cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of drought on brood parasite body condition, follicle development, and parasitism: Implications for host–parasite dynamics

Temporal variation in avian brood parasite condition and reproduction seem to affect host–parasite dynamics. Few studies, however, consider dynamics from the perspective of the parasite. Here we examined how brood parasite body condition and reproductive output vary both seasonally and annually and investigate the resultant impacts on nest parasitism rates of a host species. In the breeding seasons of 2011 and 2012, we collected female Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) from Fort Hood, Texas, and conducted morphometric, phenotypic, and physiological measurements on carcasses. During the same period, we also monitored nests of Black-capped Vireos (Vireo atricapilla) and recorded parasitism occurrence. Based on an analysis of >400 cowbirds, we found that cowbird body condition was significantly lower in 2012 than in 2011. Fewer females developed follicles in 2012 and follicle development was substantially delayed. Further, nest parasitism rates were significantly lower in 2012 and vireo nest success was significantly higher. The substantial variation we observed in cowbird body condition, follicle development, and parasitism may be related to a record-breaking drought that occurred in 2011. Cowbirds appeared to suffer negative carryover effects from the drought, likely due to reduced food resources, although similar effects on vireos were not observed. Detrimental effects of drought on cowbirds but not on vireos may have significant implications for host–parasite dynamics under changing climate conditions.
Digital nudges for encouraging developer actions

Researchers have examined a wide variety of practices to help software engineers complete different programming tasks. Despite the fact that studies show software engineering practices and tools created to improve the software development process are useful for preventing bugs, decreasing debugging costs, reducing debugging time, and providing additional benefits, software engineers rarely use them in practice. To persuade humans to alter and adopt new behaviors, psychologists have studied the concept of nudges. My research aims to investigate how digital nudges, or the process of using technology to automatically create nudges, can be beneficial in helping software developers and teams adopt software engineering activities and integrate them into their normal workflow.
Public acceptance of drones: Knowledge, attitudes, and practice

Abstract Drones are currently being used for commercial, public safety, hobby, and scientific research purposes. Short term and long term forecasts show extensive utilization of drones in various sectors. Yet, it is uncertain if general public accepts this highly potential drone congestion. This quantitative survey study explored public acceptance of drones by using the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) model and using statistical analysis to decrease the uncertainty. The KAP model was utilized in a recent survey study to understand the public opinion of drones. This survey instrument was thoroughly redesigned to better understand general public's knowledge and attitudes of forty different drone applications, and associated risk perceptions. The practice section was redesigned as well to better understand how public uses drones personally and on company level. The results showed that drones were not well accepted at present except for public safety and scientific research applications. Commercial and hobby uses are not supported. Public sees the drones as a risky technology that directly interferes with their privacy. Moreover, public is not aware of most of the future drone applications, and many current applications. The survey was distributed to both general public and stakeholders to represent both part of the society (153 fully completed surveys). A qualitative risk analysis was conducted in this study as well. By considering the results, this study recommends that public and private institutions should collaborate to develop risk mitigation and response strategies to minimize the risks. Also, public needs to get informed on these strategies through mass media and educational institutions. This might help improving the reputation of drones from killer machines or privacy interrupters towards a technology that helps our society.
Abstract P3-10-09: Gene deletion of IRS1 inhibited IGF-I, insulin and estradiol stimulated MCF-7L breast cancer cell growth

Targeting of the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR) has not been successful in breast cancer. Data suggest the highly homologous insulin receptor (IR) may be an alternate growth stimulatory pathway used by cancer cells. Since both receptors phosphorylate the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) protein as an immediate consequence of ligand binding, disruption of both receptors could be accomplished by suppression of IRS-1. To test this hypothesis, we created a doxycycline-inducible IRS-1 shRNA lentiviral construct to infect hormone dependent MCF-7 breast cancer cells. IRS-1 shRNA downregulation resulted in decreased responses to IGF-I, insulin, and estradiol in monolayer and anchorage independent growth assays. Decreased IRS-1 levels also suppressed estradiol stimulated gene expression and estrogen receptor binding to DNA. Xenograft growth was also inhibited by induction of IRS-1 shRNA. These data show IRS-1 is a critical regulator of endocrine responsive breast cancer. To further study the critical effects of IRS1 in ER positive breast cancer biology, CRISPR technology was used to delete IRS1 from MCF-7L cells. We analyzed 5 CRISPR IRS1 gene edited clones. Two different commercial available IRS1 antibodies were used to examine IRS1 protein expression. Clones #16, #20 did not show any IRS1 expression, while clones #22, #33 and #38 showed truncated IRS1 expression. IGFIRβ and Insulin R levels were comparable to the parent MCF-7L cells in all the clones, while IRS2 and ERα levels were significantly lower in clone #16. IRS phosphorylation, detected by PY20 antibody, was significantly lower in clone #16. The downstream signaling measured by pAKT and pErk1,2 did not change in all clones compared to those in MCF-7L. In all the clones, ERα ser118 phosphorylation by estradiol stimulation (10 nM) and ERα downregulation by fulvestrant treatment (100 nM) were not affected by IRS1 knockout. IGF-I (5 nM), insulin (10 nM) and estradiol (10 nM) stimulated monolayer cell growth in clone #16 was completely inhibited, while other clones were partially inhibited. In contrast, growth in clone #22 was not inhibited due to extremely high IRS2 expression and compensation. In conclusion, when the IRS1 gene was deleted, multiple growth stimulatory ligands (IGF-I, insulin and estradiol) were inhibited in breast cancer cells. However, IRS-2 compensated for IRS-1 gene deletion in one of the clones we studied. Thus, targeting the IRS proteins may inhibit multiple ligands that cause growth stimulation in ER positive breast cancer therapy. Citation Format: Xihong Zhang, Douglas Yee. Gene deletion of IRS1 inhibited IGF-I, insulin and estradiol stimulated MCF-7L breast cancer cell growth [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-10-09.
Subpixel Localization of Isolated Edges and Streaks in Digital Images

Many modern sensing systems rely on the accurate extraction of measurement data from digital images. The localization of edges and streaks in digital images is an important example of this type of measurement, with these techniques appearing in many image processing pipelines. Several approaches attempt to solve this problem at both the pixel level and subpixel level. While the subpixel methods are often necessary for applications requiring best-possible accuracy, they are often susceptible to noise, use iterative methods, or require pre-processing. This work investigates a unified framework for subpixel edge and streak localization using Zernike moments with ramp-based and wedge-based signal models. The method described here is found to outperform the current state-of-the-art for digital images with common signal-to-noise ratios. Performance is demonstrated on both synthetic and real images.
Temperature triggers provide quantitative predictions of multi-species fish spawning peaks

Abstract We find a startling correlation (Pearson ρ > 0.97) between a single event in daily sea surface temperatures each spring, and peak fish egg abundance measurements the following summer, in 7 years of approximately weekly fish egg abundance data collected at Scripps Pier in La Jolla California. Even more surprising is that this event-based result persists despite the large and variable number of fish species involved (up to 46), and the large and variable time interval between trigger and response (up to ~3 months). To mitigate against potential over-fitting, we make a true out-of-sample prediction for the peak summer egg abundance that will be observed at Scripps Pier this year.
Fenofibrate promotes PPARα-targeted recovery of the intestinal epithelial barrier at the host-microbe interface in dogs with diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a dysfunctional intestinal barrier and an increased risk for systemic infection and inflammation in people, though the pathogenic mechanisms leading to this are poorly understood. Using a canine model of DM, we showed that the peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-α agonist fenofibrate modulates plasma lipid profiles and markers of intestinal barrier function. A 3-week course of fenofibrate reduced fasting interstitial glucose and inflammatory cytokine IL-8 and TNF-α concentrations, which correlated with reduced triglyceride levels. The lipidomic profile exhibited significantly lower levels of triacylglycerols, phosphatidylethanolamines, diacylglycerols, and ceramides following fenofibrate administration. On histopathological analysis, we observed an aberrant amount of intraepithelial CD3+ T lymphocytes (IEL) in the small intestine of dogs with spontaneous and induced-DM. Fenofibrate reduced IEL density in the duodenum of dogs with DM and enhanced markers of intestinal barrier function in vivo and in vitro. There were minimal changes in the intestinal microbial composition following fenofibrate administration, suggesting that repair of intestinal barriers can be achieved independently of the resident microbiota. Our findings indicate that lipid metabolism is critical to functionality of the intestinal epithelium, which can be rescued by PPARα activation in dogs with DM.
LAND COVER CHANGE ANALYSIS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA USING NLCD DATA

Abstract. Land cover change is critical to be monitored as land cover change has significant impacts on flooding, ground water recharge, and urban air temperature. In this paper, key findings from a land cover change analysis study performed in the State of California are presented. National Land Cover Database (NLCD) data from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC) was used for this study. Time series of NLCD data during the time period of 2001 through 2016 was used for the analysis. NLCD data processing was done in ArcMap 10.6.1. This paper includes the methodology in detail, and the results of the analysis. Results of the study indicate a significant increase in impervious surfaces, and a significant decrease in forest land cover.
Limitations of Mean-Based Algorithms for Trace Reconstruction at Small Distance

Trace reconstruction considers the task of recovering an unknown string $x$ ∊ {0, l]ngiven a number of independent “traces”, i.e., subsequences of $x$ obtained by randomly and independently deleting every symbol of $x$ with some probability p. The information-theoretic limit of the number of traces needed to recover a string of length $n$ are still unknown. This limit is essentially the same as the number of traces needed to determine, given strings $x$ and $y$ and traces of one of them, which string is the source. The most studied class of algorithms for the worst-case version of the problem are “mean-based” algorithms. These are a restricted class of distinguishers that only use the mean value of each coordinate on the given samples. In this work we study limitations of mean-based algorithms on strings at small Hamming or edit distance. We show on the one hand that distinguishing strings that are nearby in Hamming distance is “easy” for such distinguishers. On the other hand, we show that distinguishing strings that are nearby in edit distance is “hard” for mean-based algorithms. Along the way we also describe a connection to the famous Prouhet-Tarry-Escott (PTE) problem, which shows a barrier to finding explicit hard-to-distinguish strings: namely such strings would imply explicit short solutions to the PTE problem, a well-known difficult problem in number theory. Our techniques rely on complex analysis arguments that involve careful trigonometric estimates, and algebraic techniques that include applications of Descartes' rule of signs for polynomials over the reals. A full version of this paper is accessible at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.13737
Pulmonary Disorders in Pregnancy

Pregnancy is associated with some profound changes in the cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, and hematologic systems that impact the clinical presentation of respiratory disorders, their implications in pregnancy, and the decisions to treat. In addition, concerns for fetal well-being and safety of various interventions complicate the management of these disorders. In many circumstances, especially life-threatening ones, decisions are based upon a careful assessment of the risk benefit ratio rather than absolute safety of drugs and interventions. In this chapter, we review some of the common respiratory disorders that internists or obstetricians may be called upon to manage.
The Role of Early Life Experiences in Flavor Perception and Delight

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the biological imperatives that shape food and flavor likes and dislikes and takes a developmental approach since, although some changes in preference occur during adolescence, many food preferences are firmly in place by the time a child reaches the age of 3 years. Because the senses of taste and smell are the major determinants of whether young children will accept a food, these senses take on even greater significance in understanding the bases for food choices in children than they do for adults. In what follows, the chapter argues that the type of foods preferred or rejected by children reflects their basic biology. It focuses on the ontogeny of sweet, salty, and bitter tastes because these tastes have been most extensively studied, are directly involved in choices of specific foods of concern, and exhibit age-related changes in function. Although flavors associated with fats and fatty acids may also be detected, in part, by the sense of taste, there is insufficient evidence to review the ontogeny of fat taste. However, given children's preference and the rewarding properties of fats, this is certainly a research topic worthy of further investigation. The inherent plasticity of the chemical senses and how, as a consequence of post-natal maturation and early life experiences, developmental processes act to ensure that a child is not restricted to a narrow range of foodstuffs by virtue of few preferences and strong aversions for foods are discussed. First, though, the chapter begins by providing a basic understanding of taste, smell, and chemical irritation, the differences between them, and how they interact to produce the overall impression of a food which is known as its flavor.
MATERNAL AND CORD BLOOD AT DELIVERY. II. PARAMETERS OF RESPIRATORY EXCHANGE: ELECTIVE CESAREAN SECTION.

Abstract Examination of correlations between the Apgar score and the biochemical status of the infant at delivery suggests that there is good correlation provided that the infant is not depressed by drugs received from the mother prior to delivery. "Muscle tone" is the attribute first to be affected by asphyxia, "respiratory effort" the first to be affected by meperidine. The score for color contributes little to the value of the scoring system.
LC-MS/MS identification of the one-carbon cycle metabolites in human plasma

The one-carbon cycle is composed of four major biologically important molecules: methionine (L-Met), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and homocysteine (Hcy). In addition to these key metabolites, there are multiple enzymes, vitamins, and cofactors that play essential roles in the cascade of the biochemical reactions that convert one metabolite into another in the cycle. Simultaneous quantitative measurement of four major metabolites can be used to detect possible aberrations in this vital cycle. Abnormalities in the one-carbon cycle might lead to hyper- or hypomethylation, homocystinemia, liver dysfunction, and accumulation of white-matter hyperintensities in the human brain. Previously published methods describe evaluation of several components of the one-carbon cycle, but none to our knowledge demonstrated simultaneous measurement of all four key molecules (L-Met, SAM, SAH, and Hcy). We describe a novel analytical method suitable for simultaneous identification and quantification of L-Met, SAM, SAH, and Hcy with LC-MS/MS. Moreover, we tested this method to identify these metabolites in human plasma collected from patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy individuals. In a pilot feasibility study, our results indicate that patients with multiple sclerosis showed abnormalities in the one-carbon cycle.
Differential turnover of enzymes involved in human monocyte eicosanoid metabolism. Selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase product formation by cycloheximide in the absence of effects on 5-lipoxygenase or phospholipase A2.

Abstract Human monocytes treated with cycloheximide (CHX) demonstrated a concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) synthesis and release in response to stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate, ionomycin, serum-treated zymosan, or concanavalin A. The effect of CHX required preincubation and was largely reversible within 2hr. Thromboxane A 2 release was affected similarly but no comparable effects were observed on labeled arachidonic acid release or leukotriene B 4 generation. The PGE 2 response was also inhibited by CHX when monocytes were given exogenous arachidonic acid with or without stimulation. CHX pretreatment also comparably decreased the amount of immunoreactive cyclooxygenase in resting and stimulated monocytes. These data indicate that monocyte cyclooxygenase, in contrast to phospholipase A 2 or 5-lipoxygenase and their regulatory proteins, turns over rapidly and may be a target for up- or down-regulation by pharmacologic or (potentially) physiologic agents which affect protein synthesis or degradation.
Cytochemical Changes in Lymph Nodes and Spleen of Rats after Total Body X-Radiation

Marked cytochemical changes were observed in the cells of the lymph nodes and spleen of one hundred and twenty-seven albino rats observed over periods of two hours to thirty-two days following a single dose of 600 r total body x-radiations. The intensity of the cytochemical reactions for pentosenucleoprotein, protein-bound sulfhydryl groups, and alkaline phosphatase decreased within two hours after x-radiation. This decrease in the cytochemical reactions occurred very rapidly and preceded any discernible morphologic alteration. Lymphocytes that were extremely sensitive to x-ray exhibited in most instances irreversible cytochemical changes. The cells that survived the lethal effects of x-radiations exhibited an increase in intensity of the reactions for pentosenucleoprotein, protein-bound sulfhydryl groups, and alkaline phosphatase between twelve hours and four days following irradiation. The reactions for desoxypentosenucleoprotein and mucopolysaccharides were unaltered in the cells of the lymph nodes and spleen following x-radiation.
Integrating mathematica with C++ for the development of a computational geometry problem solver

Mathematica employs a communication protocol called MathLink to interact with external programs written in programming languages such as C, C++, and others. MathLink allows Mathematica to be integrated with other packages like Robotica, Prolog, and Discover. This integration process is triggered by the flexibility and usability of outside languages and packages and the computing power and pre-developed algorithms and functions of Mathematica. Several areas of application like Robot Kinematics, Algebraic Modeling, and Geometry have been enriched by this development. This paper describes how C++ and Math Link Library were utilized to develop an external front end that interfaces with Mathematica's computational geometry package. By creating an environment that provides direct access to Mathematica's computational geometry package, the system can be used as a flexible tool that can aid scientists and users alike in solving vast range of problems concerned with the spatial relationship of data.
Hospital social work: are we conducting the right type of research?

Abstract Given the current financial state of health care in the United States, intervention-or outcome-based research is essential for the survival of hospital social workers. The purpose of the current study was to systematically review the current literature on hospital social work to assess the effectiveness of hospital social work in implementing intervention-based research and to make recommendations for the future direction of research among hospital social workers. Over the 10-year period (1991-2001), a total of 44 peer-reviewed journal articles were identified for inclusion in the present study: 19 were qualitative articles and 25 were quantitative articles. Of these studies, only 5 studies were intervention based research. Possible strategies for increasing intervention research among hospital social workers were discussed.
High Rates of Undiagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Barriers to Diagnosis and Care Among TB and HIV co-infected patients in a Rural South African Hospital: A Cross-sectional cohort study

High Rates of Undiagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Barriers to Diagnosis and Care Among HIV-positive Patients in a Rural South African Hospital: A Crosssectional cohort study Palav A. Babaria, N. Sarita Shah, Anthony P. Moll, Neel R. Gandhi, Gerald H. Friedland. Yale AIDS Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of mortality among HIV infected patients in South Africa. Symptoms of active TB may be subtle in HIV patients and go unrecognized in early illness, creating an opportunity for nosocomial TB transmission. Late presentation and delayed diagnosis of TB also contribute to increased mortality and community-based TB transmission. In an effort to identify active TB promptly, screening for TB must be integrated into routine HIV care and barriers to seeking care must be addressed. We prospectively initiated a standardized TB screening program at a rural HIV clinic to determine the prevalence of unsuspected TB and drug-resistant TB. All HIV clinic patients at a rural hospital in Tugela Ferry, South Africa were screened for TB symptom and those with one or more TB symptoms (e.g., cough, night sweats, fever) were enrolled and submitted sputum samples for microscopy, mycobacterial culture and drug-susceptibility testing (DST). We also administered a questionnaire to all inpatient and outpatient participants based on the Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills
Effect of bariatric surgery on systemic and adipose tissue inflammation

Obese patients are predisposed to developing insulin resistance and associated metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of bariatric surgery on adipose-derived inflammatory cytokines (adipokines), which play a key role in insulin resistance and obesity. We hypothesized that there is a significant increase in serum and tissue anti-inflammatory adiponectin with a decrease in circulating pro-inflammatory TNF-α and MCP-1, leading to reduced inflammation post-bariatric surgery. In this study, we investigated the effects of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic gastric band on serum and tissue levels of adiponectin and serum levels of MCP-1 and TNF-α. Samples of serum and adipose tissue were collected at the time of surgery, 2 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. Adipokine levels were assayed by ELISA kits. A significant increase in adiponectin levels 2 weeks after surgery was observed in the subcutaneous adipose tissue in both groups combined. Serum adiponectin in LRYGB patients showed an increasing trend, while MCP-1 showed a decreasing trend post-surgery. There was no difference in TNF-α among the groups. The number of patients enrolled did not allow for statistical power to be reached. Our results show significant and rapid increases in subcutaneous adipose adiponectin as early as 2 weeks post-bariatric surgery demonstrating reduced inflammation and possibly reduced insulin resistance. Future studies are warranted in larger cohorts with additional measurements of insulin sensitivity and inflammation.
SEX DIFFERENCES IN DELINQUENCY

This paper explores a much neglected issue in delinquency research—the relationship between sexual status and self-reported delinquent action. Utilizing questionnaire data from a large sample of black and white adolescents, females were found to report less delinquent activity than males. However, sexual status explained very little variance in delinquent action and when controls for “intervening” sociological variables were implemented the impact of sexual status ws reduced even more. When introduced in a multivariate analysis together with measures of an adolescent's relationships with conventional and unconventional persons, values and institutions sexual status explained between 0.5% and 2% of the variance in delinquency within the two racial categories. Nevertheless, a small statistically significant relationship persisted and can be given a variety of sociological and nonspciological interpretations.
THE DEMONSTRATION OF ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY IN PINOCYTIC VESICLES OF BLOOD CAPILLARIES WITH THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

In aldehyde-fixed myocardium, enzymatic activity to nucleotide substrates was localized to the pinocytic vesicles of blood capillaries with the electron microscope. No other structures of the endothelial cell showed activity under the conditions employed. These findings are discussed in relation to recent concepts of transport across the capillary wall.
4.1.2 The Concept of a Decision Architecture For the Systems Engineering Development Process

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of a decision architecture for a life-cycle balanced systems engineering process that addresses not only the design of an operational system but also the qualification of that design. This paper motivates the need for such a decision architecture, namely to drive the operational architecture of the development system. Elements and uses of the decision architecture are discussed. Sample topics in a decision architecture are shown for the operational and development systems. Finally some historical case material is presented on this topic.
Efficient 3D Upper Body Tracking with Self-Occlusions

We propose an efficient 3D upper body tracking method, which recovers the positions and orientations of six upper-body parts from the video sequence. Our method is based on a probabilistic graphical model (PGM), which incorporates the spatial relationships among the body parts, and a robust multi-view image likelihood using probabilistic PCA (PPCA). For the efficiency, we use a tree-structured graphical model and use the particle based belief propagation to perform the inference. Since our image likelihood is based on multiple views, we address the self-occlusion by modeling the likelihood of the body part in each view, and automatically decrease the influence of the occluded view in the inference procedure.
DYSKINESIAS SUBSIDE OFF ALL MEDICATION IN A BOY WITH AUTISTIC DISORDER AND SEVERE MENTAL RETARDATION

A boy with autistic disorder and severe mental retardation developed severe dyskinesias, including objective akathisia (probable) and tics, a month after discontinuation of at least two years of treatment with drugs block dopamine receptors. These dyskinesias greatly subsided during a 17-wk. open-label nonblind clinical trial of clomipramine, and returned transiently when the parents abruptly discontinued clomipramine. However, the dyskinesias gradually subsided during two and a half years of follow-up with the boy being off all medication. A few stereotypies remain. We believe this suggests the hypothesis that movement disorders, such as withdrawal and tardive akathisia and tics, occurring in boys with autistic disorder treated with dopamine receptor-blocking drugs may subside months or years after discontinuation of the agents and that clomipramine may facilitate this process. We also hypothesize that some boys with autistic disorder and mental retardation exhibit fewer movement disorders, fewer psychiatric symptoms, and better over-all functioning after they have received no dopamine receptor-blocking drugs for several months, and this improvement continues years after the medication has ceased.
Patterns of medicinal plant use: an examination of the Ecuadorian Shuar medicinal flora using contingency table and binomial analyses.

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Botanical pharmacopoeias are non-random subsets of floras, with some taxonomic groups over- or under-represented. Moerman [Moerman, D.E., 1979. Symbols and selectivity: a statistical analysis of Native American medical ethnobotany, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1, 111–119] introduced linear regression/residual analysis to examine these patterns. However, regression, the commonly-employed analysis, suffers from several statistical flaws. Aim of the study We use contingency table and binomial analyses to examine patterns of Shuar medicinal plant use (from Amazonian Ecuador). Materials and methods We first analyzed the Shuar data using Moerman's approach, modified to better meet requirements of linear regression analysis. Second, we assessed the exact randomization contingency table test for goodness of fit. Third, we developed a binomial model to test for non-random selection of plants in individual families. Results Modified regression models (which accommodated assumptions of linear regression) reduced R2 to from 0.59 to 0.38, but did not eliminate all problems associated with regression analyses. Contingency table analyses revealed that the entire flora departs from the null model of equal proportions of medicinal plants in all families. In the binomial analysis, only 10 angiosperm families (of 115) differed significantly from the null model. These 10 families are largely responsible for patterns seen at higher taxonomic levels. Conclusions Contingency table and binomial analyses offer an easy and statistically valid alternative to the regression approach.
The Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor in Host Defense against Scrub Typhus Rickettsiae. II. Differential Induction of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Production by Rickettsia tsutsugamushi and Rickettsia conorii

The present study was undertaken to investigate the ability of members of two different groups of Rickettsia to stimulate macrophages or immune lymphocytes to produce TNF. It was found that R. conorii, a spotted fever group rickettsia, readily induced murine peritoneal macrophages or the macrophage-like cell line P388D1 to produce relatively high levels of TNF. The interaction of macrophages with viable organisms or heat-killed organisms resulted in TNF production. In contrast, viable or killed R. tsutsugamushi did not stimulate the production of detectable TNF even though viable organisms grew to high numbers in both cell types. It was found that the appropriate immune spleen cells stimulated with heat-killed R. tsutsugamushi or R. conorii produced TNF, and TNF activity was found in the sera of immune mice after injection with rickettsial antigen. Infection of naive mice with viable R. tsutsugamushi resulted in high TNF levels in ascites, but TNF was not found in ascites obtained from infected athymic (nu/nu) mice. These data support the suggestion that spotted fever group rickettsiae, such as R. conorii, possess components perhaps on the surface that interact with macrophages to induce TNF production and this component is lacking in R. tsutsugamushi. Antigens of R. tsutsugamushi and R. conorii will stimulate immune cells to produce TNF activity. These data are compatible with the suggestion that the TH-1 subset of T cells is predominant in immunity to R. tsutsugamushi.
Spin dynamics control of recombination current in organic semiconductors

Abstract The recombination rate of coulombically bound electron–hole pairs depends on their spin configuration. Because of low spin–orbit coupling the spin dynamics of these well separated coulombic pairs is determined by weak hyperfine and exchange interactions. In this case a weak magnetic field produces strong effect on the spin dynamics and hence on the recombination rate of e–h pairs. We have shown that the recombination current in organic semiconductors may have a maximum as a function of recombination constant. For high recombination constants the current is space charge limited and decreases with increasing the e–h recombination constant. This decay of current is due to decrease of the region where the recombination takes place. At a low recombination constant the recombination takes place in the whole volume and the current increases with increasing the recombination constant. The characteristic recombination constant separating those two regimes depends on the thickness of sample, applied voltage, and charge carrier mobilities. The model predictions are consistent with experimental data for magnetoresistance of organic semiconductors.
Studies on liver microsomes of female rats fed purified diets varying in fat content and with and without propyl gallate.

Abstract This work was undertaken to determine whether or not propyl gallate, added as a 0·3% (w/w) supplement to purified diets containing various types and amounts of fat, modifies the function of the hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidase system. The criteria used included measurements of liver weight, liver to body-weight ratio and hepatic microsomal-protein level as well as analyses of specific components and functions, such as total microsomal cytochrome P -450 content, and the levels of activity of aniline hydroxylase, aminopyrine N -demethylase and NADPH-cytochrome c ( P -450) reductase. In contrast to butylated hydroxytoluene, propyl gallate at a level of 0·3% in the diet did not alter the function of the mixed-function oxidase system, even when administered in a diet high in polyunsaturated fat, which has a permissive effect on the induction of hepatic cytochrome P -450 levels by phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene.
Chemical and Physical Changes in Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Root Tissue During Simulated Processing–Relevance to the “Black Ring” Defect in Canned Beets

Preheating slices of beet root tissue at 40 to 60°C led to a loss in tissue integrity indicated by higher leakage of electrolytes and endogenous pigments, and increases in water soluble pectin content. When tissue slices were incubated at 25°C for 1 hr after preheating at 50 to 60°C, reducing sugar increased. Incubation after preheating at 40 to 60°C resulted in decreased phenolic acid content. Endogenous poly-phenoloxidase and peroxidase retained about 50% of their original activity after preheating for 5 min at 70 and 60°C, respectively. These results bear relevance on the occurrence of the “black ring” defect in canned beets.
Binding of [14C]azaserine to DNA and protein in the rat and hamster

The binding of [14C] azaserine or its metabolites to DNA and protein in the organs of rats and hamsters was determined at various time after treatment with [14C] azaserine. The specific activity of 14C labelling of DNA and protein was determined. Rat liver DNA and protein were most extensively labelled at 90 min post-injection, but by 24 h the specific activity decreased to the levels found in pancreas and kidney. Thymus contained negligible amounts of radioactivity at all time-points. DNA and protein from hamster pancreas contained more label than did DNA and protein from rat pancreas. The results suggest that factors other than DNA binding play a role in determining the species and organ specificity of azaserine.
Let's hear it for science

Selling Science: How the Press Covers Science and Technology. By Dorothy Nelkin. W.H. Freeman: 1987. Pp.224. $16.95, £16.95.
A part image reconstruction system for reverse engineering of design modifications

Abstract When the CAD model of an existing part is not available, the reverse engineering involved in the creation of such a model is typically time consuming, tedious, and potentially a source of error. Currently, geometric measurements from the surface of a prototype are extracted manually or through a coordinate measuring machine and input to a CAD system. This paper outlines a methodology for the development of part image reconstruction systems (PAIRS). The system developed by the authors is microcomputer-based and uses a noncontact technique to extract 3-D data from the surface of parts. Algorithms for data acquisition are discussed. Procedures for processing the data into a polygon mesh representation and orthographic projections are detailed. Sample results are also explained.
Organizational slack and risk-taking behaviour: tests of product pricing strategy

Organizational change inevitably involves uncertainty and hence some risk taking. Tests the relationship between organizational slack and risk taking in organization decision making, and thus provides some evidence on the role or organizational variables in risk‐taking behaviour. Product pricing strategies are identified and characterized with respect to risk. Organizational slack is measured using various financial variables. Results indicate that firms which have increases in organizational slack prior to the introduction of new products are more likely to adopt a higher risk product pricing strategy. Also discusses implications regarding the measurement of slack using financial variables.
Reactive landing of peptide ions on self-assembled monolayer surfaces: an alternative approach for covalent immobilization of peptides on surfaces

Soft landing of mass-selected peptide ions onto reactive self-assembled monolayer surfaces (SAMs) was performed using a newly constructed ion deposition apparatus. SAM surfaces before and after soft landing were characterized ex situ using time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). We demonstrate that reactive landing (RL) results in efficient covalent linking of lysine-containing peptides onto the SAM of N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester-terminated alkylthiol on gold (NHS-SAM). Systematic studies of the factors that affect the efficiency of RL revealed that the reaction takes place upon collision and is promoted by the kinetic energy of the ion. The efficiency of RL is maximized at ca. 40 eV collision energy. At high collision energies the RL efficiency decreases because of the competition with scattering of ions off the surface. The reaction yield is independent of the charge state of the projectile ions, suggesting that peptide ions undergo efficient neutralization upon collision. Chemical and physical properties of the SAM surface are also important factors that affect the outcome of RL. The presence of chemically reactive functional groups on the SAM surface significantly improves the reaction efficiency. RL of mass- and energy-selected peptide ions on surfaces provides a highly specific approach for covalent immobilization of biological molecules onto SAM surfaces.
Integration of the heliothis nuclear polyhedrosis virus into a biological control program on cotton.

A biological control program for Heliothis species on cotton consisting of the naturally occurring predator-parasite complex and the nuclear polyhedrosis virus was integrated into a cotton-insect-biological-control program. Heliothis control with biological agents was compared with a toxaphene-DDT-methyl parathion control program using 25–30 acre plots. The virus was applied at 1.2×1011(20 I.U), 30×1011(50 I.U), and 6.0×1011(100 I.U) polyhedral inclusion bodics (PIBs) per acre. The initiation of virus applications was varied to evaluate the effectiveness of the virus against various ages of larvae, The Heliothis biological control program compared favorably with the insecticide program when virus application was initiated to coincide with hatch of high egg populations.
Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome) caused by a temporary henna tattoo.

Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells’ syndrome) is an uncommon condition of unknown etiology. Wells’ syndrome is usually seen in adulthood but very rare in childhood. Although pathogenesis of the disease is not very clear, it is a hypersensitivity reaction developing against a variety of exogenous and endogenous antigenic stimuli. Paraphenylenediamine is a strong allergen frequently used as a temporary henna tattoo, which makes the color darker. Here, a 9-year-old male patient with Wells’ syndrome is presented, which developed following a temporary henna tattoo and shown by the patch test sensitivity to paraphenylenediamine.
Pre‐purchase alternative evaluation: prestige and imitation fashion products

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to understand the pre‐purchase alternative evaluation for prestige and imitation fashion products. The Engel et al. pre‐purchase alternative evaluation process served as the basis for the model.Design/methodology/approach – A convenience sample of 158 undergraduate female students completed surveys. The final questionnaire consisted of four scales that measured shopping motivation, reference group influence, perceived product risk, and perceived transaction risk.Findings – When compared with the imitation product, consumers' pre‐purchase evaluation of the prestige fashion product was characterized by higher shopping motivation, higher reference group influence, and lower perceived product and transaction risks. When compared with the prestige product, consumers' pre‐purchase evaluation of the imitation fashion product was characterized by lower shopping motivation, lower reference group influence, and higher perceived product and transaction risks. However, not all v...
Renal function in the AT1A receptor knockout mouse during normal and volume-expanded conditions.

Renal function in the AT 1A receptor knockout mouse during normal and volume-expanded conditions. Background Genetically altered mice lacking the AT 1A angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor were used to examine the role of AT 1A receptors in regulating renal hemodynamics, sodium excretion, glomerulotubular balance, and Ang II levels in plasma and kidney during normal and volume-expanded conditions. Methods AT 1A receptor-deficient mice and their wild-type controls were anesthetized with inactin and ketamine, and were prepared to allow intravenous infusions of solutions and measurements of aortic pressure and urine collections. Inulin and para-aminohippurate (PAH) solutions were infused intravenously for clearance determinations under conditions of euvolemia (2.5 μl/min infusion of isotonic saline) or volume-expansion conditions (12.5 μl/min). After three 30-minute urine collections, blood samples were collected, and kidneys were harvested. Plasma and kidney Ang II measurements were made by radioimmunoassay. Results In the euvolemic state, mean arterial pressures (MAPs) were significantly lower in the AT 1A receptor-deficient mice (68 ± 4 mm Hg) compared with wild-type controls (89 ± 3 mm Hg). Despite the lower MAP, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), absolute sodium excretion, and fractional sodium excretion were not significantly different between wild-type and AT 1A -/- mice. Volume expansion did not alter MAP in wild-type mice, but significantly increased MAP in the AT 1A -/- mice (68 ± 4 to 83 ± 5 mm Hg). Similar increases in GFR, RPF, absolute sodium excretion, and fractional sodium excretion in AT 1A +/+ and AT 1A -/- mice were observed. Glomerulotubular balance was not disrupted by the absence of AT 1A receptors. During euvolemia, plasma Ang II concentrations were significantly higher in the AT 1A -/- mice compared with wild-type mice (536 ± 172 vs. 198 ± 36 fmol/ml). Although volume expansion had no effect on plasma Ang II levels in the AT 1A +/+ group, plasma Ang II concentrations were markedly suppressed in the AT 1A -/- mice to levels that were not different from those in wild-type mice. In contrast, kidney tissue Ang II contents were reduced in the AT 1A -/- mice and were not significantly altered during volume expansion in either the AT 1A -/- or the AT 1A +/+ mice. Conclusions The absence of AT 1A receptors does not impair chronic regulation of renal blood flow, GFR, or glomerulotubular balance. The prompt restoration of MAP following volume expansion suggests that low blood pressure in the AT 1A receptor-deficient mice is primarily due to reduced effective plasma and extracellular fluid volume. Normalization of plasma Ang II levels with volume expansion demonstrates a dominant effect of extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure over AT 1A receptor-mediated short-loop feedback in the regulation of plasma Ang II levels.
Electron microscopy localization and characterization of functionalized composite organic-inorganic SERS nanoparticles on leukemia cells

We demonstrate the use of electron microscopy as a powerful characterization tool to identify and locate antibody-conjugated composite organic-inorganic nanoparticle (COINs) surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticles on cells. U937 leukemia cells labeled with antibody CD54-conjugated COINs were characterized in their native, hydrated state using wet scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and in their dehydrated state using high-resolution SEM. In both cases, the backscattered electron (BSE) detector was used to detect and identify the silver constituents in COINs due to its high sensitivity to atomic number variations within a specimen. The imaging and analytical capabilities in the SEM were further complemented by higher resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and scanning Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) data to give reliable and high-resolution information about nanoparticles and their binding to cell surface antigens.
Increasing Storage Modulus, Contact Angle and Surface Tension of Airway Mucus Increases Clearance by Simulated Cough Through a Model Trachea

Altered surface and viscoelastic material properties of mucus during respiratory diseases have a strong influence on its clearance by cilia and cough. Combined effects of the surface properties (contact angle and surface tension) and storage modulus with relatively unchanged viscosity on displacement of the simulated mucus aliquot during simulated cough through a model adult human trachea is investigated. For the mucus simulants used in this study contact angle and surface tension increase significantly as storage modulus increase while viscosity remains practically unchanged. Displacement of mucus simulant aliquots increased significantly with increasing storage modulus (and contact angle) at a given cough velocity in the range between 5 meters/second (m/s) and 30 m/s with duration 0.3 s. Results suggest that the interactive effects of elasticity and surface properties may help facilitate mucus displacement at low cough velocities.© 2010 ASME