cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethanol and (−)-α-Pinene: Attractant Kairomones for Some Large Wood-Boring Beetles in Southeastern USA

Ethanol and α-pinene were tested as attractants for large wood-boring pine beetles in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina in 2002–2004. Multiple-funnel traps baited with (−)-α-pinene (released at about 2 g/d at 25–28°C) were attractive to the following Cerambycidae: Acanthocinus nodosus, A. obsoletus, Arhopalus rusticus nubilus, Asemum striatum, Monochamus titillator, Prionus pocularis, Xylotrechus integer, and X. sagittatus sagittatus. Buprestis lineata (Buprestidae), Alaus myops (Elateridae), and Hylobius pales and Pachylobius picivorus (Curculionidae) were also attracted to traps baited with (−)-α-pinene. In many locations, ethanol synergized attraction of the cerambycids Acanthocinus nodosus, A. obsoletus, Arhopalus r. nubilus, Monochamus titillator, and Xylotrechus s. sagittatus (but not Asemum striatum, Prionus pocularis, or Xylotrechus integer) to traps baited with (−)-α-pinene. Similarly, attraction of Alaus myops, Hylobius pales, and Pachylobius picivorus (but not Buprestis lineata) to traps baited with (−)-α-pinene was synergized by ethanol. These results provide support for the use of traps baited with ethanol and (−)-α-pinene to detect and monitor common large wood-boring beetles from the southeastern region of the USA at ports-of-entry in other countries, as well as forested areas in the USA.
Selective translocation of intracellular Smoothened to the primary cilium in response to Hedgehog pathway modulation

Smoothened (Smo), a 7-pass transmembrane protein, is essential for transduction of a Hedgehog (Hh) signal across the cell membrane. Smo is also the principle therapeutic target for several candidate drugs in the treatment of Hh-related diseases. Mammalian Smo translocates to the primary cilium in response to Sonic hedgehog (Shh) ligand-mediated signaling. A mechanistic understanding of Smo translocation and its interactions with drug candidates is pivotal to our understanding of Hh signaling and the design, development and application of successful drugs. We established a system in which Smo was dual-labeled with GFP and a 12-aa tag whose recognition by an enzymatic process enables the posttranslational labeling of Smo in the cell membrane within the living cell. These tools enable the simultaneous visualization of all cellular Smo, and more specifically, the cell membrane restricted subpopulation. Using this system, we demonstrate that cyclopamine, a widely used Hh antagonist, induces a cilial translocation of Smo similar to that reported for Shh ligand and several Hh agonists. In contrast, other antagonists abrogate the Shh-induced, cilial translocation of Smo. We present evidence that the majority of cilial-localized Smo originates from an intracellular source and may traffic to the primary cilium through an intraflagellar transport (IFT) pathway.
DNA SEQUENCE MOTIFS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ABERRANT HOMOLOGOUS RECOMBINATION IN THE MOUSE MACROPHAGE MIGRATION INHIBITORY FACTOR (MIF)LOCUS

Homologous recombination is a precise genetic event that can introduce specific alteration in the genome. A planned targeted disruption by homologous recombination of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (Mif) locus in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells yielded the targeted clones, some of which had genomic rearrangements inconsistent with the expected homologous recombination event. A detailed characterization of the recombination breakpoints in two of these clones revealed several sequence motifs with possible roles in recombination. These motifs included short regions of sequence identity that may promote DNA alignment, multiple 5'-AAGG/TTCC-3' tetrameres, topoisomerase I consensus sites, and AT-rich sequences that can promote DNA cleavage and recombination. A retrovirus-like intracisternal-A particle (IAP) family sequence was also identified upstream of the Mif gene, and the LTR of this IAP was involved in one of the recombinations. Identification and characterization of such sequence motifs will be valuable for the gene targeting experiments.
Christ in American Religious Fiction

HE old painting that still decorates some middle-class Protestant homes, showing Christ with lantern in hand, knocking at the heart's door, holds an ironic symbolic significance for the development of American literature and its religious "expression: if Christian fiction in America has contributed little of lasting value to serious literature, it can at least claim credit for opening many a nineteenth-century home to novel reading that would have remained otherwise closed for a much longer time. Although poetry was accepted from the start as compatible with the practice of piety, the novel was not. It got off to a bad start, since the first native novel, William Hill Brown's The Power of Sympathy (1789) dealt with a seduction as its central theme, while those immediately following the picaresque Modern Chivalry (first part, 1792) by H. H. Brackenridge, and Brockden Brown's Gothic romances together with the imported English offerings of the century, did not inspire confidence in the new genre as a means for spiritual growth. Not until almost the middle of the nineteenth century did an author hit upon the formula that rendered the novel respectable, even desirable, for Christian consumption. That was in 1841, when the Unitarian Reverend William Ware discovered that the traditional Christ story plus considerable fictional embellishment equals a best seller. His Julian; or, Scenes in Judea, featuring a Roman Jew who finally gets to see Jesus, set the pattern for a series of phenomenally popular time-of-Christ romances that continues into the present. Thus the beginnings of American fiction on one level are intimately related to the story of Christ.' Although nearly all of the historical Christian novels present obvious distortions of the New Testament picture of Jesus, either by sentimentalization of his personality and work or by mixing fictional-romantic and biblical-historical elements, the religiously-conditioned public has accepted them as "inspirational" and continues to read the blendings of salvation, sex, miracles, and magic as reverently-composed products of Christian art. When, in 1855, the prolific Joseph Holt Graham turned out The Prince of the House of David (an epistolary account by a peripatetic young girl of her encounters with Jesus), its sales were fantastic. Timothy Shay Arthur, the teetotaling author of Ten Nights in a Bar-room, wrote the only discordant review. He complained that "New characters and incidents are introduced and language put into our Saviour's mouth, of which we find no record in the sacred volume ... a page or two was sufficient to create the same feelings we have when an imaginary head
Observation of migrating superoxide species in YBa2Cu3(57Co)O7−δ

The interaction of the migrating superoxide ion O−2 with the central cobalt-57 atom of the four coordinate species at the chain site is probed with the help of emission Mossbauer spectroscopy. The bond formation between 57Co and O−2 requires some thermal activation, and consequently the five-coordinate species is stable only above ∼ 350 K. The equilibrium shifts in its favor at higher temperatures, and the interconversion between the two species is completely reversible. The O−2 ion can either attach to cobalt end-on with one of the oxygen atoms or interact equivalently with both. The amount of the five-coordinate species formed seems to be limited by the availability of O−2. The interconversion ceases to occur after a prolonged thermal treatment of the YBa2Cu3(57Co)O7−δ pellet at 420°C under argon flow. All the interstitial oxygen species are presumably removed without any measurable loss of oxygen from the Cu-O chains.
Management of esophageal varices.

Of the consequences of portal hypertension, varices carr the most sinister implications. During life, the risk of hemorrhage from varices hangs like a "sword of Damocles" over a cirrhotic’s head. Hemorrhage, when it occurs, expedites the patient’s demise, or often itself proves to be the terminal event. Compared with other causes of gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhage from varices is most severe, and the available therapies, over the long-term, are the least definitive.
A simplied universal relation assumption and its properties

One problem concerning the universal relation assumption is the inability of known methods to obtain a database scheme design in the general case, where the real-world constraints are given by a set of dependencies that includes embedded multivalued dependencies. We propose a simpler method of describing the real world, where constraints are given by functional dependencies and a single join dependency. The relationship between this method of defining the real world and the classical methods is exposed. We characterize in terms of hypergraphs those multivalued dependencies that are the consequence of a given join dependency. Also characterized in terms of hypergraphs are those join dependencies that are equivalent to a set of multivalued dependencies.
Composite material behavior under applied electric field: material switches to a high-resistive state

Current-voltage characteristics of the electrically conductive silver-filled epoxy Ablefilm ECF-563 preform switches to a high-resistive state under low bias voltage. The observed phenomena is argued to be an intrinsic property of electrically conducting composite materials caused by strong localized centers that introduce space charge.
ON THE REGULARITY OF SETS OF MULTI-ACCEPTED STRINGS OF A NON-DETERMINISTIC FINITE AUTOMATON

In this paper we establish the regularity of various sets of multi-accepted strings of nondeterministic finite automata. Regularity follows from the existence of accepting automata constructed by introducing a vector labeling method which generalizes the subset labeling approach. In each set the acceptance levels of the strings correspond to finite sets of additive equivalence classes of non-negative integers.
Ecocultural bias in culture-specific intelligence tests in an ecologically diverse culture: The Philippines

Abstract In an ecologically diverse society (the Philippines), measurement equivalence across ecological settings was investigated with two culture-specific intelligence tests. Comparative reliability and factor analyses indicated that the tests (one for preschoolers, one for adults) were measuring the same ability dimensions equally reliably within each setting. Across settings, however, delta-plot analyses revealed considerable bias at the item level in tests of crystallized abilities, and the preschool tests tended to favor children from the setting where the tests were developed. The results are interpreted in terms of an ecocultural framework in which group differences in intellectual performance can reflect not only actual ability differences but differences in practice with, and exposure to, particular environmental stimuli and/or cognitive skills. The study demonstrates: (a) the need, particularly in ecologically diverse and segmented societies, to inspect tests for item bias; (b) the difficulty of culturally “equating” cognitive measures, even for very similar cultural subgroups who differ primarily in ecological setting.
Do Children Know Their Parent’s HIV Status? Parental Reports of Child Awareness in a Nationally Representative Sample

Objective To determine the rates and predictors of child awareness of parental human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and the effect of that knowledge on children. Methods Interviews were conducted with 274 parents from a nationally representative sample of HIV-infected adults receiving health care for HIV. The outcome measures were parental report of child's awareness of parental HIV status, how others reacted to child's parent having HIV, and reasons for nondisclosure. Results HIV-infected parents reported that 44% of their children (5–17 years old) were aware of their parent's HIV status, and parents had discussed with 90% of those children the possibility that HIV or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) might lead to their parent's death. Multivariate analyses revealed that parents with higher income, with an HIV risk group of heterosexual intercourse, with higher CD4 counts, with greater social isolation, and with younger children were less likely than others to report that their child knew the parent was HIV positive. Parents reported that 11% of children worried they could catch HIV from their parent. Reasons children did not know their parent's HIV status included that the parent was worried about the emotional consequences of disclosure (67%), was worried the child would tell other people (36%), and did not know how to tell their child (28%). Conclusions HIV-infected parents often worry about the emotional consequences of disclosure to their children and that their children may tell others. More than a quarter of parents reported not knowing how to tell their children. Clinicians may be able to support and guide HIV-infected parents in deciding whether, when, and how to disclose their infection to their children.
Theory of mind in dogs?: examining method and concept.

In line with other research, Udell, Dorey, and Wynne’s (in press) finding that dogs and wolves pass on some trials of a putative theory-of-mind test and fail on others is as informative about the methods and concepts of the research as about the subjects. This commentary expands on these points. The intertrial differences in the target article demonstrate how critical the choice of cues is in experimental design; the intersubject-group differences demonstrate how life histories can interact with experimental design. Even the best-designed theory-of-mind tests have intractable logical problems. Finally, these and previous research results call for the introduction of an intermediate stage of ability, a rudimentary theory of mind, to describe subjects’ performance.
Mamilloecia indica Halocyprididae Ostracoda a new genus and species from the Northwest Indian Ocean

A stratified zooplankton sample series taken from the upwelling region of the Gulf of Oman during February 1997 was analysed. Samples collected from below 1500 m contained an abundant species that closely resembled Paraconchoecia mamillata Muller, 1906 found in the Atlantic. Morphological and statistical analysis showed that the Oman species differed significantly from P. mamillata. In addition, both species differed significantly from Paraconchoecia spinifera, the type species of the genus Paraconchoecia. A new genus is erected to accommodate both the Oman and Atlantic species, together with the closely related Paraconchoecia nanomamillata Deevey and Brooks, 1980. Comprehensive redescriptions of P. spinifera and Mamilloecia mamillata new combination are given along with full descriptions of the new genus and species Mamilloecia indica.
Effect of Surface Orientation on Nucleate Boiling of FC-72 on Porous Graphite

Effects of orientations of porous graphite and smooth copper surfaces, measuring 10 mmX 10 mm, on saturation nucleate boiling and critical heat flux (CHF) of FC-72 dielectric liquid and of liquid subcooling (0, 10, 20, and 30 K) on nucleate boiling in the upward facing orientation are investigated. Inclination angles (θ) considered are 0 deg (upward-facing), 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 deg (downward facing). The values of nucleate boiling heat flux, nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient (NBHTC), and CHF are compared with those measured on the smooth copper surface of the same dimensions and CHF values on both copper and porous graphite are compared with those reported by other investigators on the smooth surfaces and microporous coatings. Results demonstrated higher NBHTC and CHF on porous graphite, particularly in the downward-facing orientation (θ=180 deg). In the upward-facing orientation, NBHTCs on both surfaces decrease with increased subcooling, but increase with increased surface superheat reaching maxima then decrease with further increase in surface superheat. In saturation boiling on copper and both saturation and subcooled boiling on porous graphite these maxima occur at or near the end of the discrete bubble region, and near CHF in subcooled boiling on copper. Maximum saturation NBHTC on porous graphite increases with decreased surface superheat and inclination angle, while that on copper increases with increased surface superheat and decreased surface inclination. At low surface superheats, saturation nucleate boiling heat flux increases with increased inclination, but decreases with increased inclination at high surface superheats, consistent with previously reported data for dielectric and nondielectric liquids. The fractional decreases in saturation CHF with increased 0 on smooth copper and microporous coatings are almost identical, but markedly larger than on porous graphite, particularly in the downward-facing orientation. In this orientation, saturation CHF on porous graphite of 16 W/cm 2 is much higher than on copper (4.9 W/cm 2 ) and as much as 53% of that in the upward-facing orientation, compared to only ∼18% on copper.
Using the I² Intervention Matrix to Select the Best Course of Action

The I² intervention selection matrix is a useful tool that will help in the selection of appropriate interventions based on the level of impact and invasiveness of the intervention. It is a two-axis grid that places interventions in one of four quadrants. Based on which quadrant the intervention falls in, a practitioner can decide which interventions to use, not use, or use with caution. It is a simple yet elegant way to determine appropriateness.
Educational Strategies to Reduce Diagnostic Error: Can You Teach This Stuff?.

Diagnostic error typically involves both system-related and cognitive root causes. Educational interventions are proposed to address both of these dimensions: In regard to system-related origins, education should focus on communication skills, including handoffs. In regard to cognitive shortcomings, educators need to consider both normative approaches to decision making, as well as the 'flesh and blood' processes used by experienced clinicians. In the long term, the goal of education should be to promote expertise, based on the assumption that experts make the fewest mistakes. In the short term, education should emphasize the importance of reflective practice, and consider use of a checklist for diagnosis to improve reliability.
How Brianna Became Bossy and Kofi Came Out Smart: Understanding the Trajectories of Identity and Engagement for Two Group Leaders in a Project-Based Mathematics Classroom

This article addresses equity in mathematics classrooms through a focus on students’ co-constructed trajectories of identity and engagement in cooperative learning groups. I examine how two students who served as group leaders in a projects-based algebra classroom constructed markedly different trajectories of identity and engagement across the academic year. Results showed that group members differentially interpreted their respective project-related directives in gendered ways such that the female group leaders’ displays of authority were positioned as inappropriate, while the male group leaders’ displays were positioned as desirable.
The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate: a lithium-regulated protein linking cellular signaling and cytoskeletal plasticity

Abstract The clinical efficacy of lithium to prophylactically reduce profound mood cycling inpatients with bipolar disorder is indicative of its ability to stabilize the underlying disease mechanism(s). Chronic lithium may exert its therapeutic effects by normalizing aberrant phosphoinositide signaling through its interactions with the phosphoinositide pathway and down-stream alterations in protein kinase C (PKC) activity and substrate phosphorylation. We have shown that chronic, but not acute, lithium treatment at clinically relevant concentrations significantly reduces the expression of MARCKS (myristoylated alanine rich C-kinase substrate), a primary and preferential PKC substrate, and that MARCKS gene expression is regulated by chronic lithium at the transcriptional level through a lithium-responsive element in the MARCKS promoter. The MARCKS protein is located in pre- and postsynaptic terminals where it has been implicated to regulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis, filamentous-actin cytoskeletal plasticity, vesicular trafficking and the release efficacy of several neurotransmitters. MARCKS is necessary for normal mouse brain development, and remains highly expressed in several key adult cortical, limbic, and subcortical brain regions. Several neuroplastic events are sensitive to alterations in MARCKS expression, and prolonged elevations in PKC activity, physiological stress, and proinflammatory factors induce alterations in MARCKS expression. The long-term mood-stabilizing effect, as well as some side-effects (memory impairment), of chronic lithium may stem from its capacity to down-regulate MARCKS expression and/or phosphorylation in dysregulated circuits of key brain regions.
Single-particle component of the first excited state of /sup 211/Bi

The first excited state of /sup 211/Bi is located at 410 keV and, in spite of the relatively simple structure of this nucleus relative to the /sup 208/Pb closed shell, this level is presently not understood theoretically. In order to increase the available information about this state, we report here on the /sup 208/Pb(..cap alpha..,p)/sup 211/Bi reaction, which can provide a measure of the proton particle strength to such levels. The yields from the /sup 206/Pb(..cap alpha..,p)/sup 209/Bi reaction are used as a strength calibration after distorted-wave Born approximation corrections. It is found that the 410 keV state contains 52% of the f/sub 7/2/ single-particle strength although it has been displaced downward by 500 keV from the unperturbed f/sub 7/2/ position in /sup 209/Bi.
Fundamentals based approach to predict socket stack performance

The field performance of a separable socket/connector is governed by its ability to maintain the target contact resistance throughout its life. Contact resistance stability and protection against field degradation mechanisms is achieved by maintaining a critical normal force on the contact. With growing socket contact pin counts and package complexities there are challenges with achieving and maintaining this critical contact normal force across the array of contacts in the socket. In this effort, the authors characterized the key mechanical and resistance relationship (Force-Deflection-Resistance)through single contact resistance measurements. An analytical model of a socket stack was developed to better capture the contact normal force distribution across the contact array. The contact forces extracted from the analytical model were then converted to contact resistances through the Force-Deflection-Resistance relationship obtained from single contact resistance measurements. Force-Resistance variation from contact to contact was comprehended through a Bootstrapping technique. This fundamental based approach of using finite element, single contact data and statistics was then validated against fully enabled socket measurements using electrically daisy chained test vehicles.
Quarks and baryon-baryon scattering. A P-matrix analysis of nucleon-nucleon scattering

We have performed a P-matrix analysis of the existing nucleon-nucleon phase-shift analyses. The P matrix accounts for the short-range interactions between the six quarks; its poles correspond to multiquark configurations confined in a bag. It is parametrized with a form that is a modification of the no-scattering P matrix. In this way we obtain a boundary condition on the baryon-baryon scattering wave function. The known long-range baryon-baryon interaction due to pion exchange then enables us to calculate the scattering matrix. Although we have to make several assumptions mainly due to the lack of data, the results are very encouraging and show that a P-matrix parametrization of the short-range part of the interaction not only may be a practical way to parametrize the data, but also may yield more information about the interactions between the quarks.
Higher-order harmonics in electromagnetic scattering from a nonlinear anisotropic cylinder

The general solution of the scattering of harmonic signals, by a medium which has nonlinear constitutive relations, contains higher harmonics. The scattering amplitude consists of the linear component and additional correction terms that depend on the amplitude of the incident wave. In this paper, we examine the effects of nonlinearities on the field components and on the radar cross section at the second and third harmonics.
Microencapsulation of islets within alginate/poly(ethylene glycol) gels cross-linked via Staudinger ligation

Abstract Functionalized alginate and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers were used to generate covalently linked alginate–PEG (XAlgPEG) microbeads of high stability. The cell-compatible Staudinger ligation scheme was used to cross-link phosphine-terminated PEG chemoselectively to azide-functionalized alginate, resulting in XAlgPEG hydrogels. XAlgPEG microbeads were formed by co-incubation of the two polymers, followed by ionic cross-linking of the alginate using barium ions. The enhanced stability and gel properties of the resulting XAlgPEG microbeads, as well as the compatibility of these polymers for the encapsulation of islets and beta cells lines, were investigated. The data show that XAlgPEG microbeads exhibit superior resistance to osmotic swelling compared with traditional barium cross-linked alginate (Ba–Alg) beads, with a five-fold reduction in observed swelling, as well as resistance to dissolution via chelation solution. Diffusion and porosity studies found XAlgPEG beads to exhibit properties comparable with standard Ba–Alg. XAlgPEG microbeads were found to be highly cell compatible with insulinoma cell lines, as well as rat and human pancreatic islets, where the viability and functional assessment of cells within XAlgPEG are comparable with Ba–Alg controls. The remarkable improved stability, as well as demonstrated cellular compatibility, of XAlgPEG hydrogels makes them an appealing option for a wide variety of tissue engineering applications.
Surface complexation modeling of U(VI) adsorption by aquifer sediments from a former mill tailings site at Rifle, Colorado

A study of U(VI) adsorption by aquifer sediment samples from a former uranium mill tailings site at Rifle, Colorado, was conducted under oxic conditions as a function of pH, U(VI), Ca, and dissolved carbonate concentration. Batch adsorption experiments were performed using <2 mm size sediment fractions, a sand-sized fraction, and artificial groundwater solutions prepared to simulate the field groundwater composition. To encompass the geochemical conditions of the alluvial aquifer at the site, the experimental conditions ranged from 6.8 × 10−8 to 10−5 M in [U(VI)]tot, 7.2 to 8.0 in pH, 3.0 × 10−3 to 6.0 × 10−3 M in [Ca2+], and 0.05 to 2.6% in partial pressure of carbon dioxide. Surface area normalized U(VI) adsorption Kd values for the sand and <2 mm sediment fraction were similar, suggesting a similar reactive surface coating on both fractions. A two-site two-reaction, nonelectrostatic generalized composite surface complexation model was developed and successfully simulated the U(VI) adsorption data. The ...
Unimprovability of the Bonferroni procedure in the class of general step-up multiple testing procedures

Abstract We introduce the class of general step-up multiple testing procedures (step-up MTPs), which contains the usually considered Benjamini–Hochberg type procedures (we call them threshold step-up MTPs) as a parametric subclass. We show that, under the natural condition of monotonicity , the Bonferroni procedure cannot be improved on, while controlling the family-wise error rate (FWER) at the same level, in the class of step-up procedures. This is in contrast to the class of step-down MTPs, where the Holm procedure is a classic example of such an improvement.
Recruitment limitation in a tropical intertidal barnacle: Tetraclita panamensis (Pilsbry) on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica

On the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica, populations of Tetraclita panamensis (Pilsbry) were studied to determine the relative importance of pre- and postrecruitment processes in determining patterns of distribution and abundance. Populations at 12 sites on two shores were censused photographically from 1983 to 1985 at 1–3-months intervals, yielding data on recruitment, growth, and mortality. During the 2.5-yr study, recruitment replaced < 24% of the number dying at 10 of the 12 sites. Most populations were sparse and declining. Preemption of settlement was unlikely because bare space was always abundant and recruitment occurred mostly on the shells of adults. Individuals reached a maximum size in 1–3 yr, after which there was little growth. Estimated longevity ranged from 3.6 to 14.7 yr among sites. Mortality was unrelated to submergence, density or the abundance of an important predator, the gastropod Acanthina brevidentata (Wood). Patterns of distribution and abundance among the 12 sites and along the central coast of Costa Rica are probably a function of past variation in recruitment. Many apparently suitable habitats are unoccupied.
Physics and basic parameters of brachytherapy

Brachytherapy (short-distance therapy) is the therapeutic process whereby radioactive sources are placed into very close proximity to target tissue. Radioactive materials were so used beginning shortly after the discovery of radium by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. For the purposes of brachytherapy, radioactive materials are those that emit “rays” that can cause ionization (and hence DNA damage and the destruction of target cells). The potentially useful rays include beta, gamma, and other possibilities such as neutrons. Beta rays, properly beta particles, are simply high energy electrons. Gamma rays are high energy photons (part of the electromagnetic spectrum like visible light, but with much higher energy). These particles are produced during the radioactive decay of certain isotopes. The physics of those events and the parameters that apply to the therapeutic use of the isotopes are the primary topics of this report. J. Surg. Oncol. 1997;65:143–150. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cylindrically Averaged Diffraction by Distorted Lattices

Theory is developed for calculating cylindrically averaged diffraction from an ensemble of finite two-dimensional distorted lattices. The two-dimensional lattices are distorted in three dimensions, and the correlations between displacements of different lattice sites are described by an imposed correlation field. Expressions for diffraction by lattices with circularly symmetric statistics are derived that permit efficient numerical calculation of cylindrically averaged intensities. The motivation for this investigation is to develop a model for describing disorder in, and diffraction by, polycrystalline fibres in which the constituent crystallites are randomly rotated about the fibre axis, and the molecules in the crystallites are subject to correlated displacements. The approach adopted, however, is also applicable to systems without rotational disorder. The diffraction properties of distorted lattices are investigated by numerical calculation. The profiles and distribution of sharp `Bragg' reflections throughout reciprocal space are examined as functions of site variances, correlation lengths and crystallite size. The results show that certain distinct combinations of these parameters (different crystallite sizes and kinds of disorder) can lead to diffraction patterns that are almost identical. The results have implications for the analysis of disorder and molecular structures in polycrystalline fibres using X-ray diffraction analysis.
Statistical Analysis of Semi-Supervised Regression

Semi-supervised methods use unlabeled data in addition to labeled data to construct predictors. While existing semi-supervised methods have shown some promising empirical performance, their development has been based largely based on heuristics. In this paper we study semi-supervised learning from the viewpoint of minimax theory. Our first result shows that some common methods based on regularization using graph Laplacians do not lead to faster minimax rates of convergence. Thus, the estimators that use the unlabeled data do not have smaller risk than the estimators that use only labeled data. We then develop several new approaches that provably lead to improved performance. The statistical tools of minimax analysis are thus used to offer some new perspective on the problem of semi-supervised learning.
Proof-of-Concept, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial of Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin for Treatment of Long-Term Type 1 Diabetes

Background: No targeted immunotherapies reverse type 1 diabetes in humans. However, in a rodent model of type 1 diabetes, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) reverses disease by restoring insulin secretion. Specifically, it stimulates innate immunity by inducing the host to produce tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which, in turn, kills disease-causing autoimmune cells and restores pancreatic beta-cell function through regeneration. Methodology/Principal Findings: Translating these findings to humans, we administered BCG, a generic vaccine, in a proofof-principle, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of adults with long-term type 1 diabetes (mean: 15.3 years) at one clinical center in North America. Six subjects were randomly assigned to BCG or placebo and compared to self, healthy paired controls (n=6) or reference subjects with (n=57) or without (n=16) type 1 diabetes, depending upon the outcome measure. We monitored weekly blood samples for 20 weeks for insulin-autoreactive T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and other autoantibodies, and C-peptide, a marker of insulin secretion. BCG-treated patients and one placebo-treated patient who, after enrollment, unexpectedly developed acute Epstein-Barr virus infection, a known TNF inducer, exclusively showed increases in dead insulin-autoreactive T cells and induction of Tregs. C-peptide levels (pmol/L) significantly rose transiently in two BCG-treated subjects (means: 3.49 pmol/L [95% CI 2.95–3.8], 2.57 [95% CI 1.65–3.49]) and the EBV-infected subject (3.16 [95% CI 2.54–3.69]) vs.1.65 [95% CI 1.55–3.2] in reference diabetic subjects. BCG-treated subjects each had more than 50% of their C-peptide values above the 95 th percentile of the reference subjects. The EBV-infected subject had 18% of C-peptide values above this level. Conclusions/Significance: We conclude that BCG treatment or EBV infection transiently modified the autoimmunity that underlies type 1 diabetes by stimulating the host innate immune response. This suggests that BCG or other stimulators of host innate immunity may have value in the treatment of long-term diabetes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00607230
IMMUNITY IN MUMPS : II. THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLEMENT-FIXING ANTIBODY AND DERMAL HYPERSENSITIVITY IN HUMAN BEINGS FOLLOWING MUMPS

1. A specific antibody, demonstrable by the technique of complement fixation, regularly appears, or increases in concentration, in the sera of human beings during an attack of mumps or during convalescence. 2. Specific dermal hypersensitivity, demonstrable by the injection of heat-inactivated mumps virus, has been shown to develop in 6 human beings after recovery from mumps. 3. Complement-fixing antibody and the hypersensitive state also emerge as a result of clinically inapparent infection with the virus of mumps. 4. These two phenomena are apparently unrelated in respect to immunologic mechanisms. 5. The data presented indicate that the complement fixation test should prove of value both in diagnosis and in the determination of immunity. 6. The skin test for dermal hypersensitivity, on the other hand, becomes positive after recovery and therefore would appear to be useful only as an index of resistance.
Alkaline phosphatase activity of water column fractions and seagrass in a tropical carbonate estuary, Florida Bay

Few phosphorus-depleted coastal ecosystems have been examined for their ability to hydrolyze phosphomonoesters. We examined seasonal (August 2006–April 2007) alkaline phosphatase activity in Florida Bay, a phosphorus-limited shallow estuary, using fluorescent substrate at low concentrations (� 2.0 mM). In situ dissolved inorganic and organic phosphorus levels and phosphomonoester concentrations were also determined. Water column alkaline phosphatase activity was partitioned into two particulate size fractions (>1.2 and 0.2–1.2 mm) and freely dissolved enzymes (<0.2 mm). Water column alkaline phosphatase activity was also compared to leaf and epiphyte activity of the dominant tropical seagrass Thalassia testudinum. Our results indicate: (1) potential alkaline phosphatase activity in Florida Bay is high compared to other marine ecosystems, resulting in rapid phosphomonoester turnover times (w2 h). (2) Water column alkaline phosphatase activity dominates, and is split equally between particulate and dissolved fractions. (3) Alkaline phosphatase activity was highest during cyanobacterial blooms, but not when normalized to chl a. These results suggest that dissolved, heterotrophic and autotrophic alkaline phosphatase activity is stimulated by phytoplankton blooms. (4) The dissolved alkaline phosphatase activity is relatively constant, while the particulate activity is seasonally and spatially dynamic, typically associated with phytoplankton blooms. (5) Phosphomonoester concentrations throughout the bay are low, even though potential hydrolysis rates are high. We propose that bioavailable dissolved organic P is hydrolyzed by dissolved and microbial alkaline phosphatase enzymes in Florida Bay. High alkaline phosphatase activity in the bay is also promoted by long hydraulic residence times. This background activity is primarily driven by carbon and phosphorus limitation of microorganisms, and regeneration of enzymes associated with cell lysis. Pulses of inorganic phosphorus and labile organic phosphorus and nitrogen may stimulate autotrophs, particularly cyanobacteria, which in turn promote biological activity that increase alkaline phosphatase activity of both autotrophs and heterotrophs in the bay.
Personification of Death in Ghanaian Death Notices

Summary.-Analysis of content of death notices (obituaries, in memoriams, and funeral announcements) may offer some explanation of how Ghanaians express their feehngs about the death of loved ones and the meanings they assign to death and dying. Analysis of 371 death notices selected from two widely read Ghanaian newspapers, the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times yielded six thematic expressions about death and dying: death is personified as cold and unfeeling and described as an ongoing painful experience; the deceased is described as beloved, devoted, and valued. Death nouces indicate impending restructured roles and social relationships survivors face; the image and personality of the deceased are included; and the availability and proximity of the deceased's next of kin can be inferred. The findings add to the literature on (1) cultural attitudes toward death and (2) how death is managed and feelings about death and dying are expressed. Death is a traumatic experience that evokes a variety of responses. Noteworthy are the words people choose to communicate to others about the deaths of loved ones. In many ways, public communication about death signifies how death is represented in a culture. The notion that "culture comes together around the collective response to death" (Goodwin & Bronfen, 1993, p. 3) suggests public communication can give cultural meaning to death. Whatever the consensus, it is useful to document such expressions to add to the literature of death and culture. Ln other words, since death and its meaning function in relation to culture, what unobtrusive ways of inquiry can aid researchers in understanding attitudes peoples of a culture have about death? To put this question more succinctly: upon what sources of information can researchers rely to capture indvidual and collective expressions about death and the designations which indcate cultural attitude towards death? This question can be answered later. But first, the purpose of this research was to summarize some ways Ghanaians express their attitudes toward death and, to some extent, offer explanations of death and dying in their culture. The death notices in newspapers were examined for attitudes toward death in the Ghanaian culture because these provide a cultural icon for collective attitudes toward death. Since these attitudes represent a specific cul
Technique for emergency medicine bedside ultrasound identification of a radiolucent foreign body

This report describes the successful utilization of an endovaginal probe to identify a soft tissue foreign body with the aid of a spacer made from a water-filled latex glove. The report includes a discussion of foreign body localization, the utility of ultrasound, and technical aspects of sonographic foreign body localization. With increasing availability of bedside ultrasound in the Emergency Department, it is likely that sonographic equipment will be utilized in applications outside its primary intended purpose to evaluate the wide range of clinical scenarios encountered in Emergency Medicine.
State observers for variable-reluctance motors

A sequence of progressively more complex state observers, each driven by measurements of phase voltages and currents, is developed for variable-reluctance motors. For the simpler observers, the exponential stability of their error dynamics in a neighborhood of the origin is proved. For all observers, the results of numerical or physical experiments are provided to demonstrate the globally stable error dynamics. In several of the physical experiments, rotor position is estimated to better than one part in 50000 of a revolution. >
New brushlegged caenid mayflies from South Africa (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae)

Barnardara McCafferty and Provonsha, gen. n. and B. demoori McCafferty and Provonsha, sp.n. are described from larvae taken in eastern Transvaal, South Africa. Clypeocaenis Soldan, Amercaenis Provonsha and McCafferty, and Barnardara represent the known genera of brushlegged Caeninae, all of which are presumed to be filter feeders. Barnardara is distinguished by a large truncate clypeus devoid of setae, broadly funnel shaped microtrichiae over much of the body, and randomly arranged long setae on the forelegs. Clypeocaenis umgeni Provonsha and McCafferty, sp.n. is described from larvae taken in Natal and is also known from the eastern Cape of South Africa. It represents the sixth known species of this genus and the first from southern Africa, with most others known from the Oriental region. Both B. demoori and C. umgeni are apparently deposit filter feeders.
Tumor Suppressive Role of an Androgen-regulated Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (C-CAM) in Prostate Carcinoma Cell Revealed by Sense and Antisense Approaches

We recently demonstrated that C-CAM, an epithelial-cell adhesion molecule of the immunoglobulin supergene family, could be regulated by androgen and might act as a growth repressor during differentiation of the prostatic epithelium. To define the role of C-CAM in prostatic tumorigenesis, a tumorigenic human prostatic cancer cell line, PC-3, was transfected with an expression plasmid containing C-CAM1 (a C-CAM isoform). Transfected clones showed significantly lower growth rates, reduced anchorage-independent growth, and less tumorigenicity in vivo than control cells. Furthermore, transfection of an antisense vector into a nontumorigenic prostatic epithelial cell line, NbE, resulted in tumor formation in nude mice. Sublines derived from these NbE-induced tumors had lower levels of C-CAM than did control cells. These data suggest that C-CAM1 can function as a tumor suppressor in prostate tumorigenesis.
Reversible Glutathiolation of Caspase-3 by Glutaredoxin as a Novel Redox Signaling Mechanism in Tumor Necrosis Factor-α–Induced Cell Death

See related article, pages 213–219 Atherosclerosis and hypertension are cardiovascular diseases that cause distinctive functional and structural changes in the vasculature. These pathological events have been intimately linked to modified cellular behavior in the vessel wall. Cell growth, endothelial apoptosis, smooth muscle migration, inflammation, fibrosis and matrix regulation are all known to contribute to plaque development and hypertension. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by leukocytes, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), and adventitial fibroblasts play a key role in the initiation and progression of these cellular activities.1,2 ROS have been implicated in numerous physiological and pathological processes depending on their concentrations and kinetic properties. Cells produce ROS such as O2·-, H2O2, and ·OH in response to growth factors, cytokines and shear stress. At relatively low concentrations, ROS produced by these external stimuli play critical roles in redox signaling and normal cell function. However, higher concentrations of ROS induce oxidative damage of DNA, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.3–5 Cysteine thiol residues on proteins are susceptible to modifications in response to low and high concentrations of ROS and to the cellular redox environment. At relatively low ROS concentrations, cysteine thiols can be modified by glutathiolation (-S-SG) and S-nitrosation (-S-NO). In the presence of increasing ROS concentrations and an oxidative cellular environment, sulfenylation (-S-OH), sulfinylation (-S-O2H) and sulfonylation (-S-O3H) of cysteine residues occur. Of these cysteine modifications, glutathiolation has gained acclaim as an important cellular mechanism. Glutathiolation is the reversible formation of mixed disulfides between protein cysteines and glutathione (GSH). The exact mechanism regulating glutathiolation has not been clearly established, but a recent review by Ghezzi suggests that glutathiolation occurs mainly by thiol-disulfide exchange with GSSG (oxidized GSH).6 This indicates the importance of overall cellular GSH:GSSG ratio …
Density/height profile and long-range dispersal of first-instar gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)

The density/height profile of first-instar gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), was determined by sampling with airplanes up to 800 m above a moderately dense population of the moth in forests around Driftwood, Pa. A model is proposed suggesting that these flightless larvae were lifted there by atmospheric turbulence and that horizontal movement of convective cells due to wind could transport the larvae up to 19 km in a single dispersal episode. Rapid expansion of the gypsy moth population range along the Appalachian Mountains can be explained by atmospheric transport of a small proportion of the larval population.
Synthesis and biodistribution of radioiodinated nicotine analogs

Four 125I-labelled nicotine analogs were synthesized: 3-(methylpropylaminomethyl)-, 3-(diethylaminomethyl)-, 3-(isopropylaminomethyl)-, and 3-(diisopropylaminomethyl)-5-[125I]-iodopyridines. 5-Bromonicotinic acid was acylated with thionyl chloride and then reacted with the appropriate primary and secondary amines to give the corresponding amides which were reduced with diborane to the desirable amines. Radioiodination was done by halogen exchange. Biodistribution studies in rats, showed that all four labelled compounds were rapidly taken up by the brain and the adrenal gland. This was followed by rapid washout of the compounds from these orrans. The most promising of these compounds, 3-(diisopropylaminomethyl)-5-[125I]-iodopyridine, showed a brain-to-blood ratio of 6.0:1 and an adrenal-to-blood ratio of 35.9:1 at 2 minutes post administration. In vitro correlation studies showed that brain uptake of these compounds depends on both protein binding and lipophilicity, whereas adrenal uptake depends only on lipophilicity.