cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PVC Formulation of Anastrepha suspensa Pheromones Suitable for Field Studies

Abstract Tephritid flies threaten the production of fruits around the world. In the Americas, populations of the genus Anastrepha are monitored with trapping networks as part of pest management programs. Here, we report the formulation of male Anastrepha suspensa (Loew) pheromones, (±)-anastrephin and (±)-epianastrephin, into a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) polymer-based lure ready for trap deployment. The PVC polymer disks (100 mg) contain 10% by weight of (±)-epianastrephin and (±)-anastrephin in a naturally occurring 7:3 diastereomeric ratio, respectively. Emission of the pheromones from the disks into an airstream was evaluated as a function of abiotic environmental parameters, absolute humidity, and temperature. Kinetic data supports a diffusion-controlled mechanism of release from the matrix with first-order rate constants that decreased about 10-fold as the temperature was lowered from 30 to 15 °C. As such, the emission of volatile pheromones from the disks is suitable to last for several weeks in the field. This kinetic approach, which can be easily extended to the diffusion-controlled release of other attractants from polymeric matrices, yields laboratory predictions of the potential for environmental loss prior to conducting field bioassays.
Activation of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 ameliorates proximal tubular injury and proteinuria in Dahl salt-sensitive female rats.

Recent evidence indicates a crucial role for G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) in the maintenance of cardiovascular and kidney health in females. The current study tested whether GPER1 ...
Comparison of short- and long-term postoperative occurrences after robotic single-incision cholecystectomy versus multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Long-term outcomes of SIRC are not well established. Furthermore, SIRC is only now being considered more frequently for patients with independent risk factors for PSH, such as obesity. As such, the paucity of data on longer-term post-surgical outcomes of SIRC is particularly notable as it pertains to obese patients. All patients undergoing cholecystectomy performed by two surgeons at our institution from 2008–2018 were reviewed. Our inclusion criteria were patients who underwent SIRC or multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy (MPLC) and had at least one month of postoperative follow-up. Patients who underwent additional procedures at the time of cholecystectomy were excluded. Our outcomes of interest were the 30-day POC rate and the long-term PSH rate. Analysis was conducted on an intention-to-treat basis, using logistic regression analysis for POC and time-to-event analysis for PSH. We examined 584 patients who underwent either SIRC (51%) or MPLC (49%). Of the 296 patients who underwent SIRC, 15 (5%) developed a POC and 23 (8%) developed a PSH. Of the 288 patients who underwent MPLC, 11 (4%) developed a POC, and 28 (10%) developed a PSH. Procedure group and obesity was not associated with the risk of POC (p = 0.29, p = 0.21, respectively). Procedure group was not associated with an increased risk of PSH (p = 0.29). Obese patients, however, were 1.94 times more likely to develop PSH compared to non-obese patients overall (p = 0.02). There is no statistically significant difference in POC and PSH rate following SIRC when compared with MPLC in patients in the same BMI group. Male gender and prior abdominal surgery are risk factors for POC, while advancing age and obesity are risk factors for PSH.
A Case of Disseminated Cutaneous Mycobacterium chelonae Infection During Treatment With Tofacitinib.

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, like other immunomodulators, are known to be associated with an increased risk of infections.1 An analysis of long-term clinical trial data has shown tuberculosis to be the most common opportunistic infection associated with tofacitinib use.2 However, treatment-related nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are exceedingly rare, and a thorough review of literature did not reveal any cases. We present the …
CD40-ligand (CD154) gene therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells can be made to express recombinant CD40-ligand (CD154) by transduction with a replication-defective adenovirus vector (Ad-CD154). Ad-CD154-transduced and bystander leukemia cells become highly effective antigen-presenting cells that can induce CLL-specific autologous cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro. This study investigated the immunologic and clinical responses to infusion of autologous Ad-CD154-CLL cells in patients with CLL. After a one-time bolus infusion of autologous Ad-CD154-transduced leukemia cells, there was increased or de novo expression of immune accessory molecules on bystander, noninfected CLL cells in vivo. Treated patients also developed high plasma levels of interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma, the magnitudes of which corresponded to absolute blood CD4(+) T-cell counts before therapy. On average, patients experienced a greater than 240% increase in absolute blood T-cell counts within 1 to 4 weeks of treatment. Moreover, treatment increased the numbers of leukemia-specific T cells, demonstrated by autologous ELISPOT assay and mixed lymphocyte reactions. These biologic effects were associated with reductions in leukemia cell counts and lymph node size. Treatment did not induce autoimmune thrombocytopenia or hemolytic anemia and no dose-limiting toxicity was observed. This approach may provide a novel and effective form of gene therapy for patients with this disease.
Providing dynamic and customizable caching policies

Web caching has emerged as one solution for improving client latency on the web. Cache effectiveness depends on the policies used to route requests to other caches and servers, to maintain up-to-date web objects and to remove objects from the cache. Traditional caches apply one set of policies, which determines the efficiency as well as the effectiveness of the caches. This set of policies often does not exploit the diversity inherent in different web objects, caches and clients. Policies that do exploit this diversity result in convoluted caching policies that attempt to combine multiple policies and guess at the unknown characteristics of web objects, caches and clients. In this paper, we present an extensible caching infrastructure in which cache administrators, servers, and end users can customize how web objects are cached, replaced, and kept consistent. The infrastructure includes a domain-specific language, CacheL, for defining customizable caching policies that can be changed dynamically. Analysis of our prototype, PoliSquid, shows the benefits of the infrastructure for variable coherency policies, localized removal policies, and early removal of objects from servers.
Genome Sequence Analysis

The human genome has an estimated 40 000–100 000 genes dispersed throughout 3.5 billion nucleotides of sequence. DNA sequences are inherently complex and a number of computational tools are required to analyse the genomic sequences of eukaryotic, bacterial and model organisms. Keywords: human genome; expressed sequence tags; DNA sequencing; coding regions; mRNA; cDNA; exons; introns; basic local alignment search tool (BLAST); Gene Recognition and Analysis Internet Link (GRAIL); bioinformatics
Abstract #4405: Cytotoxic effects of simultaneous inhibition of AMPK/mTOR and IGF-1R signaling pathways on acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) diagnosed with resistant phenotypes and those who relapse have a dismal prognosis for cure. In search for novel treatment strategies, we identified the energy homeostasis regulator AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) based on its effects on cell growth and cell cycle. We found that treatment with the AMPK activator AICAR not only increased phosphorylation of AMPK but also resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of P-mTOR. We reported that treatment of NALM6 (Bp-ALL) and CEM (T-ALL) cells with AICAR plus the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin synergistically increased cytotoxicity compared to each agent alone. As a compensatory survival mechanism AICAR induced phosphorylation of Akt (P-Akt) at Ser473 and Thr308. To further understand the signaling cross-talk leading to AICAR-induced apoptosis, we examined the effects of simultaneously targeting AMPK and factors within the IGF-1R and mTOR signaling cascades using Western blots, cell proliferation and apoptosis assays. We detected that IGF-1R signaling, via phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), was higher in NALM6 than CEM, suggesting a greater requirement for activated IGF-1R signaling in B-lineage lymphoblasts. Consequently, inhibition of IGF-1R with HNMPA resulted in significantly higher cell death in NALM6 compared to CEM cells. We then determined that treatment with AICAR increased IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser789 by 3-5 fold, indicating a direct interaction between AMPK and IRS-1 in ALL cells. To further delineate the signaling cross-talk between IGF-1R and AMPK, we simultaneously targeted these two pathways with HNMPA and AICAR, respectively. As expected, HNMPA decreased the levels of P-IRS-1 (Ser789) and P-Akt (Thr308 & Ser473), but more important AICAR plus HNMPA abrogated the phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308 dependent on PDK1 downstream of IGF-1R. Targeting IGF-1R and AMPK resulted in highly synergistic inhibition of cell viability (NALM6, CI = 0.55; CEM, CI = 0.47). A similar cytotoxic effect was observed when AICAR was combined with the Akt inhibitor X (NALM6, CI = 0.85; CEM, CI = 0.90). Finally, since mTOR inhibits IGF-1R signaling via feedback phosphorylation of IRS-1 at Ser312, we evaluated the effect of simultaneously inhibiting mTOR and IGF-1R using rapamycin and HNMPA, respectively. Cells treated with both agents exhibited synergistic cytotoxicity (NALM6, CI = 0.88; CEM, CI = 0.41), reflecting blockade of both mTOR-induced phosphorylation of IRS-1 (Ser312) and downstream activation of Akt (Thr308). We conclude that rationally designed simultaneous targeting of key factors within the AMPK, IGF-1R, and mTOR pathways leads to synergistic induction of cell death by blocking compensatory survival responses triggered by treatment with single agents. These combinations warrant future testing as novel targeted strategies for childhood ALL. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 4405.
A microplate assay for analysis of solution-phase glycosyltransferase reactions: determination of kinetic constants.

Abstract We have developed a sensitive and simple method for assaying glycosyltransferase activities. This method makes use of solution-phase transferase reactions followed by capture to a microplate well coated with a substrate-specific monoclonal antibody. Sugar incorporation is quantitated by binding a saccharide-specific lectin and using bioluminescent aequorin for a reporter molecule. We demonstrate this method using the glycoprotein hormone-specific GalNAc-transferase and its acceptor substrate, agalacto-hCG. As little as 20 ng of agalacto-hCG with 32 nU of GalNAc-transferase gives a detectable signal with less than 10% of the acceptor sites substituted. In addition to this high sensitivity, by doing the transferase reactions in solution, we can assay up to 10 μg of agalacto-hCG. We show that this allows the determination of K m and V max kinetic constants that compare well to those obtained with radiolabeled nucleotide sugars.
Multivalent cations depress ligand affinity of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins-3 and -5 on human GM-10 fibroblast cell surfaces.

The effect of multivalent cations on [125I]-IGF binding to cell-associated IGFBPs was investigated using human fibroblasts. The major cell-associated binding site for [125I]-IGF-I is IGFBP-3 and for [125I]-IGF-II are IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5. Lanthanum and chromium did not affect either [125I]-IGF-I or [125I]-IGF-II binding to cell-associated IGFBPs. By contrast, zinc (Zn2+), gold (Au3+), and cadmium (Cd2+) depressed binding of both ligands. Ligand binding resulted in nonlinear Scatchard plots. Assuming a pre-existent asymmetric model with high- (KaHi) and low- (KaLo) affinity sites, Zn2+ lowered both KaHi and KaLo. Au3+ eliminated KaHi. Assuming that the nonlinear plots were caused by ligand-induced negative cooperativity, Zn2+ and Cd2+ lowered both Ke and Kf (affinity of unoccupied and saturated IGFBPs, respectively). Au3+ eliminated Ke and reduced Kf. Zn2+ was active at serum levels in lowering IGF binding. Zinc, gold, and cadmium bind to similar regions within proteins (a zinc-binding motif) indicating similar mechanisms of action. A zinc-binding motif is present in the IGFBPs, but not in the IGFs. We demonstrate for the first time that the trace nutrient zinc and related multivalent cations decrease IGF binding to fibroblast-associated IGFBPs by lowering the affinity of the IGF–IGFBP interaction. J. Cell. Biochem. 69:364–375, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Minor Studies of Aggression: VI. Correlation of Lynchings with Economic Indices

(1940). Minor Studies of Aggression: VI. Correlation of Lynchings with Economic Indices. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 301-310.
Hegel, the Tiananmen Incident and Falun Gong

This paper explores Chinese people's pursuit of human rights through the Hegelian lenses of abstract rights and the master–slave dialectic. By juxtaposing the 1989 Tiananmen Incident and the Falun Gong movement, it illuminates how Chinese people's struggles for human rights have been informed by Confucianism and other Chinese philosophies, although they have also looked to the West for inspiration and endorsement. Moreover, Hegel's very own dialectic reassures us that Chinese people do not need to have an affirmative, conscious knowledge of 'rights' before they pursue them. While the student protests in 1989 were fuelled by a nationwide economic crisis, the Falun Gong movement was the result of an increasingly prosperous but spiritually blighted society. In both cases, the people, like slaves, struggled against their master, the Chinese government, for freedom and recognition so as to attain a full self-consciousness. Thus, this paper appropriates Hegelian concepts and his dialectical view of history to add to the existing criticisms of his Orientalist views, namely his belief that China is a stagnant nation and its people have no independent personality but only a servile consciousness.
Knot Your Simple Defect Lines

We owe more to knots in our lives than we might appreciate: Simple bows and knots developed into the practical knots of sailors, decorative braids, and, as we are still learning, into the Khipu records of the Incas (see the figure, [panel A][1]). The ancient art of weaving became a driving force in the industrial revolution; the Jacquard loom gave us the first inkling of the modern programmable computer; and ancient embroidery, such as the Bayeaux tapestry, imprint the historical record (see the figure, [panel B][1]). On page 62 of this issue, Tkalec et al. ( 1 ) tie knots in a different type of line—the topological defect lines that form when the ordering of a nematic liquid crystal is disrupted by the addition of colloidal particles. When these lines are manipulated with laser tweezers, they can be woven into arbitrarily complex knots and links. Moreover, the formation of these beautiful and stable braided structures is enabled by using a sample cell similar to that commonly used in liquid crystal display technology. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6038/46/F1.expansion.html
Visual Analytics for Power Grid Contingency Analysis

Contingency analysis employs different measures to model scenarios, analyze them, and then derive the best response to any threats. A proposed visual-analytics pipeline for power grid management can transform approximately 100 million contingency scenarios to a manageable size and form. Grid operators can examine individual scenarios and devise preventive or mitigation strategies in a timely manner. Power grid engineers have applied the pipeline to a Western Electricity Coordinating Council power grid model.
Case study for life-long learning and adaptation in coopertive robot teams

While considerable progress has been made in recent years toward the development of multi-robot teams, much work remains to be done before these teams are used widely in real-world applications. Two particular needs toward this end are the development of mechanisms that enable robot teams to generate cooperative behaviors on their own, and the development of technique that allow these teams to autonomously adapt their behavior over time as the environment or the robot team changes. This paper proposes the use of the Cooperative Multi-Robot Observation of Multiple Moving Targets (CMOMMT) applications as a rich domain for studying the issues of multi-robot learning and adaptation. After discussing the need for learning and adaptation in multi-robot teams, this paper describes the CMOMMT application and its relevance to multi-robot learning. We discuss the result of the previously-developed, hand-generated algorithm for CMOMMT and the potential for learning that was discovered from the hand-generated approach. We then describe the early work that has been done to generate multi-robot learning techniques for the CMOMMT application, as well as our ongoing research to develop approaches that give performance as good, or better, than the hand-generated approach. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop techniques for multi-robot learning and adaptation in the CMOMMT application domain that will generalize to cooperative robot applications in other domains, thus making the practical use of multi-robot teams in a wide variety of real-world applications much closer to reality.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A control processor for a reconfigurable array computer

The problems of resource allocation, configuration and reconfiguration and network control must be solved before reconfigurable array computers can be effectively utilized. The interconnection networks proposed for these systems vary so that there has been no common or optimal solution proposed to these problems. This paper defines and describes the objectives, design, implementation and use of a network controller for a reconfigurable array computer, the Texas Reconfigurable Array Computer (TRAC). The objectives for the network controller are defined by management of the system state, the requirements of the operating system for functionality and the interface the network presents to the operating system. These objectives may be expected to have at least some commonality across most reconfigurable network architectures. The structure of the network controller given herein may offer guidance for development of controllers for other reconfigurable network architectures.
Wide-Band Device Modeling Using Time-Domain Reflectometry

A method is presented for modeling wide-band devices. The method is based on the time-domain reflectometry technique, using computer simulation to improve the modeling accuracy. Two applications are presented. The first involves modeling of simple line discontinuities to demonstrate the technique as well as to verify its validity. The second application presents the modeling of a multiple discontinuity feedthrough line of a wide-band sampler.
Inhibition of hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidases by D2O

Abstract Aniline hydroxylase, 3,4 benzpyrene hydroxylase, and ethymorphine N-demethylase were inhibited 22–30% by 99% D 2 O. Endogenous NADPH oxidase was not inhibited nor was the unstimulated NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. On the other hand both the NADPH oxidase and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase stimulation seen on the addition of ethylmorphine were inhibited 31 and 26% respectively. NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity was inhibited only 13%. These results indicate the participation of water in mixed function oxidases either through hydration of the proteins or heme, or through a cryptic protonlysis.
Statistical analysis of the effect of processing conditions on the strength of thermal point-bonded cotton-based nonwovens

In this paper, we investigate the effect of thermal calendering temperature, binder fiber type, and binder fiber component (blend ratio) on the tensile strength of resulting thermal point-bonded nonwovens. The experimental results are statistically analyzed using the general linear models procedure in JMP 5.0 to determine the significance of the effects of the variables on fabric strength. Based on the interactions of binder fiber composition and bonding temperature, empirical models are developed to predict the breaking loads of webs.
Measuring Body Fat: Calibrating the Rulers. Intermethod Comparisons in 389 Normal Caucasian Subjects R. N. PIERSON, JR, J. WANG, S. B. HEYMSFIELD, ET AL American Journal of Physiology 261 (Endocrinology and Metabolism 24):E103‐E108, 1991

In this study from Columbia University, 389 (156 men and 233 women) healthy white subjects ranging from 19 to 94 years, with body mass index ranging from 15 to 35 kg/m2, had their body fat measured using eight different methods. These methods included anthropometric assessments as defined by Durnin and Womersley1 and Steinkamp et al,2 underwater weighing, total body potassium, dual-photon absorptiometry, total body water, total body electrical conductivity, and bioelectric impedance analysis. All subjects were studied after an overnight fast. Statistical analysis of the data utilized repeated-measures analysis of variance to test the hypothesis that the eight methods yielded the same average percent of body fat. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for each pair of body fat measurements. Linear regression equations were calculated for each pair of methods and for each method using age as an independent variable. The reliability of the methods was calculated using the intraclass correlation coe...
Chronic exposures to low levels of estradiol and their effects on the ovaries and reproductive hormones: Comparison with aging

Aging in female rats is characterized by a state called "constant estrous" in which rats are unable to ovulate, have polycystic ovaries and moderately elevated estrogen levels. We hypothesized that chronic exposure of young animals to low levels of E2 can produce reproductive changes similar to that seen in aging animals. Adult female rats were sham-implanted (control) or implanted with slow-release E2 (20 ng/day) pellets for 30, 60, or 90 days. Old constant estrous (OCE) rats were used for comparison. Estrous cyclicity was monitored periodically. At the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed, trunk blood was collected for hormone measurements and ovaries for immunohistochemistry. Young animals became acyclic with increasing duration of E2 exposure while OCE rats were in a state of acyclicity. Ovaries became increasingly more cystic with E2 exposure, and were comparable to OCE rats; however, there was a marked reduction in interstitial tissue with exogenous E2 treatment. Exogenous E2 also decreased Mullerian inhibiting substance expression, increased infiltration of macrophages without much impact on apoptosis in the ovaries. Serum testosterone levels decreased in E2-treated young animals, while it increased significantly in OCE rats. There was a marked reduction in LH but not FSH levels with E2 exposure in both young and old animals. These results indicate that even very low doses of E2 are capable of inducing aging-like changes in young animals.
Use of Brij lysis as a general method to prepare polyribosomes from Escherichia coli.

1. A method of preparing polyribosomes from any strain of Escherichia coli is described. 2. The polyribosome patterns obtained vary with the growth rate (growth media) of the cell. When the cells are grown (in rich media) with a short generation time, there are very few 30-S and 50-S ribosome subunits; when the cells are grown (in a poor medium) with a long generation time, the relative proportion of ribosome subunits increases greatly. 3. Under particular growth conditions, the polyribosome pattern varies with the strain of cell used.
Changing Families: An Ethnographic Approach to Divorce and Separation

Changing Families: An Ethnographic Approach to Divorce and Separation. Bob Simpson. Oxford: Berg Press,1998. xiii. 181 pp., bibliography, index.
Personality changes in Cushing's syndrome.

IN THE past five years there has been an increasing number of reports describing mental disturbances precipitated by treatment with ACTH and cortisone (1, 2). Another sequel of administering excess ACTH is the occurrence of the typical Cushing's syndrome (3). Thus there arises the question whether the hormonal changes that are responsible for this syndrome may not also represent a chemical basis for the psychiatric changes. Since the original description by Dr. Cushing in 1932 (4), various authors have recognized that mental disturbances are frequent concomitants of the syndrome. Many papers make brief or casual reference to extreme depression and dullness. In the past, however, these emotional alterations have almost always been attributed to poor social adjustment secondary to the often repulsive appearance of these patients. The mental symptoms were regarded as nonspecific affective disorders which were interpreted as the result of self-consciousness. Maclay and Stokes (5) and Schlesinger and Horwitz (...
Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia in a Patient with AIDS

A 35-year-old homosexual man who had a remote history of cocaine abuse presented to the hospital with fever, chills, drenching night sweats, and progressive dyspnea of 3 months' duration. His condition had been diagnosed as AIDS 1 1/2 years before presentation. Multiple blood cultures and serological tests failed to yield an infective etiology. Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy, both performed twice, also failed to reveal an etiology. Empirical treatment for infection with the Mycobacterium avium complex yielded no response; empirical treatment, based on abnormalities revealed by gallium scanning, for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia led to some clinical improvement. Because of rapid respiratory deterioration at the end of this treatment course, a thoracoscopic lung biopsy was performed; this procedure demonstrated classic bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia. Corticosteroid therapy resulted in a rapid salutary response. It is important to aggressively pursue a definitive diagnosis for selected patients with a nonidentifiable infectious cause so that patients receive the correct treatment.
Shape-memory-based multifunctional structural actuator panels

A multifunctional panel concept is presented in which a lightweight, structural sandwich panel is able to undergo a reversible change in shape upon application of a localized thermal stimulus. The shape change is effected by metallic shape memory face sheet elements, which employ a 'one-way' SM effect only. Unlike other designs, no external or bias forces are required to completed the full cycle of shape change. This is accomplished by a core design which, when one of the two face sheets is activated and thus undergoes a length change, forces the opposite face sheet to martensitically deform in tension. By alternately heating one face sheet and then the other, to transform the martensitic structure to austenite, the sandwich beam or panel is able to perform fully reversible cyclic shape changes. Heating can be accomplished electrically or by other means. The performance of the sandwich panel, in terms of required thermal power, actuation frequency, peak load bearing capacity, stiffness, and weight, can be optimized by proper selection of face sheet material and this thickness, the overall core thickness, core member thickness and length, and the design of the joint connecting cor membranes and face sheet.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Does cortisol inhibit vasopressin secretion in sheep

Abstract Glucocorticoids inhibit the plasma vasopressin responses to hemorrhage and hypoxia in dogs. Attempts to demonstrate glucocorticoid inhibition of vasopressin secretion in fetal sheep have been unsuccesful, suggesting the possibility that there is an influence of development on the expression of this interaction, or that the interaction cannot be demonstrated in all mammalian species. This study was designed to investigate these two possibilities. Adult ewes chronically prepared with carotid arterial loops, were subjected to 5 hr infusions of cortisol at a rate of 6 ug/kg min or vehicle (5% ethanol in saline). The infusion of cortisol increased plasma cortisol concentration from 26 ± 3 to 46 ± 8 ng/ml, while vehicle infusion was associated with a decrease in plasma cortisol concentration from 23 ± 4 to 15 ± 3 ng/ml. One hr after the end of the cortisol or vehicle infusions, vasopressin secretion was stimulated by arterial hypotension produced by 10 min infusions of sodium nitroprusside (20 ug/kg min). Nitroprusside decreased arterial blood pressure equally in both groups. Plasma vasopressin concentrations were increased to peak concentrations of 92 ± 33 and 116 ± 20 pg/ml in the vehicle- and cortisol-infused groups, responses which were not significantly different as tested by ANOVA. We conclude that increases in plasma cortisol concentration, equal to those observed during responses to stressors, do not inhibit vasopressin secretion in this species.
Radiation-induced proctitis

The incidence of chronic, radiation-induced proctitis is between 2% and 5 %. There is not a direct relationship between the incidence of acute radiation proctitis and the subsequent development of chronic proctitis. The treatment for this condition should proceed in a step-wise fashion from conservative therapy such as antidiarrhea medication, topical steroids, sucralfate enemas, and iron replacement to more aggressive treatment in those who do not respond. In the case of persistent rectal bleeding, laser therapy and formalin instillation should be tried prior to surgical intervention. If surgery is necessary, a transverse or descending colostomy should be tried. Aggressive surgery such as rectal resection and colo-anal anastomosis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and should be reserved as a last resort measure.
Neurogenic tumors of the mediastinum.

Neurogenic tumors can arise from neural cells in any location; however, they commonly are found in the mediastinum and, more specifically, most often are located in the posterior compartment. Neurogenic tumors can be benign or malignant, with a wide array of both clinical and pathologic features that are commonly classified by the cell type of origin. These tumors are usually detected on routine chest radiograph, and a computed tomographic scan is required to obtain more information about involvement of local structures. A magnetic resonance imaging scan may be necessary if a dumbbell-shaped component is identified or suspected. Treatment options vary depending on the presentation, but most often surgical resection is recommended. Whereas patients with benign neurogenic tumors have an excellent prognosis with complete surgical resection, patients with malignant neurogenic tumors still have poor long-term survival prospects.
Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis of the Weakly Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer. Part II: Eddy Energetics

Abstract Three-dimensional empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), representing atmospheric turbulence structures, are determined from a large-eddy simulation of a weakly convective, planetary boundary layer. The method of analysis is based on Lumley's proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) but has been extended to include temperature as well as velocity structure. The horizontal domain of the simulation is a square with side length equal to 30 times the inversion height in order to allow for the formation of multiple large-scale structures. The geostrophic wind is 22.5 m s−1 and the surface temperature flux is 0.03 K m s−1. Among the structures revealed by the analysis are longitudinal roll vortices, apparently in both inflection-point and thermal modes, and gravity waves in the capping temperature inversion. Modes associated with wave breaking and entrainment at the inversion may also be present. Spatially compact characteristic structures (thermal plumes) are constructed from the EOFs using a maximum-spa...
Information Acquisition and Utilization Problems

This paper focuses on the problem of information acquisition and utilization where a decision maker, by carefully controlling a sequence of actions with uncertain outcomes, dynamically refines his/her belief about stochastically time-varying parameters of interest in order to utilize a system of interest as efficiently as possible. The paper proposes a new theoretical framework for stochastic learning and decision-making in such a setting termed Information Acquisition and Utilization Problems (IAUP). IAUP is a special case of partially observable Markov decision problems (POMDP) with several unique properties. Motivated by a synthesis of the prior works on active hypothesis testing, noisy dynamic search, and joint source-channel coding, this framework borrows from diverse areas of research from statistics, information theory, and stochastic control. The main contribution of this work is to establish the general attributes of IAUPs as well as their connections to known fields of study.
Synthesis, NMR Studies and Crystal Structure of Cryptand 4,7,10,16,21-Pentaoxa-1,13-diazabicyclo[11.5.5]tricosane, [H(3.1.1)·(H2O)3]Cl

The cryptand 4,7,10,16,21-pentaoxa-1,13-diazabicyclo[11.5.5]tricosane (3.1.1, I) has been synthesized, the crystal structure of the triaquo-hydrochloride salt has been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography and the 1H- and 13C-NMR chemical shifts have been assigned for the protonated ligand. [(C16H33N2O5)·(H2O)3]Cl, (I), is triclinic with space group $$P\bar{1}$$ and cell constants: a = 9.957(3) A, b = 10.557(5) A, c = 11.324(3) A, α = 95.917(8)°, β = 105.574(8)°, γ = 107.506(9)°, V = 1071.4(3) A3 and Z = 2. In the solid state the cryptand is monoprotonated and holds a water molecule near the central cavity using the hydrogen bonds N13–H13 to O1S, O1S–H1S2 to N1 and O1S–H1S1 to ether oxygen atom O7. Pairs of cryptand molecules are linked by a hydrogen bond network, (O21···H2S2–O2S–H2S1···Cl1)2(μ-H3S1–O3S–H3S2)2, that interacts with an ether oxygen (O21, O21A) in each ligand molecule. The synthesis, NMR characterization, and X-ray structure of cryptand 3.1.1 are described.
Optimal control problems with maximum functional

This paper considers the optimal control problem with a performance index that includes a maximum functional. Necessary conditions are derived that are more general than those of previous work, some of which is shown to be reducible and, therefore, included in the results found here. An illustrative example demonstrates that necessary conditions are satisfied by a unique solution of the problem. The problem of threat avoidance for aircraft is formulated as the optimal control problem considered here. Numerical results for a subsonic glider are presented.
The rate of reaction of acetyl and benzoyl radicals with O2

Abstract Acetyl and benzoyl radicals were formed by photolyzing acetone, acetylacetone and acetophenone. The radical decays were observed in real time using a photoionization mass spectrometer. Acetylacetone photolysis appeared to form only acetyl + acetonyl radicals rather than acetoacetyl + methyl radicals. The photolysis of acetophenone formed both benzoyl + methyl radicals and acetyl + phenyl radicals, with the former split appearing to dominate. The rate constant for the reaction of acetyl radicals with O2 was determined to be (2.0 ± 0.4) × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. The reaction betweem benzoyl and O2 was faster, with a rate constant of (5.7 ± 1.4) × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Both these reactions appeared to be at or near their high pressure limits. Similar measurements were made for acetyl and benzoyl radicals reacting with NO.
Use of transition metal compounds to sensitize a photochemical energy storage reaction

Abstract A solar energy storage system based upon the valence isomerization of norbornadiene to quadricyclene possesses several attractive features, including high specific energy storage capacity, kinetic stability of the energy rich photo-product in the absence of suitable catalysts, and relatively inexpensive reactants. An inherent difficulty with the system is the lack of absorption of solar energy by norbornadiene. Attempts to overcome this shortcoming have focused upon the use of transition metal compounds to sensitize the desired energy storage step. Results to date indicate that complexation of norbornadiene to the metal provides a potentially useful route to sensitization. Several copper(I) compounds have thus far been found to be effective. The facors which affect the ability of a transition metal compound to function as a sensitizer via a complexation mechanism are discussed.
S-Graded Buffer Layers for Lattice-Mismatched Heteroepitaxial Devices

We have conducted a theoretical study of the equilibrium strain and misfit dislocation density profiles for “S-graded” buffer layers of InxGa1−xAs on GaAs (001) substrates in which the compositional profile follows a normal cumulative distribution function. On the basis of this modeling work we show that the S-graded layer exhibits misfit dislocation-free regions near the substrate interface and the free surface (or device interface). The equilibrium peak misfit dislocation density as well as the thicknesses of the dislocation-free regions may be tailored by design of the compositional profile; this in turn should enable minimization of the density of electronically active threading dislocations at the top surface. S-graded buffer layers may therefore facilitate the achievement of metamorphic device structures with improved performance compared with similar structures having uniform or linearly graded buffers.
Design Theory of Optimum Negative-Resistance Amplifiers

In this paper we consider general amplifiers obtained by imbedding a linear active 1-port device in arbitrary 3-ports. The active device is assumed to have a representation of a negative conductance -GD in parallel with a parasitic capacitance CD. We prove that for the lossless reciprocal imbedding, the transducer voltage gain is limited by ? S21? < ?(1+e?GD/?0CD), where ?0 is the angular bandwidth. For arbitrary passive imbedding, ?S21? ? e?GD/?0CD. Synthesis methods to approach or achieve the optimum are presented. Other types of amplifier configurations are next considered. In each case, the optimum gain-bandwidth formula, synthesis procedure and some useful design curves are given.
Long-Term Potentiation of Excitatory Inputs to Brain Reward Areas by Nicotine

Nicotine reinforces smoking behavior by activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the midbrain dopaminergic (DA) reward centers, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Although nicotine induces prolonged excitation of the VTA in vivo, the nAChRs on the DA neurons desensitize in seconds. Here, we show that activation of nAChRs on presynaptic terminals in the VTA enhances glutamatergic inputs to DA neurons. Under conditions where the released glutamate can activate NMDA receptors, long-term potentiation (LTP) of the excitatory inputs is induced. Both the short- and the long-term effects of nicotine required activation of presynaptic alpha7 subunit-containing nAChRs. These results can explain the long-term excitation of brain reward areas induced by a brief nicotine exposure. They also show that nicotine alters synaptic function through mechanisms that are linked to learning and memory.
Hormonally specific phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I and activation of glycogen phosphorylase

WE recently reported that PGE1 and isoprenaline have very different effects on the substrates of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase that regulate cardiac glycogen metabolism. Both agents elevated the cyclic" AMP content and the protein kinase activity ratio in isolated perfused rat hearts, but only isoprenaline caused changes in the activity of the substrates of protein kinase (presumably phosphorylation, causing activation of phosphorylase kinase and inactivation of glycogen synthase)1,2. Thus, the activation of soluble protein kinase appears insufficient to a cause alteration of the regulatory enzymes of glycogen metabolism. This suggests that the gly-cogenolytic responses to isoprenaline involve actions other than the activation of soluble protein kinase. We now report the effects of PGE1 and isoprenaline on another substrate of protein kinase, the inhibitory subunit of cardiac troponin (TNI). Since the phosphorylation of TNI may mediate the positive inotropic effects associated with β-adrenergic stimulation and cyclic AMP accumulation3, we felt that the hormonally specific expression of protein kinase activity might be used as a tool to determine whether similar specificity applies to the phosphorylation of TNI and to establish the functional relevance of that phosphorylation.
Note on the Chiral-Dynamic-Lagrangian Calculation of the χ 0 Decay

The decay rate and the energy asymmetry of the $\ensuremath{\eta}$ particle observed in the strong decay $\ensuremath{\chi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\eta}+2\ensuremath{\pi}$ are discussed in the context of SU(3) \ensuremath{\bigotimes} SU(3) chiral dynamic Lagrangian.
The role of dissolved silica on the biodegradation of octylamine

Dissolution of aquifer-associated mineral solids such as silica may affect the natural bioattenuation of organic compounds by altering their chemical speciation and thus their biodegradability. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dissolved silica on the rates of biodegradation of a cationic surfactant, octylamine, by Rhodococcus erythropolis. The presence of dissolved silica or a surrogate added by dissolving sodium metasilicate significantly enhanced the biodegradation rates of octylamine. Microbial kinetic studies based on the Monod/Haldane equation indicated that the rate enhancement was caused by a decrease in the inhibitory properties of octylamine, rather than by an improvement in buffering of the medium. In the presence of dissolved silica, μ max and K s remain virtually unaffected, but the inhibition constant, K i , increased several orders of magnitude (from K i = 1.32 mM in the silica-free system to K i > 10 6 mM in the silica system). Surface tension studies suggested that the presence of dissolved silica significantly decreased the surface-activity of octylamine.
Estrogen Regulation of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Production in Vitro: Species Variation*

Pituitary cell cultures were used to investigate factors, such as species, sex, and age, which might be associated with differences in FSH regulation by estrogens. 17β-Estradiol at 10-9 M inhibited spontaneous secretion of FSH in sheep, pig, and cow cell cultures (65–95%), had no detectable effect on rabbit cell cultures, and stimulated spontaneous secretion of FSH in rat cell cultures (1.5- to 5-fold). These differential effects of 17β-estradiol were not due to changes in cell division; gonadotrophs id not divide in culture, and general cell division was unaffected by 17β-estradiol. Differences in 17β-estradiol action on FSH secretion were not associated with age or sex. Spontaneous secretion of FSH from pituitary cell cultures also varied according to species and was ranked: rabbit ≅ sheep > pig > rat » cow. Secretion and synthesis of FSH were tightly coupled in at least three of these species. Nonestrogenic steroids, such as androgens, progestins and corticosterone, exhibited only minor effects on spon...
Replication report: I. Maternal rations affect the food preferences of weanling rats

Rat pups were reared by foster mothers fed either of two laboratory diets, and pups’ intake of these foods was subsequently measured. In confirmation of previous findings, weanlings preferred those rations previously ingested by their maternal caretakers.
Improving psychiatric education related to suicide.

Suicide is a human tragedy. For millennia, humanity has struggled to understand and cope with losses due to suicide— and we still do. Although we have amassed a great amount of knowledge about the phenomenon of suicide, it remains unclear why millions of individuals engage in self-injurious behavior and why so many end their lives in this way. Indeed, each year throughout the world, more than 900,000 people die by suicide. In the USA, more than 36,000 people complete suicide annually—twice the number of people who die due to homicide. In the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey [1] of 13,633 high school students surveyed nationwide by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 % of students seriously considered suicide, 13.6 % made a plan, and 8 % attempted suicide during the 12 months before the survey. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people in the USA. Elders, especially those who are chronically physically ill and isolated, also disproportionately lose their lives to suicide. These broad patterns speak to the extraordinary prevalence of suicide and suicide-related thoughts and behavior across the age spectrum and across illnesses and conditions. Psychiatrists are the ones taking care of those who contemplate and/or attempt suicide and those coping with suicide of a loved one. Recognition of suicide risk represents an important dimension of clinical management of patients with diverse mental and physical conditions. Indeed, many health fields and medical disciplines encounter suicide. Psychiatry is often called upon to deal with the psychological, biological, sociological, religious, cultural, philosophical, and other issues related to suicide. Psychiatry has been in the forefront of studying many aspects of suicide, including optimal approaches to the management of suicidal patients and to coping with the event of a suicide among survivors and caretakers. Psychiatry has also been entrusted with preparing physicians and other medical professionals to identify individuals at risk for self-harm and with intervening to minimize self-injurious behavior and self-inflicted death. Academic Psychiatry is one journal that plays an important and ongoing role in psychiatry’s work toward better understanding and preventing suicide, caring for suicidal patients, and dealing with the consequences of suicide (e.g., [2]). In this issue, we present a broad collection of scholarly work that can inform and ultimately serve to improve psychiatric education related to suicide. Three papers in this collection document patterns of suicide and suicidal behavior among medical students and graduate students. Cheng and colleagues [3], in their survey of students at US allopathic medical schools from June 2006 to July 2011 (response rate of 69 %), identified six completed suicides among medical students, a number lower than expected on R. Balon (*) Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA e-mail: rbalon@wayne.edu