cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer simulation studies of amphiphilic interfaces

Computer simulation has emerged as a powerful probe for analysing the behavior of amphiphilic systems. The past year has seen several novel applications, which have given important insights into the nature of the water/amphiphile interface as well as the behavior of amphiphiles at different liquid/vapor, liquid/liquid and liquid/solid interfaces. This review focuses on surfactants and lipids where simulations have revealed for the first time an atomistic level description of not only the hydration of polar head groups but also the comportment of the hydrophobic tails.
Hypertension Management and Control in Primary Care: A Study of 20 Practices in 14 States

Study Objective. To describe the management and control of hypertension in primary care practice. Design. Retrospective medical record review. Setting. Twenty primary care practices in 14 states. Patients. Thirteen thousand forty-seven patients with hypertension. Measurements and Main Results. Diagnoses, drugs prescribed, and blood pressure readings were extracted from the electronic medical record at each practice in the study. For patients with hypertension and comorbid diagnoses, the most recent blood pressure and antihypertensive drugs prescribed were determined. Analyses assessed the blood pressure control rates and the association between control and demographic variables, frequency of visits to the practice site, and pharmacologic treatment patterns. Among the 20 practices in the study, 13,047 patients had received a diagnosis of hypertension and their blood pressures had been measured within the previous 12 months. One third of the patients had comorbid coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and/or renal insufficiency. The most recent blood pressure reading was below 140/90 in half the patients. Control was associated with age 60 years or younger, female sex, more than one visit to the practice, more than one comorbidity, and type of practice (p<0.01, logistic regression). Wide variability was noted among practices in the use of multiagent antihypertensive therapy, and in antihypertensive therapy by drug class. Among patients without comorbidity treated with one drug, systolic blood pressure did not differ significantly by drug class. Diastolic blood pressure was slightly lower in patients prescribed thiazide diuretics than in those prescribed angiotensin receptor blockers (p=0.03, analysis of covariance). Conclusion. Blood pressure control in primary care practice can be much better than reports usually indicate. Good control in this study was not due to specific drug choice, but instead may have been due to regular monitoring of blood pressure and motivation of the practice to improve patient care.
DiFi: Fast 3D Distance Field Computation Using Graphics Hardware

We present an algorithm for fast computation of discretized 3D distance elds using graphics hardware. Given a set of primitives and a distance metric, our algorithm computes the distance eld for each slice of a uniform spatial grid by rasterizing the distance functions of the primitives. We compute bounds on the spatial extent of the Voronoi region of each primitive. These bounds are used to cull and clamp the distance functions rendered for each slice. Our algorithm is applicable to all geometric models and does not make any assumptions about connectivity or a manifold representation. We have used our algorithm to compute distance elds of large models composed of tens of thousands of primitives on high resolution grids. Moreover, we demonstrate its application to medial axis evaluation and proximity computations. As compared to earlier approaches, we are able to achieve an order of magnitude improvement in the running time.
The SABrR Concept for a Fission-Fusion Hybrid 238U-to-239Pu Fissile Production Reactor

The subcritical advanced burner reactor (SABR) concept, which combines IFR-PRISM fast reactor technology and the ITER tokamak fusion physics and technology in a burner reactor for the transmutation...
Measurement of protein binding for drugs that are unstable in aqueous solution

Differential model equations were proposed to describe the dynamics of drug-macromolecule binding for drugs which are inherently unstable in solution. Equations relating to stable drugs comprise a specific case of the general model. To verify the model, binding parameters for the interaction of methyl diethyldi-thiocarbamate (MeDDC), a stable drug, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were compared by using a rapid equilibrium dialysis system in its customary equilibrium mode and according to the dynamic model. No significant differences in the equilibrium association constant (Ka), the maximum molar bound concentration (Cb)max, or their product were found. The dynamic model was then used to determine Ka and (Cb)max for diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), an unstable drug. The procedure does not require the prior measurement of a diffusion rate constant in the absence of BSA. Because experimentally measured data may be entered directly into the computer program (NONLIN) used to determine the binding parameters, statistically undesirable errors arising from the more common manipulation of such data prior to computation are minimized.
The interplay of information and mind in decision‐making: Signals intelligence and Franklin D. Roosevelt's policy‐shift on Indochina

(1998). The interplay of information and mind in decision‐making: Signals intelligence and Franklin D. Roosevelt's policy‐shift on Indochina. Intelligence and National Security: Vol. 13, Knowing Your Friends Intelligence Inside Alliances and Coalitions From 1914 to the Cold War, pp. 109-131.
Tb1−xDyxFe2/Fe composites: compositional effects on torque response

Abstract Magnetostrictive composites of melt-spun Tb 1− x Dy x Fe 2 in an Fe matrix spanning the entire Tb–Dy composition range ( x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1) have been prepared by hot pressing. Equal volumes of the two components and identical consolidation procedures were used for each composition. We find that the saturation magnetostriction λ S , a measure of the direct magnetostrictive effect in the composites, decreases monotonically, but not linearly, with increasing Dy content x from ∼580 ppm for TbFe 2 to ∼120 ppm for DyFe 2 . In contrast, the torque response R τ in a ring sensor configuration, which is a measure of the inverse magnetostrictive effect, varies by an order of magnitude over the composition interval and exhibits a peak value of R τ = 6 G/100 ppm at x =0.5. This value is almost three times larger than the response of maraging steel in the same sensor configuration. The magnetostrictive ribbon and Fe matrix components of the x =0.5 composite were also examined with phase-contrast magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Visual Recognition and Visually Guided Action After Early Bilateral Lesion of Occipital Cortex: A Behavioral Study of a 4.6-year-old Girl

We report the case of a 4.6-year-old girl born pre-term with early bilateral occipital damage. It was revealed that the child had non-severely impaired basic visual abilities and ocular motility, a selective perceptual deficit of figure-ground segregation, impaired visual recognition and abnormal navigating through space. Even if the child's visual functioning was not optimal, this was the expression of adaptive anatomic and functional brain modifications that occurred following the early lesion. Anatomic brain structure was studied with anatomic MRI and Diffusor Tensor Imaging (DTI)-MRI. This behavioral study may provide an important contribution to understanding the impact of an early lesion of the visual system on the development of visual functions and on the immature brain's potential for reorganisation related to when the damage occurred.
Sound Production in Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque) (Cyprinidae)

Abstract Male Pimephales notatus produce sounds during aggression associated with the breeding season. Females were not found to produce sounds during this study. Males produced sounds while in the nest cavity, chasing other fish, and during escalated aggressive displays. We identified four sound types characterized by differences in pulse duration and interval, which may be part of a continuum of sound parameters. The sound types were produced singly, in series, or as complex sounds composed of various combinations of three of the sound types. Complex sounds were made under all behavioral contexts and by all males studied. The mechanism of sound production in this species is unknown.
Exploring Emergency Contraception Knowledge, Prescription Practices, and Barriers to Prescription for Adolescents in the Emergency Department

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to assess the proportion of emergency medicine physicians who had prescribed emergency contraception pills to adolescents, to identify potential barriers to emergency contraception pill prescription for adolescents, and to assess physician knowledge of emergency contraception pills. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS. A cross-sectional, anonymous, Internet-based survey of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Emergency Medicine was conducted. Providers were included in analysis if they were attending physicians caring for children ( 30% of the time. Survey questions included demographics, emergency contraception pill prescription rates for adolescents, attitudes toward emergency contraception pills for adolescents, and emergency contraception pill knowledge questions. RESULTS. A total of 1005 Section of Emergency Medicine members were contacted; 424 (42%) responded, and 133 did not meet inclusion criteria. Of the 291 eligible respondents, 282 had complete surveys. Eighty-five percent of the respondents stated that they had prescribed emergency contraception pills to adolescents, 71% within the previous year. Of those, 81% prescribed emergency contraception pills 50% of the questions. Physicians were more likely to report prescribing emergency contraception pills if they had answered >3 of the knowledge-based questions correctly and were less likely to report prescribing if they identified >5 barriers. CONCLUSIONS. Although a large proportion of emergency department physicians reported prescribing emergency contraception pills to adolescents, the pills were prescribed infrequently. Factors associated with nonprescription were decreased knowledge of emergency contraception pills and identifying >5 barriers. Identification of these potential barriers and education regarding emergency contraception pills may ultimately improve adolescent access to emergency contraception pills in the emergency department.
Firm and industry elasticities of substitution: The two factor case

For the industry composed of single output, two factor firms, industry elasticity of demand for one of the factors with respect to the price of the other is negative or positive as the elasticity of demand for industry output is greater or less thanindustry elasticity of substitution between the factors. Using isoclines, vectors, isoquants, and isoscales, it is shown that, where firm isoquants are non-homothetic, industry elasticity of substitution for constantindustry output allows for adjustment of the level of firm output, and thus exceeds firm elasticity of substitution for constantfirm output.
Growth arrest, apoptosis, and telomere shortening of Barrett’s-associated adenocarcinoma cells by a telomerase inhibitor

Abstract Background & Aims: Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma (BEAC) is a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, with no effective chemotherapy and poor prognosis. BEAC cells, like many other types of cancers, may reactivate telomerase to achieve unlimited proliferative potential, making telomerase a unique therapeutic target. The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of telomerase inhibition on BEAC. Methods: We examined the effect of a selective G-quadruplex intercalating telomerase inhibitor, 2,6-bis[3-{N-Piperidino}propionamido]anthracene-9,10-dione (PPA), on telomerase activity, telomere length, colony size distribution, and proliferative potential in 2 BEAC cell lines, BIC-1 and SEG-1. Results: Telomerase activity was >10-fold and >600-fold elevated in the adenocarcinoma cells as compared with normal gastric/intestinal cells and normal diploid fibroblasts, respectively. Telomeres were short, being less than 4 kilobase pair in both tumor cell lines. Exposure to PPA effectively inhibited telomerase activity and shortened telomeres. PPA also arrested cell proliferation and reduced colony number and size after a lag period of about 10 cell generations, consistent with the attrition of telomeres. The growth arrest was not due to senescence but was due to apoptosis. Expression analysis of the cells following PPA treatment did not show significant change in the expression of genes involved in cell-cycle proliferation and apoptosis. Exposure to PPA had no effect on proliferative potential of normal intestinal cells. Conclusions: We conclude that telomerase inhibition by PPA induces cell growth arrest in BEAC cells and demonstrate the potential of telomerase inhibitors in chemoprevention and treatment of Barrett's-associated esophageal adenocarcinoma.
THE EFFECT OF HOST NUTRITION ON CONCENTRATION OF TOBACCO-MOSAIC VIRUS.

It is well known that variations in the nitrogen nutrition of tobacco plants drastically alter their susceptibility to infection with tobacco-mosaic virus (16) and the rate of spread of virus in the tissues (17). Little attention has been given to the possible effects of nitrogen variations on the virus entity itself. In order to determine whether variations in the nitrogen content of the nutrient solution would bring about changes in the virus concentration1 within the plant, tests were made of the activity of expressed juice from mosaic-diseased plants receiving different amounts of nitrogen. The results of these tests are reported in this paper.
Development of a nitric oxide-releasing analogue of the muscle relaxant guaifenesin for skeletal muscle satellite cell myogenesis.

Nitric oxide (NO) mediates activation of satellite precursor cells to enter the cell cycle. This provides new precursor cells for skeletal muscle growth and muscle repair from injury or disease. Ta...
Intravenously administered nanoparticles increase survival following blast trauma

Explosions account for 79% of combat-related injuries, leading to multiorgan hemorrhage and uncontrolled bleeding. Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of death in battlefield traumas as well as in civilian life. We need to stop the bleeding quickly to save lives, but, shockingly, there are no treatments to stop internal bleeding. A therapy that halts bleeding in a site-specific manner and is safe, stable at room temperature, and easily administered is critical for the advancement of trauma care. To address this need, we have developed hemostatic nanoparticles that are administered intravenously. When tested in a model of blast trauma with multiorgan hemorrhaging, i.v. administration of the hemostatic nanoparticles led to a significant improvement in survival over the short term (1 h postblast). No complications from this treatment were apparent out to 3 wk. This work demonstrates that these particles have the potential to save lives and fundamentally change trauma care.
The Spectrum of the Neutral Mercury Atom in the Wave-Length Range from 1 to 2μ

New information on the near infra-red spectrum of mercury has been obtained with a specially constructed thermocouple in connection with an automatic recording spectrograph. Fourteen new lines predicted by the combination principle and eight unclassified lines have been found in this region. Intensity relations for the triplet $1^{3}S_{1}\ensuremath{-}2^{3}P_{0,1,2}$, which extends over 2700A, have been found to follow rather closely the summation rule as refined by R. H. Fowler for wide multiplets.
Conformational Changes in Pediocin AcH upon Vesicle Binding and Approximation of the Membrane-Bound Structure in Detergent Micelles

Pediocin AcH is a 44-residue antimicrobial peptide with bactericidal potency against Gram-positive bacteria such as Listeria. It belongs to a family of bacteriocins that, when membrane-associated, is predicted to contain β-sheet and α-helical regions. All bacteriocins in this family have a conserved N-terminal disulfide bond. An additional C-terminal disulfide bond in pediocin AcH is thought to confer enhanced potency and broader specificity range against sensitive bacteria. The C-terminal disulfide bond may also affect the conformation of the C-terminus. The secondary structures of pediocin AcH in aqueous solution and vesicles from susceptible cells, as well as the ability of trifluoroethanol (TFE) and detergent systems to induce secondary structures like those induced in vesicles, were studied by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Like related peptides, pediocin AcH was highly unordered in aqueous solution, 56%. However, it also contained 20% β-strand and 15% β-turn structures. Upon complete binding ...
Dike propagation driven by melt accumulation at the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary

Abstract This study examines the combined effects of melt migration by porous flow in the asthenosphere and dike propagation in the lithosphere. Melt collecting at the base of the lithosphere forms a decompacting boundary layer (DBL), in which the overpressure is sufficient to nucleate dikes that propagate buoyantly upward into the lithosphere. The asthenosphere melt flux determines the excess pressure and melt accumulation rate in the DBL, which together with the state of lithospheric stress, control dike growth rate, dike recurrence interval and the height to which dikes propagate. The vertical propagation and subsequent freezing of melt filled dikes heats and thins the lithosphere. Our model couples fundamental aspects of dike propagation and porous flow that are commonly treated separately. Our model allows us to estimate conditions under which vertically propagating dikes can thin the lithosphere, given a melt flux determined by the rate of melt production in the asthenosphere. The model also provides an estimate of the amount of melt present at the base of the lithosphere. We find that a steady state high-porosity boundary layer at the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary, with a melt fraction about 2.5–4 times higher than the asthenosphere melt fraction. Diking occurs at melt fractions much less than the disaggregation limit, so dikes are only a few km tall and about 1 cm wide. Though dikes are small, their recurrence on the order of days can lead to lithosphere erosion rates on the order of a few km/Myr with a melt fraction of a few percent at the base of the lithosphere. The steady state boundary layer melt fraction is controlled by differences in lithospheric stress state and or asthenosphere melt flux, indicating that seismic discontinuities associated with melt accumulation at the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary should vary systematically with variations in asthenosphere melt generation and tectonic setting.
“Cut and Mix”Jean-Michel Basquiat in Retrospect

In 1992, during the first retrospective of Basquiat's work, Richard Marshall lamented: "Jean-Michel Basquiat first became famous for his art, then he became famous for being famous, then he became famous for being infamous—a succession of reputations that often overshadowed the seriousness and significance of the art he produced." The artist's place is even now much more secure in pop culture than in academe, so the Basquiat retrospective that opened at the Fondation Beyeler in 2010 and subsequently traveled to the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris was not just a museum show to celebrate the artist's fiftieth birthday but also an argument for Basquiat's place in art history. Following precedent, this latest exhibition focused on the artist's larger, midcareer canvases, but this essay reads several of Basquiat's small-scale, early works as marked by often-overlooked inquiries into modernism, epistemology, and the potential of appropriation.
Evaluation of the Postinfarct Patient

A recent study by Moss et al1 in which the authors evaluated in 966 patients discharged from the coronary care unit, the role of exercise ECG, exercise 201Tl myocardial perfusion imaging, and ambulatory (Holter) ECG recording in detecting silent myocardial ischemia 1 to 6 months after discharge has called into question the prognostic usefulness of stress testing and detection of myocardial ischemia after infarction. The authors noted that the presence of ST-segment depression on the exercise ECG failed to predict recurrent ischemic events. A positive exercise 201Tl myocardial stress test had only a borderline significant effect in predicting ischemic events. The difference between patients with and those without a positive exercise 201Tl stress test was not, however, evident for several years. Similarly, the ambulatory (Holter) ECG used to detect silent myocardial ischemia failed to predict recurrent myocardial infarction. The investigators, however, did note that patients with an exercise duration of <6 minutes and ST-segment depression had a relatively high, threefold to fourfold, incidence of recurrent ischemic events and that those with redistribution of myocardial 201Tl on exercise testing who also had increased lung uptake of 201Tl—suggesting multivessel coronary artery disease, compromised left ventricular function, or both—were at increased risk for recurrent ischemic events. However, these high-risk subsets comprised <3% of the patients studied and accounted for <6% of the recurrent ischemic events. The authors concluded that detection of silent or symptomatic myocardial ischemia by noninvasive testing in stable patients 1 to 6 months after an acute coronary event is not useful in identifying patients at increased risk for subsequent coronary events. Exercise ECG stress testing in patients treated with thrombolytic therapy after infarction also has been shown to have only limited value in identifying patients at risk for recurrent ischemic events.2 In a …
Protein-based molecular contrast optical coherence tomography

We describe a novel technique for contrast enhancement in optical coherence tomography (OCT) which uses optically switchable protein based chromophores. Photosensitive proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin and phytochrome, are promising OCT molecular contrast agents by reason of their remarkably low transition activation intensities compatible with in vivo imaging, and their potential for use as genetically expressible markers for molecular imaging. This study details the use of a novel optical switch suppression scheme which uses the absorption change between the two state groups of phytochrome to extract concentration and distribution information of the contrast agent within a target sample.
Application of dual-fuel propulsion to a single stage AMLS vehicle

As part of NASA's Advanced Manned Launch System (AMLS) study to determine a follow-on, or complement, to the Space Shuttle, a reusable single-stage-to-orbit concept utilizing dual-fuel rocket propulsion has been examined. Several dual-fuel propulsion concepts were investigated. These include: a separate engine concept combining Russian RD-170 kerosene-fueled engines with SSME-derivative engines; the kerosene and hydrogen-fueled Russian RD-701 engine concept; and a dual-fuel, dual-expander engine concept. Analysis to determine vehicle weight and size characteristics was performed using conceptual level design techniques. A response surface methodology for multidisciplinary design was utilized to optimize the dual-fuel vehicle concepts with respect to several important propulsion system and vehicle design parameters in order to achieve minimum empty weight. Comparisons were then made with a hydrogen-fueled reference, single-stage vehicle. The tools and methods employed in the analysis process are also summarized.
Computational Study of the Reactions of H Atoms With Chlorinated Alkanes Isodesmic Reactions for Transition States

Reactions of H atoms with methane, ethane, and chlorinated methanes and ethanes were studied by computational methods. An approach to estimating reaction rate constants based on the use of isodesmic reactions for transition states was developed and implemented. Reactions of H atoms with CH4 and CCl4 (clear cases of H and Cl abstraction, respectively) were used as reference reactions. Rate constants of all other reactions from the series were calculated using the isodesmic reactions approach. For the seven reactions for which directly obtained experimental data are available, the resultant calculated temperature dependences of the rate constants demonstrate agreement with experiment. Average deviations between calculations and experiment are 17−24%, depending on the quantum chemical method used, although channel-specific rates show larger divergence. Rate constants of all 30 reaction members of the H + chloromethane and H + chloroethane classes are calculated as functions of temperature using the described...
Influence of environmental parameters on the frictional behavior of DLC coatings

Abstract It was shown in our previous studies that diamond like carbon (DLC) films possess low friction coefficient (ƒ) and excellent wear resistance. The reduction in ƒ was found to be consistent with a ‘wear-induced graphitization’ mechanism of the DLC structure proposed recently by Liu and Meletis (J. Mater. Sci., 32 (1997) 3491). A recent study showed that operational parameters (sliding velocity and loading level) influence the tribological behavior of DLC film through control of the kinetics of the graphitization process. The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of environmental parameters (humidity and temperature) on the tribological behavior of DLC film and test the wear-induced graphitization mechanism. Ion-beam deposition was utilized to deposit DLC on a SiC substrate. Pin-on-disk experiments were conducted by varying humidity (0%, 40% and 100%) and temperature (−10 °C and 25 °C). As-deposited DLC and wear debris was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. It was found that lower humidity increases the graphitization rate more than likely due to the reduction in the effect by the water molecules. A decreased graphitization rate was observed at lower temperature and higher humidity, and can be attributed to suppression of temperature rise at ‘hot spots’. The present findings are consistent and further support the wear-induced graphitization mechanism.
Spare parts inventory and cycle time reduction

Today many manufacturing firms are focusing on cycle or throughput time reduction to gain a competitive advantage. In many instances, cycle times at individual workstations are adversely affected by unscheduled machine breakdowns. In this paper, existing closed-form approximations for the expected cycle time at a parallel machine workstation with general process and interarrival times and for the variability in departures from the workstation are used to demonstrate how the mean and variance of machine repair or downtime affects cycle times at a given workstation and downstream workstations. Results from the machine interference literature are used to characterize the dependence of repair time on a base stock inventory policy used for the replenishment of spare components. Expressions for the mean and approximations for the variance of repair times are obtained for machines with either a single critical component or a series of critical components when such components fail exponentially. Numerical example...
Three-dimensional patterning of multiple cell populations through orthogonal genetic control of cell motility

The ability to independently assemble multiple cell types within a three-dimensional matrix would be a powerful enabling tool for modeling and engineering complex tissues. Here we introduce a strategy to dynamically pattern distinct subpopulations of cells through genetic regulation of cell motility. We first describe glioma cell lines that were genetically engineered to stably express constitutively active or dominant negative Rac1 GTPase mutants under the control of either a doxycycline-inducible or cumate-inducible promoter. We culture each population as multicellular spheroids and show that by adding or withdrawing the appropriate inducer at specific times, we can control the timing and extent of Rac1-dependent cell migration into three-dimensional collagen matrices. We then report results with mixed spheroids in which one subpopulation of cells expresses dominant negative Rac1 under a doxycycline-inducible promoter and the other expresses dominant negative Rac1 under a cumate-inducible promoter. Using this system, we demonstrate that doxycycline and cumate addition suppress Rac1-dependent motility in a subpopulation-specific and temporally-controlled manner. This allows us to orthogonally control the motility of each subpopulation and spatially assemble the cells into radially symmetric three-dimensional patterns through the synchronized addition and removal of doxycycline and cumate. This synthetic biology-inspired strategy offers a novel means of spatially organizing multiple cell populations in conventional matrix scaffolds and complements the emerging suite of technologies that seek to pattern cells by engineering extracellular matrix properties.
Transient effects in the directional solidification of AlCu alloys

Abstract Transient acceleration effects of the solid/liquid interface during controlled directional solidification of an Al-4.5 wt% Cu alloy have been investigated by a mechanical probing technique. Samples were processed under both constant velocity and suddenly increased velocity conditions. Mechanical probing data of the interface position versus time are given and compared with the imposed crucible velocity. The transient solidification rate of the solid/liquid interface can be described by the crucible velocity and a relaxation delay time and the experimental data have been compared with theoretical models proposed in the literature. Results showed that both the experimental solidification rate and delay time can be predicted under each experimental condition using the methodology of Saitou and Hirata.
Bioassay of a β-exotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis against Heliothis zea larvae

Abstract A β-exotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis was bioassayed on 1st-, 3rd-, and 4th-instar Heliothis zea larvae. Larvae were fed continuously on diet incorporated with concentrations of 1–700 μg AI/ml diet. Larval and/or pupal death was the measured response criterion. Dosage-mortality responses were determined at two evaluation times, 7 days post-initiation and after the entire larval-pupal development period, using probit analysis procedures. The LC50 values for 1st-, 3rd-, and 4th-instar larvae at these two evaluation times were 4.9, 134.6, and 286.2 μg AI/ml diet, and 4.0, 17.6, and 66.4 μg AI/ml diet, respectively. Differences in responses between instars were more pronounced at 7 days than after the entire development period. The LT50 values for 1st-, 3rd-, and 4th-instar larvae decreased from 7.1 to 3.1, 12.7 to 5.4, and 11.6 to 5.2 days post-initiation, respectively, as dosages were increased. The toxin did not act as a feeding deterrent, as all increases in dosage caused increases in mortality. Nineteen and 38% of those 3rd- and 4th-instar larvae, respectively, which survived β-exotoxin intoxication pupated later than untreated cohorts.
Clonal aging in Paramecium tetraurelia, absence of evidence for a cytoplasmic factor

Cells of Paramecium tetraurelia show clonal aging with characteristics comparable to the aging seen in tissue culture cell lines. An investigation is underway to determine the relative contributions, if any, of the cytoplasm and the macronucleus to the onset of senescence. Using a microinjection protocol, the importance of the cytoplasm to aging was tested. Cytoplasm was transferred from young cells into old cells to see if the mean age of death of the injected cell lines could be increased, compared with uninjected controls and sham injected controls. Cytoplasm from old cells was transferred into young cells to see if the mean age of death of the injected cell lines could be decreased, compared with sham injected and uninjected controls. In neither case was there any statistically significant change in mean ages of death. Furthermore, no changes can be demonstrated even with a protocol which transplanted 3 times the normal cytoplasmic volume. Thus, a cytoplasmic effect upon vegetative aging in P. tetraurelia cannot be demonstrated. Tests of a macronuclear influence are now underway.
The Pathogenesis of Murine Retroviral Infection of the Central Nervous System

Several decades have lapsed since the original description of retroviral infection of the central nervous system (CNS) appeared. With the recent arrival of the autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic and the associated human retroviral encephalitis (1), interest in murine models has been rekindled. In most of the published studies, susceptible mouse strains are infected as neonates with molecularly cloned type-C retroviruses. In most models, a spongiform encephalopathy follows an early CNS endothelial cell infection. The subsequent pathogenesis of this encephalopathy is unknown. In some models neuronal and glial infection is seen, while in others only non-neuroglial elements are infected. This variation can be traced to differences in strains of mice and viruses in addition to differences in assays. The different models offer fertile experimental ground to decipher the role of direct versus indirect neuroglial damage. Reconciliation of these various models where the final neuropathology appears so similar, may be the key to understanding their pathogenesis.
Review: In primary care, screening with the GAD-7 detected anxiety disorder; the PHQ detected panic disorder

Source Citation Herr NR, Williams JW Jr, Benjamin S, McDuffie J. Does this patient have generalized anxiety or panic disorder? The Rational Clinical Examination systematic review. JAMA. 2014;312:78...
Two Bathointermediates of the Bacteriorhodopsin Photocycle, Distinguished by Nanosecond Time-Resolved FTIR Spectroscopy at Room Temperature

FTIR step-scan spectroscopy with 10 ns nominal time resolution was applied to the early stages of the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin at room temperature. Kinetic data analysis with global fitting revealed two distinct bathointermediates prior to relaxation into the L state. The late bathointermediate (which we term KL) is the K state as originally defined by Lozier et al. (Biophys. J. 1975, 15, 955). The earlier bathointermediate, KE, decays to KL with an apparent time constant of 640 ± 90 ns at 5 °C; this decay process is approximately 50−100 ns at 25 °C. The transient change in vibrational difference bands associated with this transition are spread throughout the 1800−800 cm-1 range. However, the largest differences in the spectra of KE and KL appear to be mostly associated with a relaxation of the Schiff base end of the retinal chromophore and/or its immediate environment. Both our KE and KL IR spectra are different from the spectra of bathoproducts obtained at cryogenic temperatures. Our fitted time ...
A review of compounds exhibiting anti-orthopoxvirus activity in animal models.

Abstract Several animal models using mice (most frequently), rabbits, or monkeys have been used to identify compounds active against orthopoxvirus infections. The treatment of vaccinia virus infections has been well studied in models involving infection of scarified skin or eyes, or resulting from intravenous, intraperitoneal, intracerebral, or intranasal virus inoculation. Cowpox virus has been used in intranasal or aerosol infection studies to evaluate the treatment of lethal respiratory infections. Rabbitpox, monkeypox, and variola viruses have been employed to a lesser extent than the other viruses in chemotherapy experiments. A review of the literature over the past 50 years has identified a number of compounds effective in treating one or more of these infections, which include thiosemicarbazones, nucleoside and nucleotide analogs, interferon, interferon inducers, and other unrelated compounds. Substances that appear to have the greatest potential as anti-orthopoxvirus agents are the acyclic nucleotides, (S)-1-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)cytosine (cidofovir, HPMPC) and 1-[((S)-2-hydroxy-2-oxo-1,4,2-dioxaphosphorinan-5-yl)methyl]cytosine (cyclic HPMPC), and the acyclic nucleoside analog, 2-amino-7-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]purine (S2242). Other classes of compounds that have not been sufficiently studied in lethal infection models and deserve further consideration are thiosemicarbazones related to methisazone, and analogs of adenosine-N1-oxide and 1-(benzyloxy)adenosine.
Elusive Democracy Conceptual Change and the Chinese Democracy Movement, 1978-79 to 1989

"Politics is a communicatively constituted activity." This claim has been taken to heart by many scholars who pay attention to linguistic actions in political practice (Habermas, 1984; Ball and Pocock, 1988: 1; Skinner, 1988). Politics may be about asserting one's rights against a dominant power or making allocative decisions or organizing and building coalitions for a common purpose. Undergirding all these activities are concepts, words, and speech that make possible the asserting, the decision making, the organizing, and the coalition building. With an eye to the significance of the communicative dimension of politics, this article revisits two rhetorical sites of China's decade-long democracy movement from 1978-79 to 1989. One is the Democracy Wall movement of the winter of 1978-79; the other is the student-led Pro-Democracy movement of 1989. On both occasions, democracy was the rallying cause for tens of thousands of participants. The word minzhu-the closest Chinese translation of democracy-was repeatedly invoked by the activists. In this article, I try to analyze and understand this central concept in the context of these two movements. I retain the Chinese word minzhu whenever possible and use democracy only when the word minzhu gets in the way of presentation.'
Atherosclerosis in mice: getting to the heart of a polygenic disorder

The mouse is being increasingly used as a model system for understanding the common and complex polygenic condition of atherosclerosis. Mice have been created in which genes involved in this condition have been overexpressed or have been altered by gene targeting. Here, we concentrate on recent experiments that use transgenic and gene knockout mice as an in vivo assay system to unravel the interactions between various genes involved in atherogenesis. We focus in particular on examples in which unique insights into the human condition have been derived from studies in mice.
Evaluation of solutions for deep constant-head boreholes

Abstract Estimation of the field saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) is essential for ground-water management and for numerical modeling of ground-water flow and contaminant transport. The constant-head borehole test can be used to measure Kfs of deep soils. For a deep borehole of H a = 10–500 , where H is the water height in the borehole and a is the radius, the accuracy of the estimated Kfs varies depending on the shape factor associated with H a . Many analytical solutions have been obtained on the basis of approximate boundary conditions available to evaluate the shape factor. To find the best solution that provides an accurate shape factor, the accuracy of the different solutions was evaluated using a series of numerical simulations that satisfy the pressure boundary condition of the borehole test. Our comparison, on the basis of the analytical and numerical solutions, shows that for homogeneous soils the Kfs calculated by Xiang's solution (Xiang, 1993, Eos Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, 74(43): 285) and that by Reynolds et al. (1983, Soil Sci., 136: 250–268) are almost identical to the numerical results. Xiang's solution, however, was found to be more accurate for evaluating the flow distribution than was that of Reynolds et al.
Some interactions between small numbers of baroclinic, geostrophic vortices

Abstract Various interactions between small numbers (two and four) of baroclinic, geostrophic point vortices in a two-layer system are studied with attention to the qualitative changes in behavior which occur as size of the deformation radius is varied. A particularly interesting interaction, which illustrates the richness of baroclinic vortex dynamics, is a collision between two hetons. (A heton is a vortex pair in which the constituent vortices have opposite signs and are in opposite layers. The “breadth” of a heton is the distance between its constituent vortices. A translating heton transports heat.) When two hetons, which initially have different breadths, collide, the result is either an exchange of partners, or a “slip-through” collision in which the initial structures are preserved. It is shown here that the outcome is always an exchange, provided the deformation radius is sufficiently small. This strongly contrasts with a collision between pairs of classical, one-layer vortices in which no exchan...
Variance in trace constituents following the final stratospheric warming

Concentration variations with time in trace stratospheric constituents N2O, CF2Cl2, CFCl3, and CH4 were investigated using samples collected aboard balloons flown over southern France during the summer months of 1977-1979. Data are analyzed using a tracer transport model, and the mechanisms behind the modeled tracer variance are examined. An analysis of the N2O profiles for the month of June showed that a large fraction of the variance reported by Ehhalt et al. (1983) is on an interannual time scale.
Estimation of retinal oxygen transients from measurements made in the vitreous humor

Measurements of the oxygen tension in the vitreous humor close to the retina were used to estimate the values at the retinal surface in the cat. The retina was modelled as an infinite plane in a semi-infinite medium and the analytical solution was obtained for the transient following a change in breathing gas from room air to 95% O2/5% CO2. The solution was, compared with experimental measurements. Our measurements indicate that at steady state, breathing room air, the oxygen tension at the surface of the retina is between 15 and 20 mmHg and the gradient from it averages −2·8 mmHg/mm. Transient oxygen tension measurements at several locations within 1·7 mm of the retinal surface agreed well with our mathematical model which could then be used to predict the transient at the retinal surface. In this way, our model can be used to estimate retinal transients from measurements in the preretinal vitreous humor and the distortion introduced by not measuring on the retinal surface itself can be eliminated. The model predicts that the distortion would be relatively small if the electrode were less than about 100 μm from the retina, provided the retinal transient had a time constant greater than a minute. In the steady state, the error would be less than 0·3 mmHg at this distance. These results are not only important for oxygen but apply, with minor adjustments, to all small molecules and ions which passively diffuse from the retina into the vitreous humor.
Legitimacy and Public Administration Constructing the American Bureaucratic Fields

Legitimacy claims can only be made and processes of legitimation can only unfold in a specified context. This article uses Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of the social field to name this context and to ...
Boosting Indicator-Based Selection Operators for Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization Algorithms

Various evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithms (EMOAs) have adopted indicator-based selection operators that augment or replace dominance ranking with quality indicators. A quality indicator measures the goodness of each solution candidate. Many quality indicators have been proposed with the intention to capture different preferences in optimization. Therefore, indicator-based selection operators tend to have biased selection pressures that evolve solution candidates toward particular regions in the objective space. An open question is whether a set of existing indicator based selection operators can create a single operator that outperforms those existing ones. To address this question, this paper studies a method to aggregate (or boost) existing indicator-based selection operators. Experimental results show that a boosted selection operator outperforms exiting ones in optimality, diversity and convergence velocity. It also exhibits robustness against different characteristics in different optimization problems and yields stable performance to solve them.
Standardization of a Device to Measure Firmness of Curd During Clotting of Milk

Abstract A method is described for standardizing a device, the curd-firmness tester, which measures firmness of milk gels by transmission of oscillatory deformations through the gel. The controlled oscillation of the flexible diaphragm of the transmitting capsule was standardized to a hydraulic displacement of 1.61±.01mm. A series of incremental pressure changes was used to standardize the response of the receiving capsule to specific recorder units. Thus, the curd-firmness tester could be standardized easily by laboratory or technical personnel in commercial operations.
Discursive management of resistance to a multicultural education programme

In the five decades since the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case ended legalized racial segregation in US schools, achieving multiculturalism and diversity have become primary goals in education. Resistance on the part of students to multicultural educational interventions may pose a significant threat to their success. This study investigates how student participants of a multicultural educational intervention discursively manage their resistance to the programme in such a way that they avoid appearing prejudiced. Five strategies are identified whereby students discursively managed their negative evaluations of lessons addressing race and ethnicity: 1) denying prejudice, 2) portraying lessons as uninteresting, 3) constructing diversity as protective against prejudice, 4) normalizing self-segregation and 5) normalizing prejudice and intergroup tension. The article concludes with a discussion of the practical and ideological implications of the discursive practices identified in the study.