cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fatty acid-activated K+ channels in autonomic neurons: activation by an endogenous source of free fatty acids.

Application of arachidonic acid evoked robust activation of large-conductance K + channels in cell-attached and excised inside-out patches from acutely isolated chick ciliary ganglion neurons. A similar effect was produced by 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid, a nonmetabolizable analogue of arachidonic acid. The unitary conductance of fatty acid-activated channels was 35-40 pS at +20 mV with physiological gradients of K + and 165 pS at +20 mV with an extracellular K + concentration of 37.5 mM and an intracellular K + concentration of 150 mM. Gating of these channels in cell-attached patches was potentiated by membrane stretch. Channel gating evoked by both lipids was concentration-dependent, with detectable activation apparent at 4 μM in the majority of patches and maximal activation occurring between 32 and 64 μM. Gating was relatively voltage-independent. Large-conductance K + channels were also activated in inside-out patches by the monounsaturated fatty acid 11-cis-eicosenoic acid but not by the fully saturated fatty acid arachidic acid. Application of 100 μM H 2 O 2 , an agent that activates cytosolic phospholipase A 2 , also caused activation of large-conductance K + channels in intact neurons. The stimulatory effects of H 2 O 2 were blocked by pretreatment with 20 μM 4-bromophenacyl bromide, an irreversible inhibitor of phospholipase A 2 . Therefore, mobilization of endogenous fatty acids can cause activation of large-conductance K + channels in autonomic neurons.
The Political Economy of Audio-Visual Copyright Enforcement

There appear to be wide variations in levels of enforcement against piracy and illegal copying in the AV entertainment industries. In particular, copyright holders such as the Motion Picture Association of America appear to be very aggressive, while firms at the retail level, especially cable operators, appear to tolerate or even encourage piracy and illegal copying in some cases. It is argued that these differences exist because of asymmetries of enforcement costs and control, interdependent demand in the movie release system, and inefficiencies due to profit-sharing payment contracts for electronically distributed media. In conclusion, public welfare issues and possible policy solutions are considered, including facilitation of greater vertical integration and the sharing with copyright holders of restitution payments that private firms at the retail level can collect from copyright infringers.
Determination of Optimal Contribution Rate and Optimal Investment Portfolio of Defined Benefit Pension Plan Under the Expected Shortfall Constraint

We establish stochastic models considering stochastic growth rate of salary, stochastic return rate of investment portfolio and stochastic mortality to evaluate pension surplus. We also establish the stochastic objective function of minimizing the contribution rate satisfying the constraint of expected shortfall less than a constant. We consider the time varying of means and variance of return rate of investment and deduct the calculation formula of time varying covariance of it. We apply the Monte Carlo simulation, and stochastic optimization techniques with the help of Matlab to find the optimal solutions of contribution rate and investment portfolio. Finally, we discuss the effect of the changes of the age of participating pension plan, the retirement age and mortality improvement on the optimal contribution rate and the effect of changing retirement age on the replacement rate.
Correlation of real-time ultrasonic placental grading with amniotic fluid lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio.

Abstract Placental grading with real-time ultrasound was performed on 235 patients who underwent amniocentesis for determination of the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio between 31 and 44 weeks' gestation. Grades I, II, and III placentas were encountered in 88, 72, and 75 patients, respectively. Forty-eight percent of Grade I, 69% of Grade II, and 92% of Grade III placentas had mature L/S ratios (L/S ≥ 2.0). All of the 52 patients with a Grade III placenta who underwent repeat cesarean section at term gestation had mature L/S ratios. However, 37% of the pregnancies complicated by maternal or fetal disease, with Grade III placentas, had immature L/S ratios. The gestational age of these six patients ranged from 34 to 37 weeks. These results suggest that a Grade III placenta in normal term gestation has a good correlation with fetal pulmonary maturity as predicted by the amniotic fluid L/S ratio.
Reexamination of series relationships of South American wild potatoes(Solanaceae: Solanum sect. Petota): evidence from chloroplast DNA restriction site variation.

Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) restriction enzyme site analysis was used to test hypotheses of series and superseries affiliations of 76 taxa, representing 11 of the 13 South American series (material unavailable for two series) of wild potatoes (Solanum sect. Petota) recognized in the latest classification by Hawkes. The cladistic results, combined with those from earlier cpDNA studies of 30 taxa of the Mexican and Central American species (representing eight series; ser. Conicibaccata and ser. Tuberosa have representatives in Mexico and in South America), support four main clades for 17 of the 19 series examined in sect. Petota: (1) the Mexican and Central American diploid species, exclusive of S. bulbocastanum, S. cardiophyllum, and S. verrucosum, (2) S. bulbocastanum and S. cardiophyllum (ser. Bulbocastana, ser. Pinnatisecta), (3) South American diploid species constituting all of ser. Piurana, but also members of ser. Conicibaccata, ser. Megistacroloba, ser. Tuberosa, and ser. Yungasensia, (4) all Mexican and Central American polyploid species (ser. Longipedicellata, ser. Demissa), S. verrucosum (diploid Mexican species in ser. Tuberosa), and South American diploid and polyploid members of ser. Acaulia, ser. Circaeifolia, ser. Commersoniana, ser. Conicibaccata, ser. Cuneoalata, ser. Lignicaulia, ser. Maglia, ser. Megistacroloba, ser. Tuberosa, and ser. Yungasensia. Each of these clades contains morphologically and reproductively very diverse species, and there are no evident morphological features that unite members within a clade to therefore distinguish them. These results strongly suggest a need for a reevaluation of the series and superseries classifications of sect. Petota.
Premillennial apocalyptic as a rhetorical genre

This essay develops a rationale for treating apocalyptic discourse as a rhetorical genre. Situational and substantive‐stylistic characteristics are shown to recur in traditional, religious apocalyptic discourse throughout history as well as in recent discourse concerning religious and civic issues.
Name that Contraceptive! A Game for the Human Sexuality Classroom

There are many contraceptive choices available to people today. Learning about them can be dry, but the game “Name that Contraceptive!” can be a fun and interactive way to review, remember, and retain the details about contraceptive options. Name that Contraceptive is a card game in which students “bid” on the number of clues it will take them to correctly identify a method of contraception. Easy to prepare and to use, this game is appropriate for school-based or community-based sexuality students from high school to adulthood. It can be played with large or small classes. Using Name that Contraceptive will facilitate learning by helping students review the information, encouraging them to compare and contrast different categories of contraceptive methods, getting students actively engaged in the process, and by adding variety to the classroom experience.
Spark discharges for surgical applications

We have investigated the potential of spark discharges as a minimally invasive surgical tool. The spark was generated between the tips of two 0.4-mm acupuncture needles, which were inserted into the tissue. The needle tips were facing each other at a distance of 7 mm. Using a Blumlein pulse forming network, high voltage pulses with a nominal duration of 380 ns were applied to these electrodes. The tissue-load was matched to the 100-Ohm impedance of the pulse generator by an equivalent resistor. Depending on tissue type (muscle, liver, fat) and pulse amplitude, several tissue-conditioning pulses had to be applied before breakdown could be achieved. During the application of these pre-breakdown pulses, tissue impedances dropped noticeably. The breakdown voltage for this electrode geometry and these pulse parameters was higher than for air (at atmospheric pressure) but much lower than expected for liquids or solids. The energy that was stored in the system and dissipated in the spark at the highest charging voltage was on the order of 1 J. A visual inspection of the tissue damage showed a highly localized incision, running between the tips of the needle electrodes. Tissue was ablated in a nearly straight and narrow channel of 1–2 mm in diameter. No significant damage to the adjacent tissue was observed. The preliminary histological analysis suggests that the damage is mostly caused by the shockwave associated with the spark. As such, we believe that the method can be used as a surgical tool, in particular, where a high degree of accuracy is required.
Memory in monkeys as a function of preparatory interval and pattern complexity of matrix displays.

Response speeds of eight monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were recorded as a measure of the strength of stimulus trace in remembering 1- to 4-light displays in a 4 × 4 matrix of translucent panels. The age of the animals, the length of the period between the warning signal and the stimulus, the duration of the delay between presenting the stimulus and allowing the animal to respond, and the complexity of the stimulus pattern were varied. Speed decreased for longer poststimulus delays and older subjects. The length of the foreperiod had a complex effect on response speed, and the display light position or pattern complexity had no reliable effect. These findings were contrasted with monkey memory measured by correct responses.
Acute and prophylactic treatments for migraine: present and future

Herein I will present general principles of acute-care and preventive therapy of migraine, both in the present and the future. Details of currently used migraine acute-care therapies with their contraindications, drug-drug interactions and adverse events will be presented. Details of migraine preventive therapies with their adverse events and drug-drug interactions will be discussed. Some over-the-counter vitamins, minerals and herbs, used as preventive therapy in migraine, will be discussed. Future treatments in the pipeline will be briefly detailed.
The existence of simple 6-(14,7,4) designs

Abstract A cyclic 5-(13, 6, 4) design is constructed and is extended to a simple 6-(14, 7, 4) design via a theorem of Alltop. This design is the smallest possible nontrivial simple 6-design that can exist. Both have full automorphism group cyclic of order 13.
Dialysis and transplantation affect cerebral abnormalities of end‐stage renal disease

Localized short echo time proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed to determine whether chronic and end-stage renal failure, hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, or renal transplantation result in alterations of cerebral water and metabolites in humans. Hemodialysis patients show an increased cerebral concentration of myo-inositol (+ 14%; P < .05). Increased metabolite ratios are found for myo-inositol/creatine (+14%; P <.01) and choline containing compounds choline/creatine (+10%; P < .01) and are more marked in gray than in white matter. N-acetylaspartate and total creatine concentrations are unaffected. Compared to hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients show a larger increase in choline and less elevated myo-inositol. Acutely, hemodialysis significantly decreases the cerebrospinal fluid content of the examined brain regions, but metabolite changes are small compared to the persistent alterations in patients receiving hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Undialyzed patients with chronic renal failure do not differ from patients on hemodialysis, but cerebral metabolite changes are completely reversed by transplantation. Cerebral metabolic effects of end-stage renal disease differ from Alzheimer's disease, which is associated with markedly reduced N-acetylaspartate, increased myo-inositol, and normal choline concentrations. The small but significant cerebral metabolic disorders associated with renal failure and dialysis may be a consequence of osmotic dysregulation.
History of offshoring knowledge services

Abstract The offshoring of knowledge services has become the stuff of newspaper headlines and U.S. presidential debates. Here, we view the antecedents of the current state of affairs. In the 1980s services offshoring was a trivial portion of the economy, but the seeds of today's situation were planted then. A combination of U.S. government neglect, foreign government activism, a culture change among business people concerning service processes, technological advances, and cultural relationships among countries have created the specific services offshoring configuration of today.
4.1. Econometric supply models

Abstract Econometric methods provide an approach for modeling supply processes where time delays, lags, and capital formation are important Supply models of this type can be statistical or econometric, the latter involving distributed lag.
Jobs, houses, and trees: Changing regional structure, local land-use patterns, and forest cover in Southern Indiana

Land-use and -cover change is a topic of increasing concern as interest in forest and agricultural land preservation grows. Urban and residential land use is quickly replacing extractive land use in southern Indiana. The interaction between land quality and urban growth pressures is also causing secondary forest growth and forest clearing to occur jointly in a complex spatial pattern. It is argued that similar processes fuel the abandonment of agricultural land leading to private forest regrowth, changes in topography and land quality, and declining real farm product prices. However, the impact of urban growth and development on forests depends more strongly on changes in both the residential housing and labor markets. Using location quotient analysis of aggregate employment patterns, and the relationship between regional labor market changes, the extent of private forest cover was examined from 1967 to 1998. Then an econometric model of land-use shares in forty southern Indiana counties was developed based on the net benefits to agri- culture, forestland, and urban uses. To test the need to control explicitly for changes in residen- tial demand and regional economic structure, a series of nested models was estimated. Some evidence was found that changing agricultural profitability is leading to private forest regrowth. It was also uncovered that the ratio of urban to forest land uses is better explained by incorpo- rating measures of residential land value and industrial concentration than simply considering population density alone.
Measuring gross nitrogen mineralization, and nitrification by 15 N isotopic pool dilution in intact soil cores

SUMMARY The isotope dilution method for measuring gross rates of N mineralization, immobilization, and nitrification was applied to intact soil cores so that the effects of soil mixing were avoided. Soil cores were injected with solutions of either 15NH4+ or 15NO4−; gross mineralization rates were calculated from the decline in “N enrichment of the NH: pool during a 24-h incubation; gross nitrification rates were calculated from the decline in 15N enrichment of the NO−3 pool; gross rates of NH4+ and NO3− consumption were calculated from disappearance of the 15N label. The assumptions required for application of this method to intact cores are evaluated. Sensitivity analysis revealed that homogeneous mixing of added “N with ambient pools was not a necessary assumption but that bias in distribution of added label, coincident with a non-random distribution of microbial processes, would cause significant errors in rate estimates. Rate estimates were also sensitive to errors in initial 15N and 14N pool size estimates, In a silt loam soil from a grassland site, abiotic processes consumed over 30% of the added 15NH4+ within minutes of adding the label to sterilized soil. Extracting a subset of soil cores at the beginning of an incubation is recommended for obtaining initial pool size estimates. Gross immobilization is probably stimulated by addition of inorganic 15N substrate and, therefore, is overestimated by the isotope dilution method. As an alternative method, a non-linear equation is given for calculating the gross immobilization rate from the appearance of 15N in chloroform-labile microbial biomass; but incomplete extraction of biomass N may result in low estimates. Details of the isotope dilution methodology (injection rates, concentrations, experimental artefacts, etc.) are described and discussed. When care is taken to understand the underlying assumptions and sources of error, the isotope dilution method provides a powerful tool for measuring gross rates of microbial transformations of soil nitrogen in intact soil cores.
Fire And Blood: A History Of Mexico

The Tyranny of Circumstance: The Amerindians * The Old Ones * Farmers and Magicians * Builders and Priests * Where Men Became Lords * The War Eagle * The Mexica * Red Tide of Empire * The Halls of Motechuzoma * Strong Men Armed * Marches and Massacres * Broken Spears * The Conquered The Tyranny of Conquest: The Spaniards * The Spaniards * The Conquistadores * New Spain * Three Disasters * Castes and Colonials * Spain, the World, and Mexico * La Raza * The Indian Summer of New Spain The Tyranny of the Past: The Mexicans * Conspirators * The Cry of Hidalgo * Morelos * Treasons * The Pretorians * The End of Empire * The Death of Honor * The Reform * Popes and Emperors * The Portfolio * The Revolution * Fire and Blood * The Constitution * Chieftains * Transitions * The Man in the High Palace
Validation of a rapid parathyroid hormone assay and intraoperative measurement of parathyroid hormone in dogs with benign naturally occurring primary hyperparathyroidism.

Objectives— To (1) validate a rapid chemiluminescent parathyroid hormone (PTH) assay, (2) determine it's usefulness locating a parathyroid nodule(s), and (3) determine if >50% decrease in PTH corresponds with excision of autonomously functioning parathyroid tissue. Study Design— Prospective cohort study. Animals— Dogs (n=12) with naturally occurring primary hyperparathyroidism and 25 healthy dogs. Methods— The assay was validated with linearity, precision, and intermethod comparison. Preoperative and postoperative systemic plasma PTH concentrations, measured from saphenous venous blood, were compared. Intraoperative local PTH concentrations were measured in right and left jugular venous blood before and after surgical excision of the grossly abnormal parathyroid gland(s). Results— Within run and day-to-day precisions were acceptable (coefficient of variation 50% in all the dogs after excision of the parathyroid gland(s). Mean preoperative systemic plasma PTH concentrations were significantly higher than mean postoperative systemic concentrations. Local PTH concentrations could not be used reliably to differentiate the side of the autonomously functioning gland(s). Hypercalcemia resolved postoperatively in all the dogs. Conclusion— This assay measures PTH in dogs. Rapid PTH measurement provided documentation of decreased PTH concentration after removal of autonomously functioning parathyroid tissue. Clinical Relevance— Use of this assay allows documentation of a significant decrease in PTH concentration after excision of autonomously functioning parathyroid tissue.
Detection of residual prostate cancer after external radiotherapy. Role of prostate specific antigen and transrectal ultrasonography.

Background. Although the incidence of positive post-radiotherapy biopsies has been reported, the range is considerable (19-93%) and depends partly on patient-selection criteria. In addition, the prognostic significance of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) used alone and in combination in predicting residual cancer after radiotherapy has yet to be determined. Methods. Transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsies were performed on 31 unselected patients with prostate cancer 34-77 months (mean, 51 months) after definitive external beam radiotherapy was completed. Biopsy results were compared for pre- and posttreatment parameters (clinical stage, grade, PSA, and TRUS). Results. In 22 patients (71%), residual cancer was detected histologically by biopsy. All but one patient (12/13, 92%) with a pretherapy PSA value greater than 10 ng/mL had a positive biopsy compared with 50% of those (7/14) with a pretherapy PSA value less than or equal to 10 (P < 0.05). After radiotherapy, a positive biopsy was noted for 15 of 16 patients (94%) with a PSA value greater than 2 and in 20 of 23 (87%) of those with abnormal TRUS findings (P < 0.01 and P < 0.005, respectively). Conclusions. The most clinically useful model for predicting histologically identifiable residual cancer was either a serum PSA value greater than 2 or a PSA value less than or equal to 2 and abnormal TRUS findings. The positive and negative predictive values of the model were 84% and 83%, respectively. The model predicted biopsy results correctly in 26 of 31 patients (84%). Transrectal ultrasonography is recommended as a diagnostic tool for patients whose PSA level ranges from a detectable level to less than or equal to 2 ng/mL. Cancer 199575 :2153-8.
Finescale Structure of the T–S Relation in the Eastern North Atlantic

Abstract Distributions of temperature (T) and salinity (S) and their relationship in the oceans are the result of a balance between T–S variability generated at the surface by air–sea fluxes and its removal by molecular dissipation. In this paper the role of different motions in setting the cascade of T–S variance to dissipation scales is quantified using data from the North Atlantic Tracer Release Experiment (NATRE). The NATRE observational programs include fine- and microscale measurements and provide a snapshot of T–S variability across a wide range of scales from basin to molecular. It is found that microscale turbulence controls the rate of thermal dissipation in the thermocline. At this level the T–S relation is established through a balance between large-scale advection by the gyre circulation and small-scale turbulence. Further down, at the level of intermediate and Mediterranean waters, mesoscale eddies are the rate-controlling process. The transition between the two regimes is related to the pre...
Integrated Optics Technology for Ion Trap Based Large-scale Quantum Information Processor

Realizing ion trap based large-scale quantum information processor requires integrated optics technologies. We design and characterize basic optical beam steering system using micromirrors as a first step towards constructing high-quality functional integrated optics.
Messenger RNA oxidation is an early event preceding cell death and causes reduced protein expression

We previously reported that up to 50% of messenger RNAs (mRNA) are oxidatively damaged in the affected area of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. The role of RNA oxidation in the cell death process is unknown. In the present study, we used cortical primary dissociated cultures to investigate the relationship between RNA oxidation and neuron degeneration induced by various insults, including hydrogen peroxide, glutamate, and amyloid beta peptide. These insults mediate the production of reactive oxygen species and thus induce oxidative stress. The results showed that RNA oxidation was an early event far preceding cell death, not merely a consequence of dying cells. RNA oxidation occurred primarily in a distinct group of neurons that died later. Identification of oxidized RNA species revealed that significant amounts of mRNAs were oxidized and that some mRNA species were more susceptible to oxidative damage, consistent with findings in the AD brain. The level of protein corresponding to the oxidized mRNA species was significantly decreased. Polyribosome analysis indicated that oxidized bases in mRNAs caused ribosome stalling on the transcripts, which led to a decrease of protein expression. These results suggest that RNA oxidation may be directly associated with neuronal deterioration, rather than harmless epiphenomena, during the process of neurodegeneration.
Case Study of a Chimpanzee Recovered from Poachers and Temporarily Released with Wild Conspecifics

This case study describes the behavior ofBahati (BA), a captive, wild-born, 4 – 6 yr old, female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), before and after her temporary release into Kibale National Park, Uganda. Post-release interactions with habituated, wild chimpanzees were recorded.BA was not attacked by the wild chimpanzees at the time of introduction and observations during her period of travel with conspecifics indicate that she received significantly more affiliative contact than aggressive.BA foraged further from humans, glanced less at observers and climbed ever higher in the canopy as the project proceeded.BA associated closely with two wild chimpanzees: a fully adult male and a young juvenile female. In the latter stages of the project, she spent progressively less time in proximity to conspecifics. After six weeks,BA no longer followed wild chimpanzees and repeatedly returned to human settlements. The attempt was terminated after two months andBA returned to captivity. On the basis of this case study, we suggest possible adjustments to re-introduction criteria, and discuss the outcomes of pre-release training, public involvement, and health screening under field conditions.
Glucosidases and galactosidases in soils

Abstract An improved method to assay activities of α- and β-glucosidases and α- and β-galactosidases in soils is described. It involves extraction and colorimetric determination of the p-nitrophenol released when 1 g of soil is incubated with 5 ml of buffered p-nitrophenyl glycoside solution at 37°C for 1 h. The reagents [0.5 M CaCl2 and 0.1 M Tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethan THAM, pH 12] used for extraction of the p-nitrophenol released give quantitative recovery of p-nitrophenol added to soils and do not cause chemical hydrolysis of the substrates. Results showed that these enzymes have their optimum activities at buffer pH 6.0. The initial rates of p-nitrophenol release obeyed zero-order kinetics. β-Glucosidase activity was the most predominant of the four enzymes. The temperature dependence of the rate constant conformed to the Arrhenius equation up to the point of enzyme inactivation (60°C for α- and β-galactosidases and α-glucosidase and 70°C for β-glucosidase). The average activation energy values of these enzymes in three soils were 43.1, 30.8, 57.0 and 32.6 kJmol−1 for α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, α-galactosidase and β-galactosidase activities, respectively. By using the Lineweaver-Burk plot. the Km values were the lowest for β-glucosidase activity. The Vmax values varied among the four enzymes and soils studied.
IS CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION A RISK FACTOR FOR OSTEOPOROSIS

High caffeine consumption has been proposed as a risk factor for osteoporotic fracture, but the evidence associating high caffeine intake with low bone density is inconsistent. We therefore examined the influence of caffeine consumption on bone mineral at six skeletal sites in an age-stratified random sample of white women residing in Rochester, Minnesota. After age adjustment, there was no association between overall caffeine consumption and bone mineral at five of the six sites. In the femoral shaft, however, there was a statistically significant interaction between age and caffeine consumption so that high caffeine intake was associated with slight reductions in bone mineral among elderly subjects but with modestly increased bone mineral at younger ages. When caffeine intake was categorized by source, no consistent influence of coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverage consumption could be detected on bone mineral. Caffeine intake was, however, positively associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. After adjusting for age, caffeine consumption was not correlated with biochemical indices of bone turnover, circulating concentrations of estradiol and estrone, or other dietary and musculoskeletal variables. These data suggest that caffeine intake in the range consumed by a representative sample of white women is not an important risk factor for osteoporosis. Among elderly women, however, in whom calcium balance performance is impaired, high caffeine intake may predispose to cortical bone loss from the proximal femur.
Effects of Substrate Orientation on the Spontaneous Ordering of GaAsSb Epilayers Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Spontaneous atomic ordering is investigated in a series of GaAs1-xSbx epilayers (0.51 < x < 0.71) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs substrates with surface orientations of (001), (001) - 8 0 toward (111)A, (001) - 8 0 toward (111)B, (115)A, (115)B, (113)A, and (113)B. Atomic ordering in these epilayers was observed from a decrease in the energy gap measured by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy and corroborated by superlattice reflections in transmission electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Contrary to previous investigations of ordering in III-V alloys, a marked energy gap reduction corresponding to CuPtB type ordering is observed in the GaAs1-xSbx grown on (111)A-type orientations.
Another Shot at a Malaria Vaccine

Malaria, an infectious disease caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted by mosquito bite, has a devastating global impact, causing 300 to 500 million clinical cases and up to 800,000 deaths each year. Vaccine development for malaria is marked by many failures, some encouraging successes, and much hope. Recently, a malaria vaccine candidate (RTS,S/AS01) based on the major surface protein of the transmissible sporozoite form of the parasite advanced into phase three clinical trials in Africa, and preliminary data show 55% efficacy against malaria episodes and 35% efficacy against severe malaria ( 1 ). Although it is not yet known how long protection lasts, this vaccine constitutes a milestone for developing a more efficacious vaccine. A highly protective vaccine that prevents malaria infection will also prevent disease and further transmission by the mosquito and, hence, constitutes the potential “magic bullet” in our future armamentarium against malaria. Yet developing such a vaccine has been frustratingly difficult. On page 475 of this issue, Epstein et al. ( 2 ) report the results of a clinical trial with an injectable preparation of Plasmodium sporozoites, attenuated by exposure to DNA-damaging irradiation and intended to prevent infection. Their trial results mark an inflection point in malaria vaccine development.
Age-Group Classification of Male Alcoholics as a Function of MMPI Experimental Scales

91 male alcoholics were assigned to one of four groups according to chronological age. Discriminant analysis using 15 experimental scales as variables indicated that the percentage of correctly cla...
The rupture process and asperity distribution of three great earthquakes from long-period diffracted P-waves

Moment tensor source mechanisms for the largest twenty-nine shallow earthquakes from 1981 (M_s ≥ 6.5) have been determined using long-period Rayleigh-wave spectra and P-wave first-motions, recorded by the International Deployment of Accelerograms (IDA), Global Digital Seismic Network (GDSN), and World-Wide Standardised Seismic Network (WWSSN). These are compared with the centroid moment tensor mechanisms presented by Dziewonski and Woodhouse, which were obtained in a contrasting manner. In most cases, the source is well represented by a single double-couple mechanisms, with good agreement of scalar moment and orientation between the two studies. Apparent mismatches for other cases may be interpreted in terms of source complexity. We emphasise the objectivity of comparing moment tensor elements; apparent discrepancies in the moment and orientation of double-couple fault plane solutions are usually due to differences in the Mxz and Myz moment tensor elements, which are poorly constrained by long-period data.
SYNCHROTRON WHITE BEAM TOPOGRAPHY CHARACTERIZATION OF PHYSICAL VAPOR TRANSPORT GROWN ALN AND AMMONOTHERMAL GAN

Structural defects in AlN single crystals grown by the sublimation method and GaN single crystals grown by the ammonothermal method are characterized by synchrotron white-beam X-ray topography in conjunction with optical microscopy. AlN platelets are either of (1120) or (0001) type depending on the growth conditions. Dislocation densities of the order of 10 3 cm -2 or lower are observed in some crystals. X-ray topographs reveal the presence of growth sector boundaries, inclusions, and growth dislocations that indicate slight impurity contamination. The 2H crystal structure of GaN single crystals obtained by the ammonothermal method was verified by Laue X-ray pattern analysis. GaN crystals grown are of the order of 1 mm in size and are either (0001) platelets or [0001] prismatic needles. Generally, prismatic needles are characterized by lower degree of mosaicity than (0001) platelets.
Micellization and interfacial behavior of imidazolium-based ionic liquids in organic solvent-water mixtures.

Abstract The surface and micellar properties of aqueous solutions of two imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs), 1-hexadecyl-3-butylimidazolium bromide (HDBIm-Br) and 1,3-didodecylimidazolium bromide (DDDDIm-Br), are examined in the presence of several organic solvents by surface tensiometry. The organic solvents studied include methanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, and acetonitrile. Increases in the critical micelle concentration (cmc) values were obtained for both ILs when increasing the organic solvent content with a more significant increase observed for the DDDDIm-Br IL. For both ILs, decreases in the maximum surface excess concentration ( Γ max ), increases in the minimum surface area per surfactant molecule ( A min ), decreases in the adsorption efficiency ( p C 20 ), and decreases in the effectiveness of surface tension reduction ( Π cmc ) were obtained when increasing the organic solvent content. However, the studied organic solvents affect the surface tension at the cmc ( γ cmc ) differently; generating increases for DDDDIm-Br and decreases for HDBIm-Br. These changes can be linked to the different water–air interface orientation of both ILs in aqueous solutions free of organic solvents. Linear correlations between the extent of the change in these parameters when increasing the alkyl-chain of the alcohol modifier were also observed. A preliminary study of the utilization of HDBIm-Br in micellar–liquid chromatography (MLC) is also presented, demonstrating the applicability of the IL-aggregates in this analytical technique.
Results of a prospective algorithm to remove chest tubes after pulmonary resection with high output

Objective Many patients have their hospital discharge delayed because their chest tube drainage is too high, despite the fact that there are no data to support the commonly used 250 mL/day threshold. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted with a prospective database and prospective algorithm from one surgeon. All patients underwent elective pulmonary resection. The last chest tube was removed if there was no air leak and nonchylous drainage of 450 mL/day or less. Results The study comprised 8608 operations and 2077 patients who underwent an elective (nonpneumonectomy) pulmonary resection via thoracotomy by one general thoracic surgeon over a 10-year period. Eighty-nine patients went home with a chest tube owing to air leak. The remaining 1988 patients were discharged without a chest tube. Types of pulmonary resection were wedge resection in 729 patients, segmentectomy in 214, lobectomy in 1104, and bilobectomy in 30. The median day of discharge was postoperative day 4. One hundred one (5%) were readmitted to the hospital within 60 days of discharge. The most common reason for readmission was dehydration and fatigue. Only 11 (0.55%) had readmissions owing to recurrent symptomatic effusion and most were treated with video-assisted thoracoscopy. Follow-up was 100% at 4 weeks and 93% at 8 weeks. Conclusions Chest tubes can be removed with up to 450 mL/day of nonchylous drainage after pulmonary resection, and perhaps a higher volume could be accepted. Readmission owing to a recurrent effusion is exceedingly uncommon, and the practice of leaving the tube in longer for drainage less than 450 mL/day is unsupported in the literature.
The maintenance of Schistosoma mansoni in the laboratory.

maintained in this laboratory since 1950. Cercariae of S. mansoni in large numbers were required for our studies of their enzymatic activity (Lewert and Lee, 1954 and 1956) and, of necessity, simple and effective methods of maintaining a large colony of Australorbis glabratus were developed. None of these methods are radical departures from reported techniques but do represent modifications in methods to permit maintenance of S. mansoni in the laboratory with a minimum of effort whether large or small projects are contemplated. Aquaria.?Of the variety of containers utilized, the most satisfactory is a white porcelain-covered metal refrigerator vegetable tray, 5X9X13 inches in size. These are inexpensive, readily available, fit well in racks or on shelves, are small enough to be handled with ease and can accomodate 50 to 100 Australorbis (fig. 1). The trays are filled to within 1| inches of the top with tap water which has been passed through a column of sand and activated charcoal to remove chlorine. No sand or vegetation is included in the tray but one or more "food floats" are placed on the water surface which also provide places for the snails
Interleaved Trellis Coded Modulation and Decoder Optimizations for 10 Gigabit Ethernet over Copper

There were several modulation and coding proposals for 10GBASE-T (10 Gigabit Ethernet over copper) systems. One of these is based on a 10-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-10) combined with a 4D (four-dimensional) 8-state trellis code similar to the one in 1000BASE-T (1000 Megabit Ethernet over copper). The trellis code can be used in a conventional manner as in 1000BASE-T, but the corresponding decoder with a long critical path needs to operate at 833 MHz. It is difficult to meet the critical path requirements of such a decoder. To solve the problem, two interleaved trellis coded modulation schemes are proposed in this paper. The inherent decoding speed requirements can be relaxed by factors of 4 and 2, respectively. Due to intersymbol interference (ISI), the branch metric units in the decoders corresponding to the two interleaved modulation schemes are much more complicated than those in the conventional decoder. Thus this paper also considers the problem of complexity reduction of the decoders for the two proposed interleaved modulation schemes, and presents two novel complexity reduction schemes. Simulation results show that the error-rate performances of the two proposed interleaved schemes are quite close to that of the conventional scheme. It is also shown that the performance loss due to complexity reduction is negligible.
OBSERVATIONS OF A BACKWARD PEAK IN $pi$$sup -$p $Yields$ pp$sup -$ AT 8 AND 16 GeV/c.

We report differential cross sections for ${\ensuremath{\rho}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ production near 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} in the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ at 8 and 16 GeV/c. These cross sections, which cover a range of $|u|l~0.6$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$, are well represented by the formula $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{du}}=A\mathrm{exp}(\mathrm{Bu})$ and are comparable in magnitude to backward ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ elastic cross sections. Results are compared to Regge model calculations.
Operant variability and voluntary action.

A behavior-based theory identified 2 characteristics of voluntary acts. The first, extensively explored in operant-conditioning experiments, is that voluntary responses produce the reinforcers that control them. This bidirectional relationship-in which reinforcer depends on response and response on reinforcer-demonstrates the functional nature of the voluntary act. The present article focuses on the second characteristic: a similar bidirectional relationship between reinforcement and the predictability/ unpredictability of voluntary acts. Support for the theory comes from 2 areas of research. The first shows that levels of behavioral variability—from highly predictable to randomlike-are directly influenced by reinforcers. Put another way, variability is an operant dimension, analogous to response rate and force. The second source of support comes from psychophysical experiments in which human participants judged the degree to which "choices" by virtual actors on a computer screen appeared to be voluntary. The choices were intermittently reinforced according to concurrently operating schedules. The actors' behaviors appeared to most closely approximate voluntary human choices when response distributions matched reinforcer distributions (an indication of functionality) and when levels of variability, from repetitive to random, changed with reinforcement contingencies. Thus, voluntary acts are characterized by reinforcement-controlled functionality and unpredictability.
Brief encounters: children in shelter for 7 days or less

Abstract This paper examines the circumstances of 1306 children in Hennepin County who were removed under urgent situations and placed, for 7 days or less, in emergency shelter care. This population represents more than one-quarter (26.13%) of the total number of children who experienced out-of-home placement (4998) in Hennepin County (1999). This study allows us to examine, briefly, the circumstances of children who are removed from their families under emergency situations, their demographic profiles and exit information following their shelter care. Two research questions guided this study: is placement in a shelter the least intrusive response for the safety needs of children in emergency situations? And, can we capture and clarify the working relationship between child protection workers and local law enforcement officers? In examining the data on shelter placement, some conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made to improve protocols that guide emergency placements.
Comparisons of VLP-Based ELISA, Neutralization Assays with Native HPV, and Neutralization Assays with PsV in Detecting HPV Antibody Responses in HIV-Infected Women.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers are important public health problems in HIV-infected people. Assays based on HPV virus-like particles (VLP) and pseudoviruses (PsV) are commonly used to examine HPV antibody responses in HIV-infected people, but neutralization assays with native HPV have not been utilized and a comparison of these three assays is lacking. We evaluated the agreement of assays using VLP, native HPV and PsV in detecting HPV16 and 18 antibodies in HIV-infected women. Methods: The VLP-based ELISA (VLP-ELISA) was used to detect antibody responses to HPV16 and 18 and cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) VLP antigens. Neutralization assays with native HPV (NA-HPV) and with PsV (NA-PsV) were conducted to examine HPV16 or 18 neutralizing antibodies. Intra class correlation coefficients (ICC) and kappa coefficients were used to assess the agreements of seropositivity between the assays. Results: The seroprevalence detected by the VLP-ELISA, NA-HPV and NA-PsV in 94 HIV-infected women was 35%, 51% and 27% for HPV16 and 14%, 44% and 21% for HPV18. Cross-reactivity between HPV16 and HPV18 was 0.35, 0.04 and 0.33 (kappa coefficients) for the VLP-ELISA, NA-HPV and NA-PsV. The agreements of seropositivity between the three assays were low. Six women who were HPV16 DNA positive were seropositive by the NA-HPV but only two were HPV16 seropositive by the VLP-ELISA or NA-PsV. One HPV18 DNA positive woman was seropositive by all three assays. Repeated tests indicated excellent reproducibility of the NA-HPV. Conclusion: HPV serology results vary across different assays. The NA-HPV appears to be a sensitive and reliable approach in detecting natural HPV antibodies in HIV-infected women. The NA-HPV can be applied in both HPV natural history studies and vaccine studies in HIV-infected people.
Superconducting cosmic strings with massive fermions

Abstract Fermions which couple to the fields comprising a Nielsen-Olesen vortex (cosmic string) can generally exist as massive bound modes on the string. If these fermions carry electromagnetic charge then the string will interact with external electromagnetic fields in a manner significantly altered from the superconducting string scenario of Witten. The current in the string oscillates at a characteristic resonant frequency, ∼ ω , and therefore produces a signature of narrow band radiation. We also give an accounting of the relevant anomalies responsible for fermionic superconducting strings.
The Regulation of the Drosophila msl-2 Gene Reveals a Function for Sex-lethal in Translational Control

Abstract In Drosophila, dosage compensation occurs by increasing the transcription of the single male X chromosome. Four trans -acting factors encoded by the male-specific lethal genes are required for this process. Dosage compensation is restricted to males by the splicing regulator Sex-lethal , which functions to prevent the production of the MSL-2 protein in females by an unknown mechanism. In this report, we provide evidence that Sex-lethal acts synergistically through sequences in both the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions of MSL-2 to mediate repression. We also provide evidence that the repression of MSL-2 is directly regulated by Sex-lethal at the level of translation.
Multimodality imaging of vascular anomalies

Vascular malformations and hemangiomas are common in children but remain a source of confusion during diagnosis, in part because of the lack of a uniform terminology. With the existing treatments for hemangiomas and vascular malformations, it is important to make the correct diagnosis initially to prevent adverse physical and emotional sequelae in not only the child but also the family. The diagnosis of vascular malformations is made primarily by the clinician and based on the physical exam. Imaging is carried out using predominantly ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which are complementary modalities. In most cases of vascular anomalies, US is the first line of imaging as it is readily available, less expensive, lacks ionizing radiation and does not require sedation. MRI is also of great help for further characterizing the lesions. Conventional arteriography is reserved for cases that require therapeutic intervention, more commonly for arteriovenous malformations. Radiographs usually play no role in diagnosing vascular anomalies in children. In this article, the author describes the terminology and types of hemangiomas and vascular malformations and their clinical, histological features, as well as the imaging approach and appearance.