cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RNA-Seq Study of Microbially Induced Hemocyte Transcripts from Larval Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Larvae of the tobacco budworm are major polyphagous pests throughout the Americas. Development of effective microbial biopesticides for this and related noctuid pests has been stymied by the natural resistance mediated innate immune response. Hemocytes play an early and central role in activating and coordinating immune responses to entomopathogens. To approach this problem we completed RNA-seq expression profiling of hemocytes collected from larvae following an in vivo challenge with bacterial and fungal cell wall components to elicit an immune response. A de novo exome assembly was constructed by combination of sequence tags from all treatments. Sequence tags from each treatment were aligned separately with the assembly to measure expression. The resulting table of differential expression had > 22,000 assemblies each with a distinct combination of annotation and expression. Within these assemblies > 1,400 were upregulated and > 1,500 downregulated by immune activation with bacteria or fungi. Orthologs to innate immune components of other insects were identified including pattern recognition, signal transduction pathways, antimicrobial peptides and enzymes, melanization and coagulation. Additionally orthologs of components regulating hemocytic functions such as autophagy, apoptosis, phagocytosis and nodulation were identified. Associated cellular oxidative defenses and detoxification responses were identified providing a comprehensive snapshot of the early response to elicitation.
Age and Dose-Dependent Effects of Ethanol on the Induction of Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation

Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is strongly associated with the acquisition of spatial memory and is attenuated by ethanol. Recent studies have shown that the inhibitory potency of ethanol against n-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated synaptic activity is enhanced in hippocampal slices taken from juvenile rats compared to those taken from adults. In addition, ethanol has been reported to impair spatial memory acquisition at lower doses in adolescent rats compared to adults. We therefore hypothesized that the suppression of hippocampal LTP by ethanol would be more potent in hippocampal slices taken from adolescent rats compared to those taken from adults. The potency of ethanol against NMDA receptor-mediated LTP was assessed in area CA1 of hippocampal slices taken from adolescent (30 days old) and adult (90 days old) rats. In slices from adolescent rats, theta-burst stimulus trains reliably induced robust LTP in the absence of ethanol, but when the stimulus trains were presented in the presence of either 10 mM or 30 mM ethanol, LTP induction was significantly suppressed relative to controls. In contrast, there was no effect of these ethanol concentrations on the induction of LTP in hippocampal slices from adult rats. These observations indicate that ethanol suppresses LTP in the adolescent hippocampus at concentrations that do not affect than it suppresses in the adult slices, suggesting a much greater sensitivity to ethanol in adolescence.
Histologic and in situ viral findings in the myocardium in cases of sudden, unexpected death

The purpose of this study was to do in situ viral detection in myocardial tissues of individuals who suffered sudden unexpected death and to correlate the results with the postmortem histopathologic findings. Thirteen cases were identified and the heart tissues were analyzed for adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr virus, herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), influenza A, influenza B, parvovirus, rotavirus, picornavirus (including separate primers for enterovirus and Coxsackie virus A and B), varicella zoster virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Thirteen individuals aged 2 to 67 years were studied. In each case, polymerase chain reaction-amplified viral RNA was detected in situ: Coxsackie virus B (5 cases), rotavirus (4 cases), HIV-1 (2 cases), influenza A (1 case), and influenza B (1 case). Immunohistochemical detection of viral proteins was found in the five Coxsackie virus cases and four rotavirus cases. The mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate was diffuse and marked only in the cases of influenza A and HIV-1, as well as one of the Coxsackie virus and rotavirus cases, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the most common cell type in the inflammatory infiltrates was CD68-positive macrophages. Direct myocyte infection was most prominent in the cases of Coxsackie virus infection. In summary, in situ viral detection was documented in each case of idiopathic myocarditis associated with sudden, unexpected death; in 6/13 cases, the myocarditis was focal and minimal. Although Coxsackie virus was, as expected, the most common virus noted, other viruses including rotavirus and HIV-1 were also observed, highlighting the need for comprehensive viral and histologic analyses in such cases.
Solid-state tautomeric structure and invariom refinement of a novel and potent HIV integrase inhibitor.

The conformation and tautomeric structure of (Z)-4-[5-(2,6-difluoro­benzyl)-1-(2-fluoro­benzyl)-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro­pyridin-3-yl]-4-hy­droxy-2-oxo-N-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)but-3-enamide, C27H22F3N3O5, in the solid state has been resolved by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The electron distribution in the mol­ecule was evaluated by refinements with invarioms, aspherical scattering factors by the method of Dittrich et al. [Acta Cryst. (2005), A61, 314–320] that are based on the Hansen–Coppens multipole model [Hansen & Coppens (1978). Acta Cryst. A34, 909–921]. The β-diketo portion of the mol­ecule exists in the enol form. The enol –OH hydrogen forms a strong asymmetric hydrogen bond with the carbonyl O atom on the β-C atom of the chain. Weak intra­molecular hydrogen bonds exist between the weakly acidic α-CH hydrogen of the keto–enol group and the pyridinone carbonyl O atom, and also between the hydrazine N—H group and the carbonyl group in the β-position from the hydrazine N—H group. The electrostatic properties of the mol­ecule were derived from the mol­ecular charge density. The mol­ecule is in a lengthened conformation and the rings of the two benzyl groups are nearly orthogonal. Results from a high-field 1H and 13C NMR correlation spectroscopy study confirm that the same tautomer exists in solution as in the solid state.
Epidemiology and Clinical Manifestations of Unique Chlamydia trachomatis Isolates That Occupy Nonfusogenic Inclusions

Unique Chlamydia trachomatis strains characterized by multiple nonfusing inclusions were recently described. These strains lack evidence of the protein IncA in the inclusion membrane and have mutations in the incA gene. This study evaluated the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of patients infected with nonfusing mutant strains (case patients) and compared them with patients infected with wild-type fusing strains (control subjects). Both male and female case patients had fewer signs of infection than did control subjects (P=.016 and P=.019, respectively). Female case patients also had fewer symptoms of infection (P=.02). Median inclusion-forming unit (ifu) counts were lower in male and female case patients (P=.045 and P=.135, respectively). Thus, nonfusing strains of C. trachomatis more often produce subclinical infections than do normal fusing strains and have lower median ifu counts. From a prevention perspective, the data underscore the importance of screening programs to detect and treat inapparent C. trachomatis infection.
Decreased expression of CD80 is a marker for increased tumorigenicity in a new murine model of oral squamous-cell carcinoma

We established a new syngeneic murine model of oral squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) to analyze the potential role of immune recognition determinants in the early development of oral cancer. In this study, we examined whether SCC that undergo transformation and development in the absence of specific immunity exhibit differences in tumorigenicity that relate to differences in expression of CD80, CD86 or MHC class I. Mucosal keratinocytes from BALB/c mice were transformed in vitro with 4-nitroquinolone-1-oxide (4-NQO) and inoculated into SCID mice to obtain tumorigenic cell lines. Five SCC cell lines were re-isolated from tumors, and 4 retained cytokeratin and β4-integrin markers of epithelial origin. Their growth was compared in BALB/c and in congenic SCID mice to establish whether the cell lines exhibit differences in immunogenicity. Three lines that showed slower growth or completely regressed when implanted in immune competent hosts retained or developed increased expression of CD80 during development in SCID mice. Conversely, 2 SCC lines that lost expression of CD80 after passage in vivo grew progressively in immune-competent hosts. MHC-class-I and CD86 expression did not correlate with tumorigenicity. These observations provide evidence that decreased expression of CD80 may serve as a marker for increased tumorigenicity during early development of oral SCC. The development of this new murine oral SCC model should prove useful in determining the potential effects of CD80 expression on the immune pathogenesis and therapy of SCC. Int. J. Cancer 82:377–384, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Agrobacterium -Mediated Transformation of Plum ( Prunus domestica L.) Hypocotyl Slices and Regeneration of Transgenic Plants

Plum plants were regenerated from hypo-cotyl segments derived from the embryonic axes of ungerminated seeds stored for up to six months at 4°C. Shoots were produced in 45 percent of the explants with an average of 8 shoots per explant. This regeneration system was used for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with plasmids containing genes for neo-mycin phosphotransferase (NPTII) and β-glucuronidase (GUS). Approximately 25 percent of the explants produced shoots on regeneration medium in the presence of antibiotics, and 30 percent of these could be rooted. Putative transgenic plants expressed NPTII and GUS activity, and Southern analyses demonstrated integration of T-DNA into the plum genome.
Surface electronic structure for the initial stages of electrochemical oxidation of zinc

Abstract Measurement of photocurrents produced at a solid/electrolyte interface is shown to provide a characterization of the electronic structure of such interfaces. Zinc is characterized under conditions producing several states of the surface. Under cathodic polarization the surface is metallic producing photoemission currents. Under anodic polarization, oxide formation is observed beginning with an initial adsorbed phase and proceeding to multilayer ZnO formation. The adsorbed phase shows photocurrent thresholds at 2.6 and 4.3 eV which are correlated to changes in the electronic structure at the surface due to adsorption.
On the global existence and finite time blow-up of shadow systems

Abstract Shadow systems are often used to approximate reaction–diffusion systems when one of the diffusion rates is large. In this paper, we study the global existence and blow-up phenomena for shadow systems. Our results show that even for these fundamental aspects, there are serious discrepancies between the dynamics of the reaction–diffusion systems and that of their corresponding shadow systems.
Really taking Darwin seriously: An alternative to Michael Ruse's Darwinian metaethics

Michael Ruse has proposed in his recent book Taking Darwin Seriously and elsewhere a new Darwinian ethics distinct from traditional evolutionary ethics, one that avoids the latter's inadequate accounts of the nature of morality and its failed attempts to provide a naturalistic justification of morality. Ruse argues for a sociobiologically based account of moral sentiments, and an evolutionary based casual explanation of their function, rejecting the possibility of ultimate ethical justification. We find that Ruse's proposal distorts, overextends and weakens both Darwinism and naturalism. So we propose an alternative Darwinian metaethics that both remedies the problems in Ruse's proposal and shows how a Darwinian naturalistic account of the moral good in terms of human fitness avoids the naturalistic fallacy and can provide genuine, even if limited, justifications for substantive ethical claims. Thus, we propose to really take Darwin seriously.
Retinoic Acid Regulates Oral Epithelial Differentiation by Two Mechanisms

The effect of retinoic acid (RA) concentration on differentiation of oral keratinocytes and the influence of fibroblasts on RA-dependent regulation were investigated in a lifted culture system. Keratinocyte differentiation was assessed by morphology, immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Filaggrin/profilaggrin and keratin 1 were used as biochemical markers for cornified epithelium and keratins 13 and 19 as markers for noncornifled epithelium. Cultured oral keratinocytes in RA-free conditions differentiated in a manner that closely resembled the differentiation pattern of gingival epithelia in vivo . Increasing RA concentrations altered the in vivo -like terminal differentiation of oral keratinocytes by disruption of organized stratification, inhibition of filaggrin/profilaggrin and K1 expression, and stimulation of K13 and K19 expression. Differentiation of keratinocytes from both cornified and noncornified regions of the oral cavity varied in a similar manner in response to added RA, with the exception of K19 expression. K19 was consistently expressed at higher levels in keratinocytes originating from noncornified epithelia as compared to those from cornified epithelia. The level of RA regulation was ultimately dependent on the type of fibroblasts underlying the epithelial cells. Homologous fibroblasts rendered the oral keratinocytes less sensitive to the effects of RA than skin fibroblasts. In addition, at a given RA concentration, fibroblasts from cornified oral mucosa potentiated keratinocyte expression of RA sensitive markers of keratinization as compared to the influence exerted by fibroblasts originating from noncornified oral mucosa. These results indicate that the RA regulation of oral epithelial differentiation is medicated by two separate mechanisms: a direct, RA concentration– dependent effect, and an indirect, fibroblast-mediated effect.
Ultrastructural changes and location of β-1,3-glucanase in resistant and susceptible cotton callus cells in response to treatment with toxin of Verticillium dahliae and salicylic acid

Abstract Calli from two cotton cultivars susceptible and resistant to Verticillium wilt, were treated with a crude toxin of Verticillium dahliae (VD-toxin) plus salicylic acid (SA). Cells treated with VD-toxin showed distinct ultrastructural changes. Cells from the susceptible cultivar displayed damage to plasma membrane and cytoplasm. The deleterious effect on cells of the resistant cultivar, with an accumulation of electron-dense precipitate in the vacuoles, was less noticeable. Exogenous SA protected callus cells from VD-toxin. We also report the localization of β-1,3-glucanase in callus cells with immunofluorescence labeling. Stronger fluorescence was observed in the extra-cellular space in resistant than in susceptible cotton; strongest in resistant cotton after 5 days of treatment with VD-toxin plus SA. The findings reported here indicate an important role of exogenous salicylic acid in the induction of resistance to VD-toxin in cotton. Coupled with an increase in β-1,3-glucanase, cellular integrity is maintained and damage to cell wall and plasma membrane is avoided.
Using current awareness search results to measure a journal collection’s relevancy

This study describes a method for determining the usefulness and relevancy of a journal collection. Current awareness search results in the subject areas of physics and astronomy were compiled and reviewed to determine how many of the articles retrieved in these searches were available in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus libraries. The results of this checklist study method indicate that over 90% of the articles retrieved in the current awareness searches in 1997 could be located either at the Physics/Astronomy Library or elsewhere on campus. The findings compare favorably with previous journal-use studies that have identified the most frequently used titles in the collection. This study also identifies journals of potential interest to which the library has no active subscription and quantifies the impact of previously canceled titles.
Emotionality in mice as a function of infantile stimulation

A number of studies of the effects of early experience in mice (Hall & Whiteman, 1953; Lindzey, Lykken, & Winston, 1960; Lindzey, Winston, & Manosevitz, 1963) have concluded that exposure to in tense high-frequency sound produces greater emotionality later in life than does nonexposure. However, in all three studies, the auditorily stimulated animals were also handled, leaving open the possibility that the latter variable, and not the former, was actually responsible for the observed effects. Schaefer et al (1962, 1963, 1968a, b) have shown that the temperature drop normally accompanying the handling process (which includes rem oval from the nest) may produce the behavioraf effects ascribed to handling per se. These data suggest that the temperature variable should be controlled when assessing the e ffects of other stimuli whose administration requires removal from the nest. The presen! study was designed to separate auditory stimulation and handling. The handling procedure involved removal of each S from the nest, whereas auditory stimulation was administered to an entire litter with the nest intact. The major purpose of the study was to assess the effects of these two kinds of infantile stimulation upon the later emotionality of mice. A control group received neither handling nor auditory stimulation. METHOD condition, and an effort was made to equalize the number of Ss in each condition by assigning large second litters to conditions in which the number in the first litter was smalI. Because of the unpredictability of litter sizes, the number of Ss in each group varied, ranging from 9 to 16. A total of 74 animals was used. Each pregnant female was placed in a cage containing a plastic box with a small opening to allow access to the cage. By placing nesting materials in the plastic box, E ensured that each litter was born in that container. Animals were not individually marked, so as to avoid handling or "traumatizing" control groups and to maintain separation of the effects of handling and auditory stimulation. . Infantile Experience Daily handling at 4-7 days of age consisted of removing the plastic box containing the pups from the horne cage while leaving the mother in the cage. Each pup was picked up by the tail, placed separately in a small cubicle, and left there for 3 min before being returned to the plastic box and then to the horne cage. Auditory stimulation from Days 4 to 7 consisted of removing the plastic box containing the pups from the horne cage and placing it on a wooden box housing an electric buzzer. The buzzer, with a 120-cycle fundamental tone and producing 71 dB at a distance of 1 ft, was activated for a 3-min period. Control litters were carried in their plastic boxes from the horne cage to the experimental room,
Mechanism of selective VEGF-A binding by neuropilin-1 reveals a basis for specific ligand inhibition.

Neuropilin (Nrp) receptors function as essential cell surface receptors for the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) family of proangiogenic cytokines and the semaphorin 3 (Sema3) family of axon guidance molecules. There are two Nrp homologues, Nrp1 and Nrp2, which bind to both overlapping and distinct members of the VEGF and Sema3 family of molecules. Nrp1 specifically binds the VEGF-A164/5 isoform, which is essential for developmental angiogenesis. We demonstrate that VEGF-A specific binding is governed by Nrp1 residues in the b1 coagulation factor domain surrounding the invariant Nrp C-terminal arginine binding pocket. Further, we show that Sema3F does not display the Nrp-specific binding to the b1 domain seen with VEGF-A. Engineered soluble Nrp receptor fragments that selectively sequester ligands from the active signaling complex are an attractive modality for selectively blocking the angiogenic and chemorepulsive functions of Nrp ligands. Utilizing the information on Nrp ligand binding specificity, we demonstrate Nrp constructs that specifically sequester Sema3 in the presence of VEGF-A. This establishes that unique mechanisms are used by Nrp receptors to mediate specific ligand binding and that these differences can be exploited to engineer soluble Nrp receptors with specificity for Sema3.
Hematocrit and the risk of coronary heart disease mortality

Abstract Background An association between hematocrit (Hct) and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality has been previously observed. However, the relationship of Hct and CHD independent of other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and differences between men and women remain unclear. Methods We examined the association between Hct and CHD mortality with Cox regression analyses of data from 8896 adults, aged 30-75 years, in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) Mortality Study (1976-1992). Covariates included age, sex, race, education, smoking status, hypertensive status, total serum cholesterol, body mass index, white blood cell count, and history of CVD and diabetes. Hct was categorized by use of sex-specific tertiles, and all analyses were stratified by sex. Results During 16.8 years of follow-up, there were 545 (men 343, women 202) deaths from CHD (International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision [ICD-9] 410–414), 778 (men 426, women 279) deaths from diseases of the heart (ICD-9 390-398, 402, 404, 410-414, 415-417, 420-429), and 2046 (men 1216, women 830) all-cause deaths. Among men, the crude CHD mortality rate per 10,000 population was 42.6, 31.9, and 46.3 among those with Hct in the lower, middle, and upper tertiles, respectively. The corresponding crude CHD mortality rates among women were 12.6, 18.6, and 27.7. After adjustment for age and other CVD risk factors, there was no association between Hct in the upper tertile compared with the lower tertile and mortality from either CHD, diseases of the heart, or all causes among men. Women with Hct in the upper tertile were 1.3 times (95% CI 0.9–1.9) more likely to die from CHD than were women with Hct in the lowest tertile, after multivariate adjustment. The effect of high Hct on CHD mortality among women younger than 65 years of age was slightly stronger (relative risk 2.2, 95% CI 1.0–4.6). Conclusions These results suggest that the association between Hct and mortality from CHD and all causes is complex, differing both by sex and age. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of these age and sex differences. (Am Heart J 2001;142:657-63.)
Infrared study of hydrogen adsorbed on c(2 x 8) and (2 x 6) GaAs(100).

The infrared spectra of adsorbed hydrogen and deuterium on c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}8) and (2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}6) GaAs(100) contain a series of bands from 2200 to 1200 (1600 to 1000) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ that are due to arsenic hydrides, terminal gallium hydrides, and bridging gallium hydrides (and deuterides). The latter is the first known example of bridge-bonded hydrogen on a semiconductor surface. Polarized spectra reveal that the AsH and GaH bonds orient along the [1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}10] and [110] axis, respectively. These results are consistent with a GaAs surface structure composed of As and Ga dimers with dimer bonds in the [1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}1 0] and [110] directions.
A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of deliberate emotion regulation in resilience and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background Sexual violence is an important public health problem in the United States, with 13% to 26% of women reporting a history of sexual assault. While unfortunately common, there is substantial individual variability in response to sexual assault. Approximately half of rape victims develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while others develop no psychopathology (e.g., trauma-exposed non-PTSD). In this project, we examined the neural mechanisms underlying differences in response to sexual violence, focusing specifically on the deliberate modification of emotional responses to negative stimuli. Methods Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response, we examined the neural circuitry underlying effortful modification of emotional responses to negative pictures in 42 women: 14 with PTSD after sexual trauma, 14 with no psychiatric diagnosis after sexual trauma, and 14 nontraumatized control subjects. Results In response to deliberate attempts to downregulate emotional responses, nontraumatized healthy control subjects were more successful than either trauma-exposed group (PTSD or non-PTSD) in downregulating responses to the negative pictures as measured by subjective rating and BOLD response in regions of prefrontal cortex (PFC). In contrast, after deliberate attempts to upregulate emotional responses, regions of PFC were activated by trauma-exposed non-PTSD subjects more than by healthy control subjects or PTSD subjects. Conclusions Successful downregulation of emotional responses to negative stimuli appears to be impaired by trauma exposure. In contrast, the ability to upregulate emotional responses to negative stimuli may be a protective factor in the face of trauma exposure and associated with resilience.
Platinum germanides for mid- and long-wave infrared plasmonics

Platinum germanides (PtGe) were investigated for infrared plasmonic applications. Layers of Pt and Ge were deposited and annealed. X-ray diffraction identified PtGe2 and Pt2Ge3 phases, and x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy determined vertical atomic composition profiles for the films. Complex permittivity spectra were measured by ellipsometry over the 2 to 15 μm wavelength range. Surface plasmon polariton (SPP) characteristics such as propagation length and field penetration depth were calculated. Photon-to-SPP couplers in the form of 1D lamellar gratings were fabricated and characterized in the range 9 - 10.5 μm via wavelength-dependent specular reflection spectra for multiple angles of incidence. The observed resonances compare well with calculated spectra for SPP excitation on PtGe2. Platinum germanides are CMOS compatible and may serve as SPP hosts for on-chip mid-IR plasmonic components with tighter field confinement than noble-metal hosts.
Use of behavioral techniques by paraprofessional staff: A review and proposal

Paraprofessionals are increasingly being employed to provide direct care to children and adults who have behavioral deficits and excesses, such as those labeled developmentally disabled, mentally ill, or delinquent. Behavioral techniques, if effectively taught to paraprofessionals, offer ways of both teaching new skills to clients and reducing their undesirable behaviors. This article describes the methods that have been used to teach paraprofessionals to use behavioral techniques, how these skills can be maintained on the job, and the effects upon client behavior that result from this teaching of paraprofessionals. In addition, a system for teaching staff to implement and continue to use behavioral techniques is proposed.
A survey of parametrized variational principles and applications to computational mechanics

This survey paper describes recent developments in the area of parametrized variational principles (PVP's) and selected applications to finite-element computational mechanics. A PVP is a variational principle containing free parameters that have no effect on the Euler-Lagrange equations. The theory of single-field PVP's based on gauge functions (also known as null Lagrangians) is a subset of the inverse problem of variational calculus that has limited value. On the other hand, multifield PVP's are more interesting from theoretical and practical standpoints. Following a tutorial introduction, the paper describes the recent construction of multifield PVP's in several areas of elasticity and electromagnetics. It then discusses three applications to finite-element computational mechanics: the derivation of high-performance finite elements, the development of element-level error indicators, and the constructions of finite element templates. The paper concludes with an overview of open research areas.
The high throughput investigation of polyphenolic couplers in biodegradable packaging materials

Abstract Our goal is to select and develop stimuli–responsive interfacial coupling materials for nanocomposites that will enhance substrate mechanical properties during use but cause triggered disintegration when exposed to the appropriate aqueous environment. The study could potentially provide the scientific underpinning for the development of an interfacially interacting nanocomposite alloy capable of enhanced biodegradation in the aqueous environment. In the first stage of this study it was shown that quaternary ammonium polymers adsorbed on the faces of the montmorillonite platelets, non-ionic polyacrylamides adsorbed on the faces and edges by hydrogen bonding, and anionic polyelectrolytes, carboxylates and sulfonates, did not adsorb at all on the montmorillonite [R.Y. Lochhead, C.L. McConnell-Boykin, An investigative study of polymer adsorption to smectite clay: polyelectrolytes and sodium montmorillonite, in: R. Krishnamoorti, R. Vaia (Eds.), Polymer Nanocomposites, American Chemical Society, 2002; R.Y. Lochhead, C.L. McConnell-Boykin, C. Haynes, Interaction of hydrophilic polymers with smectite clays, Polymer Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 85, American Chemical Society, 2001, p. 419]. The objective of the second part of the study was to examine model polymers in order to guide research aimed at designing coupling polymers that would cause exfoliation of the clay. Based upon the earlier study, polyvinylamine was chosen as the model on the basis that it is a simple polymer with primary amine groups and the polymer charge density could be modified by simply changing the system pH. The aim of this research was to determine the conditions under which polyvinylamine, and selected derivatives of this polymer, would penetrate the galleries of the stacked montmorillonite platelets. The knowledge gained could be applied to predict systems that would facilitate intercalation or exfoliation of sodium montmorillonite. The investigative approach of the third stage was to create a coupler from the hydrogen-bonded coacervate formed between a polyphenolic compound and polyvinylpyrrolidone, and to use this to exfoliate and couple montmorillonite nanoparticles to polycaprolactone. To achieve this, solubility parameter mapping of candidate polymeric couplers, polycaprolactone and target polyphenolic compounds was undertaken. This was used as a screening process in predicting incompatibilities and eliminating unpromising materials that were soluble in the same materials as the polycaprolactone and the polyvinylpyrrolidone. High throughput generation of Hansen–Hoy solubility diagrams coupled with simple techniques like high throughput FT-IR spectroscopy and polarized light microscopy provide a powerful tool for the evaluation of compatibility between formulation components. We were able to quickly evaluate over 110 food-contact-approved phenolic compounds, select the two promising candidates and eliminate all of the rest by evaluating their propensity for compatibility and hydrogen bonding.
Consumer preferred hot beverage temperatures

Abstract The hospitality and food science literatures specify brewing and holding temperatures for hot beverages such as coffee, while the medical literature states that those very beverage temperatures will cause scalds and harm. These two specifications are at odds with one another, and recommend different approaches to serving and handling hot beverages. Considering the disparate standards it is interesting to note that no one has reported asking consumers of hot beverages at which temperature they prefer to consume their hot beverages. This pilot study is a first step in determining the consumer preferred hot beverage temperature. The research intent is to see if a temperature, or temperature range, can be established at which consumers drink a hot beverage, in this case coffee. The research is particularly relevant given recent litigation relative to spills and burns at foodservice operations, and subsequent changes in holding temperatures at some quick service restaurant chains. The findings suggest that the standard brewing and holding temperatures are too high for consumption, while the temperature identified as the medical literature threshold for burns is too low for consumption. ©
Methodologies for the development of knowledge-based systems, 1982–2002

Knowledge-based systems have often been criticised for the limited theoretical base upon which they are constructed. This view asserts that systems are often developed in an ad hoc, individual way that leads to unmaintainable, unreliable and non-rigorous systems. The last decade, however, has seen an increased effort to produce methodologies to counter this view as well as continued research into validation and verification techniques. This paper presents a brief discussion of some of the important research in knowledge-based system life cycles and development methods. Methodologies are considered and are discussed in light of two sets of quality assurance criteria.
Toeholds, takeover premium, and the probability of being acquired

Abstract Most of the theoretical literature on tender offers has been devoted to illustrating the positive effects of the toehold on the bidder's profits. Empirical research, however, shows that a high proportion of bidders do not trade on the target's shares prior to the tender offer announcement. This paper presents a model in which the bidder trades in the open market before announcing a tender offer and the incumbent shareholders form beliefs about the rival's quality given the order size. Market liquidity allows the potential bidder to partially hide her trade, and thus insiders are not able to ascertain whether an increase in volume indicates toehold acquisition. Stock price prior to the announcement date and market perception about the probability of a takeover are therefore contingent on players actions. We show that in some situations no trade will be optimal, and a negative relationship between takeover premium and toehold size arises. Interestingly, stock liquidity and initial stake are positively related. Our results also provide a theoretical basis for the observed pre-bid stock price dynamics. In particular, we show that the ratio between price runup and bid premium is increasing in the toehold size.
Xenotropism: The elusive viral receptor finally uncovered

Working with knowledge gained from pioneers in the RNA tumor virus field (2), the biologic activity of this NZB virus ultimately was demonstrated in 1970 by cultivating NZB mouse embryo cells with hamster or rat tumor cells containing a nonreplicating sequence of the murine sarcoma virus (3). This procedure, using conventional MLV, leads to the rescue of the sarcoma virus genome in the envelope coat of the replication-competent MLV (2). The newly formed transforming virus pseudotype now has the host range of the “helper” MLV. Supernatants from the NZB cell coculture demonstrated the presence of a replicating virus that could induce foci of transformation in rat cells but not mouse embryo cells (3). The NZB MLV host range thus seemed limited to rat cells. Subsequent work demonstrated that the helper MLV visualized in the NZB mouse cells was infectious but was not infectious at all for mouse cells (i.e., complete block). It was infectious only for cells from heterologous species, including those of avian origin (Table 1). Similar viruses were subsequently found in all laboratory strains of Mus musculus domesticus as …
New Documents on Early Protestant Rationalism

The period of the Reformation is one in which the editing and publication of new documents may be expected to necessitate a periodic revision of the general works. In a sense this is true of every period, but the unpublished sources for the age of the New Testament are slight and not often does the investigator turn up a Didache or the Odes of Solomon . In the Reformation period, however, discoveries are frequent and critical editions incomplete for even the great figures like Luther and Calvin. Zwingli is still in process in the Corpus Reformatorum . Traugott Schiess did not live to finish Bullinger. Some ten years ago M. Aubert showed me at Geneva the materials for the correspondence of Beza, but so far as I have observed nothing has appeared. Thomas Muntzer was in luck with the publication of his letters by Boehmer and Kirn in 1931 and his works by Otto H. Brandt in 1933. The Anabaptists have been favored only with a beginning. The Verein fur Reformationsgeschichte has brought out one large volume on Wurttemberg and a smaller one on Brandenburg, but eleven more are still in the loins of Abraham. The Kommission zur Erforschung der Geschichte der Reformation und Gegenreformation published the letters of Peutinger and Cuspianus and selected works of Erasmus (edited by Annemarie and Hajo Holborn now of Yale), but further work on the humanists has been dropped. If only we might revive it in this country! Among us the Corpus Schwenckfeldianorum has been wallowing in the trough of foreign exchange. The fourteenth volume happily is out. Bender, Yoder and Correll have the material for a volume of Grebeliana if only the way opens to make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness.
An interweaved spiral array (ISPA) providing a 10:1 bandwidth over a ground plane

The infinite Current Sheet (see Fig. 1(a)) was first introduced and studied by Wheeler back in the 1950s [1]. His premise was that for a uniform current J on an aperture, radiation occurs at all frequencies and bidirectionally (at k=z and k=−z). As depicted in Fig. 1(b), a practical way to implement such a structure is to arrange infinitely long wires on a plane and feed them periodically. The aperture bandwidth is then determined by the spacing of the feed locations (must be < λ/2). The unit cell of this “discrete” current sheet is a rectangular area (d × d) representable by an equivalent transmission line (TL) circuit, as in Fig. 1(c).
A utilization bound for aperiodic tasks and priority driven scheduling

Real-time scheduling theory offers constant-time schedulability tests for periodic and sporadic tasks based on utilization bounds. Unfortunately, the periodicity or the minimal interarrival-time assumptions underlying these bounds make them inapplicable to a vast range of aperiodic workloads such as those seen by network routers, Web servers, and event-driven systems. This paper makes several important contributions toward real-time scheduling theory and schedulability analysis. We derive the first known bound for schedulability of aperiodic tasks. The bound is based on a utilization-like metric we call synthetic utilization, which allows implementing constant-time schedulability tests at admission control time. We prove that the synthetic utilization bound for deadline-monotonic scheduling of aperiodic tasks is 1/1+/spl radic/1/2. We also show that no other time-independent scheduling policy can have a higher schedulability bound. Similarly, we show that EDF has a bound of 1 and that no dynamic-priority policy has a higher bound. We assess the performance of the derived bound and conclude that it is very efficient in hit-ratio maximization.
Optimal type I and type II error pairs when the available sample size is fixed.

Abstract Objective To model how to select the optimal pair of type I and type II errors that maximize study value when there are constrains on the available study sample size. Study Design and Setting Correct inferences [true positives (TPs) and true negatives (TNs)] increase and wrong inferences (false positives and false negatives) decrease the value of a study. We model the composite value of a study based on these four inferences, their relative importance, and relative frequency using multiplicative and additive models. Numerical examples are presented for randomized trials, epidemiologic studies, and agnostic omics investigations with massive testing and variable sample size constraints. Results The optimal choice of type I and type II errors varies a lot according to the available sample size and the plausible effect sizes in each field. We show how equations can be streamlined for special applications: when the value of all four inferences is considered equal, when the identification of TNs carries no value, and when a study carries no value unless at least one TP is discovered. Conclusion The proposed optimization equations can be used to guide the selection of the optimal type I and type II errors of future studies in which sample size is constrained.
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy of Brain Tumors: Past History, Current Status, and Future Potential

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is based on the nuclear reaction that occurs when boron-10 is irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons to yield alpha particles and recoiling lithium-7 nuclei. High-grade astrocytomas, glioblastoma multiforme, and metastatic brain tumors constitute a major group of neoplasms for which there is no effective treatment. There is growing interest in using BNCT in combination with surgery to treat patients with primary, and possibly metastatic brain tumors. For BNCT to be successful, a large number of 10B atoms must be localized on or preferably within neoplastic cells, and a sufficient number of thermal neutrons must reach and be absorbed by the 10B atoms to sustain a lethal 10B(n, alpha)7 Li reaction. Two major questions will be addressed in this review. First, how can a large number of 10B atoms be delivered selectively to cancer cells? Second, how can a high fluence of neutrons be delivered to the tumor? Two boron compounds currently are being used clinically, sodium borocaptate (BSH) and boronophenylalanine (BPA), and a number of new delivery agents are under investigation, including boronated porphyrins, nucleosides, amino acids, polyamines, monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, liposomes, and epidermal growth factor. These will be discussed, and potential problems associated with their use as boron delivery agents will be considered. Nuclear reactors, currently, are the only source of neutrons for BNCT, and the fission process within the core produces a mixture of lower-energy thermal and epithermal neutrons, fast or high (> 10,000 eV) energy neutrons, and gamma rays. Although thermal neutron beams have been used clinically in Japan to treat patients with brain tumors and cutaneous melanomas, epithermal neutron beams should be more useful because of their superior tissue-penetrating properties. Beam sources and characteristics will be discussed in the context of current and future BNCT trials. Finally, the past and present clinical trials on BNCT for brain tumors will be reviewed and the future potential of BNCT will be assessed.
Organic matter flux and reactivity on a South Carolina sandflat: The impacts of porewater advection and macrobiological structures

Study of the flux and fate of reactive organic material (OM) within Debidue Flat, an intertidal sandflat in the North Inlet estuary, South Carolina, demonstrated that this coarse-grained deposit is a dynamic, open system that experiences rapid OM decomposition and exchange of solutes in the top 30 cm of the sediment column. The fluxes of reactive OM through Debidue Flat were high during all seasons (27‐170 mmol C m 2 d 21 ) and were comparable to fluxes in muddy portions of the North Inlet estuary. Porewater decomposition products were N- and P-rich, the modeled reactivity of organic carbon undergoing decomposition was high (first-order rate constant, k 5 0.02 d 21 ), and abundant extractable chlorophyll a was measured year-round; all properties were consistent with marine algalderived substrates. Porewater solute profiles were controlled by advective flow that rapidly exchanged porewater with overlying waters to ;25 cm depth on timescales of hours. Thus, these sandflats act like an unsteady ‘‘trickling bed filter,’’ capturing or generating reactive organic particles, rapidly remineralizing OM, and recycling nutrients. Macrobiological structures within the flat altered the amounts and reaction rates of OM on various spatial and temporal scales. Relatively elevated OM decay rates were associated with the burrows of Callichirus major, a deepburrowing thalassinid shrimp. Large stingray feeding pits accumulated fine grained OM, locally clogging the ‘‘trickling bed filter,’’ and inhibiting porewater advection. As illustrated by Debidue Flat, intertidal sands can be sites of high OM flux and turnover and play an important role in biogeochemical cycling in estuarine systems.
Environmental influences on aggression: The facilitation of modeling effects by high ambient temperatures.

Forty undergraduate males participated in an experiment designed to investigate the hypothesis that the influence of an aggressive model on the subsequent behavior of adult Os would be enhanced by uncomfortably high ambient temperatures. In order to examine this suggestion, a 2 by 2 factorial design based upon two levels of ambient temperature (cool, hot) and two levels of exposure to the model (no model, model) was employed. Results indicated that, consistent with the findings of previous research, aggression was facilitated by exposure to the model. In addition, support was obtained for the prediction that the influence of the model would be enhanced by high ambient temperatures.
A new species of Sabellidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from southern California

(1959). A new species of Sabellidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from southern California. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 2, No. 24, pp. 717-719.
Renal Tubular Transport of Urate in Fanconi Syndrome

Recent studies of renal urate handling in man have provided evidence for a model of urate transport which includes the following sequence: 1) uric acid is filtered at the glomerulus; 2) filtered urate is extensively, if not completely, reabsorbed in the proximal tubule; 3) additional urate enters the tubule by secretion; and 4) there is substantial reabsorption of secreted urate coextensive with and/or distal to the urate secretory site (1) (Figure 1). In accordance with this model, hyperuricosuria might result from enhanced secretion or diminished reabsorption of either filtered or secreted urate.
The outer limits of otherness: Ideologies of human translation in speculative fiction

This work considers the ways in which human translation and human translators are depicted as interacting with unknown languages in classic works of speculative fiction. The objective is to reveal the range of underlying conceptions entertained about language and consciousness. Some of the philosophies on which these linguistic fictions are built are benign, but some use translation for expansionist ends. Almost all the fictional scenarios posit a colonial encounter, hence the potential interest of these works to translators, especially as they form a vexed image of translating, showing translating to be a primary intercultural contact skill on which political realities, and existential identities characterized by ethnocentricity – or, less commonly, ethno-relativity – depend. Resistances to translation – untranslatabilities – emerge as a common denominator of depictions of otherness, whether for reasons of distance, for thought manipulation or as a defense against cultural appropriation from colonizers.