 ± 0.1 min). Times to recovery of equilibrium and responsiveness to tactile and visual–auditory stimuli also varied, ranging from 1.8 ± 0.3 to 3.7 ± 0.3 min and from 2.3 ± 0.3 to 4.0 ± 0.3 min, respectively, depending on the sedative used. Plasma cortisol concentrations were elevated at 0.5 h postsedation among fish sedated with eugenol and ...
Mapping mutable genres in structurally complex volumes

To mine large digital libraries in humanistically meaningful ways, we need to divide them by genre. This is a task that classification algorithms are well suited to assist, but they need adjustment to address the specific challenges of this domain. Digital libraries pose two problems of scale not usually found in the article datasets used to test these algorithms. 1) Because libraries span several centuries, the genres being identified may change gradually across the time axis. 2) Because volumes are much longer than articles, they tend to be internally heterogeneous, and the classification task also requires segmentation. We describe a multilayered solution that trains hidden Markov models to segment volumes, and uses ensembles of overlapping classifers to address historical change. We demonstrate this on a collection of 469,200 volumes drawn from HathiTrust Digital Library.
Nanoparticles at fluid interfaces: exploiting capping ligands to control adsorption, stability and dynamics.

Abstract Nanoparticle self-assembly at fluid–fluid interfaces has been traditionally exploited in emulsification, encapsulation and oil recovery, and more recently in emerging applications including functional nanomaterials and biphasic catalysis. We provide a review of the literature focusing on the open challenges that still hamper the broader applicability of this potentially transformative technology, and we outline strategies to achieve improved control over interfacial self-assembly of nanoparticles. First, we discuss means to promote spontaneous adsorption by tuning the interfacial energies of the nanoparticles with the fluids using capping ligands, and the occurrence of energy barriers. We then examine the interactions between interfacial nanoparticles and how they affect the formation of equilibrium interfacial suspensions versus non-equilibrium two-dimensional phases, such as weakly attractive glasses and gels. Important differences with colloidal interactions in a bulk suspension arise due to the discontinuity in solvent properties at the interface. For instance, ligand brushes rearrange in asymmetric configurations, and thus play a significant role in determining interparticle interactions. Finally, we briefly discuss the link between interfacial microstructure and the dynamic response of particle-laden interfaces, including interfacial rheology and the fate of nanoparticle monolayers upon out-of-plane deformation.
Towards personalized care in IBD

The expanding knowledge of the role of genetic variants involved in the susceptibility to IBD heralds an era of disease categorization beyond Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. A more robust molecular definition of the spectrum of IBD subtypes is likely to be based on specific molecular pathways that determine not only disease susceptibility but also disease characteristics such as location, natural history and therapeutic response. Evolving diagnostic panels for IBD will include clinical variables and genetic markers as well as other indicators of gene function and interaction with environmental factors, such as the microbiome. Multimodal algorithms that combine clinical, serologic and genetic information are likely to be useful in predicting disease course. Variation in IBD-susceptibility and drug-related pathway genes seems to influence the response to anti-TNF therapy. Furthermore, gene expression signatures and composite models have both shown promise as predictors of therapeutic response. Ultimately, models based on combinations of genotype and gene expression data with clinical, biochemical, serological, and microbiome data for clinically meaningful subgroups of patients should permit the development of tools for individualized risk stratification and treatment selection.
The use of neuromuscular blocking agents in the emergency department to facilitate tracheal intubation in the trauma patient: Help or hindrance?

Abstract Purpose :The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the occurrence of a difficult intubation and (1) the use of neuromuscular blocking agents INMB) and (2) the presence of airway injuries. It is a retrospective analysis of data from a trauma registry. Materials and Methods :Registry records of patients (n = 160) who required emergent endotracheal intubation or establishment of a surgical airway over a 3.5-year period in the emergency department were reviewed. Risk factors for difficult intubations were identified and analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results :NMB were used in 75% of patients requiring intubation. Fifteen percent of the intubations were considered difficult. No association was found between the presence of airway injuries and difficult intubations; however, the use of succinylcholine was associated with a lower risk of difficult intubations compared with intubations where a nondepolarizing NMB was used. Conclusions :The use of succinylcholine may result in fewer difficult intubations in the trauma patient than when a nondepolarizing NMB is used. The presence of airway injuries did not appear to predispose to difficult intubations.
Reliability analysis of continuous fiber composite laminates

A composite lamina may be viewed as a homogeneous solid whose directional strengths are random variables. Calculation of the lamina reliability under a multi-axial stress state can be approached by either assuming that the strengths act separately (modal or independent action), or that they interact through a quadratic interaction criterion. The independent action reliability may be calculated in closed form, while interactive criteria require simulations; there is currently insufficient data to make a final determination of preference between them. Using independent action for illustration purposes, the lamina reliability may be plotted in either stress space or in a non-dimensional representation. For the typical laminated plate structure, the individual lamina reliabilities may be combined in order to produce formal upper and lower bounds of reliability for the laminate, similar in nature to the bounds on properties produced from variational elastic methods. These bounds are illustrated for a (0/plus or minus 15)sub s Graphite/Epoxy (GR/EP) laminate. And addition, simple physically plausible phenomenological rules are proposed for redistribution of load after a lamina has failed. These rules are illustrated by application to (0/plus or minus 15)sub s and (90/plus or minus 45/0)sub s GR/EP laminates and results are compared with respect to the proposed bounds.
Correlation between the stability of concentrated emulsions and the interfacial free energy between the two phases

Abstract An experimental study regarding the stability of gel-like concentrated emulsions is presented. In this kind of emulsion, the volume fraction of the dispersed phase is greater than about 0.74 and can be as large as 0.99. A large variety of organic compounds were employed as the oil phase, and both oil in water ( o w ) and water in oil ( w o ) concentrated emulsions were prepared. It is found that the stability of the concentrated emulsions can be correlated with the interfacial free energy between the water and oil phases, among other variables; the larger this interfacial free energy the higher the stability.
Establishing a training programme for rehabilitation aides in Haiti: successes, challenges, and dilemmas.

Background. In Haiti, there are scarce resources available for physical rehabilitation. Healing Hands for Haiti International Foundation has established a rehabilitation aide programme as a means of providing rehabilitation services. This article illustrates some of the successes, challenges, and dilemmas that arise in the provision of such an education.Methods. Graduates and students answered a 23-item questionnaire designed to investigate respondents' perceptions of the training programme. These responses were then coded and quantified for analysis.Results. The author interviewed 32 of 49 graduates and current students. Forty-five percent of graduates were working as rehabilitation aides, and the majority of those were working in urban areas. Graduate's earnings differed greatly. Respondents suggested that the programme needed to help the graduates find employment after graduation and to provide continuing training. The most common limitation in education mentioned by the graduates was a need for basic ...
NMR Detection of Structures in the HIV-1 5'-Leader RNA that Regulate Genome Packaging

The 5'-leader of the HIV-1 genome regulates multiple functions during viral replication via mechanisms that have yet to be established. We developed a nuclear magnetic resonance approach that enabled direct detection of structural elements within the intact leader (712-nucleotide dimer) that are critical for genome packaging. Residues spanning the gag start codon (AUG) form a hairpin in the monomeric leader and base pair with residues of the unique-5' region (U5) in the dimer. U5:AUG formation promotes dimerization by displacing and exposing a dimer-promoting hairpin and enhances binding by the nucleocapsid (NC) protein, which is the cognate domain of the viral Gag polyprotein that directs packaging. Our findings support a packaging mechanism in which translation, dimerization, NC binding, and packaging are regulated by a common RNA structural switch.
Bystander effects on carbene rearrangements: A computational study

Methylcarbene, dimethylcarbene, chloromethylcarbene, and tert-butylmethylcarbene were studied at the HF/6-31G*, MP2/6-31G*, B3LYP/6-31G*, MP2/6-31+G(2d,p), QCISD(T)/6-31G*//MP2/6-31G*, and QCISD(T)/6-31+G(2d,p) levels. Minimum energy geometries of the singlet and triplet states of the carbenes were calculated. The barriers to 1,2-hydrogen migration for CH3CX → CH2CHX were calculated and found to increase for X = Cl > CH3 > C(CH3)3 > H. Isodesmic calculations indicate that the effect of the bystander group is to stabilize differentially the carbene reactant, thereby increasing the barrier to rearrangement for X = Cl > CH3 > C(CH3)3 > H.
E.p.r. and ENDOR studies of Argonne Premium coals doped with nitroxide spin probes

Abstract E.p.r. and ENDOR measurements of five Argonne Premium Coal Samples (APCS) varying in rank from low-volatile (Pocahontas, No. 5) to lignite (Beulah-Zap, No. 8) either undoped or doped with nitroxide spin probes and a series of nitroxide radicals are reported. For the first time proton hyperfine coupling constants have been deduced from ENDOR studies of tempamine, DCT-tempamine and a carboxaldimine nitroxide radical in toluene solution at 185 K. Proton matrix ENDOR signals at the free proton frequency and a broad ENDOR signal were observed for all undoped APCS, except for a sample of Beulah-Zap in which no proton ENDOR lines were observed. For the spin probe doped Beulah-Zap, Blind Canyon and Illinois No. 6, the ENDOR spectrum consisted of the lines observed for the undoped coal, and two pairs of proton ENDOR lines with hyperfine couplings of 3.6 MHz and 0.18 MHz. The lines with the coupling of 3.6 MHz are due to nitroxide radicals, assigned by similarity to the ENDOR results of the nitroxide spin probes in toluene solution at 120 K. The existence of the second pair of lines with hyperfine coupling constant 0.18 MHz was assumed to be due to the interaction of surrounding matrix coal protons with the nitroxide species, substantiating an earlier report of hydrogen bonding to the nitroxide spin probe.
Compassion-focused reappraisal, benefit-focused reappraisal, and rumination after an interpersonal offense: Emotion-regulation implications for subjective emotion, linguistic responses, and physiology

This repeated measures psychophysiology experiment studied three responses to a past interpersonal offense (38 females and 33 males). We compared rumination with two offense reappraisal strategies. Compassion-focused reappraisal emphasized the offender's humanity, and interpreted the transgression as evidence of the offender's need for positive transformation. Benefit-focused reappraisal emphasized insights gained or strengths shown in facing the offense. Supporting the manipulations, compassion-focused reappraisal stimulated the most empathy and forgiveness, whereas benefit-focused reappraisal prompted the most benefit language and gratitude. Both reappraisals decreased aroused, negative emotion, and related facial muscle tension at the brow (corrugator). Both reappraisals increased happiness and positive emotion in ratings and linguistic analyses. Compassion stimulated the greatest social language, calmed tension under the eye (orbicularis oculi), and slowed heart beats (R–R intervals). A focus on benef...