cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intraspecific competition through food robbing in the harvester ant,Messor aciculatus (Fr. Smith), and its consequences on colony survival

Intraspecific interference competition in the harvester ant,Messor aciculatus, was studied. Colonies of this species were found not to have territories. Some nests were located very close to each other, and the foraging areas of the neighbors usually overlapped. Even though the frequency with which alien and resident ants met was very high in the vicinity of the nest entrances, aggressive interactions between them rarely occurred. However, when hostile workers encountered each other, they exhibited a kind of ritualized combat and the winner ejected, but did not injure the loser. If any aliens entered the nest, some of them were pulled out, mainly by the residents. Aliens roaming near a neighbor's nest entrance ferociously attacked the residents carrying seeds in their mandibles and robbed them. On other occasions, aliens entered the nest and stole the collected seed. Although seed robbing and stealing occurred among neighboring colonies, there were remarkable differences in the frequency of their occurrence. The results of field observations and experiments suggest the existence of a dominance order among the neighbors. In one instance, extermination of an inferior colony by its neighbor was observed. The raider colony transferred the stored seeds from the nest of the inferior colony to its own and deposited the larvae and workers some distance away from the nest. The influence of ritualized combat and food robbing on colony activities, and the ecological significance of this interference behavior in terms of spatial distribution and temporal persistence of the nest sites, is discussed.
Nephila clavipes Flagelliform Silk-Like GGX Motifs Contribute to Extensibility and Spacer Motifs Contribute to Strength in Synthetic Spider Silk Fibers

Flagelliform spider silk is the most extensible silk fiber produced by orb weaver spiders, though not as strong as the dragline silk of the spider. The motifs found in the core of the Nephila clavipes flagelliform Flag protein are GGX, spacer, and GPGGX. Flag does not contain the polyalanine motif known to provide the strength of dragline silk. To investigate the source of flagelliform fiber strength, four recombinant proteins were produced containing variations of the three core motifs of the Nephila clavipes flagelliform Flag protein that produces this type of fiber. The as-spun fibers were processed in 80% aqueous isopropanol using a standardized process for all four fiber types, which produced improved mechanical properties. Mechanical testing of the recombinant proteins determined that the GGX motif contributes extensibility and the spacer motif contributes strength to the recombinant fibers. Recombinant protein fibers containing the spacer motif were stronger than the proteins constructed without the spacer that contained only the GGX motif or the combination of the GGX and GPGGX motifs. The mechanical and structural X-ray diffraction analysis of the recombinant fibers provide data that suggests a functional role of the spacer motif that produces tensile strength, though the spacer motif is not clearly defined structurally. These results indicate that the spacer is likely a primary contributor of strength, with the GGX motif supplying mobility to the protein network of native N. clavipes flagelliform silk fibers.
Olfactory Bulb Short Axon Cell Release of GABA and Dopamine Produces a Temporally Biphasic Inhibition–Excitation Response in External Tufted Cells

Evidence for coexpression of two or more classic neurotransmitters in neurons has increased, but less is known about cotransmission. Ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons corelease dopamine (DA), the excitatory transmitter glutamate, and the inhibitory transmitter GABA onto target cells in the striatum. Olfactory bulb (OB) short axon cells (SACs) form interglomerular connections and coexpress markers for DA and GABA. Using an optogenetic approach, we provide evidence that mouse OB SACs release both GABA and DA onto external tufted cells (ETCs) in other glomeruli. Optical activation of channelrhodopsin specifically expressed in DAergic SACs produced a GABA(A) receptor-mediated monosynaptic inhibitory response, followed by DA-D(1)-like receptor-mediated excitatory response in ETCs. The GABA(A) receptor-mediated hyperpolarization activates I(h) current in ETCs; synaptically released DA increases I(h), which enhances postinhibitory rebound spiking. Thus, the opposing actions of synaptically released GABA and DA are functionally integrated by I(h) to generate an inhibition-to-excitation "switch" in ETCs. Consistent with the established role of I(h) in ETC burst firing, we show that endogenous DA release increases ETC spontaneous bursting frequency. ETCs transmit sensory signals to mitral/tufted output neurons and drive intraglomerular inhibition to shape glomerulus output to downstream olfactory networks. GABA and DA cotransmission from SACs to ETCs may play a key role in regulating output coding across the glomerular array.
Protein twists and turns in Alzheimer disease

An enzyme that modifies protein structure seems to help keep Alzheimer disease at bay. The enzyme affects two proteins thought to be key to disease pathology: amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the microtubule-binding protein tau.
The neural basis for locust jumping

Abstract 1. 1. The fast extensors of the locust metathoracic leg are used in four distinct behavioural circumstances—jumping, kicking, thrusting and “abortive jumps”. 2. 2. In jumping and kicking firing of the fast extensor motoneurones (F.E.T.) precedes overt behaviour and the jump or kick occurs at the cessation of the F.E.T. burst. 3. 3. Co-contraction of antagonist flexor and extensor neurones during the pre-kick burst has been recorded although activation of fast flexors is not a prerequisite for kicks or jumps. 4. 4. Bilateral co-ordination of leg extension during jumping is thought to result from bilateral inhibitation of motor output at the instant of the jump.
Passing Estate Tax Values Through the Eye of a Needle

The taxable estate is the value of assets at the moment of death or other valuation date. Routine estate planning claims discounts of 30 to 60 percent of the value of the property through temporary, self-imposed restrictions or arrangements that will lapse or that heirs can undo. The wealth transferred to heirs is better measured by ignoring the self-imposed temporary restrictions that reduce value. We should be skeptical that self-imposed restrictions permanently affect the wealth transferred to heirs; if they do, the law should not encourage it. Section 2704(b) has proved inadequate to prevent this technique. Under this proposal, value-reducing restrictions or arrangements added by the decedent or on his behalf would be ignored in transfer tax valuation. The lapse of a restriction that originally reduced transfer tax value by a material amount would be a taxable transfer subject to supplemental transfer tax that would be a proxy estate tax.
Unions, corporations, and political campaign contributions: The 1982 house elections

Because legislation affects so many aspects of the labor market, unions have long considered the political arena to be a major battleground. This paper investigates fund raising, a primary ingredient of this political activity. Specifically, the pattern of campaign contributions from labor PACs (and corporate PACs) is explained as an interaction of supply and demand. The results suggest that the demand for funds depends on the tightness of the race, the tenure of the incumbent, and ideology. Contributors are more willing to support ideological allies, expected winners, and powerful candidates.
The invention of radical reactions. Part XXI. Simple methods for the radical deoxygenation of primary alcohols.

Abstract Novel radical-chain deoxygenations of primary alcohols are described. The alcohols are acylated with the reagents pentafluorophenyl chlorothionoformate, 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl chlorothionoformate and 4-fluorophenyl chlorothionoformate and the intermediate thionocarbonates are deoxygenated with tributyltin hydride, triphenylsilane, diphenylsilane or phenylsilane in high-yielding reactions.
Politics and the Theory of Organization

In some fashion or another, political scientists spend much of their time trying to understand organizations. They study public bureaucracies. They study legislatures. They study executive leadership. They study the courts. They study parties and interest groups. And because theory is the path to understanding, a central part of their task is to develop theories of organization. A similar story could be told for the other social sciences. Organizations are relevant, often crucial, to the traditional concerns of sociologists, psychologists, and economists, among others, and they too have strong reasons to pursue theories of organization. The difference is that scholars in these other fields have actually followed through. There is a sociology of organization, a psychology of organization, and, although it took economists a long time to get their act together, a fastdeveloping economics of organization. What we commonly refer to as organization theory is a combination of these, and thus a highly eclectic and interdisciplinary body of work (Perrow, 1986). Political scientists have not really been part of this. To the extent that they have paid attention to the field of organization theory at all, they have almost always been borrowers rather than contributors, relying on the nonpolitical theories of sociologists, psychologists, and economists to help them understand political organization. On those rare occasions when they have been active contributors to the field, moreover, they have typically not been concerned with developing theories of political organization anyway. Instead, they have chosen to pursue generic theories of organization: theories that,
Crystal Structure of the Human Estrogen Sulfotransferase-PAPS Complex EVIDENCE FOR CATALYTIC ROLE OF Ser137 IN THE SULFURYL TRANSFER REACTION

Estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) transfers the sulfate group from 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to estrogenic steroids. Here we report the crystal structure of human EST (hEST) in the context of the V269E mutant-PAPS complex, which is the first structure containing the active sulfate donor for any sulfotransferase. Superimposing this structure with the crystal structure of hEST in complex with the donor product 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphate (PAP) and the acceptor substrate 17β-estradiol, the ternary structure with the PAPS and estradiol molecule, is modeled. These structures have now provided a more complete view of the SN2-like in-line displacement reaction catalyzed by sulfotransferases. In the PAPS-bound structure, the side chain nitrogen of the catalytic Lys47 interacts with the side chain hydroxyl of Ser137 and not with the bridging oxygen between the 5′-phosphate and sulfate groups of the PAPS molecule as is seen in the PAP-bound structures. This conformational change of the side chain nitrogen indicates that the interaction of Lys47 with Ser137 may regulate PAPS hydrolysis in the absences of an acceptor substrate. Supporting the structural data, the mutations of Ser137 to cysteine and alanine decrease gradually kcat for PAPS hydrolysis and transfer activity. Thus, Ser137 appears to play an important role in regulating the side chain interaction of Lys47 with the bridging oxygen between the 5′-phosphate and the sulfate of PAPS.
cDNA and protein sequence of polymorphic macaque albumins that differ in bilirubin binding.

Abstract The rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta, exhibits a geographically restricted polymorphism of serum albumins Mac A and Mac B that is recognized by electrophoresis and is associated with a difference in bilirubin-binding parameters. To identify the basis of the polymorphism, the cDNA and protein sequences of serum albumin from M. mulatta were determined. Screening of a lambda gt11 rhesus liver cDNA library yielded a 1988-bp cDNA sequence that encodes the complete amino acid sequence of mature albumin, the entire propeptide, and part of the prepropeptide. Isoelectric focusing and amino-terminal protein sequencing of CNBr fragments of albumin from A/A and B/B homozygotes were performed, and the structural difference was localized to a CNBr fragment (MCB3) spanning residues 124-264. Sequence analysis of lysyl endopeptidase peptides of MCB3 established that Mac A albumin has a glutamine residue at position 188 while the Mac B albumin has a glutamic residue at the same position. PCR amplification, subcloning, and DNA sequence analysis of clones from A/A and B/B homozygotes confirmed the protein sequence data and the codon difference of CAA versus GAA, respectively. Comparison of macaque and human serum albumin shows a 93.5% identity at the amino acid level. In human serum albumin, Glu188 is located close to the IIA binding pocket for ligands, probably including bilirubin. Derivatives of coumarin compete more efficiently with bilirubin for binding sites on the Mac A albumin than on the Mac B albumin. In regions where coumarin-containing plants are important food resources, Mac B albumin may confer a selective advantage because bilirubin is less readily displaced from it.
Carbon dioxide band intensities and linewidths in the 8–12-μm region

The self-broadened linewidths, the positions of the band centers, and the band intensities of twenty-one bands of CO2 between 8 and 12 μm are reported. The spectra were obtained with a Fourier transform spectrometer and the data analyzed by whole band analysis.
Spontaneous formation of bubbles in gas-supersaturated water

SPONTANEOUS nucleation of bubbles may occur in water subjected to heating1–3, tensile stress4–6, or gas-supersaturation7–12. Large discrepancies exist between the threshold nucleation conditions predicted theoretically and those indicated by empirical observations13. The theoretical approaches have been hampered by inadequate understanding of many of the submicroscopic and molecular properties of liquids, and experimental obstacles have included the always present and difficult to control interference from pre-existing nuclei. These problems have been most pronounced for nucleation induced by dissolved gas; indeed, nucleation thresholds for any gas/liquid system are unknown due to a lack of relevant empirical data, and no quantitative theories seem to exist.
Realization of negative index in second-order dispersive metamaterials using standard dispersion models for electromagnetic parameters

In recent work, electromagnetic propagation velocities for plane waves in dispersive metamaterials were calculated assuming frequency dispersion up to the second order. The three velocities were expressed in terms of dispersive coefficients under certain simplifying constraints. Frequency domains were found to exist around resonances where group and phase velocities are in opposition, implying possible negative index behavior. In this paper, we incorporate in the derived equations physical models (including Debye, Lorentz and Condon) for material dispersion in permittivity, permeability and chirality in order to further examine the consequences of second-order dispersion leading to negative index for practical cases, and also evaluate the resulting phase and group indices.
A sulfur isotopic profile through the troodos ophiolite, Cyprus: Primary composition and the effects of seawater hydrothermal alteration

The sulfide mineralogy, sulfur contents, and sulfur isotopic compositions were determined for a section through the Troodos ophiolite, as represented by drillcore from Holes CY1A, CY2A, and CY4, plus selected outcrops, with the goals of understanding the geochemistry of S during hydrothermal alteration of the crust and obtaining a mass balance for sulfur in altered ophiolitic crust. Primary δ34S values of the ophiolite are 0–1‰, consistent with a MORB- or BAB-like sulfur source. The volcanic rocks have low sulfur contents (mean = 40 ppm) and generally negative δ34S values (to −26.1‰). These are the results of sulfur loss through oxidation by seawater at low temperatures (<100°C) and isotopic fractionation during partial oxidation of igneous Sulfides. The sheeted dike complex is uniformly enriched in 34S (δ34S = 5.4‰) as the result of mixing of reduced Cretaceous seawater sulfate (17‰) with primary crustal sulfide. Sulfate was reduced through oxidation of ferrous iron in the dikes and conversion of igneous pyrrhotite to secondary pyrite. Decreasing water/ rock ratios with depth in the plutonic section led to a general decrease in δ34S values downward to igneous values in the lower gabbros. Seawater effects are present locally to the base of the section, however. Cooling of diffuse upwelling hydrothermal fluids (T > 250°C) produced S and metal enrichments in the upper dikes (1.26 wt% S), whereas sulfur was lost from the lower dikes and upper plutonic rocks (which contain 200 ppm and 10–1640 ppm S, respectively) through higher temperature (>350°C) alteration reactions. Epidosites at the dikes-gabbro transition contain 30 ppm S with δ34S = 5.2–6.5‰. These rocks lost sulfur and metals during reaction with 34S-enriched deep hydrothermal fluids at high temperatures (350–400°C) and high water/rock ratios in basal hydrothermal upflow zones. The ultimate effect of alteration of ophiolitic crust is redistribution of igneous sulfur within the crust and exchange of crustal sulfur for seawater sulfur, with little net change in the sulfur content of the crust overall. The bulk altered Troodos crust is enriched in 34S, having δ34S = 3.6‰. Fluxes of sulfur between seawater and ophiolitic crust are an order of magnitude smaller than modern riverine input to and sedimentary sulfide output from the oceans. The amount of seawater sulfur that reacted with Troodos ophiolite crust is approximately twice that for a composite section of oceanic crust, consistent with the generally greater intensity of alteration of ophiolitic crust compared to modern oceanic crust.
Emancipatory and Social Justice Perspectives in Mathematics Education

Mathematics has historically served as the gatekeeper to numerous other areas of study. For instance the hard sciences, schools of engineering and business typically rely on the Calculus sequence as a way to filter out students unable to fulfill program pre-requisites. In numerous countries around the world, particularly in Asia, entry to government subsidized programs in engineering and the sciences is highly competitive and require students to score in the top one percentile in entrance exams in which mathematics is a major component. The situation is not so different in North America as evidenced in the importance of standardized tests like SAT or ACT to gain entry into college programs. It is also not uncommon to hear politicians use schools’ performance on mathematics assessments as a reference point to criticize public school programs and teachers (e.g., the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in the United States). Therefore one can say that mathematics education has everything to do with today’s socio-cultural, political and economic scenario (Sriraman, 2007). In particular, mathematics education has much more to do with politics, in its broad sense, than with mathematics, in its inner sense (D’Ambrosio, 1990, 1998, 1999). Mathematics seen in its entirety can be viewed as a means of empowerment as well as a means to oppress at the other end of the spectrum. For instance, Schoenfeld (2004) in his survey of the state of mathematics education in the United States, wrote “Is mathematicsfor
Promotion of the long-term stability of reforming Ni catalysts by surface alloying

Abstract Carbon-induced catalyst deactivation is one of the main problems associated with the electrocatalytic and catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons over supported Ni catalysts. We have used DFT calculations to study various aspects of carbon chemistry on Ni surfaces. We demonstrate that the carbon tolerance of Ni can be improved by synthesizing Ni-containing surface alloys that, compared to monometallic Ni, preferentially oxidize C atoms rather than form C–C bonds and have a lower thermodynamic driving force, associated with the nucleation of carbon atoms on low-coordinated Ni sites. Using the molecular insights obtained in the DFT calculations, we have identified Sn/Ni surface alloy as a potential carbon-tolerant reforming catalyst. The predictions of the DFT calculations were supported by our reactor and catalyst characterization studies, which showed that Sn/Ni is much more resistant to carbon poisoning than monometallic Ni in the steam reforming of methane, propane, and isooctane at moderate steam-to-carbon ratios.
Length-independent separation of DNA restriction fragments in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

When double helical DNA is exposed to conditions favoring partial melting in polyacrylamide gels, its electrophoretic mobility undergoes a sharp cooperative transition, resulting in a large reduction in mobility. In the present experiments, where the transition is effected at a uniform temperature of 60 degrees C in a concentration gradient of a urea-formamide mixture, each Eco RI fragment of lambda or E. coli DNA exhibits the mobility transition at a characteristic concentration of the denaturant. The sudden retardation of fragments moving toward higher denaturant concentration in the gradient results in a pattern of sharpened zones in order depending upon nucleotide sequence, rather than size, and only very slightly dependent upon the time after the last fragment has been retarded. When combined with length-dependent electrophoresis in agarose in the perpendicular direction, this system provides a two-dimensional separation of fragments. The resolving power of the system is demonstrated by the clear resolution of over 250 fragments of the Eco RI digest of E. coli DNA. Corresponding fragments from an isogenic lambda lysogen of E. coli are found in the same positions, and additional fragments unique to the lysogen are evident.
Traumatic Right Paraesophageal Hernia After Belsey Mark IV Fundoplication

We report the case of a 70-year-old woman with a long history of achalasia and gastroesophageal reflux disease who presented with an acute right-sided paraesophageal hernia after a motor vehicle accident. Six months before the accident, she underwent an elective Belsey Mark IV fundoplication to reduce a hiatal hernia. The traumatic paraesophageal hernia traversed the diaphragm at a weakness opposite the fundoplication. The clinical presentation, surgical management, and previous literature are discussed.
Oxygen-diffusion-limited CO formation on a Ni surface

Abstract The reaction between oxygen and carbon on a nickel film supported by a sapphire substrate has been studied with temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Oxygen was dissolved into the nickel film from the gas phase during high-temperature oxidation and annealing. Carbon was subsequently deposited on the nickel surface from the thermal decomposition of ethylene. During TPD, the bulk oxygen diffused to the vacuum interface of the nickel film, reacted with surface carbon, and desorbed as CO. A set of CO TPD peaks obtained for increasing initial carbon coverages showed a common low-temperature leading edge. This common leading edge has been fitted to a model in which the rate-limiting step in the carbon-oxygen reaction is taken to be the diffusion of bulk oxygen to the nickel film's surface. An activation energy for oxygen diffusion in nickel of 80 kcal/mole has been obtained. Sequential carbon exposures and TPD flashes eventually resulted in bulk oxygen depletion; this manifested itself in the CO desorption spectra as a reduction in the area under the CO peak and a shift of the peak to higher temperatures.
Discrimination of mirror-images: Choice time analysis of human adult performance.

For members of many species left-right mirror-image discriminations are more difficult than are up-down mirror-image discriminations. A previous study with children using simultaneous presentation ...
The Combinatorics behind Number-Theoretic Sieves☆

Abstract Ever since Viggo Brun's pioneering work, number theorists have developed increasingly sophisticated refinements of the sieve of Eratosthenes to attack problems such as the twin prime conjecture and Goldbach's conjecture. Ever since Gian-Carlo Rota's pioneering work, combinatorialists have found more and more areas of combinatorics where sieve methods (or Mobius inversion) are applicable. Unfortunately, these two developments have proceeded largely independently of each other even though they are closely related. This paper begins the process of bridging the gap between them by showing that much of the theory behind the number-theoretic refinements carries over readily to many combinatorial settings. The hope is that this will result in new approaches to and more powerful tools for sieve problems in combinatorics such as the computation of chromatic polynomials, the enumeration of permutations with restricted position, and the enumeration of regions in hyperplane arrangements.
Schools as Agents for Achieving the 1990 Health Objectives for the Nation

This article clarifies the capacity of the nation's public schools to act as powerful and effective agents to facilitate attainment of the 1990 Health Objectives for the Nation. Of the health promotion and disease prevention objectives established by the Department of Health and Human Services in 1980, Iverson and Kolbe have identified 67 that can be achieved directly or indirectly through comprehensive school health programming. This process, however, can best be expedited by expanding the tradi tional definition of comprehensive school health from one that includes health instruc tion, health services, and a healthful school environment coordinated by a school/ community health council to one that integrates additional programs and resources already in existence in most school and community environments: the physical educa tion program, the school food service program, the school counseling program, and a school site health promotion initiative for faculty and staff. All eight of these areas can be util...
Ovarian repositioning in pediatric cancer patients: Flexible techniques accommodate pelvic radiation fields.

Treatments for childhood cancer and consequent long-term survival rates continue to improve. As the success of these therapies advances, premature ovarian failure and sterility have become an increasingly evident long-term morbidity. Abdominal and pelvic radiation have been specifically shown to induce early menopause and decreased fertility. In order to minimize radiation injury, we utilized novel techniques to reposition ovaries in two girls with pelvic tumors prior to initiation of pelvic radiation. One girl with a sacral Ewing sarcoma underwent laparoscopic anterior suspension of the ovaries, using a simple and easily reversible technique. The second patient, who underwent hysterectomy for a recurrent uterine rhabdomyosarcoma, underwent widely lateral and cephalad repositioning of the ovaries. Both procedures were well tolerated, with no significant morbidity. In both cases the ovaries were moved well beyond the planned radiation field. We propose that open or laparoscopic ovarian repositioning in children is a simple, flexible, and reversible option to reduce radiation injury to the ovaries in pediatric cancer patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:339–341. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Synthetic peptides form ion channels in artificial lipid bilayer membranes

Ion permeability of cell membranes is considered to be mediated by ion channels. The synthesis and testing of four peptides having the sequence (Leu-Ser-Leu-Gly)n and expected to form beta126,6-helical ion channels in lipid bilayer membranes is reported. The two peptides capable of forming helices four turns in length have been demonstrated to form ion channels in an artificial lipid bilayer membrane system. The ion selectivity of the channels is consistent with the predicted beta12-helical model in which ions traversing the channel are coordinated by serine hydroxyl groups arrayed in the interior of the channel.
The principle of minimal gravitational coupling

The principle of minimal gravitational coupling requires that the total Lagrangian for the field equations of general relativity consist of two additive parts, one part corresponding to the free gravitational Lagrangian and the other part to external source fields in curved spacetime. For source fields characterized by scalars, vectors and two-component spinors we prove that this additive decomposition of the total Lagrangian is an inevitable consequence of certain very general assumptions concerning the Euler-Lagrange expressions arising from the total Lagrangian.
Development Of Fiber Optic Fluoroimmunoassay: Proximal Vs. Distal End Collection Geometries Of A Fiber Sensor

Evanescent fiber optic sensors are being developed for remote in situ immunoassay. The evanescently excited fluorescence can be collected from either the proximal or distal end of the sensing fiber. The tradeoffs between the two directions of collection are investigated to determine the efficiency of fluorescence detection. Tetramethylrhodamine was used as the fluorescent standard with excitation by the 514.5nm line of an argon laser. A comparison of the two collection geometries demonstrated that although the distal end collection had a higher background, similar fluorescence concentrations were detected. The immunoassay technique was demonstrated with the specific binding of tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated goat anti-human immunoglobulin G (aH-IgG) to preadsorbed H-IgG on the sensor surface. A detection limit of 14nmole/L was measured. Future improvements and disadvantages of the current optical system are discussed, as well as the importance of quantifying the protein concentration in terms of the fluorescence.
Association of tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) with two species of bacteria of the genus Pantoea.

Abstract Tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca Hinds, are a major pest of many southeastern crops; however, very little information is available on the internal microflora of these insects. Pantoea ananatis (Serrano) Mergaert and Pantoea agglomerans (Beijerinck) Mergaert were each isolated from 9.6% of the 73 thrips tested from our laboratory colony. These bacteria were isolated from the same individual only once; in all remaing bacteria-infected thrips, only one bacterium was found. Tobacco thrips from our laboratory colony contained between 3.7 × 103 and 1.1 × 105 colony forming units (CFU)/ml/thrips of P. ananatis and between 1.2 × 103 and 2.5 × 105 CFU of P. agglomerans. Between 2.0 × 103 and 3.2 × 107 CFU of P. ananatis were isolated from leaflets exposed to thrips harboring P. ananatis. Leaflets on which thrips harboring P. agglomerans fed contained between 9.6 × 104 and 3.0 × 106 CFU of P. agglomerans. Field populations of tobacco thrips collected from onion plants harbored an average of 1.3 × 104 CF...
Design of Quantum Dot-Conjugated Lipids for Long-Term, High-Speed Tracking Experiments on Cell Surfaces

The current study reports the facile design of quantum dot (QD)-conjugated lipids and their application to high-speed tracking experiments on cell surfaces. CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs with two types of hydrophilic coatings, 2-(2-aminoethoxy)ethanol (AEE) and a 60:40 molar mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol-2000], are conjugated to sulfhydryl lipids via maleimide reactive groups on the QD surface. Prior to lipid conjugation, the colloidal stability of both types of coated QDs in aqueous solution is confirmed using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. A sensitive assay based on single lipid tracking experiments on a planar solid-supported phospholipid bilayer is presented that establishes conditions of monovalent conjugation of QDs to lipids. The QD-lipids are then employed as single-molecule tracking probes in plasma membranes of several cell types. Initial tracking experiments at a frame rate of 30 frame...
Military logistics' innovative role

A brief look at some of the commercial applications of methods first developed in military logistics which are now gaining universal acceptance
Reproductive Dynamics of the Spiny Lobster Panulirus argus in South Florida

Abstract The reproductive biology of the spiny lobster Panulirus argus was studied in two Gulf of Mexico habitats and three Atlantic Ocean habitats in the lower Florida Keys during July 1975-August 1976. The minimum size of reproductive maturity, expressed by carapace length (CL), was 70 mm; none of 1,208 females smaller than 70 mm CL was ovigerous, and only 11 (< 1%) possessed spermatophores. Reproductive activity was greatest among females in the 80–85 mm size class. Reproduction occurred during April-September, but was most prevalent in May and June. Active reproduction was restricted to the Atlantic reef habitats; none of 792 mature Gulf females was reproductively active whereas 21% of 1,235 mature Atlantic females was ovigerous or spermatophoric. Sex ratios varied with season and habitat; females were more prevalent in those seasons and habitats most closely associated with reproductive activity. Legally protected females (<76.2 mm CL) contributed only 14% of the annual egg production. The most produ...
Heating of a High-torque Magnetorheological Fluid Limited Slip Differential Clutch

Theoretical and experimental studies on heating of a high-torque, multi-plate magnetorheological (MR) fluid limited slip differential (LSD) clutch are presented. A lumped parameter system approach is assumed for theoretical heating analysis. The experimental study is conducted to examine the temperature rise of the clutch. Electric power input and slippage effects are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The effect of temperature increase on the torque performance of the clutch is also examined. The results show that the transferred torque is insensitive to clutch temperature increase. For all cases, theoretical and experimental results are in good agreement.
Effect of atropine on the biomechanical properties of the oesophageal wall in humans

Recently, we reported a novel ultrasound technique to assess biomechanical properties of the oesophagus in human subjects. In the present study, we use the technique, in combination with atropine, to determine the active and passive biomechanical properties of the oesophagus in normal healthy humans. A manometric catheter equipped with a high-compliance bag and a high-frequency intraluminal ultrasonography probe was used to record pressure and oesophageal geometry. Oesophageal distensions with either isovolumic (5-20 ml water) or with isobaric (10-60 mmHg) technique were performed. Intra-bag pressure and ultrasound images of the oesophagus were recorded simultaneously. Following injection of atropine (15 microg kg-1, I.V.), the oesophageal distensions were repeated. The oesophageal wall compliance, circumferential wall tension, stress, strain and elastic modulus were calculated. Atropine resulted in an increase in the oesophageal wall compliance during isobaric distension, but no change in compliance was observed during isovolumic distension. The stress-strain relationship was found to be linear during both types of distension, before as well as after atropine. The Young's modulus, which is the slope of a linear stress-strain relationship, was significantly higher after atropine in the isovolumic study but not in the isobaric study. The stress-strain relationship of the active component (muscle contraction) was different during isovolumic and isobaric distensions but the passive components were similar. The passive and active stress-strain relationships of the human oesophagus resemble those of other soft biological tissues. Furthermore, the method of oesophageal distension has significant influence on the active but not the passive biomechanical properties due to a strain-rate effect.
Evaluated Nuclear Data Covariances: The Journey From ENDF/B-VII.0 to ENDF/B-VII.1

Abstract Recent interest from data users on applications that utilize the uncertainties of evaluated nuclear reaction data has stimulated the data evaluation community to focus on producing covariance data to a far greater extent than ever before. Although some uncertainty information has been available in the ENDF/B libraries since the 1970ʼs, this content has been fairly limited in scope, the quality quite variable, and the use of covariance data confined to only a few application areas. Today, covariance data are more widely and extensively utilized than ever before in neutron dosimetry, in advanced fission reactor design studies, in nuclear criticality safety assessments, in national security applications, and even in certain fusion energy applications. The main problem that now faces the ENDF/B evaluator community is that of providing covariances that are adequate both in quantity and quality to meet the requirements of contemporary nuclear data users in a timely manner. In broad terms, the approach pursued during the past several years has been to purge any legacy covariance information contained in ENDF/B-VI.8 that was judged to be subpar, to include in ENDF/B-VII.0 (released in 2006) only those covariance data deemed then to be of reasonable quality for contemporary applications, and to subsequently devote as much effort as the available time and resources allowed to producing additional covariance data of suitable scope and quality for inclusion in ENDF/B-VII.1. Considerable attention has also been devoted during the five years since the release of ENDF/B-VII.0 to examining and improving the methods used to produce covariance data from thermal energies up to the highest energies addressed in the ENDF/B library, to processing these data in a robust fashion so that they can be utilized readily in contemporary nuclear applications, and to developing convenient covariance data visualization capabilities. Other papers included in this issue discuss in considerable detail various aspects of the data producer communityʼs efforts to improve the evaluation methods and to add covariance content to the ENDF/B library. The present paper offers just a brief glimpse of these activities by drawing material from covariance papers presented at meetings, workshops and international conferences during the past five years. Highlighted are: advances in methods for producing and processing covariance data, recently developed covariance visualization capabilities, and the development and implementation of quality assurance (QA) requirements that should be satisfied for covariance data to be included in ENDF/B-VII.1.
Intravenous/oral ciprofloxacin versus ceftazidime in the treatment of serious infections

Seventy-one adult patients with 72 infections were treated, by random selection, with intravenous/oral ciprofloxacin or intravenously administered ceftazidime. Twenty-seven additional patients with 29 infections who were not appropriate for random assignment were treated in an open study with intravenously administered ciprofloxacin only; the latter infections were generally more serious or were caused by ceftazidime-resistant organisms. The most common doses were ciprofloxacin, 200 mg intravenously and 500 mg orally every 12 hours and ceftazidime, 1 to 2 g intravenously every eight to 12 hours. Forty-seven ciprofloxacin-treated infections and 31 ceftazidime-treated infections were evaluable for determination of efficacy. Infections included lower respiratory tract (21 infections), urinary (37 infections), skin/soft tissue (14 infections), bacteremia/endocarditis (four infections), colitis (one infection), and mastoiditis (one infection). Median minimal inhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime were, respectively: for Enterobacteriaceae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Branhamella catarrhalis, no more than 0.06 and no more than 0.25 micrograms/ml; for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 0.25 and 4 micrograms/ml; for Enterococcus faecalis, 1 and more than 32 micrograms/ml; and for Staphylococcus aureus, 0.25 and 8 micrograms/ml. Ciprofloxacin, 200 mg intravenously, yielded mean serum concentrations 0.5 and eight hours post-intravenous infusion of 2.3 and 0.7 micrograms/ml, respectively. Satisfactory clinical responses were achieved in 17 (81 percent) of 21 patients with intravenous/oral ciprofloxacin, 22 (71 percent) of 31 patients with ceftazidime, and 20 (77 percent) of 26 patients with intravenous ciprofloxacin. The most common treatment failures occurred in complicated skin/soft-tissue infections treated with intravenous/oral ciprofloxacin, complicated urinary tract infections treated with ceftazidime, and necrotizing P. aeruginosa pneumonia treated with intravenous ciprofloxacin; the pneumonia patients all had respiratory failure and had been previously unresponsive to treatment with other appropriate drugs. Serious adverse reactions were observed in three patients, seizures with intravenous ciprofloxacin in two patients, and Clostridium difficile diarrhea with ceftazidime in one patient. We conclude that sequential intravenous/oral ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime were comparable in efficacy and safety; the ability to change from intravenous to oral therapy is a major convenience. Intravenous ciprofloxacin was useful for more serious infections, often caused by ceftazidime-resistant organisms.
Orientation correction for chest images.

This report presents an automatic procedure that determines the orientation of computed radiography (CR) chest images and rotates them to a standard position to be viewed by radiologists. As an input, CR images of a normalized size of 1,000 × 1,000 or 2,000 × 2,000 pixels are used. The analysis is performed in three steps. First, the orientation of the spine within the image is determined. Then, a function searches for upper extremities and the subdiaphragm. Finally, the lungs are extracted and their areas are compared. This indicates whether the image needs to be y-axis flipped. These three steps set the value of three parameters on the basis of which the final rotation angle is determined. The procedure has been implemented in the clinics at UCLA. The rate of correctly rotated images is 95.4%.
Modulation of prostaglandin H synthase activity by conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and specific CLA isomers

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to inhibit tumorigenesis in animal models and is cytostatic to numerous cell lines in vitro. However, the mechanism of action is unknown. In the current study, we determined the effects of CLA and specific isomers of CLA on the rate of oxygenation of arachidonic acid by prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS) in ram seminal vesicle microsomes. The enzyme was incubated with 0.1 to 100 μM CLA or specific isomers of CLA for 2 min prior to the addition of 44 to 176 μM arachidonate. The isomers tested were 9(E),11(E) CLA; 9(Z),11(E) CLA; 9(Z),11(Z) CLA, and 10(E),12(Z) CLA. For a positive inhibitor control, flurbiprofen was used at 0.75 to 2.50 μM. Enzyme activity was assessed by measuring the rate of oxygen consumption. Inclusion of CLA or specific isomers of CLA in the incubation mixtures inhibits PGHS. The efficacy differs for each isomer, with the 9(Z),11(E) CLA isomer being the most effective and the 9(Z),11(Z) CLA isomer being the least effective inhibitor among the four CLA isomers tested. The Ki values obtained by Dixon replots range from 18.7 μM for the most effective isomer, 9(Z),11(Z) CLA, to 105.3 μM for the least effective isomer, 9(Z),11(Z) CLA. The Ki value for flurbiprofen with ram seminal vesicle microsomes was 0.33 μM. As the concentration of arachidonate was increased, the CLA-dependent inhibition of PGHS decreased, suggesting competitive inhibition. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of CLA and specific isomers of CLA to modulate prostaglandin biosynthesis.
Investigation of Anomaly in GaN HEMTs

Electron trapping after on-state stress and hole trapping after off-state breakdown stress have been observed by comparing the electroluminescence (EL) images and electrical characteristics in GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Temperature measurement and two-dimensional device simulation have been done to confirm the hole-trapping phenomenon. With off-state breakdown stress, three devices all showed the same trend of electrical characteristic changes, a decrease of the threshold voltage and an increase of the gate leakage current. The changes of electrical characteristics were similar in different devices, but the changes in EL images varied. The technique promises a potential characterization tool for device and material screening.
Atrial Natriuretic Factor Inhibits Growth Factor Action in Cardiomyocytes.• 142

Atrial Natriuretic Factor (ANF) is the principal endocrine product of the heart and exerts potent anti-proliferative effects in vascular smooth muscle and other target tissues. However, the actions of ANF in cardiac cells are unknown. Growth factors (GF) that activate the MAP kinase (MAPK) cascade, such as IGF-I and FGF, induce cardiac hypertrophy. To determine if anti-hypertrophic effects of ANF could result from inhibition of GF action, we assessed the ability of ANF to inhibit IGF-I and FGF activation of MAPK in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. GF (10-7 M) increased MAPK activity 20-fold at 10 minutes, as measured by phosphorylation of myelin basic protein in vitro. GF-induced MAPK activation was inhibited 58 ± 13% by 30 minutes of ANF (10-7 M) pretreatment. ANF inhibition of MAPK activation was mimicked by 8-Br-cGMP (10-3 M), suggesting that the effect was via the guanylyl cylase activity of the ANF receptor. Unexpectedly, a 10-minute treatment with ANF alone (10-7 M) increased MAPK activity 20-fold. These data suggest that ANF can acutely activate the MAPK cascade and inhibit subsequent GF action due to down-regulation of MAPK activity. This novel interaction between the cGMP and MAPK signaling pathways constitutes a mechanism through which ANF may regulate cardiac growth and development.
Lake acidification: Its effect on lead in the sediment of two Adirondack lakes1,1

Sediment cores from two remote lakes, Sagamore and Woods (Adirondack State Park, New York), were analyzed for lead. A marked increase was found in the top 10 cm of the sediment of both lakes. The effect of lake acidification on the release of lead from the sediments was determined in laboratory studies. Significant lead desorption (>5% of the total) only occurred at a pH 4.4, lead is not being released from the sediments.
Kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity in the striatum: A histofluorescent study

Histochemical observation of catecholamine terminals in the striatum following kainic acid injections revealed a 'sphere of influence' which contained an increased intensity of dopamine fluorescence as well as non-specific tissue destruction at the injection site. The area of involvement was approximately 50% of the striatum and varied somewhat at any one dose range depending upon the site of injection. It is suggested that destruction of regulatory neuronal systems (cholinergic, GABAergic, peptidergic, etc.) results in a net increase of dopamine in the sphere of kainic acid influence.