cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cellulose triacetate oligomers exhibit high solubility in dense CO2

Cellulose triacetate (CTA) is CO2-insoluble primarily due to its crystallinity, but oligomers of CTA have been shown to be highly CO2-soluble. These oligomers were generated via the pivalolysis of high molecular weight CTA. The resultant mixture of oligomers was fractionated with organic solvents, and the CO2-solubility of the each fraction was determined at 300 K. The fluid phase behavior of mixtures containing CO2 and oligo-CTA composed of one to four per-acetylated monosaccharide repeat units was determined over the 0.1–5 wt% oligo-CTA range. In this concentration range, only bubble points were observed for the monomer. Both bubble points and dew points were observed for the dimer, trimer and tetramer. At a concentration of 5 wt% of oligo-CTA, two-phase pressures of 6.14, 7.38, 9.51 and 13.24 MPa were measured for the monomer, dimer, trimer and tetramer, respectively.
Freshly Isolated Peyer's Patch, but Not Spleen, Dendritic Cells Produce Interleukin 10 and Induce the Differentiation of T Helper Type 2 Cells

Orally administered antigens often generate immune responses that are distinct from those injected systemically. The role of antigen-presenting cells in determining the type of T helper cell response induced at mucosal versus systemic sites is unclear. Here we examine the phenotypic and functional differences between dendritic cells (DCs) freshly isolated from Peyer's patches (PP) and spleen (SP). Surface phenotypic analysis of CD11c+ DC populations revealed that PP DCs expressed higher levels of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, but similar levels of costimulatory molecules and adhesion molecules compared with SP DCs. Freshly isolated, flow cytometrically sorted 98–100% pure CD11c+ DC populations from PP and SP were compared for their ability to stimulate naive T cells. First, PP DCs were found to be much more potent in stimulating allogeneic T cell proliferation compared with SP DCs. Second, by using naive T cells from ovalbumin peptide–specific T cell receptor transgenic mice, these ex vivo DCs derived from PP, but not from SP, were found to prime for the production of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 (Th2 cytokines). In addition, PP DCs were found to prime T cells for the production of much lower levels of interferon (IFN)-γ (Th1) compared with SP DCs. The presence of neutralizing antibody against IL-10 in the priming culture dramatically enhanced IFN-γ production by T cells stimulated with PP DCs. Furthermore, stimulation of freshly isolated PP DCs via the CD40 molecule resulted in secretion of high levels of IL-10, whereas the same stimulus induced no IL-10 secretion from SP DCs. These results suggest that DCs residing in different tissues are capable of inducing distinct immune responses and that this may be related to the distinct cytokines produced by the DCs from these tissues.
Maximizing buyer–supplier relationships in the Digital Era: Concept and research agenda

Abstract As technology continues to advance and new products emerge, the interactions between buyers and suppliers have changed. The management of buyer–supplier relationships has increasingly become more dependent on new technologies, such as Partner Relationship Management (PRM) systems and computer-mediated communications (CMC). Furthermore, when new technologies emerge, suppliers are expected to educate their buyers about the benefits of the technology, train them on how to use it, and aid with the integration of the technology into pre-existing work processes. Given these issues, this special issue of Industrial Marketing Management explores the changing nature of buyer–supplier relationships in the Digital Era. This article presents a snapshot of the changes in buyer–supplier relationships brought on by new technology, provides an overview of the selected articles in this special issue, and offers a few directions for future research.
Fabrication and testing of a shape memory alloy actuated reconfigurable wing

The unique thermal and mechanical properties exhibited by shape memory alloys (SMAs) present exciting design possibilities in the field of aerospace engineering. When properly trained, SMA wires act as linear actuators by contracting when heated and returning to their original shape when cooled. These SMA wire actuators can be attached to points on the inside of an airfoil, and can be activated to alter the shape of the airfoil. This shape-change can effectively increase the efficiency of a wing in flight at several different flow regimes. Design optimization has previously been conducted to determine the placement of actuators within the reconfigurable airfoil. A wind tunnel model reconfigurable wing was fabricated based on the design optimization to verify the predicted structural and aerodynamic response. Wind tunnel tests indicated an increase in lift for a given flow velocity and angle of attack by activating the SMA wire actuators. The pressure data taken during the wind tunnel tests followed the trends expected from the numerical pressure results.
Presampling sensory information and prey density assessment by wolf spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae)

Decisions regarding foraging patch residence time and the assessment of patch quality may be mediated by various sources of information. This study examined the use of sensory cues by hunting spiders to assess prey density in the absence of prey capture. Adult female wolf spiders [Schixocosa ocmeata (Hentz); Lycosidae] had food withheld for 4 days and then were exposed to artificial foraging patches containing four densities of crickets (0, 3,10, 20) with different sensory stimuli (visual and vibratory information, visual only, and vibratory only). The spiders were not allowed to feed during trials, and patch residence time was recorded. The spiders varied patch residence time based on sensory cues alone and spent more time in patches with higher prey density. With visual information only, spiders could apparently distinguish among prey densities almost as well as with visual and vibratory cues combined, but residence time did not differ among prey densities when only vibratory information was presented. Measurements of vibration levels produced by cricket activity under experimental sensory treatments conform to test results, suggesting that visual detection of crickets is important in patch assessment used in determining patch residence time.
Role of Visual Richness in Picture Recognition Memory

25 fourth graders, 21 eighth graders, and 21 college students were shown slides of objects presented as (a) color photographs, (b) black-and-white photographs, (c) simple outline drawings, or (d) printed words. After an 8-wk. delay, students were asked to discriminate the study slides from similar distractor slides. No significant differences were found among the types of pictures. Recognition of black-and-white photographs was superior to words.
Reproductivity and relatedness in a communal halictine bee Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) hemichalceum

The biology of communal species is not well known. Here we report the reproductivity (number of offspring per female) and genetic relatedness forLasioglossum (Chilalictus) hemichalceum, a communal halictine bee. There is a positive Model II regression, with a slope indistinguishable from one, between natural logarithms of the number of offspring and the number of adult females in a colony; indicating that as colony size increases the reproductivity per female does not decrease. This pattern is like that found in one other communal species and unlike that found in a wide variety of eusocial species. Relatedness among adult nestmates, based on two variable loci, is low. For 52 colonies it is about 0.13, and for a subset of 25 reproductively active colonies it was not distinguishable from zero. This indicates that the role of kin selection is minor at best in this highly cooperative, communal species. A review of the relatedness data available for communal groups, both foundress associations and species that are communal throughout their colony cycle, indicates that communal sociality is often but not always associated with low intra colony relatedness.
Reprint of Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in the Western Black Sea

Abstract Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) concentrations were measured in the Black Sea during May–June 2001. Sampling was conducted along a Shelf–Gyre transect, and was focused at the suboxic–anoxic interface at the deep stations; hypotheses were tested regarding trends in these variables across the transect and between sub-surface water layers. DOC and DON concentrations were higher (272 μM and 15 μM, respectively) on the Shelf compared to the Gyre (200 μM and 11 μM, respectively), as a result of terrigenous inputs and in situ net production. The bulk DOC:DON ratio was constant with distance and depth (approximately 15–19). DOM concentrations decreased with depth (average anoxic layer concentrations of 123 μM and 6.1 μM for DOC and DON, respectively), in contrast to earlier observations of increasing DOC concentration with depth. The deep Basin (2000 m) DOC concentrations were high compared to deep open ocean values (120 vs 45 μM). We suggest that the high deep DOC is a product of mixing of terrigenous (300 μM) and Aegean Sea (60 μM) DOC, with some in situ decomposition over the 600 year residence time for the deep water mass. High surface concentrations of DOC and DON and high DOC:DON ratios throughout the sampling region indicate the pervasive influence of remnant terrigenous DOM with some net production. The timescales for DOM Shelf–Basin exchange and decomposition could not be estimated due to a lack of geochemical tracer data.
Biological activity and structural stability of N-deglycosylated recombinant human erythropoietin.

Summary Controversy exists regarding the functional role of N-linked oligosaccharides in the hormone erythropoietin. We have now examined the role of carbohydrates in the hormone's action using quantitative enzymatic deglycosylation. N-deglycosylated hormone exhibited full biological activity and potency in vitro . Denaturing with 6M urea and renaturing revealed that both the native and N-deglycosylated forms recovered full activity as long as the intrachain disulfide bonds remained intact. Therefore, receptor recognition, subsequent biological activity and maintenance of tertiary structure are intrinsic properties of the polypeptide chain of erythropoietin.
Racial Economies of Academia: Africana Studies as Arbiter

Recent scholarship that suggests the continuity of assaults on the Black body is often articulated from academic spaces. This should neither surprise nor comfort us. Whereas the academy has been an intellectual space which has been complicit in the physical and intellectual justifications of nonwhite inferiority, it has also emerged as the space where it is now en vogue to question the normative valuations of whiteness. But, has anything changed? Are there any contradictions in such an ordering of knowledge? This paper examines how the original understandings of Blackness have been filtered into the ways of approaching and understanding African-descended people in the contemporary, neoliberal academy. Whether through the constructions of ethnic studies, the opening of the social sciences and humanities, or the development of liberal approaches to race within university administrative practices, it questions whether or not the academy has abdicated its role as a third pillar of racial capitalism.
Of mice, men and cholesterol.

We employed homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells to produce mice lacking functional LDL receptor genes. Homozygous male and female mice lacking LDL receptors (LDLR−/− mice) were viable and fertile. Total plasma cholesterol levels were twofold higher than those of wild-type littermates, owing to a seven- to ninefold increase in intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL) and LDL without a significant change in HDL. Plasma triglyceride levels were normal. The half-lives for intravenously administered 125I-VLDL and 125I-LDL were prolonged by 30-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively, but the clearance of 125I-HDL was normal in the LDLR−/− mice. Unlike wild-type mice, LDLR−/− mice responded to moderate amounts of dietary cholesterol (0.2% cholesterol/10% coconut oil) with a major increase in the cholesterol content of IDL and LDL particles. The elevated IDL/LDL level of LDLR−/− mice was reduced to normal 4 d after the intravenous injection of a recombinant replication-defective adenovirus encoding the human LDL receptor driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter. The virus restored expression of LDL receptor protein in the liver and increased the clearance of 125I-VLDL. We conclude that the LDL receptor is responsible in part for the low levels of VLDL, IDL, and LDL in wild-type mice and that adenovirus-encoded LDL receptors can acutely reverse the hypercholesterolemic effects of LDL receptor deficiency.
506 SHORT CHILDREN SECRETE INSUFFICIENT QUANTITIES OF GROWTH HORMONE

We compared the 24-h integrated concentration of growth hormone (IC-GH) from 46 children of normal stature (NS) with 90 short children. Nineteen of the short children had classical GH deficiency (GHD) by standard pharmacologic growth hormone stimulation tests. Seventy-one children had normal GH (NGH) responses to stimulation. The mean IC-GH of NS (6.6±1.9 ng/ml) > NGH (3.8±2.3 ng/ml) > GHD (1.6±0.6 ng/ml), differences between groups were all statistically significant (P<0.0001). Forty-five percent of NGH children had IC-GHs within the range of the GHD group and this may be the explanation for their poor growth. Thus, NGH is a mixed group of patients with a spectrum of spontaneous GH secretion ranging from normal to impaired. Fourteen NGH children with low IC-GH (<3 ng/ml) were treated with GH. Ten of them had an increase in growth rate of 50% or more from pretreatment growth rate.
Affective lability in bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Abstract Background The boundaries between the affective instability in bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder have not been clearly defined. Using self-report measures, previous research has suggested that the affective lability of patients with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder may have different characteristics. Methods We assessed the mood states of 29 subjects meeting Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for BPD and 25 subjects meeting DSM-IV criteria for bipolar II disorder or cyclothymia using the Affective Lability Scale (ALS), the Affect Intensity Measure (AIM), and a newly developed clinician-administered instrument, the Affective Lability Interview for Borderline Personality Disorder (ALI-BPD). The ALI-BPD measures frequency and intensity of shifts in 8 affective dimensions. Subjects in the borderline group could not meet criteria for bipolar disorder; subjects in the bipolar/cyclothymia group could not meet criteria for BPD. Results Patients in the bipolar group had significantly higher scores on the euthymia–elation subscale of the ALS; patients in the BPD group had significantly higher scores on the anxiety–depression subscale of the ALS. Patients with bipolar disorder had significantly higher total AIM scores and significantly higher score on the AIM positive emotion subscale. In terms of frequency, patients in the borderline group reported the following: (1) significantly less frequent affective shifts between euthymia–elation and depression–elation on the ALI-BPD and (2) significantly more frequent shifts between euthymia–anger, anxiety–depression, and depression–anxiety. In terms of intensity, borderline patients reported the following: (1) significantly less intense shifts between euthymia–elation and depression–elation on the ALI-BPD and (2) significantly more intense shifts between euthymia–anxiety, euthymia–anger, anxiety–depression, and depression–anxiety. Conclusion The affective lability of patients with borderline and bipolar II/cyclothymic can be differentiated with respect to frequency and intensity using both self-report and clinician-administered measures.
A comparison of three methods to investigate the diet of breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan

In order to understand the role of waterbirds in aquatic food webs it is important to first get an accurate depiction of their diet. Three methods of dietary assessment (pellets, regurgitate and stomach contents) are compared here for breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) of the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan. By numerical frequency (percent number), each method yielded different depictions of the diet. However, in terms of presence and absence (percent frequency) of possible prey types, stomach content data did agree with both pellets and regurgitate data. However, differences were noted between regurgitate and pellets. In terms of biomass measured (percent biomass) in regurgitate and stomachs, data gathered agreed. In essence, pellets underestimate the importance of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and overestimate the importance of crayfish (Orconectes sp.) in the diet when compared to both regurgitate and stomach analysis. The non-lethal method of regurgitate collection and analysis appears most practical in assessing cormorant diet in this system. In combination with information on avian foraging ecology and prey populations, these data may be used to investigate the relationships among cormorants and their prey, and lead to a better understanding of Great Lake food web dynamics.
The U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and human exposure to environmental chemicals.

Abstract Researchers are increasingly interested in using human biomonitoring – the measurement of chemicals, their metabolites or specific reaction products in biological specimens/body fluids – for investigating exposure to environmental chemicals. General population human biomonitoring programs are useful for investigating human exposure to environmental chemicals and an important tool for integrating environment and health. One of these programs, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted in the United States is designed to collect data on the health and nutritional status of the noninstitutionalized, civilian U.S. population. NHANES includes a physical examination, collecting a detailed medical history, and collecting biological specimens (i.e., blood and urine). These biological specimens can be used to assess exposure to environmental chemicals. NHANES human biomonitoring data can be used to establish reference ranges for selected chemicals, provide exposure data for risk assessment, and monitor exposure trends.
Effects of liquid chromatography mobile phases and buffer salts on phosphorus inductively coupled plasma atomic emission and mass spectrometries utilizing ultrasonic nebulization and membrane desolvation

Atomic spectrometry, specifically inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) show promise for heteroatom-based detection of pharmaceutical compounds. The combination of ultrasonic nebulization (USN) with membrane desolvation (MD) greatly enhances detection limits with these approaches. Because pharmaceutical analyses often incorporate liquid chromatography, the study herein was performed to examine the effects of solvent composition on the analytical behaviors of these approaches. The target analyte was phosphorus, introduced as phosphomycin. AES response was examined at the 253.7 nm atom line and mass 31 ions were monitored for the MS experiments. With pure aqueous solutions, detection limits of 5 ppb (0.5 ng in 0.1 mL injection volumes) were obtained with ICP-MS. The ICP-AES detection limit was 150 ppb. Solvent compositions were varied from 0 to 80% organic (acetonitrile and methanol) with nine buffers at concentrations typically used in liquid chromatography. In general, solvents and buffers had statistically significant, albeit small, effects on ICP-AES sensitivities. A few exceptions occurred in cases where typical liquid chromatography buffer concentrations produced higher mass loadings on the plasma. Indications are that isocratic separations can be reliably performed. Within reasonable accuracy tolerances, it appears that gradient chromatography can be performed without the need for signal response normalization. Organic solvent and buffer effects were more significant with ICP-MS. Sensitivities varied significantly with different buffers and organic solvent content. In these cases, gradient chromatography will require careful analytical calibration as solvent and buffer content is varied. However, for most buffer and solvent combinations, signal and detection limits are only moderately affected. Isocratic separations and detection are feasible.
Rosenbluth nonlinearity from two-photon exchange

We calculate, using a generalized parton distribution based formalism, the nonlinearity of the Rosenbluth plots that arise from hard two-photon exchange corrections that are not included in the classic calculations of the radiative corrections to electron-proton elastic scattering.
Testing a Curriculum to Teach Cultural Competence to Non-Mainstream College Students Interning in Mainstream Agencies

ABSTRACT Cultural competence, from the perspective of students of color interning in mainstream agencies, was emphasized in a curriculum piloted in an undergraduate practicum seminar. Student interns who read a chapter on cultural competence in a standard textbook in lieu of receiving the curriculum served as the comparison group. Results indicated that student interns who took the curriculum were more prone to see problems in intercultural communication as systemic and more likely to feel competent handling possible racial discrimination in their field placement than were students in the comparison group.
Structures of the cuticular hydrocarbons of the termite Zootermopsis angusticollis (Hagen)

Abstract The structures of the cuticular hydrocarbons of the termite Zootermopsis angusticollis were investigated. The major hydrocarbon components consist of homologous series of n- alkanes , 3-methylalkanes, 5-methylalkanes and an unusual dimethylalkane with branch points towards the alpha and omega termini of the chain. The chain lengths of the major components were from C21 to C25. No olefinic hydrocarbons were detected.
A review of manifestations of diabetes mellitus in the anterior eye and cornea

Diabetes mellitus can lead to blindness through its effects on the retina and lens, yet diabetes is a systemic disease influencing the entire eye. The current interest in extended wear contact lenses emphasizes the need for the practitioners to have a thorough knowledge of the pathophysiology of the anterior eye and cornea of the diabetic. The current literature is reviewed, and its relevance to contact lens wear is discussed.
Listings from the Emerging Economies: An Opportunity for Reputable Stock Exchanges

Abstract We provide current evidence to show that the numbers of sponsored depositary receipts created and cross-listed have increased by more than two-fold over the last decade and a substantial proportion of this growth came from the emerging and developing economies. We argue that the needs of this clientele and the inadequacies of existing legal and financial system create an opportunity for reputable stock exchanges to play the role of an information and reputation intermediary and in so doing allow exchanges to leverage on their reputation capital to compete more effectively for the growing business from the emerging and developing economies. We contribute further by developing a parsimonious model to analyze the interaction between an exchange playing the new role and firms seeking to list their equity on the exchange. We show that a subgame perfect equilibrium is obtained and provide an explanation for the spike in delisting in the latter half of 2007. Our model fills an important gap by addressing some shortcomings in existing theoretical models.
Polynuclear rhodium complexes of phenothiazines: synthesis and characterization

Polynuclear complexes of RHII and RHIII with fiveN-alkylphenothiazines as principal ligands have been prepared. The complexes were characterized by their elemental analyses, molar conductivities, and spectral data. The molecular formulae of the new complexes are as follows: [Rh3(PTZ)2(OH2)2Cl8]Cl, where PTZ=chlorpromazine or promethazine; [Rh3(EP)2(OH2)2Cl8][Rh(OH2)2Cl4], where EP=ethopropazine; [Rh4(TF)2(OH2)5Cl9]Cl·H2O, where TF=trifluoperazine; and [Rh2(TC)3(OH2)Cl6]. H2O, where TC=2-chlorophenothiazine. A tentative structure for each of the complexes is proposed.
Cognitive Sequelae of Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury: Recovery and Rehabilitation

Blast-related traumatic brain injury (bTBI) poses a significant concern for military personnel engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Given the highly stressful context in which such injury occurs, psychiatric comorbidities are common. This paper provides an overview of mild bTBI and discusses the cognitive sequelae and course of recovery typical of mild TBI (mTBI). Complicating factors that arise in the context of co-morbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are considered with regard to diagnosis and treatment. Relatively few studies have evaluated the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in civilian mTBI, but we discuss cognitive training approaches that hold promise for addressing mild impairments in executive function and memory, akin to those seen in OEF/OIF veterans with bTBI and PTSD. Further research is needed to address the patient and environmental characteristics associated with optimal treatment outcome.
An anatomic study of the ligamentous structure of the triangular fibrocartilage complex

An anatomic study of the ligamentous structures of the triangular fibrocartilage complex and their attachments on the ulnar styloid was performed using 27 embalmed cadaver wrists. The dorsal and palmar distal radioulnar ligaments of the triangular fibrocartilage complex in each specimen contained a superficial and a deep portion. The deep portion of both ligaments inserted on the fovea of the ulna. The superficial portion of both ligaments surrounded the articular disc uniting at the ulnar-most portion of the articular disc. The tissue that is between the ulnar aspect of the superficial ligament (and integrated on its periphery) and the ulnar capsule is defined as the meniscus homologue. Anatomic variations in the meniscus homologue and the prestyloid recess (the cavity adjacent to the ulnar styloid) were seen in 1 of 3 ways; the narrow opening type in 74% of specimens, the wide opening type in 11% and the no opening type in 15%. The ulnotriquetral ligament inserted on the palmar-radial aspect of the base of the ulnar styloid and the ulnolunate ligament inserted on the palmar border of the articular disc.
Configuration of the sensor network for personal identification using sole pressure distribution data

To provide personal services in a ubiquitous environment, it is necessary to identify users without giving a psychological pressure to them. This paper proposes a configuration of the sensor network used to identify a user based on his or her sole pressure distribution on a sensor mat that uses a hetero-core optical fiber. Specifically, it presents a filtering algorithm used to determine the pressure and the center of gravity of the sole, which are significant and stable observational data useful for personal identification. In addition, it discusses the assignment of functions to the sensor node and the home server, and the communication protocols used. Finally, it evaluates the sensor network configuration based on experiments with an experimental personal identification system developed.
Internalization of children’s problem solving and individual differences in learning

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify qualitative distinctions of six- to seven-year-old children’s learning that could be attributed to differences in their cross-domain levels of internalization of problem-solving activity. Two such distinctions were found: (a) the highest level (symbolic, visual-imagery, or visual-motor) at which the children were able to understand the algorithm for a new problem-solving process; and (b) the highest level (symbolic, visual-imagery, or visual-motor) at which they were able to perform a new problem-solving process after understanding its algorithm. These distinctions were coincident and stable for a particular child and were related to that child’s ability to transfer new knowledge.
Compensation of state-dependent delays under local stabilizability assumption

In our prior work on compensation of state-dependent delays we considered globally stabilizable, forward complete systems, and designed controllers that achieve local stabilization for delay functions of the state that are arbitrary nonnegative-valued smooth functions. In this paper we remove the global assumptions and achieve the same results for plants that are locally stabilizable in the absence of delay. More specifically, we provide an affirmative answer to the question: Can nonlinear, locally stabilizable plants in the absence of input delay be stabilized by predictor-feedback in the presence of a state-dependent input delay? The key design challenge of predictor-feedback design in globally stabilizable plants is the determination of the predictor state, since the prediction horizon, that depends on the solutions of the system, is not a priori known. In the case of locally stabilizable plants, one is faced with an additional challenge: not only does the control signal have to reach the plant in finite time, but it has to reach it within the region of attraction of the delay-free plant. We resolve this challenge by providing an estimate of the time when the control signal reaches the plant. We also provide an example of a system which is neither globally stabilizable nor locally exponential stabilizable in the absence of the delay.
Increased expression of an acetylcholinesterase gene may confer organophosphate resistance in the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Acetylcholinesterases (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) were purified from an organophosphate (OP)-susceptible (OSS) clone and an OP-resistant (OR-0) clone of the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani). Enzyme inhibition kinetics showed that AChE from the OR-0 clone was 1.1- to 12.8-fold less sensitive to inhibition by chlorpyrifos oxon, paraoxon, methyl paraoxon, malaoxon, demeton-S-methyl and omethoate than AChE from the OSS clone based on their bimolecular rate constants (ki). Analyses of DNA sequences of PCR-amplified fragments from the AChE coding regions did not reveal any differences between the OSS and the three OP-resistant clones (OR-0, OR-1, and OR-2). Northern blot analysis, however, showed that the amount of AChE mRNA in the resistant clones was approximately 1.5-fold higher than that in the OSS clone. Southern blots did not provide any evidence of gene amplification for the increased mRNA. The increased AChE mRNA appears to be positively correlated with the amount of AChE in crude enzyme preparations. These results indicated that the increased AChE activity in OP-resistant clones was due to increased expression of the AChE gene. It is possible that an increased transcription rate and/or increased stability of the mRNA results in the increase of AChE mRNA in the OP-resistant clones of the greenbug.
Mechanism of action of a yeast RNA ligase in tRNA splicing

Abstract The yeast endonuclease and ligase activities that carry out the splicing of tRNA precursors in vitro have been physically separated. The properties of a partially purified ligase fraction were examined. The ligase requires a divalent cation and a nucleoside triphosphate as cofactor. The product of ligation is a 2′-phosphomonoester, 3′,5′-phosphodiester linkage. The phosphate in the newly formed phosphodiester bond comes from the γ position of ATP, while the 2′ phosphate is derived from the RNA substrate. An adenylylated enzyme intermediate was identified by incorporation of label from α- 32 P-ATP. Adenylylation was reversed by pyrophosphate, releasing ATP, whereas ligation was accompanied by release of AMP. Polynucleotide kinase and cyclic phosphodiesterase activities copurify with the adenylylated protein and may be required for the tRNA splicing reaction.
On The Development of Parameterized Linear Analytical Longitudinal Airship Models

In order to explore Titan, a moon of Saturn, airships must be able to traverse the atmosphere autonomously. To achieve this, an accurate model and accurate control of the vehicle must be developed so that it is understood how the airship will react to specific sets of control inputs. This paper explains how longitudinal aircraft stability derivatives can be used with airship parameters to create a linear model of the airship solely by combining geometric and aerodynamic airship data. This method does not require system identification of the vehicle. All of the required data can be derived from computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing. This alternate method of developing dynamic airship models will reduce time and cost. Results are compared to other stable airship dynamic models to validate the methods. Future work will address a lateral airship model using the same methods.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of biodegradable embolic microspheres with tunable anticancer drug release

Abstract Natural polymer-derived materials have attracted increasing interest in the biomedical field. Polysaccharides have obvious advantages over other polymers employed for biomedical applications due to their exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability. None of the spherical embolic agents used clinically is biodegradable. In the current study, microspheres prepared from chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were investigated as a biodegradable embolic agent for arterial embolization applications. Aside from the enzymatic degradability of chitosan units, the cross-linking bonds in the matrix, Schiff bases, are susceptible to hydrolytic cleavage in aqueous conditions, which would overcome the possible shortage of enzymes inside the arteries. The size distribution, morphology, water retention capacity and degradability of the microspheres were found to be affected by the modification degree of CMC. An anticancer drug, doxorubicin, was successfully incorporated into these microspheres for local release and thus for killing cancerous cells. These microspheres demonstrated controllable degradation time, variable swelling and tunable drug release profiles. Co-culture with human umbilical vein endothelial cells revealed non-cytotoxic nature of these microspheres compared to monolayer control (P > 0.95). In addition, a preliminary study on the in vivo degradation of the microspheres (100–300 μm) was performed in a rabbit renal embolization model, which demonstrated that the microspheres were compatible with microcatheters for delivery, capable of occluding the arteries, and biodegradable inside arteries. These microspheres with biodegradability would be promising for embolization therapies.
Subliminal Motivation: A Story Revisited

Can people have their motivational states affected subliminally? Two experiments are presented that address this controversial question. In the first, participants watched an episode of The Simpsons television program. Embedded in the program were verbal and pictorial stimuli related to thirst that were presented below conscious awareness. The results show that, compared to their pre-exposure ratings and compared to a control group, participants became thirstier following exposure. A second experiment replicated this finding and showed that the effect was not a result of straightforward linguistic priming. The implications of the results for subliminal advertising and for theoretical issues of preconscious processing are discussed.
Displaced Music: The Ex-Concentration Camp Orchestra in Postwar Germany

On a warm summer afternoon in late May 1945, eight recently liberated Jewish Holocaust survivors gave their first concert on the hospital lawn of Bavaria’s St. Ottilien Monastery. After accepting seven new members, the ensemble soon became known as the Ex-Concentration Camp Orchestra, concertizing throughout the American Zone of Germany between 1945 and 1949. Crafting their performances around the experience of forced displacement by wearing concentration camp uniforms, the musicians performed at the very sites of their trauma, including former concentration camps and Wehrmacht barracks. Through their performances, the Orchestra managed to negotiate the ruined postwar landscape by creating a community of survivors bound by common experiences and traumas.
Elastic softening in nanocrystalline silicon

It is pointed out that some of the generic physical properties of a nanocrystalline material are similar to those of a grain-boundary superlattice. The structure and elastic properties of a superlattice of twist boundaries on the (110) plane of silicon are calculated as a function of modulation wavelength using a three-body potential. All elastic moduli are found to be softened. This softening is attributed to the relatively small amount of structural disorder at the interfaces. 8 refs., 4 figs.
Residual stress and strain distribution anomalies in TiN films deposited by physical vapor deposition

Abstract The residual stress, lattice parameters and strain-broadening of diffraction peaks have been studied in a series of TiN films deposited on a C3 cemented carbide substrate by reactive magnetron sputtering. The substrate bias voltage and the sputter target input power were varied. It was found that complex residual stress situations could exist where, for example, (220) planes could exhibit high compressive and shear stress, (422) planes, simple low tensile stress and (333)–(511) planes, simple low compressive stress conditions within a given film. The observed residual stress behavioral patterns fell into three groups depending upon the deposition conditions. In addition, the lattice parameters and peak broadening showed positive or negative deviations from the average values of the remaining planes, specific within each behavioral pattern range. It is thought that these effects are associated with the dramatic increases in the defect and stacking fault population found with increasing bias, and with the ultramicrocracking on (220) planes, which have been reported in the literature from transmission electron microscopy studies of TiN films made by physical vapor deposition methods.
Probing synergism, antagonism, and additive effects in poly(vinyl ester) (PVE) composites with fire retardants

Potential fire retardants, including copper hydroxy dodecyl sulfate (CHDS), organically-modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 15A), and resorcinol di-phosphate (RDP), were added to pure poly(vinyl ester) (PVE) individually or in combinations at low concentration formulations. Thermogravimetric analysis and cone calorimetry were used to study the thermal stability and fire performance of the composites. Synergistic, antagonistic, and additive effects were observed depending on the specific formulation. Time to self-sustained combustion is greatly reduced, but the flame extinguishes faster, for the composites containing CHDS alone or in combination with either RDP or Cloisite 15A compared to the virgin polymer. The presence of copper in PVE composites containing additive, CHDS, may be responsible for the enhanced thermal stability and fire performance.
Vatican museums: collection of modern religious art

(2006). Vatican museums: collection of modern religious art. Material Religion: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 251-253.
Gallium-enhanced phase contrast in atom probe tomography of nanocrystalline and amorphous Al-Mn alloys.

Abstract Over a narrow range of composition, electrodeposited Al–Mn alloys transition from a nanocrystalline structure to an amorphous one, passing through an intermediate dual-phase nanocrystal/amorphous structure. Although the structural change is significant, the chemical difference between the phases is subtle. In this study, the solute distribution in these alloys is revealed by developing a method to enhance phase contrast in atom probe tomography (APT). Standard APT data analysis techniques show that Mn distributes uniformly in single phase (nanocrystalline or amorphous) specimens, and despite some slight deviations from randomness, standard methods reveal no convincing evidence of Mn segregation in dual-phase samples either. However, implanted Ga ions deposited during sample preparation by focused ion-beam milling are found to act as chemical markers that preferentially occupy the amorphous phase. This additional information permits more robust identification of the phases and measurement of their compositions. As a result, a weak partitioning tendency of Mn into the amorphous phase (about 2 at%) is discerned in these alloys.
Taphonomic processes in modern freshwater molluscan death assemblages: Implications for the freshwater fossil record

Abstract Unionid life and death assemblages in several streams and reservoirs in east-central Ohio were investigated to examine taphonomic processes in freshwater environments. Twenty-six species were collected. As in most marine environments, most living molluscan species were represented in the death assemblage. Fourteen species were found in both the life and death assemblage at at least one study site, one species was found only in the living community, and one species was found live at one site, dead at another Ten species were found only in the death assemblage. With one exception, the time-averaged death assemblage was more species rich than the living molluscan community based on single-sample census data. The death assemblage preserves the rank orders (live/dead) of abundance and biomass of the preservable molluscan components in some environments but not in those the most environmentally disturbed. Unionid live/dead fidelity is high and compares favorably with live/dead fidelity in marine and estuarine environments. In nine of thirteen within-study site comparisons of life and death assemblages, there were no significant size differences between the single-census life and time-averaged death assemblages. These results are in contrast to estuarine assemblages along the Texas coast where 13 of 15 comparisons of the death assemblage and the estimated mortality from the living community indicated little similarity between life and death assemblage size distributions. It is likely that death assemblage formation and associated taphonomic processes, coupled with the unique life-cycle of unionid molluscs, are distinctive in freshwater environments. Recognition of the unique taphonomic characteristics of unionids should prove useful in freshwater paleocommunity analyses.
BARYONIC FIXED POLES IN MESON--BARYON SCATTERING.

By using a fixed-pole sum rule, it is established that there is a fixed pole at $J=\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}$ in the $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ partial wave amplitude containing the nucleon trajectory. Whether the dip at $u=\ensuremath{-}0.13$ Ge${\mathrm{V}}^{2}$ in backward ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p$ scattering is due to a nucleon wrong-signature nonsense zero then depends on how this fixed pole and the nucleon pole combine. A class of meson-baryon amplitudes expected to be free of nonsense fixed poles is identified.
A Light-Scattering System for High-Speed Cell Analysis

A flow-system instrument is described in which the light scattered by a biological cell is detected simultaneously at 32 angles in the forward direction as the cell passes through a focused laser beam at 10 m/s. Cluster analysis is applied to the scatter pattern data to enable discrimination among cell types.
Characteristics of children under 2 years of age undergoing tonsillectomy for upper airway obstruction

Abstract Introduction To study characteristics of children less than 2 years who underwent a tonsillectomy for sleep disordered breathing (SDB) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to assess for factors associated with requesting a preoperative polysomnogram (PSG) and to identify predictors of upper airway obstruction in this group. Materials and methods A retrospective chart review of children under 2 years who underwent a tonsillectomy over a 7-year period at a tertiary care pediatric hospital was undertaken. Patient demographics, characteristics and polysomnography results, when applicable, were collected. In order to determine if the gathered demographics of our cohort differed from the non-surgical population, we compared our data with available Colorado data for each variable. Children were stratified by OSA severity using their obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI). Results 197 (2.2%) of 9038 patients who underwent tonsillectomy for SDB or OSA were ≤24 months. The proportions of male, African-American, Hispanic, obese, underweight, premature, syndromic and daycare patients in our cohort were significantly different than in the general population. In a multivariate model, the odds of African-Americans having severe OSA were 12.5 times greater than the odds of Caucasians. The odds of patients with syndromes or craniofacial anomalies were 11 times greater ( p p = 0.04) of undergoing a PSG before tonsillectomy. Weight did not influence polysomnogram requests. Conclusions In children under 2 years, ethnicity seems to be a predictor of OSA severity. African-American, prematurity, daycare and Down syndrome patients were significantly more represented in our study population. PSG is more likely to be requested for syndromic children.
A comment on multidimensional poverty indices

The three papers on multidimensional poverty published in the 2011 June issue of the Journal of Economic Inequality [1–3] present strong cases in favor of their respective methodologies to capture and measure well-being and poverty. Ultimately the choice of preferred indicators, whether unidimensional or multidimensional (and, in the latter case, which dimensions to incorporate in such indicators), depends ultimately on the purposes they should serve. Money-metric (income or consumption based) poverty measures have been useful to the World Bank in estimating approximately the magnitude of global poverty as well as individual regions’ and countries’ progress towards the reduction of poverty. The Human Development Index has provided the development community with a broader measure of well-being—adding health and educational dimensions to income—and demonstrating that the correlation between the monetary and non-monetary dimensions of poverty within and across countries was far from perfect. Finally, multidimensional indicators such as the Alkire-Foster (A-F) measure respond to an effective demand for scalar estimates of poverty that could be used by policymakers in the allocation of funds to reduce poverty in an efficient and equitable way. Hence, notwithstanding their shortcomings, each of these indicators fulfills somewhat different yet important functions. A strong feature of the A-F methodology is that it is anchored on the joint distribution of the various dimensions of well-being and the resulting deprivations that poor people experience. It is therefore essential that all data come from the same household survey. It should be noted that this means that any given household information is available not only on possible deprivations in some dimensions but also on possible surpluses over and above the deprivation thresholds in other dimensions. This immediately raises the issue of possible trade-offs among dimensions.