cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accelerated Ovarian Failure: a novel, chemically-induced animal model of menopause

Current rodent models of menopause fail to adequately recapitulate the menopause transition. The intact aging model fails to achieve very low estrogen levels, and the ovariectomy model lacks a perimenopause phase. A new rodent model of accelerated ovarian failure (AOF) successfully replicates human perimenopause and postmenopause, including estrous acyclicity and fluctuating, followed by undetectable, estrogen levels, and allows for the dissociation of the effects of hormone levels from the effects of aging. In this model, an ovotoxic chemical, 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD), selective for primary and primordial follicles, is injected intraperitonelly in animals for 15 days. As the mature follicle population is depleted through natural cycling, ovarian failure follows increasing periods of acyclity. Administered at low doses, VCD specifically causes apoptotic cell death of primordial follicles but does not affect other peripheral tissues, including the liver and spleen, nor does it affect brain inflammation markers. In addition to reducing confounds associated with genetic and surgical manipulations, the AOF model maintains the presence of ovarian tissue which importantly parallels to the menopause transition in humans. The VCD injection procedure can be applied to studies using transgenic or knockout mice strains, or in other disease-state models (e.g., ischemia, atherosclerosis, or diabetes). This AOF model of menopause will generate new insights into women's health particularly in determining the critical periods (i.e., a window of opportunity) during perimenopause for restoring ovarian hormones for the most efficacious effect on memory and mood disorders as well as other menopausal symptoms.
Kinetic Analysis of Human Enzyme RDH10 Defines the Characteristics of a Physiologically Relevant Retinol Dehydrogenase

Human retinol dehydrogenase 10 (RDH10) was implicated in the oxidation of all-trans-retinol for biosynthesis of all-trans-retinoic acid, however, initial assays suggested that RDH10 prefers NADP+ as a cofactor, undermining its role as an oxidative enzyme. Here, we present evidence that RDH10 is, in fact, a strictly NAD+-dependent enzyme with multisubstrate specificity that recognizes cis-retinols as well as all-trans-retinol as substrates. RDH10 has a relatively high apparent Km value for NAD+ (∼100 μm) but the lowest apparent Km value for all-trans-retinol (∼0.035 μm) among all NAD+-dependent retinoid oxidoreductases. Due to its high affinity for all-trans-retinol, RDH10 exhibits a greater rate of retinol oxidation in the presence of cellular retinol-binding protein type I (CRBPI) than human microsomal RoDH4, but like RoDH4, RDH10 does not recognize retinol bound to CRBPI as a substrate. Consistent with its preference for NAD+, RDH10 functions exclusively in the oxidative direction in the cells, increasing the levels of retinaldehyde and retinoic acid. Targeted small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of endogenous RDH10 or RoDH4 expression in human cells results in a significant decrease in retinoic acid production from retinol, identifying both human enzymes as physiologically relevant retinol dehydrogenases. The dual cis/trans substrate specificity suggests a dual physiological role for RDH10: in the biosynthesis of 11-cis-retinaldehyde for vision as well as the biosynthesis of all-trans-retinoic acid for differentiation and development.
Industrial Sociology and the Businessman

Several theoretical approaches in behavioral science to the study of organizations are sufficiently distinct to be separable as pegs on which to hang empirical research. Contributions of industrial sociology to education for business are being examined. Such cross-fertilization raises questions concerning over-all definition of teaching and research objectives, integration of materials, and recruitment of staff. The business concern as a research laboratory has become a reality-but the need remains, and perhaps continues to grow, for realism and modesty on the part of the behavioral science researcher relative to what he really knows, and, consequently, the contributions he can make. The businessman, whose chance to learn what current behavioral science has to offer him often has been slim, must be provided by the researcher with appropriate feedback and concomitant implications for application. IF REACHING the age of 21 denotes coming of age for an academic discipline or a specialism within it, and if the copyrighting of F. J. Roethlisberger and William J. Dickson's Management and the Worker in 1939 marks the birth of industrial sociology, we who work in that specialism suddenly find ourselves the master and victim of an adult sociological focus. Relative to this growing up, Professor J. H. Smith of Liverpool University last year personified industrial sociol-
Conformational Properties of Poly(vinylidene fluoride). A Quantum Chemistry Study of Model Compounds

The molecular geometries and conformational energies of model molecules of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) have been determined from high-level quantum chemistry calculations and have been used in parametrization of a six-state rotational isomeric state (RIS) model for PVDF. The model molecules investigated were 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane, 1,1,1,3,3,5,5,5-octofluoropentane, 2,2,4,4-tetrafluoropentane, and 2,2,4,4,6,6-hexafluoroheptane (HFH). Analysis of the conformations of these molecules revealed split trans minima (t+ = 195°, t- = 165°), as was seen in previous studies of perfluoroalkanes. In contrast, the gauche minima, which split in perfluoroalkanes, did not do so in the PVDF model compounds. The lowest energy conformer of HFH, g+g+g+g+, was found to be at least 0.4 kcal/mol lower in energy per backbone dihedral than any of the conformers of HFH resembling crystalline polymorphs of PVDF, indicating that intermolecular interactions are important in stabilizing conformations of PVDF in the crystalli...
Exercise training improves muscle insulin resistance but not insulin receptor signaling in obese Zucker rats

Exercise training improves skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity in the obese Zucker rat. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the improvement in insulin action in response to exercis...
Control of synthesis and secretion of intestinal apolipoprotein A-IV by lipid.

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV, a component of intedtinally secreted, triacyglycerol-rich lipoproteins, has recently been proposed as a physiological controller of gastric function and food intake. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms involved in the control of expression, synthesis ans secretion of apo A-IV. Apo A-IV is a member of a closely linked,k multigene cluster which includes apolipoproteins A-I and C-III. Expression and synthesis of apo A-IV display marked variabilitty with regard to species, tissue, stage of development and response to hormones, but intestinal apo A-IV is consistently stimulated by dietary lipid. The precise molecular mechanisms underlying the response of apo A-IV to lipid have not been clearly defined. Most evidence supports the hypothesis that some aspect of lipid transport is necessary for the apo A-IV response, but only part of this response may be due to a direct affect of intestinal lipid : recent findings suggest a connection between intestinal production of apo A-IV and hormonal and/or neural factors associated with operation of the ileal brake. Thus, apo A-IV may play an integrative role in the modulation of both upper gastrointestinal function and ingestive bahavior.
Blind cancellation of co-channel interference

A co-channel system can be viewed as a multiple-input, multiple-output communication system. By extending the scalar constant-modulus algorithm to vector-valued signals, we develop several methods for blind cancellation of co-channel interference. In particular, to prevent the receiver from locking on to the same signal more than once, we propose the determinant constant-modulus algorithm. For the special case of constant-modulus signals and a memoryless channel, this method can outperform other known methods, as demonstrated by simulation.
Transient beam loading in the SLC damping rings

Effects arising from heavy beam loading in the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) damping rings are described. The stability of the RF system and particle beam is studied using a numerical model of the beam cavity interaction with multiple feedback loops. Nonlinearities of the power source are also considered. The effects of beam-induced transients and intensity jitter on the RF system are analyzed and used to determine stability tolerances for both high current and low current pulses.
Pair-Wise, Deformable Mirror, Image Plane-Based Diversity Electric Field Estimation for High Contrast Coronagraphy

In this paper we describe the complex electric field reconstruction from image plane intensity measurements for high contrast coronagraphic imaging. A deformable mirror (DM) surface is modied with pairs of complementary shapes to create diversity in the image plane of the science camera where the intensity of the light is measured. Along with the Electric Field Conjugation correction algorithm, this estimation method has been used in various high contrast imaging testbeds to achieve the best contrasts to date both in narrow and in broad band light. We present the basic methodology of estimation in easy to follow list of steps, present results from HCIT and raise several open quations we are confronted with using this method.
Armollex: an apparatus for solvent extraction kinetic measurements

Abstract A new forced-convection constant-interfacial-area stirred cell, suitable for studying kinetics of liquid-liquid extraction of metal cations, is described. The apparatus permits operation over a wide range of stirring conditions and continuous monitoring of concentration variations.
Consumers' perceptions of vape shops in Southern California: an analysis of online Yelp reviews.

Background E-cigarettes are sold at many different types of retail establishments. A new type of shop has emerged, the vape shop, which specializes in sales of varied types of e-cigarettes. Vape shops allow users to sample several types. There are no empirical research articles on vape shops. Information is needed on consumers’ beliefs and behaviors about these shops, the range of products sold, marketing practices, and variation in shop characteristics by ethnic community and potential counter-marketing messages.
Distribution of G-actin is related to root hair growth of wheat.

• Background and Aims Actin distribution in root hair tips is a controversial topic. Although the relationship between Ca2+ gradient and actin dynamics in plant tip-growth has been a focus of study, there is still little direct evidence on the exact relationship in root hair tip-growth. • Methods G-actin was labelled by fluorescein isothiocyanate–DNase I. F-actin was labelled by tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate–phalloidin. Actin in root hairs of Triticum aestivum (wheat) was investigated using confocal laser-scanning microscopy. • Key Results Thick F-actin bundles did not extend into a region of approx. 5–10 µm from the tip of the growing root hairs, although they gave off branches of fine actin filaments in the hair tips. A tip-focused G-actin gradient was shown at the extreme apex of growing root hairs. In full-grown wheat root hairs, the tip-focused G-actin gradient disappeared while the thick F-actin bundles extended into the tips. BAPTA-AM, a Ca2+ disruption agent, also caused the tip-focused G-actin gradient to disappear and the diffuse F-actin bundles to appear in the tips of wheat root hairs. • Conclusions These results suggest that the tip-focused gradient of intracellular G-actin concentration at the extreme apex may be essential for root hair growth, and that preserving the tip-focused gradient needs a high Ca2+ concentration in the root hair tips.
Prognostic value of the Duke treadmill score in the elderly.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the Duke treadmill score works less well for risk stratification in patients age 75 years or above. BACKGROUND Although the Duke treadmill score is generally effective for risk stratification, its prognostic value in the elderly may be limited because they have a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), more severe CAD and a lower exercise tolerance. METHODS The study population consisted of 247 patients age 75 years or above, and the control population consisted of 2,304 patients below 75 years of age. All patients were symptomatic, had undergone exercise thallium testing between 1989 and 1991 and were followed for a median of >6.5 years. The Cox regression model was used to test the association of the Duke score (utilized both as a continuous variable and using previously published risk group cutoffs) with outcomes (cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI], late revascularization). RESULTS Using the Duke score to risk-stratify the elderly, 26% were in the low risk group, 68% were in the intermediate risk group and 6% were in the high risk groups; seven-year cardiac survival was 86%, 85% and 69%, respectively (p = 0.45). There was also no significant association between these Duke score risk groups and all other outcome end points in the elderly. The Duke score as a continuous variable did not predict cardiac death (p = 0.43) or cardiac death or MI (p = 0.42), but did predict total cardiac events (which included late revascularization) (p = 0.0027). For the control population, more patients (55%) were in the low risk group, and the Duke score (as a continuous variable or in risk groups) was highly predictive of all end points (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The Duke score predicted cardiac survival in younger patients but not in patients age 75 years or above. The majority of the elderly were classified as intermediate risk by the Duke score. Only a minority of the elderly were classified as low risk, but this group still had an annual cardiac mortality of 2%/year.
Inability of Pneumocystis organisms to incorporate bromodeoxyuridine suggests the absence of a salvage pathway for thymidine.

Because thymidine metabolism is a potential target for therapy of Pneumocystis pneumonia, it was investigated whether Pneumocystis organisms have a salvage pathway for thymidine by administering 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to mice and rats with Pneumocystis pneumonia. Although BrdU incorporation was detected in host cells, no incorporation was seen in Pneumocystis organisms infecting either rats or mice. This suggests that Pneumocystis organisms do not have a salvage pathway for thymidine, and that inhibitors of de novo synthesis, such as thymidylate synthase inhibitors, may be effective drugs for treating Pneumocystis pneumonia.
The rise and fall of antimicrobial resistance

Abstract Antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem in nearly every infectious disease, but the extent and rate of increase of the problem varies widely with different pathogen–drug combinations. The rate of increase of resistance depends primarily on the availability of resistant variants and the intensity of selection imposed by antimicrobial treatment (appropriately measured). Declines in resistance following antimicrobial control measures are typically faster in hospital-acquired infections than in community-acquired ones, probably owing to the dependence in the latter case on the fitness cost of resistance. Open questions and approaches for testing the hypotheses proposed here are outlined.
“That's How We Do Things Here: Local Culture and the Construction of Sweatshops and Anti-Sweatshop Activism in Two Campus Communities”*

This paper uses data from campus newspapers at two large Midwestern universities to examine local claimsmaking about the problem of sweatshops and anti-sweatshop activism on each campus. Although student activists at both schools sought to solve the same problem (i.e., the manufacture of university-licensed apparel by sweatshop labor) with the same solution (i.e., convincing their university administrations to join the Workers’ Rights Consortium, a sweatshop monitoring organization), what was ostensibly the same issue was constructed in very different ways in the claims found in the two newspapers. Drawing on the concept of “local culture,” our analysis illustrates how claimsmakers at each campus used locally and situationally embedded interpretive resources both to establish the problem of sweatshops and to present solutions to this problem. We use these findings to draw implications for both social problems theory and the study of social movements.
Recovery-Based Error Estimators for Interface Problems: Mixed and Nonconforming Finite Elements

In [Z. Cai and S. Zhang, SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 47 (2009), pp. 2132-2156], we introduced and analyzed a recovery-based a posteriori error estimator for conforming linear finite element approximation to interface problems. It was shown theoretically that the estimator is robust with respect to the size of jumps provided that the distribution of coefficients is locally monotone. Numerical examples showed that this condition is unnecessary. This paper extends the idea in [Z. Cai and S. Zhang, SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 47 (2009), pp. 2132-2156] to mixed and nonconforming finite element methods for developing and analyzing robust estimators. Numerical results on test problems are also presented. Moreover, an a priori error estimate is obtained when the underlying problem has low regularity.
Inhibition of complement C5 reduces local and remote organ injury after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion in the rat.

Abstract Background & Aims: Complement activation plays an important role in the local pathogenesis of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We investigated the action of anti-C5 monoclonal antibody (mAb) on local and remote organ injuries after intestinal I/R in the rat. Methods: Under anesthesia, functional anti-rat C5 mAb (18A), an isotype-matched control anti-C5 mAb (16C), or vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline) was administered 60 minutes before the superior mesenteric artery was occluded for 90 minutes and reperfused for 60 minutes. Tissue injury was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase release, myeloperoxidase activity, and microvessel relaxation. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1α, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 expression was assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Results: The loss of endothelium-dependent relaxation of microvessels from the superior mesenteric artery after I/R was significantly attenuated by 18A but not by 16C. Intestinal lactate dehydrogenase release after I/R was significantly reversed by 18A treatment. Anti-C5 treatment significantly inhibited the increased myeloperoxidase activity in the lung and intestine after intestinal I/R. Furthermore, increased intestinal TNF-α, IL-1α, and vascular ICAM-1 expression after I/R were significantly inhibited by anti-C5 mAb. Conclusions: Anti-C5 therapy significantly improved intestinal I/R tissue injury as well as lung injury. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2001;120:126-133
What should be expected from feature selection in small-sample settings

Motivation: High-throughput technologies for rapid measurement of vast numbers of biological variables offer the potential for highly discriminatory diagnosis and prognosis; however, high dimensionality together with small samples creates the need for feature selection, while at the same time making feature-selection algorithms less reliable. Feature selection must typically be carried out from among thousands of gene-expression features and in the context of a small sample (small number of microarrays). Two basic questions arise: (1) Can one expect feature selection to yield a feature set whose error is close to that of an optimal feature set? (2) If a good feature set is not found, should it be expected that good feature sets do not exist? Results: The two questions translate quantitatively into questions concerning conditional expectation. (1) Given the error of an optimal feature set, what is the conditionally expected error of the selected feature set? (2) Given the error of the selected feature set, what is the conditionally expected error of the optimal feature set? We address these questions using three classification rules (linear discriminant analysis, linear support vector machine and k-nearest-neighbor classification) and feature selection via sequential floating forward search and the t-test. We consider three feature-label models and patient data from a study concerning survival prognosis for breast cancer. With regard to the two focus questions, there is similarity across all experiments: (1) One cannot expect to find a feature set whose error is close to optimal, and (2) the inability to find a good feature set should not lead to the conclusion that good feature sets do not exist. In practice, the latter conclusion may be more immediately relevant, since when faced with the common occurrence that a feature set discovered from the data does not give satisfactory results, the experimenter can draw no conclusions regarding the existence or nonexistence of suitable feature sets. Availability: http://ee.tamu.edu/~edward/feature_regression/ Contact: edward@ece.tamu.edu
Rapid electrical and delayed molecular signals regulate the serum response element after nerve injury: Convergence of injury and learning signals

Axotomy elicits changes in gene expression, but little is known about how information from the site of injury is communicated to the cell nucleus. We crushed nerves in Aplysia californica and the sciatic nerve in the mouse and found short- and long-term activation of an Elk1-SRF transcription complex that binds to the serum response element (SRE). The enhanced short-term binding appeared rapidly and was attributed to the injury-induced activation of an Elk1 kinase that phosphorylates Elk1 at ser383. This kinase is the previously described Aplysia (ap) ERK2 homologue, apMAPK. Nerve crush evoked action potentials that propagated along the axon to the cell soma. Exposing axons to medium containing high K(+), which evoked a similar burst of spikes, or bathing the ganglia in 20 microM serotonin (5HT) for 20 min, activated the apMAPK and enhanced SRE binding. Since 5HT is released in response to electrical activity, our data indicate that the short-term process is initiated by an injury-induced electrical discharge that causes the release of 5HT which activates apMAPK. 5HT is also released in response to noxious stimuli for aversive learning. Hence, apMAPK is a point of convergence for injury signals and learning signals. The delay before the onset of the long-term SRE binding was reduced when the crush was closer to the ganglion and was attributed to an Elk1 kinase that is activated by injury in the axon and retrogradely transported to the cell body. Although this Elk1 kinase phosphorylates mammalian rElk1 at ser383, it is distinct from apMAPK.
Unexpectedly low left ventricular voltage on ECG in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Objective While late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in paediatric patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is reported as similar to adults, the relationship between LGE and ECG findings in paediatric patients is unknown. We sought to evaluate the relationship between LGE on cardiac MRI and LV precordial voltage on ECG. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of paediatric patients with HCM aged 9–21 years with cardiac MRI and ECG completed within 60 days of each other. Demographic, MRI and ECG data were compared between patients with and without LGE. Maximal diastolic septal thickness, septal to free wall ratio and LGE presence were compared with LV precordial voltage (SV1, RV6 and SV1+RV6). Results This study included 37 patients (33 male). Mean age was 15.8±2.8 years. Mean maximal LV diastolic septal thickness was 22.1±7.9 mm. Mean septal to free wall ratio was 2.4±1.6 mm. LGE was present in 18 patients, with 16 isolated to the ventricular septum. Comparing patients with and without LGE, there was no difference in age (p=0.2) or body surface area (p=0.9). However, the presence of LGE was associated with significantly increased septal thickness (p=0.03), yet decreased voltages in SV1 (p=0.005), RV6 (p=0.005) and SV1+RV6 (p=0.002) despite increased septal dimensions. Conclusions A significant inverse relationship exists between LGE presence and LV precordial voltage in this population. Unexpectedly low LV precordial voltages in patients with HCM may serve as a clinical surrogate marker for myocardial fibrosis and potential loss of viable myocardial tissue.
Does Vitamin E Decrease Heart Attack Risk? Summary and Implications with Respect to Dietary Recommendations

The hypothesis that oxidative stress has a role in atherosclerosis rests on a large body of experimental work carried out in animal models of heart disease. The situation is more complex in humans, in that the results from vitamin E supplementation trials have been conflicting. Nonetheless, there is emerging information that alpha-tocopherol may play a critical role in maintaining the function of key cellular components in the atherosclerotic process through its ability to inhibit the activity of protein kinase C, a key player in many signal transduction pathways. alpha-Tocopherol modulates pathways of platelet aggregation, endothelial cell nitric oxide production, monocyte/macrophage superoxide production and smooth muscle cell proliferation. Regulation of adhesion molecule expression and inflammatory cell cytokine production by alpha-tocopherol has also been reported. More studies are required to relate alpha-tocopherol intakes to optimal tissue responses in humans.
Consequences of Partial Flexibility in 1,3-Benzenedicarboxylate Linkers: Kagomé Lattice and NbO Supramolecular Isomers from Complexation of a Bulky 1,3-Benzenedicarboxylate to Cu(II) Paddlewheel Moieties

A 5-substituted benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1,3-BDC), 5-(N-phthalimide)isophthalic acid (5-NPIA), reacts with CuCl2 to afford either a Kagome lattice or NbO nets, depending upon which solvent is used for the reaction.
Temperature-dependent Development and Feeding of Immature Colorado Potato Beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Mean development rate of eggs of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), at 10 constant temperatures over the range 15 to 33°C is fit with a bounded sigmoid curve. The distribution of development rates is modeled using a temperature-dependent normalizing function and a sigmoid curve fit to cumulative development. When eggs are alternated between 25 and 35°C for limited durations, development rates vary from those predicted using constant-temperature results. This is explained as a product of selective mortality and time lags in shifts between rate-controlling mechanisms. Mean development rate of larvae at 10 constant temperatures over the range 15 to 33°C is fit with a simple sigmoid curve, and distributed development of larvae is described in a manner similar to that used to describe the distribution of egg development rates. Total feeding of the 4 larval instars over the range 15 to 33°C is described as a constant (instars 1 and 2) or a 2nd-order polynomial (instars 3 and 4). Mean development rate of pupae at 11 constant temperatures over the range 10 to 31°C is fit with a simple sigmoid curve.
Sum frequency generation spectroscopy of imidazolium-based ionic liquids with cyano-functionalized anions at the solid salt-liquid interface.

A surface-sensitive nonlinear vibrational spectroscopic technique, sum frequency generation (SFG), has been used to study cyano-containing ionic liquids in contact with two different solid salt surfaces. Specifically, the interfacial chemistry of BaF2(111) single-crystal and solid NaCl{100} surfaces in contact with ionic liquids such as [BMIM][SCN], [BMIM][DCA], [BMIM][TCM], and [EMIM][TCB] has been investigated. Spectral features in both C–H and C–N stretching regions were assigned, with a detailed discussion of the nature of surface interactions and ordering of the ionic liquid ions at the interface of the different crystals. Results showed that [BMIM]+ cations adhered closely via Coulombic interactions to the negatively charged NaCl{100} surface, while [SCN]−, [TCM]−, and [DCA]− anions revealed a strong electrostatic affinity to the positively charged BaF2(111) surface. Ions of the ionic liquid adsorbed to the solid salt surface to form a Helmholtz-like electric double layer. The linear [SCN]− anion ha...
Chromosome Patterns in Mexican Boophilus annulatus and B. micropolus

Chromosome patterns in excised gonads of laboratory-reared Mexican Boophilus annulatus (Say) and B. microplus (Canestrini) were studied. Mitotic and meiotic divisions were observed in spermatocytes of both species, but only mitotic oogonia, with one exception, were detected in both species. 2n=21 and 22 (20 autosomes) was observed in males and females of both species, respectively. Sex determination is by an XX:XO mechanism with the male being heterogametic. At metaphase I, male autosome lengths ranged from 2.9 to 4.5µ in B. annulatus and from 2.3 to 9.4µ in B. microplus . Male X chromosome length averged 7.1µ in B. annulatus and 5.6µ in B. microplus . Near homomorphic female X chromosome lengths ranged from 6.5 to 7.0µ in B. annulatus , and autosomes from 1.4 to 2.9µ definitive measurements in B. microplus were difficult, but X chromosomes appeared to be homomorphic and ranged from 1.5X to 4X the length of autosomes.
THE INITIAL EVALUATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE POTENTIAL PREDICTABILITY IN THE NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC USING THE IPRC REGIONAL CLIMATE MODEL

Potential monthly predictability on Northwestern Pacific tropical cyclones(TCs) activities for the season(June—October) and associated large scale environment conditions were evaluated by utilizing the are separately 0.77 and 0.82 between the simulation and observation,which show a good potential predictability.The simulated distribution of TC genesis positions is in accordance with the observation and International Pacific Research Center(IPRC) high-resolution regional climate model(IPRC-RegCM) and the results show that the IPRC model exhibited good skill in simulating the associated large-scale environmental conditions.The correlation coefficients of the annual and monthly TC genesis numbers(within the season) the interannual trend of PDI simulation is satisfactory.But the simulated occurrence is obviously more than the observed one in the South China Sea.Fewer TCs move towards to the north than those in the observation.And the simulated peak value section of the maximum speeds is not as good as the observation.
Synergistic effect of gemcitabine and irinotecan (CPT-11) on breast and small cell lung cancer cell lines.

Gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine, dFdC), an analog of deoxycytidine, is an antineoplastic agent with clinical activity against several types of cancer. Irinotecan (CPT-11), a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is a drug with a broad spectrum of anticancer activity. Since these drugs have different mechanisms of cytotoxicity and dose-limiting toxicity profiles, preclinical combination studies were performed on the MCF-7 breast cancer and the SCOG small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines. Both gemcitabine and CPT-11 as single agents were effective growth inhibitors in these cell lines. Isobologram analysis revealed for the first time that the combination of these drugs exerted synergy over a wide range of concentrations in MCF-7 and SCOG cells. Moreover, combination index (CI) analysis revealed that at low concentrations, combinations of gemcitabine and CPT-11 show a synergistic growth inhibitory effect on MCF-7 cells. However, in SCOG cells Cl analysis showed synergy at concentrations of gemcitabine and CPT-11 greater than 1 μM but antagonism at combination concentrations less than 1 μM. These preclinical cytotoxicity data provide an experimental basis for conducting clinical trials using combinations of gemcitabine and CPT-11, especially in patients with breast and lung cancers.
Freedom Frustrated: Sartre’s No Exit

We seldom question the assumption that a mutually satisfying relationship between human beings is possible. This expectation seems mataphysically and morally grounded in our traditional view of man. When there is a failure in communication, or when people inflict harm on one another, we look for an explanation either in some wilful perversion, or in ignorance, or in unfortunate circumstances. The basic assumption is that a mutual accommodation of interests and desires is possible. Normally and normatively human nature is geared toward harmony and fulfilment.
Uncovering the Social Pecking Order in Gang Violence

Mounting evidence suggests that gang violence spreads through communities like a social contagion. By mapping the structure of these conflicts we are better positioned to ascertain which gang rivalries, intragroup struggles for leadership, and displays of dominance pose the greatest threat to local communities. Using information drawn from court cases, this study examines 9 years of violence instigated by historic rivals—the Bloods and the Crips. Studying the conflict network linking 158 street gangs operating in Los Angeles County offers unique insight into the nature of violence that can improve regional anti-crime policy. Based on these results, violence reduction strategies stand to be more effective when they (1) use network analysis to identify where to aim efforts to quell internal rivalries; (2) focus on groups that initiate the most violence toward non-gang citizens, as well as other gangs; (3) use group audits to map violence networks and extend gang injunctions to connected factions and competitors; (4) remap the network frequently to ensure it is current; and (5) generate inter-jurisdictional working groups that involve communities linked by gang violence.
Evolution in Court. A Federal Judge Defines Science

This article highlights certain recurring themes in Mariano Artigas’s works by examining a judicial decision made in the United States in 1982 concerning the teaching of “creation-science” alongside “evolution-science” in public schools. These themes include: the proper delimitation of the boundaries of science, the importance of philosophy as a bridge between science and religion, and the misunderstandings concerning the limits of science inherent in scientism.
Knowledge Sharing Among Scientists: Why Reputation Matters for R&D in Multinational Firms, P.C. Ensign. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, NY (2009), 220 pp.

Knowledge Sharing Among Scientists consists of seven well-written and detailed chapters, two appendices that present the two survey instruments used in the study, an excellent foreword by Melissa M...
Rapping with Richard Reginald Schell

This interview was conducted with Mr. Richard R. Schell (aka Reggie Schell), former Defense Captain of the Philadelphia, PA, Branch of the Black Panther Party from its founding in late-1968 to early-1971. The interview highlights Mr. Schell’s family background, educational experiences, the Philadelphia community, his role in the development of the Philadelphia Branch, and the BPP’s legacy.
Quantification of oxygen isotope SIMS matrix effects in olivine samples: Correlation with sputter rate

Abstract We investigated the magnitude and reproducibility of instrumental mass-dependent fractionation of oxygen isotopes in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analyses of olivine crystals of different major element chemistry (from Mg-rich to Fe-rich) in order to improve the accuracy of in-situ O-isotope measurements in geochemical/cosmochemical olivine samples. We found that oxygen isotope SIMS matrix effects are reproducible, and developed a model curve that can be used for correcting instrumental mass fractionation of olivine samples of intermediate chemical composition. The changes in instrumental mass fractionations were likely caused by differing Cs concentrations in the near surface regions of the samples due to different sample sputtering rates.
Applications of Joint Distributions

This Chapter presents two applications of joint fuzzy probability distributions discussed in Chapter 10. In the next section we have an application of a joint fuzzy discrete probability distribution followed by a discussion of fuzzy reliability theory which is an application of joint fuzzy continuous probability distribution.
The Impact of Surgeon Volume on Outcomes After Pancreaticoduodenectomy: a Meta-analysis

Despite significant improvement in operative mortality rates following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), morbidity remains high. Outcomes following PD may be improved in high-volume centers and with high-volume surgeons. We sought to evaluate the association between surgeon experience and postoperative outcomes after PD. An online database search of MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed; key bibliographies were reviewed. Studies comparing operative outcomes of high-volume surgeon (HVS) and low-volume surgeon (LVS) performing PD were included. Odds ratios with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) by random fixed effects models of pooled data were calculated. Definition of HVS varied among the studies, ranging from 6 to >20 PD/year. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality, and secondary outcomes were complication rates, length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, and readmission rates. Study quality was assessed using STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) criteria. Search strategy yielded 360 publications. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria comprising 36,449 patients. Among these patients, 12,512 (34.3%) PDs were performed by HVS and 23,937 (65.7%) by LVS. Meta-analysis of included studies showed that HVS had significantly lower mortality rates than LVS (2.4 vs. 6.7%, OR 2.88; 95% CI 2.51–3.27, p < 0.001). They also had significantly lower overall complication rates (36.3 vs. 50.3%, OR 1.71; 95% CI 1.62–1.81, p < 0.001), hospital costs (range $10,818–141,322 vs. $12,114–198,678, OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.07–0.19, p < 0.001), and LOS (range 11–35 vs. 14–38 days, OR 2.86; 95% CI 2.03–3.68, p < 0.001). HVS performing PD have significantly better outcomes than LVS in terms of decreased mortality, morbidity, LOS, and hospital costs. Efforts toward increased regionalization of care should be discussed. Consensus regarding definition of HVS needs to be undertaken.
Moving Beyond Case Studies: Research Examples from Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

Mountaintop removal is a form of surface coal mining practiced in Central Appalachia. People who live near these mining sites express concerns about water and air quality problems caused by mining with corresponding impacts on health, but until relatively recently empirical evidence was lacking. This paper will describe the progression of a research line proceeding from secondary analyses of epidemiological data, to community health surveys, to the beginnings of environmental exposure assessment studies in laboratory and community settings. Early studies documented significantly poorer health conditions across multiple indicators among people living in mining versus non-mining areas. Environmental sampling documented the levels and types of air and water contaminants present in mining communities, and more recently, the first cause and effect connections have been made between environmental conditions and biological markers. Particulate matter from mining communities, for example, has been shown to promote lung cancer progression in vitro. More remains to be done, but the example of research on mountaintop removal provides a case study in moving from anecdotal evidence to research evidence to address an environmental health concern. Observations and recommendations are offered that may be useful in developing a research base to understand public health impacts from karst groundwater contamination.
A policy-based system for dynamic scaling of virtual machine memory reservations

To maximize the effectiveness of modern virtualization systems, resources must be allocated fairly and efficiently amongst virtual machines (VMs). However, current policies for allocating memory are relatively static. As a result, system-wide memory utilization is often sub-optimal, leading to unnecessary paging and performance degradation. To better utilize the large-scale memory resources of modern machines, the virtualization system must allow virtual machines to expand beyond their initial memory reservations, while still fairly supporting concurrent virtual machines. This paper presents a system for dynamically allocating memory amongst virtual machines at runtime, as well as an evaluation of six allocation policies implemented within the system. The system allows guest VMs to expand and contract according to their changing demands by uniquely improving and integrating mechanisms such as memory ballooning, memory hotplug, and hypervisor paging. Furthermore, the system provides fairness by guaranteeing each guest a minimum reservation, charging for rentals beyond this minimum, and enforcing timely reclamation of memory.
Emotion, motivation and function

Biological approaches to emotion require that adaptive function is an organizing principle in defining the emotion. The emotion of fear is taken as the complete behavioral, physiological and experiential components of a system that evolved for antipredator defense. In part, fear is a motivation that selects and drives overt defensive action. But the emotion also contains the autonomic changes supporting these behaviors and the conscious experience that accompanies danger. Fear has the ability to overwhelm consciousness so that that nothing but phylogenetically selected action occurs. By filling consciousness fear prevents flexible behaviors and that is one reason why anxiety disorders can be so debilitating. Anxiety, fear and panic are states within the emotion that correspond to different levels of threat.
Epigenetic Variation and Regulation in Malaria Parasites

Eukaryotic pathogens must survive in different hosts, respond to changing environments, and exploit specialized niches to propagate. Plasmodium parasites cause human malaria during bloodstream infections, where they must persist long enough to be transmitted. Parasites have evolved diverse strategies of variant gene expression that control critical biological processes of blood-stage infections, including antigenic variation, erythrocyte invasion, innate immune evasion, and nutrient acquisition, as well as life-cycle transitions. Epigenetic mechanisms within the parasite are being elucidated, with discovery of epigenomic marks associated with gene silencing and activation, and the identification of epigenetic regulators and chromatin proteins that are required for the switching and maintenance of gene expression. Here, we review the key epigenetic processes that facilitate transition through the parasite life cycle and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms utilized by Plasmodium parasites to survive changing environments and consider epigenetic switching in the context of the outcome of human infections.
High performance natural language processing on semantic network array processor

This paper describes a natural language processing system developed for the Semantic Network Array Processor (SNAP). The goal of our work is to develop a scalable and high-performance natural language processing system which utilizes the high degree of parallelism provided by the SNAP machine. We have implemented an experimental machine translation system as a central part of a real-time speech-to-speech dialogue translation system. It is a SNAP version of the Φ DMDIAIOG speech-to-speech translation system. Memory-based natural language processing and syntactic constraint network model has been incorporated using parallel marker-passing which is directly supported from hardware level. Experimental results demonstrate that the parsing of a sentence is done in the order of milliseconds.
MOISTURE DISTRIBUTION DERIVED IN MATHEMATICAL MODELS AND FOUR-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

The global three-dimensional distribution of water vapor is difficult to define. Two aspects of this problem are discussed, one is the numerical model's simulation of moisture based on various assumptions of condensation of water vapor and the second is associated with four-dimensional data analysis. It was recognized that humidity is not really essential as initial data for the prediction of cyclone-scale weather for a few days ahead because almost irrespective of the initial condition, the moisture field is, to some extent, generated by the model. By utilizing this characteristic, a reasonable and satisfactory distribution of water vapor over the globe can be produced by inserting moisture data, even though fragmentary, into a model in the context of four-dimensional analysis.
Emerging Agents in Renal Cell Carcinoma

The landscape of therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has changed drastically over the past decade, hinging largely on the approval of six targeted agents. While this undoubtedly represents a milestone in the treatment of this disease, it is critical to bear in mind that the six agents fall broadly within two mechanistic categories: (1) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-directed therapies (sunitinib, sorafenib, pazopanib, and bevacizumab), and (2) inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR, everolimus, and temsirolimus). Other chapters in this book will delineate agents that are consistent with this paradigm, including novel VEGF-directed therapies such as axitinib and tivozanib. Ultimately, however, the research community will need to look toward agents that target distinct signaling axes, or employ novel mechanisms to augment antitumor immunity. The current chapter explores a range of emerging therapies – ranging from vaccine therapy to cytotoxic chemotherapy – that may add to the current armamentarium for mRCC.
Adaptive Sensor Selection for Monitoring Stochastic Processes

We investigate an adaptive sensor selection problem in which a stochastic process is monitored by multiple sensors. We design a sensor selection policy that assigns a set of sensors to collect measurements for which the sensor selection depends on previously collected measurements and auxiliary data, and is subject to a constraint on the number of sensors to be selected. We use the mutual information to assess the performance of the policy. The goal of this paper is to find an approximate solution to the sensor selection problem and to assess the performance of the solution. For this purpose, we define greedy adaptive policies using greedy heuristics and derive a performance bound on greedy policies with respect to the performance of adaptive policies satisfying so-called diminishing property and optimality conditions. The main result shows that the performance of a greedy adaptive policy is at least $\frac{1}{2}$ of that of the best policy satisfying these two conditions.
Development of an AFLP Linkage Map for QTL Analysis of Mating Song in the Hawaiian Cricket, Laupala

Native Hawaiian crickets of the genus Laupala are small, flightless insects found on all the high islands of the archipelago. The species are highly cryptic morphologically, and taxonomic distinctions are based on male genitalia and variation in male calling song (Otte 1994; Shaw 1996a). The male calling song in crickets is a conspicuous example of an intersexual communication signal thought to confer ethological isolation. Functions of male calling song have been studied extensively in some cricket species, but little is known about the genetic basis of this behaviour. We are developing a linkage map of the Laupala genome to identify quantitative trait loci involved in calling song variation. As very little is known about the Laupala genome we are using the recently developed technique of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP™, Vos et al. 1995) to generate DNA markers.
A Review of: “Save The Children. (2004). Effective peer education: Working with children and young people on sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.”

Effective Peer Education: Working With Children and Young People on Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS is a workbook constructed for individuals who are interested in developing sexual and...