cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF WHETHER HABITAT CORRIDORS AFFECT POLLEN TRANSFER

Negative effects of habitat fragmentation are thought to be diminished when habitat patches are joined by a corridor. A key assumption is that corridors facilitate ex- change rates of organisms between otherwise isolated patches. If the organisms are pol- linators, corridors may be important for maintaining genetically viable populations of the plants that they pollinate. We tested the hypothesis that corridors increase the movement of insect pollinators into patches of habitat and thereby increase pollen transfer for two species of plants, one pollinated by butterflies (Lantana camara) and the other by bees and wasps (Rudbeckia hirta). We worked in an experimental landscape consisting of 40 --1- ha patches of early-successional habitat in a matrix of forest. Within each of eight exper- imental units, two patches were connected by a corridor (150 x 25 m), and three were not. Patch shape varied to control for the area added by the presence of a corridor. Differences in patch shape also allowed us to test alternative hypotheses of how corridors might function. The Traditional Corridor Hypothesis posits that corridors increase immigration and emi- gration by functioning as movement conduits between patches. The Drift Fence Hypothesis posits that corridors function by "capturing" organisms dispersing through the matrix, redirecting them into associated habitat patches. Using fluorescent powder to track pollen, we found that pollen transfer by butterflies between patches connected by a corridor was significantly higher than between unconnected patches (all values mean ? 1 SE: 59% ? 9.2% vs. 25% ? 5.2% of flowers receiving pollen). Likewise, pollen transfer by bees and wasps was significantly higher between connected patches than between unconnected patch- es (30% ? 4.2% vs. 14.5% ? 2.2%). These results support the Traditional Corridor Hy- pothesis. There was little support, however, for the Drift Fence Hypothesis. To generalize our results to a larger scale, we measured the probability of pollen transfer by butterflies as a function of distance along a 2000 x 75 m corridor. Pollen transfer probability expo- nentially declined with respect to distance and successfully predicted pollen transfer prob- ability on the scale of our previous experiment. These results suggest that corridors facilitate pollen transfer in fragmented landscapes.
Synergistic interaction of soilborne plant pathogens and root-attacking insects in classical biological control of an exotic rangeland weed

Abstract This investigation of the possible role of pathogen–insect interactions on the mortality of Euphorbia esula/virgata plants was prompted by repeated observations of an apparent association in the field between damage to the roots of this plant caused by root-attacking insects and disease occurrence. In studies using microcosms in a greenhouse consisting of potted, caged plants of E. esula/virgata , combinations of Fusarium oxysporum , Rhizoctonia solani , or both fungi with adults and larvae of the flea beetle Aphthona spp. caused significantly greater rates of injury to E. esula/virgata than any single agent. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to examine the effects on time to mortality of combinations of various inoculum densities of R. solani per gram of air-dried soil with 0, 5, and 15 Aphthona per plant. At each insect level per plant, increasing inoculum density increased the rate of mortality of E. esula/virgata ; the effect was significant at 5 and 15 beetles per plant using log rank tests. Additionally, at 5 flea beetles per plant, the rates of weed mortality in association with the second highest fungal inoculum concentration were similar to the mortality at the highest inoculum level, indicating that a minimum effective concentration is needed for effective synergism to exist. Cox regression analysis of proportional hazards was used to examine the relative contribution of plant pathogens and insects to weed mortality in the microcosms. The results indicated that plant pathogens are more than twice as likely to cause mortality of the target weed than insects under typical conditions and, under optimum conditions, are over four times more likely to do so. The results support the idea that supplementing flea beetle establishments with plant pathogens can be an effective means of both causing higher rates of successfully impacted release sites and greater biocontrol impact at individual release sites. Based on these findings it is recommended that a test of propensity for insect–plant pathogen synergisms should be a selection criterion for candidate agents. Additionally, it is recommended that survival analysis be applied to the target weed exposed to appropriate combinations of insects and pathogens as a means to assess the potential effectiveness of candidate agents. Application of one or both of these recommendations could increase success in classical biocontrol of weeds and reduce associated costs and environmental risks.
SIGNAL-Sequence Information and GeNomic AnaLysis.

An integrated software package has been developed to provide convenient graphical and textual analysis of a variety of genomic sequence features, free of charge to the biomedical research community. This package, called sequence information and genomic analysis, is available as either a stand-alone or a web-based version to enable greater versatility in access and utilization. The package can be accessed or downloaded at the following URL: http://innovation.swmed.edu/signal.htm.
Demonstratives and reinforcers in Romance and Germanic languages

Abstract Recent work on the internal structure of noun phrases has argued that several word order differences between Romance and Germanic languages may be explained by the presence of syntactic movement of the noun in Romance, and by the relative absence of this movement in Germanic. This paper examines constructions consisting of demonstrative and reinforcer elements. It is argued that prenominal deictic demonstratives in Romance and Germanic languages, generated in a specifier position below DP (Giusti, 1993a,b), raise to D overtly. In several languages the demonstrative may be ambiguous between a deictic interpretation and what is labelled an indefinite specific interpretation. A deictic demonstrative must raise up into the DP projection overtly; with an indefinite specific, only covert feature movement to D takes place. With respect to the demonstrative reinforcement construction, both the demonstrative and its reinforcer precede the noun in Germanic languages, while the demonstrative precedes, and the reinforcer follows, the noun (plus modifiers) in Romance. Under the assumption that the demonstrative and its reinforcer are base-generated as the specifier and head, respectively, of a functional projection FP, the pattern in Romance is argued to involve syntactic movement of a phrasal category to the left of FP, deriving the postnominal position of the reinforcer. The Germanic pattern is explained by the absence of this movement. The behavior of demonstratives and reinforcers in relative clause constructions is also examined.
Analysis of the Charge Exchange Between the Human Body and Ground: Evaluation of “Earthing” From an Electrical Perspective

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate “earthing” from an electrical perspective through measurement and analysis of the naturally occurring electron flow between the human body or a control and ground as this relates to the magnitude of the charge exchange, the relationship between the charge exchange and body functions (respiration and heart rate), and the detection of other information that might be contained in the charge exchange.
An empirical investigation of intraurban wage gradients

Abstract Intraurban wage gradients have received little attention in the urban literature but have been shown theoretically to be important indicators of the spatial characteristics of urban economic activity. This study examines the spatial distribution of wages of five groups of municipal public employees in the Chicago SMSA. Negative wage gradients, significant at the 0.05 level, are found for four of the five labor groups. Results show that monthly wages decrease on average as much as $24 per additional mile from the city center.
A note on fluoride removal by reverse osmosis

Abstract It is shown that reverse osmosis membrane transport data for sodium fluoride solutions are correlated by a linear plot of 1/R vs. 1/Jv as predicted by Pusch [9]. The slope of the plot is independent of feed concentration over a 5-fold range from about 360 to 1800 ppm. The reject coefficient at infinite volume flux, R∞, is slightly less than unity.
High-aspect ratio permanent photomask for solid-state chemical sensing array

Four polymeric materials were tested for developing high-aspect ratio photomask on silicon wafer. A 166 μm thick mask was successfully made using spin-on epoxy. It showed good adhesion to silicon dioxide, good chemical stability towards common organic solvents and excellent mechanical strength. A procedure for removing it from the wafer has been also developed.
Tracking Control of Mobile Robots Localized via Chained Fusion of Discrete and Continuous Epipolar Geometry, IMU and Odometry

This paper presents a novel navigation and control system for autonomous mobile robots that includes path planning, localization, and control. A unique vision-based pose and velocity estimation scheme utilizing both the continuous and discrete forms of the Euclidean homography matrix is fused with inertial and optical encoder measurements to estimate the pose, orientation, and velocity of the robot and ensure accurate localization and control signals. A depth estimation system is integrated in order to overcome the loss of scale inherent in vision-based estimation. A path following control system is introduced that is capable of guiding the robot along a designated curve. Stability analysis is provided for the control system and experimental results are presented that prove the combined localization and control system performs with high accuracy.
Long-term compressive property durability of carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone composite in physiological saline

Abstract In total hip arthroplasty, concerns such as corrosion and stress shielding associated with stiff metallic femoral components have led to the development of low stiffness advanced fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite femoral components. Carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) composite material is now one of the primary material systems being considered for composite hip stem development. As a hip stem, a composite material must be able to support a complex state of stress in the in vivo environment without failure. Considering the loading conditions of a hip stem (superimposed compression and bending), and the fact that FRP composites typically possess lower compressive than tensile strength, the compressive behaviour of FRP composite becomes very important for femoral component design. This paper presents an investigation of the long-term durability of 0 ° and 90 ° compressive strengths of CF/PEEK composite following physiological saline saturation. 0 ° and 90 ° compressive moduli and Poisson ratio (ν 12 ) properties are also reported. Samples were tested following conditioning in physiological saline at 37, 65 and 95 °C for time periods from 0 to 5000h. Dry samples were tested as controls. Results show no significant loss in compressive property values of the saline-saturated or the dry control samples as a function of conditioning time or temperature.
Creep and stress rupture of a mechanically alloyed oxide dispersion and precipitation strengthened nickel-base superalloy

The creep and stress rupture behavior of a mechanically alloyed oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) and γ′ precipitation strengthened nickel-base alloy (alloy MA 6000E) was studied at intermediate and elevated temperatures. At 760 °C, MA 6000E exhibits the high creep strength characteristic of nickel-base superalloys and at 1093 °C the creep strength is superior to other ODS nickel-base alloys. The stress dependence of the creep rate is very sharp at both test temperatures and the apparent creep activation energy measured around 760 °C is high, much larger in magnitude than the self-diffusion energy. Stress rupture in this large grain size material is transgranular and crystallographic cracking is observed. The rupture ductility is dependent on creep strain rate, but usually is low. These and accompanying microstructural results are discussed with respect to other ODS alloys and superalloys and the creep behavior is rationalized by invoking a recently-developed resisting stress model of creep in materials strengthened by second phase particles. The analysis indicates that at the intermediate temperature the creep strength is controlled by the high volume fraction of γ′ precipitates and the contribution to the creep strength from the oxide dispersion is small. At the elevated temperature, the creep strength is derived mainly from the inert oxide dispersoids.
Preparation of a nanoporous CaCO3-coated TiO2 electrode and its application to a dye-sensitized solar cell.

A nanoporous CaCO3 overlayer-coated TiO2 thick film was prepared by the topotactic thermal decomposition of Ca(OH)2, and its performance as an electrode of a dye-sensitized solar cell was investigated. As compared to bare TiO2, nanoporous CaCO3-coated TiO2 provided higher specific surface area and, subsequently, a larger amount of dye adsorption; this in turn increased short-circuit current (Jsc). Furthermore, the CaCO3 coating demonstrated increased impedance at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface and increased the lifetime of the photoelectrons, indicating the improved retardation of the back electron transfer, which increases Jsc, open-circuit voltage (Voc), and fill factor (ff). Thereby, the energy conversion efficiency (η) of the solar cell improved from 7.8 to 9.7% (an improvement of 24.4%) as the nanoporous CaCO3 layer was coated onto TiO2 thick films.
Frequency-modulation spectroscopy: a new method for measuring weak absorptions and dispersions.

A new type of wavelength-modulation laser spectroscopy is accomplished by utilizing an external phase modulator driven at radio frequencies large compared to the width of the spectral feature of interest. The spectral feature is probed by a single frequency-modulated (FM) sideband, and the associated absorption and dispersion are measured by monitoring the resulting radio-frequency beat signal. Experimental results are presented for the measurement of Fabry–Perot resonances, I2 vapor absorption lines, and saturation holes in Na vapor.
The national price level: Theory and estimation

Abstract The analytical relationship between the national price level (PL) and the nontradable/tradable price-level ratio, as it varies with the purchasing-power-parity (PPP) index adopted, is crucial for proper theoretical and econometric analysis of PL. Only structural variables need be used to determine PL; monetary variables have a tenuous justification. Econometric evidence does not support the conventional view that per capita real income is the most important determinant of PL. Serious methodological problems exist in the use of Geary-Khamis PPP data for estimation of PL, whereas a Fisher-ideal-index PPP is pleasing both theoretically and empirically.
A problem of integral geometry

Abstract A new analytic method for finding a function from the knowledge of its integrals over the spheres passing through a fixed point is given. This problem has been earlier studied by A. Cormack and E. Quinto.
Buoyant low-stretch diffusion flames beneath cylindrical PMMA samples

A unique new way to study low gravity flames in normal gravity has been developed. To study flame structure and extinction characteristics in low stretch environments, a normal gravity low-stretch diffusion flame is generated using a cylindrical PMMA sample of varying large radii. Burning rates, visible flame thickness, visible flame standoff distance, temperature profiles in the solid and gas, and radiative loss from the system were measured. A transition from the blowoff side of the flammability map to the quenching side of the flammability map is observed at approximately 6-7/ sec, as determined by curvefits to the non-monotonic trends in peak temperatures, solid and gas-phase temperature gradients, and non-dimensional standoff distances. A surface energy balance reveals that the fraction of heat transfer from the flame that is lost to in-depth conduction and surface radiation increases with decreasing stretch until quenching extinction is observed. This is primarily due to decreased heat transfer from the flame, while the magnitude of the losses remains the same. A unique local extinction flamelet phenomena and associated pre-extinction oscillations are observed at very low stretch. An ultimate quenching extinction limit is found at low stretch with sufficiently high induced heat losses.
THE SYNTHESIS FROM VITAMIN A1 OF "RETINENE1" AND OF A NEW 545 mµ CHROMOGEN YIELDING LIGHT-SENSITIVE PRODUCTS

Ball, Goodwin, and Morton (1946) have reported that vitamin A(1) in contact with solid manganese dioxide is transformed slowly into a substance which displays spectroscopic properties of retinene(1). The latter is known to be the precursor of vitamin A(1) in the rhodopsin cycle of the retinal rods. The synthetic product is here referred to as "retinene(1)." In the present experiments this observation is confirmed. The procedure is recast in the form of a chromatographic oxidation. Manganese dioxide is packed in a column, vitamin A(1) solution poured in at the top, and the product drawn off in the filtrate. Depending upon the proportions of manganese dioxide and vitamin A(1), the product is either "retinene(1)," or a new substance which yields with antimony chloride a wine-red product with maximal absorption at 545 mmicro (545 mmicro chromogen). This procedure is an example of a potentially important class of chromatographic reactions. The synthetic "retinene(1)" is virtually identical with the natural substance in absorption spectrum and antimony chloride reaction. It lacks the pH indicator properties of crude natural retinene(1). The 545 mmicro chromogen possesses absorption maxima at 380 and 290 mmicro in chloroform; at 376 and 290 mmicro in ethanol; and at 361 and 277 mmicro in hexane. It is non-fluorescent. It has no acidic character, but on the contrary is mildly basic, being extracted from hexane by sulfuric or hydrochloric acids to form orange-red products. In partition between petroleum ether and aqueous methanol it is highly hypophasic. It is adsorbed strongly on calcium carbonate. Certain peculiarities in spectral behavior indicate the presence of a carbonyl group in the 545 mmicro chromogen, and support Morton's proposal that such a group occurs in retinene(1). Other properties of the 545 mmicro chromogen indicate hydroxyl groups. This substance therefore appears to be a hydroxy-carbonyl derivative of vitamin A(1). The red products which the 545 mmicro chromogen forms with antimony chloride or with sulfuric or hydrochloric acids are all markedly light-sensitive. They appear to be formed by the condensation of two molecules with loss of water; and to bear a close generic relation to the prosthetic groups of the visual photopigments.
Conformational equilibrium isotope effects in 3-azabicyclo[3.2.2]nonanes

Abstract Conformational equilibrium isotope effects are reported for 3-azabicyclo[3.2.2]nonane- 2-d 1 and the N-methyl analog. Conformations with deuterium in a gauche rather than anti alignment with the lone pair are favored.
Hydrolysis kinetics of condensation polymers under humidity aging conditions

Abstract The hydrolytic stability of polycarbonate (PC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and resorcinol polyarylate (RPA) films was studied at 65–95 °C and 23–95% relative humidity (RH) by measuring the time to embrittlement as measured by a bending test on films. The data show that the hydrolysis of these polymers is second order in RH with overall kinetics 1/ t fail = A exp(- E a /RT) [RH] 2 where t fail is the embrittlement time in days, R is the gas constant, T is the temperature in kelvins, and RH is the fractional relative humidity. The activation energy, E a , in kJ/mol and ln( A ), respectively, for the polymers were PC: 92, 24.9; PET: 129, 39.3; RPA: 102, 30.0.
Binding, Uptake, and Metabolism of Chylomicron Remnants by Hepatocytes from Control and Chronic Ethanol-Fed Rats

Chylomicron remnants, but not lymph chylomicrons, showed a receptor-dependent high affinity saturable binding to normal rat hepatocytes. The Scatchard analysis of the specific binding data showed a high affinity binding site for the remnants with a dissociation constant of 0.61 nut, assuming a molecular weight of 50 times 10s for chylomicron remnants. Based on the heparin-releasable bound radioactivity, approximately 80% of the bound remnants seemed to be internalized. The binding process was markedly inhibited by pronase as wen as by protein synthesis inhibitors. Competitive binding studies revealed that the order of competition for the binding of labeled remnants by homologous unlabeled lipoproteins was remnants > chylomicrons > very low density lipoproteins > high density lipoproteins. Human low density lipoproteins showed virtually no competition. Studies on the catabolism of triacylglycerol moiety of the remnants showed that 15.2% of the 14C label in the triacylglycerol moiety of the remnants was catabolized by the hepatocytes to 14CO2 due to specific interaction. This amounted to 93% of the total 14CO2 evolution. This was in sharp contrast to the catabolism of the triacylglycerol moiety of very low density lipoproteins from human and rat, where most of the 14CO2 evolution was due to pathways associated with nonspecific binding. Chronic ethanol feeding caused a 29% (p < 0.02) decrease in the dissociation constant of the high affinity binding site of the liver cell for the remnants, whereas the extent of internalization was decreased by 19% (p < 0.01) as compared to the pair-fed control animals. In contrast to these small decreases in binding affinity and internalization, the catabolism of both triacylglycerol and cholesterol ester moieties of remnants were markedly inhibited by 58% (p < 0.001) and 44% (p < 0.01), respectively, in hepatocytes from chronic ethanol-fed animals. These results are compatible with the pathogenesis of fatty liver and defective regulation of hepatic cholesterol synthesis after chronic ethanol abuse.
Predictor-based system identification in closed-loop under noise

In this paper, I apply predictor-based system identification technique to several different systems, which are identified without and with integrated noise in closed-loop and open-loop. The PBSID uses the Kalman observer whose Kalman gain is calculated from the Riccati equation thus, the observer matrix is guaranteed to be stable even identified system is unstable whether the identified system is in open-loop or closed-loop. Related algorithm is developed. I apply this concept to the CD player arm and the food extruder system to show its effectiveness with simulation using the MATLAB©.
Spectral considerations for outdoor lighting: Designing for perceived scene brightness

Photopic illuminance is the photometric metric used today for specifying parking lot lighting levels. The photopic luminous efficiency function does not represent the spectral sensitivity of the pe...
Conformational Switching by the Scaffolding Protein D Directs the Assembly of Bacteriophage φX174

Abstract The three-dimensional structure of bacteriophage φX174 external scaffolding protein D, prior to its interaction with other structural proteins, has been determined to 3.3 A by X-ray crystallography. The crystals belong to space group P4 1 2 1 2 with a dimer in the asymmetric unit that closely resembles asymmetric dimers observed in the φX174 procapsid structure. Furthermore, application of the crystallographic 4 1 symmetry operation to one of these dimers generates a tetramer similar to the tetramer in the icosahedral asymmetric unit of the procapsid. These data suggest that both dimers and tetramers of the D protein are true morphogenetic intermediates and can form independently of other proteins involved in procapsid morphogenesis. The crystal structure of the D scaffolding protein thus represents the state of the polypeptide prior to procapsid assembly. Hence, comparison with the procapsid structure provides a rare opportunity to follow the conformational switching events necessary for the construction of complex macromolecular assemblies.
Schema survival rates and heuristic search in genetic algorithms

Genetic algorithms are a relatively new paradigm for search in artificial intelligence. It is shown that, for certain kinds of search problems, called permutation problems, the ordinary rule for intermixing the genes between two organisms leads to longer search chains than are necessary. A schema is a partially completed organism. Its order is the number of fixed components and its length is the distance between its first and last fixed component. A scheme is compact if its length and order are nearly equal. It is shown that the survival rate of a compact schema is directly proportional to the quality of the solution after a fixed number of iterations. The ordinary gene intermixing method called a crossover rule, separates the parents of a new organism at almost the precise point at which the compact scheme survival rate is at a minimum. A variation of the crossover rule is proposed that takes advantage of the knowledge of survival rates on the quality of the solution. >
β→α Transformation in Polycrystalline Sic: II, Interfacial Energetics

The β→α transformation in polycrystalline Sic occurs by the rapid growth of composite grains consisting of α-SiC plates “sandwiched” between grains of recrystallizedp-SiC. Growth of these composite grains into the fine-grained β matrix occurs much more rapidly than thickening of the α plates into their β“envelopes.” A phenomenological analysis of the energetics of these several growth processes is presented and it is shown that the observations can be explained by the extreme anisotropy of the interfacial energy between β− and α−SiC; {lll}β(0001)α interfaces have much lower energies than random, β/α interfaces. In reaction-sintered Sic, this anisotropy is manifested by rapid growth of a seeds along their basal planes into the epitaxial β reaction product; slow growth occurs perpendicular to the basal planes.
Constructing optimal space-time codes over various signal constellations

For any space-time code having a fixed, finite signal constellation, there is a tradeoff between the transmission rate and the transmit diversity gain achieved by the code. For any number of transmit antennas, a unified construction of space-time codes is provided, for a class of signal constellations that includes pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM), quadrature-amplitude-modulation (QAM) and 2/sup K/-ary phase-shift-keying (PSK) as special cases. The construction is optimal as measured by the rate-diversity tradeoff.
Effects of Dexamethasone on Antigen-Induced Airway Eosinophilia and M2 Receptor Dysfunction

In antigen-challenged guinea pigs, airway hyperreactivity is due to recruitment of eosinophils to the airway nerves and dysfunction of M2 muscarinic receptors. M2 receptor dysfunction is caused by eosinophil major basic protein, which is an allosteric antagonist at the receptor. Because glucocorticoids inhibit airway hyperreactivity in humans and in animal models of asthma, we tested whether dexamethasone treatment (6 μ g · kg− 1 · d− 1 for 3 d, intraperitoneal) before antigen challenge prevents M2 receptor dysfunction and airway hyperreactivity. Guinea pigs were sensitized to ovalbumin via intraperitoneal injections, and were challenged with ovalbumin via inhalation. Twenty-four hours later, hyperreactivity and M2 receptor function were tested. Antigen-challenged animals were hyperreactive to vagal stimulation, and demonstrated loss of M2 receptor function. Dexamethasone pretreatment prevented hyperreactivity and M2 receptor dysfunction in antigen-challenged guinea pigs. Antigen challenge resulted in rec...
Beta-2 adrenergic receptors mediate stress-evoked reinstatement of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference and increases in CRF mRNA in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in mice

Understanding the mechanisms responsible for stress-induced relapse is important for guiding treatment strategies aimed at minimizing the contribution of stress to addiction. Evidence suggests that these mechanisms involve interactions between noradrenergic systems and the neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). The interaction between β-adrenergic receptors (ARs) and CRF as it relates to the reinstatement of cocaine-conditioned reward in response to a stressor was examined in mice. We hypothesized that β2-ARs are required for stress-induced activation of CRF pathways responsible for reinstatement. Stress-induced relapse was examined based on the re-establishment of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP; 4 × 15 mg/kg cocaine, i.p.) after extinction using forced swim (6 min at 22 °C) or an injection of the β2-AR agonist, clenbuterol (4 mg/kg, i.p.). The CRF-R1 antagonist antalarmin (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or the β2-AR antagonist ICI-118,551 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) were given 30 min prior to reinstating stimuli. Quantitative PCR was conducted in dissected bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and amygdala, putative sources of CRF that contribute to reinstatement, to examine the effects of ICI-118,551 on swim-induced increases in CRF messenger RNA (mRNA) in mice with a cocaine history. Pretreatment with ICI-118,551 or antalarmin blocked swim-induced reinstatement of CPP. Reinstatement by clenbuterol was also blocked by antalarmin. ICI-118,551 pretreatment prevented swim-induced increases in CRF mRNA in the BNST. Effects in the amygdala were not observed. These findings indicate that, during stress, norepinephrine, via β2-ARs, either directly or indirectly activates CRF-releasing neurons in the BNST that interface with motivational neurocircuitry to induce reinstatement of cocaine-conditioned reward.
Embedded Bayesian networks for face recognition

The embedded Bayesian networks (EBN) introduced in this paper, are a generalization of the embedded hidden Markov models previously used for face and character recognition. An EBN is defined recursively as a hierarchical structure where the "parent" node is a Bayesian network (BN) that conditions the EBNs or the observation sequence that describes the nodes of the "child" layer. With an EBN, one can model complex N-dimensional data, avoiding the complexity of N-dimensional BNs while still preserving their flexibility and partial scale invariance. In this paper we present an application of the EBNs for face recognition and show the improvement of this approach versus the "eigenface" and the embedded HMM approaches.
Dysphagia in a Patient With a Zenker's Diverticulum: There Is More to It Than Meets the Eye

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MinnesotaQuestion: A 78-year-old man presentedwith a 12-month his-tory of progressivesolid food dysphagiaand weight loss. Hedescribed a sensationof food lodging atthe level of the ster-nal notch early inthe meal withoutregurgitation, heart-burn, or nasopha-ryngeal regurgitation.His past health wasnotable for severechronic obstructivepulmonary disease(FEV
On robust adaptive switched control

In this paper, an algorithm for robust adaptive control design for a class of single-input-single-output (SISO) switched linear systems is developed. The control scheme guarantees robust exponential stability with respect to any bounded parametric uncertainty and bounded disturbance without requiring a priori knowledge of such bounds. Furthermore, switched system stability is preserved independent of switching speed for plant/controller parameter switching. The problem reduces to an analysis of an exponentially stable system driven by piecewise continuous inputs due to plant and controller parameter switching. This system is a modification of the closed loop error dynamics in standard adaptive control systems, through modifying the adaptation law. The results are illustrated for model reference adaptive control of a SISO linear plant.
Effects of influenza virus vaccine on hepatic drug metabolism.

Experimental and more limited clinical studies have suggested that influenza vaccination may depress the oxidative hepatic metabolism of various drugs and lead to drug toxicity. The alleged mechanism is the formation of interferon and the resulting decrease in cytochrome P-450 available for drug oxidation. Because of the clinical and basic science implications of these reports, we undertook to study the effects of influenza vaccine on the metabolism of three commonly used drugs: chlordiazepoxide, theophylline, and lorazepam. Our healthy male subjects were studied just before and 1 and 7 days after vaccination. As expected, lorazepam metabolism, which proceeds by glucuronidation and not oxidation, was not altered by vaccination. Surprisingly, however, the oxidation of chlordiazepoxide was also not depressed by the vaccine. Theophylline oxidation, which proceeds primarily by microsomal oxidation (demethylation), was significantly decreased 1 day, but not 7 days, after vaccination. Serum α-interferon levels rose after vaccination for only about 8 hours, and levels of γ-interferon rose to about 500 IU/ml at 24 hours, peaked at 72 hours, and returned to normal by 100 hours after dosing. It appeared that the higher the theophylline clearance before vaccination, the greater the degree of clearance depression after vaccination. Thus the inhibition of drug oxidation after influenza vaccination is selective and each drug should be studied individually. The degree of depression of theophylline clearance is small and transient and appears to be greater in subjects with higher prevaccination clearance. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1985) 37, 396–401; doi:10.1038/clpt.1985.61
Human Peripheral Blood Cells Differentially Recognize and Respond to Two Distinct CpG Motifs

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) that contain unmethylated CpG dinucleotides trigger a strong innate immune response in vertebrates. CpG ODN show promise as vaccine adjuvants, anti-allergens, and immunoprotective agents in animal models. Their transition to clinical use requires the identification of motifs that are optimally stimulatory in humans. Analysis of hundreds of novel ODN resulted in the identification and characterization of two structurally distinct "clusters" of immunostimulatory CpG ODN. One cluster ("D") preferentially stimulates IFN-gamma production by NK cells, whereas the other ("K") stimulates cell proliferation and the production of IL-6 and IgM by monocytes and B cells. The distinct immunostimulatory properties of K and D ODN can improve the design of CpG-based products to achieve specific therapeutic goals.
Education and Food Consumption Patterns in China: Household Analysis and Policy Implications

Abstract The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between adult (male and female) education level and food consumption patterns in 3543 Chinese households to determine whether an increase in education was related to consumption of different foods. Data from the 1991 administration of the China Health and Nutrition Survey were used for this study. A multistage, random cluster process was used to draw a sample of 3543 households from eight northern and southern provinces of China. Data from the household component and the health and nutrition component of the survey were used for this study. The primary explanatory variable of the education level of the male and female heads of household was measured in years of schooling. The categorical dependent variable indicated whether or not a household consumed a certain food over the 3-day time period. Sociodemographic variables such as income, rural-urban residence, province, and household size were included in the analyses as control variables. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between education (male and female) and the likelihood of consuming different foods. Data were analyzed using SAS PROC LOGISTIC, which modeled the probability of a food being consumed. The education level of the male and female heads of household had a differential impact on food consumption patterns. Female education had an effect on the consumption of nutritious and preferred foods that was independent of the effect of income; male education, on the contrary, had an effect on the consumption of these foods only when it interacted with income. The findings of this study have important implications for raising dietary and nutritional standards in China and for addressing the coexisting problems of undernutrition and overnutrition. In addition, the study highlights the important relationship between female education and food consumption within households. Implications for the rapidly growing food industry in China include the ability to identify consumer characteristics, such as education, that are associated with increasing or declining demand for different foods.
Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation and Phosphorus Acquisition. Plant Nutrition in a World of Declining Renewable Resources

Since 1960, the world's population has doubled to 6 billion people. During the next 40 years, the population is projected to increase and stabilize at 8 to 9 billion people (Table [I][1]). In the 1960s, agricultural specialists predicted that food production would not keep pace with the burgeoning
My Position Comes with Privilege: I’m Going to Learn How to Use It

This composite nonfiction narrativizes the experiences of Daniel Meyers, an assistant professor of education. Specifically, it details his transition from a graduate program to working as a full-time tenure track faculty member at a public state university. Methodologically, this research relies on parallax as an important tool to understanding Meyers’s personal, intellectual, and political struggle in adjusting from a research institution to “performing” at a teaching institution. Teaching institutions, to Meyers, are significantly more customer service driven (read: making students happy) which can be problematic when faculty members have significant and different cultural understandings and interpretations than their students and the university as a whole. Meyers struggles to make adjustments, but ultimately realizes his duties as a teacher and that his contributions—though perceived alternative and conflicting with primary cultural and political narratives—provides him with an extraordinary and privileged opportunity to do important work.
Early corticosteroids requirement after the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis diagnosis can predict a more severe long-term course of the disease - a nationwide study of 1035 patients

Summary Background There are limited data regarding clinical outcomes in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who require early corticosteroids (CS) use. Aim To evaluate the rate of early CS utilisation (within 30 days of diagnosis) as a predictive marker for long-term outcomes, colectomy and CS dependency, in a population-based cohort of incident UC cases. Methods Nationwide data were obtained from the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system for the period 2001–2011. Incident UC cases were identified. A retrospective cohort design and time-to-event survival analysis were used to track outcomes of interest. Cox regression multivariate analysis was employed. Results One thousand and thirty-five newly diagnosed patients with UC were identified and included in the analysis; 236 (23%) of those patients required early CS therapy. Patients were followed-up over a median time of 4.7 years (IQR 2.8–6.8) after UC diagnosis. The 5-year cumulative probability of requiring colectomy varied significantly by early CS use status (13% among early CS users compared to 4% among those who did not require early CS treatment, P < 0.001). Similar variation in the 5-year cumulative probability of CS dependency by early CS status was observed. Early CS users were more likely to require colectomy 2.9 (CI 1.7–5.0, P < 0.001) and to become CS dependent 4.5 (95% CI 3.6–5.7, P < 0.001) than non-users. Conclusions Early CS use can help identify those patients who have a more active disease course of UC. Recognising this can be among the indicators that can help physicians identify patients who may require early initiation of more aggressive therapy.
Will Patients “Opt In” to Perform Their Own Rapid HIV Test in the Emergency Department?

Objective We evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of existing point-of-care HIV tests performed by an untrained patient compared with the routinely used HIV point-of-care test offered to patients in 2 urban emergency departments (EDs). Methods From April 2008 through December 2009, patients who had completed a standard HIV oral fluid test performed by a trained health care professional and who were unaware of their results were recruited to perform a rapid point-of-care HIV test. Patients were given a choice of the oral fluid or the fingerstick blood point-of-care test. Evaluation of acceptability to perform the mechanics of the test was accessed by questionnaire. For the "self-test," the participant obtained his or her own sample and performed the test. The patient's results were compared with standard oral fluid results obtained by the health care professional. Results Overall, 478 of 564 (85%) patients receiving a standard oral fluid HIV test volunteered, with a mean age of 38 to 39 years. Ninety-one percent of participants chose oral fluid and 9% chose blood ( P Conclusion This study demonstrated that a significant proportion of patients offered a self-HIV point-of-care test volunteered and preferred using oral fluid. Patients' results agreed with standard HIV point-of-care results. The majority of participants trusted their results and would perform a point-of-care HIV test at home, given the opportunity.
Determinants of variation in serum paraoxonase enzyme activity in baboons

Paraoxonase (PON), an HDL-associated enzyme, is one of many circulating antioxidants thought to play a vital protective role. To better understand the determinants of quantitative variation in serum PON activity, we assayed PON in samples from 611 pedigreed baboons fed three diets. PON was measured enzymatically; the main determinant of variation was genetic and consisted of at least three components: two loci detected by linkage analyses and a residual polygenic component. Multipoint linkage analyses gave peak log of the odds (LOD) scores on the baboon homolog of human chromosome 7q21-22 (near PON1, the structural gene) of 9.1 on the low-cholesterol, high-fat diet and 4.1 on the high-cholesterol, high-fat diet (genome-wide P values were 1 × 10−8 and 0.0018, respectively). Surprisingly, a second locus on the baboon homolog of human chromosome 12q13 gave a LOD score of 2.9 on the high-cholesterol, high-fat diet (genome-wide P value was 0.032). We identified several significant covariates, including age, sex, diet, and apolipoprotein A-I concentrations. We estimate that 53% of total trait variation in baboons is explained by genes and 17% by covariates, thus accounting for ∼70% of total variation in baboon PON. Although the generation of free radicals is influenced primarily by environmental factors, our findings suggest strong genetic regulation of one component in the antioxidant defense system that plays a major role in susceptibility to atherosclerosis.
Farmworkers and Pesticide Exposure: Perceived Risk and Self-Protective Behavior

The recent increase in Right-to-Know laws has provided many in the workplace with additional knowledge about the risks of chemical hazards and information on the use of self-protective behaviors to decrease exposure. However, society has proceeded in risk management as if occupational exposure to hazards were completely voluntary and the provision of information concerning chemical exposure and protective measures were readily available and utilized by all workers. This may not be true for those workers of lower socioeconomic status for whom alternative employment may not be available, and the use of certain protective measures may be perceived as being non-utilitarian. In California, the majority of agricultural labor is provided by migrant farmworkers who, on the average, earn an annual income far below the national poverty level. Migrant farmworkers frequently come in contact with pesticide residues on fruit and vegetable crops in the field. Many of these substances have been associated with a variety of acute and chronic illnesses. In this paper, a study is described that examines psychological variables influencing the use of self-protective behavior to avoid pesticide exposure in a sample of migrant farmworkers. These workers were surveyed in regard to pesticide exposure, beliefs about effectiveness of self-protective behavior, knowledge and utilization of self-protective behavior, perception of risk, voluntariness of exposure, and control over exposure.
The role of placental-fetal interaction in fetal nutrition.

The fetus accumulates nutrients for energy metabolism, tissue turnover, and growth from the maternal plasma via placental transfer. The transfer of nutrients from the placenta to the fetus -involves three major mechanisms: (1) direct, usually carrier (or transporter) mediated transfer of nutrients from the maternal to the fetal plasma; (2) placental metabolism and consumption of nutrients, which affect the concentration gradients of substrates between the mother and fetus; (3) placental metabolism of nutrient substrates to alternate substrate forms that then are transferred to the fetus. These mechanisms are modified in magnitude by the size of the placenta, its architecture, its stage of development, and the presence of pathologic processes. Placental nutrient transfer also is regulated in part by fetal nutrient metabolism and net nutrient uses. Additionally, cyclic exchange of certain nutrient substrates between placenta and fetus cooperate with transport and metabolic mechanisms to affect qualitatively and quantitatively placental-fetal nutrient exchange. Most of the data that support our understanding of these mechanisms of placental transport and placentalfetal nutrient exchanges reflect animal experimentation; this is due to little in vivo physiologic data from humans.’