cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing efficacy of insecticides against cabbage maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) in the laboratory

Abstract The efficacy of 29 insecticides was determined against cabbage maggot, Delia radicum (L.) through a laboratory bioassay by exposing field collected D. radicum maggots to insecticide-treated soil immediately after application. In an assay, 10 D. radicum maggots were exposed to insecticide treated soil and then efficacy of insecticides was determined using three parameters: (1) proportion of maggots on the soil surface after 24 h, (2) proportion of change in weight of turnip bait, and (3) dead maggots after 72 h. Efficacy index (scale of 0–100) was developed based on the three parameters. Efficacy index of 11 insecticides was ≥70 against D. radicum and they were zeta-cypermethrin, tolfenpyrad, fenpropathrin, clothianidin, bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, ethoprop, thiamethoxam + lambda-cyhalothrin, pyrethrins, and oxamyl in the order of highest to lowest efficacy. There was a significant positive correlation ( R 2 > 0.5) among the three parameters. Furthermore, persistence of efficacy was examined on eight insecticides, where D. radicum maggots were exposed to field aged (1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 d) insecticide treated soil. Percentages of D. radicum maggots dead and on the soil surface were significantly greater when field aged soil was treated with bifenthrin, tolfenpyrad and clothianidin than other insecticides for most of the field age interval treatments. Efficacy of clothianidin did not change through field age interval treatments. The implications of these results on D. radicum management in the central coast of California are discussed.
Mouse Models to Study Obesity Effects on Hematologic Malignancies

In the present chapter, we discuss how mouse models have been used to investigate the interactions between obesity and hematologic malignancies. We begin with a brief overview of mouse models of obesity, followed by a description of how hematologic malignancies have been studied in these models. Unfortunately, the study of obesity and hematologic malignancies in mice is not as advanced as in other cancers such as breast and colorectal carcinoma. Therefore, where no studies exist, we describe how current models of hematologic malignancies could be made obese so that the effects of obesity on these malignancies could be studied.
47‐Year‐Old Man with Left Leg Numbness

A 47-year-old white male with a history of uveitis, hypercalcemia and nephrolithiasis presented with acute onset partial seizure. On exam he had decreased sensation to light touch on his left lower extremity. A Brain MRI revealed a right frontal mass, which was initially thought to be a metastatic lesion or a primary brain tumor. However, biopsy of the lesion revealed it to be a non-caseating granulomatous lesion consistent with neurosarcoidosis.
Teaching the Biological Clock: Age-Related Fertility Decline and Sex Education

This Article argues that the key to reproductive choice is better information. Analysis proceeds in three parts. Part I shares the biological facts about age-related fertility decline in women. IVF cannot reverse this decline, and embryo screening, egg freezing, and egg donation are imperfect solutions. Part II uses personal stories and social science studies to show that women do not know enough about age-related fertility decline. It also explores possible reasons for their lack of knowledge. Finally, Part III offers two ways to improve awareness of age-related fertility decline. First, obstetrician/gynecologists (ob/gyns) should take a more proactive role in sharing the biological facts with patients. Second, states should amend their laws to require that sex education courses cover not only birth control and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but also age-related fertility decline.
Art Neural Nets

The sections in this article are 1 Fuzzy Art 2 Fuzzy ARTMAP 3 Templates in Fuzzy Art and Fuzzy Artmap: A Geometrical Interpretation 4 Fuzzy Art Example 5 Fuzzy ARTMAP Example 6 Applications 7 Theoretical Results
Viruses, biosecurity and specific pathogen-free stocks in shrimp aquaculture

The greatest threat to the future of world shrimp aquaculture is disease, in particular the virulent untreatable viruses, infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), taura syndrome virus (TSV), yellow head virus (YHV), and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). To overcome these hazards, the industry of the future must be based on: (i) specific pathogen-free and genetically improved shrimp stocks; (ii) biosecure systems including enclosed, reduced water-exchange/increased water-reuse culture systems; (iii) biosecure management practices; and (iv) co-operative industry-wide disease control strategies. Specific pathogen-free shrimp are those that are known to be free of specified pathogens and such stocks will ensure that seed shrimp are not the conduit for introduction of pathogens and that if pathogens are encountered the stocks will not be severely affected. Commercially acceptable biosecure culture systems that are under cover and use recirculated sea water will need to be developed for shrimp production. Adherence to operating protocols that incorporate strict biosecurity practices, including restricted access and disinfection strategies, will need to become standard. Co-operative efforts will include: early warning surveillance; co-ordination of harvest and water exchange schedules of contaminated ponds; processor co-operation to ensure that processing wastes are not threats; quick response to outbreaks.
Immunostimulants in cancer therapy

Immunoaugmenting agents have been used to treat disease since William B. Coley treated cancer patients with mixed bacterial toxins early in the 20th century [1]. These early studies spawned the clinical use of such microbially derived substances as Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) (bladder cancer, USA), krestin, picibanil and lentinan (gastric and other cancers, Japan), and Biostim and Broncho-Vaxom (recurrent infections, Europe). While these “crude” drugs induce numerous immunopharmacological activities, they pose considerable regulatory obstacles due to impurity, lot-to-lot variability, unreliability and adverse side effects. Similarly, traditional herbal medicines (Asia) also provide a source of active substances for IMMUNOTHERAPY.
Aspectos genéticos de la reproducción

The fields of genetics and reproduction are as inseparable as Siamese twins, although geneticists and reproductive biologists move in different circles and rarely ever read about the work of others. Genetics is the science that deals with the transfer of the characteristics of the species from generation to generation and Reproductive Biology is the science related to all the necessary mechanisms to create a generation to the next.
Sound generation in a mixing layer

The sound generated by vortex pairing in a two-dimensional compressible mixing layer is investigated. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the Navier-Stokes equations are used to compute both the near-field region and a portion of the acoustic field. The acoustic analogy due to Lilley (1974) is also solved with acoustic sources determined from the near-field data of the DNS. It is shown that several commonly made simplifications to the acoustic sources can lead to erroneous predictions for the acoustic field. Predictions based on the quadrupole form of the source terms derived by Goldstein (1976a, 1984) are in excellent agreement with the acoustic field from the DNS. However, despite the low Mach number of the flow, the acoustic far field generated by the vortex pairings cannot be described by considering compact quadrupole sources. The acoustic sources have the form of modulated wave packets and the acoustic far field is described by a superdirective model (Crighton & Huerre 1990). The presence of flow-acoustic interactions in the computed source terms causes the acoustic field predicted by the acoustic analogy to be very sensitive to small changes in the description of the source.
Separation of boundary currents due to bottom topography

Abstract The effect of a large step (running oblique to the coast) on a nonlinear boundary current is examined using an inviscid, baratropic model on an f-plane and a set of laboratory experiments. Attention is focused on two cases: a step-down case in which the depth beyond the step (looking downstream) is infinite, and a step-up case in which the downstream depth is finite. Before examining these two cases in detail, the step matching conditions, analogous to the so-called Rankine-Hugoniot conditions for shock waves, are derived. These derivations show that, in contrast to our expectations, the sea-level on the two sides of the step should not necessarily be matched. On the basis of the newly derived step conditions, steady solutions for the step-down case are obtained analytically by considering the conservation of potential vorticity and mass, the Bernoulli integral and the integrated momentum equation. These solutions are constructed by connecting the upstream and downstream fields without solving for the complicated region in between. It is found that, upon encountering a large step down, the upstream jet turns offshore, and that there is an “entrainment” of water from the deep region into the shallow area. The entrainment current also flows offshore along the step. For the finite step-up case, the method of connecting the upstream and downstream fields without solving for the area in between cannot be easily applied and, consequently, a detailed solution is not obtained. However, a qualitative analysis suggests that, as in the infinitely deep step-down case, the current turns offshore. Simple laboratory experiments on a rotation table were performed for both the step-down and step-up cases. These experiments support the findings mentioned above. A qualitative application of our study to the response of the flow off the Shelikof Strait to the local topography is discussed.
LONG TERM EFFECTS OF DEUTERON IRRADIATION OF THE RAT PITUITARY1

An investigation has been made of the long-term effect of low radiationr doses to the rat pituitary using a high energy deuteron beam. The pituitarics were irradiated when the rats were 28 days old. The animals were maintained up to 27 months thereafter. A total of 138 controls and 169 treated rats were studied. Groups varying in size from 7 to 20 rats at each dose of radiation were sacrified at intervals of about 3 months. The endocrine changes became increasingly more prominent with increasing dosage and with time. Within certain dose ranges the same terminal results were obtained, though the lower the close the longer theperiod which elapsed before the maximum effect resulted. The effect of the radiation on pituitary structure was as follows:decrease in size of all lobes; loss of demarcation between lobes; increased connective tissue in surrounding membranes and supporting framework and frequent small hemorrhages. In the anterior lobe the change effected in the shortest time and at the lowest dose was ...
Evaluating the Effect of Educational Media Exposure on Aggression in Early Childhood.

Abstract Preschool-aged children (M = 42.44 months-old, SD = 8.02) participated in a short-term longitudinal study investigating the effect of educational media exposure on social development (i.e., aggression and prosocial behavior) using multiple informants and methods. As predicted, educational media exposure significantly predicted increases in both observed and teacher reported relational aggression across time. Follow-up analyses showed that educational media exposure also significantly predicted increases in parent reported relational aggression across more than a two year period. Results replicate and extend prior research that has demonstrated links between educational media exposure and relational aggression, but not physical aggression, during early childhood.
Choices for Chinese Political Science: Methodological Positivism or Methodological Pluralism?

Like its American counterpart, Chinese political science is experiencing a similar concern regarding its societal relevance as it attempts to assess and focus on China’s unique political and social concerns. Should Chinese political science tread the same path? Should it pursue a purely methodological positivist approach or should it engage in a more holistic and methodologically pluralistic approach such as that found in public administration? A mixed-methods approach, which includes both problem-driven research and theory-driven research, might be a better way to serve both the discipline and China.
How Can Next-Generation Sequencing (Genomics) Help Us in Treating Colorectal Cancer?

Next-generation sequencing methods have exponentially increased the amount of genomic information available to scientists and clinicians. This review will explain the evolution of tumor gene sequencing and identify its potential to accelerate therapeutic progress by using colorectal cancer to illustrate the benefits of this type of analysis. A milestone in sequencing occurred when The Cancer Genome Atlas investigators characterized the genomes of 276 colorectal cancer samples, with the resulting information expected to provide future clinical applications and help to guide the treatment of colorectal cancer. Data regarding colorectal cancer mutational frequencies, prognostic and predictive biomarker usefulness, and signaling pathway alterations are emerging from various next-generation sequencing platforms. Next-generation sequencing methods are also enhancing our understanding of the causes and consequences of both the chromosomal instability and microsatellite instability pathways as well as expanding our knowledge of the origins of familial colorectal cancer. Limitations to next-generation sequencing methods include the need for storage and analysis of massive quantities of data as well as assurance that the data is of the highest possible quality. However, this genomic technology carries with it the potential to revolutionize our treatment of colorectal cancer patients through better understanding of the underlying disease biology and subsequent development and application of therapeutic approaches targeting the genetic abnormalities specific to individual malignancies.
Leaf Hydraulic System: Rapid Epidermal and Stomatal Responses to Changes in Water Supply

The epidermis of the leaf of Zea mays transmits changes it water potential in the water supply of the leaf to the Stomata within 0.1 second. Reduction in water supply can caluse the subsidiary cells surrounding the stomata to collapse within 1.5 minutes, and the epidermis to shrink to one-third of its original thickness within 20 minutes.
Branched two-manifolds supporting all links

Abstract We resolve several conjectures of J. Birman and R. F. Williams concerning the knotting and linking of closed orbits of flows on 3-manifolds. Our methods center on the symbolic dynamics of semiflows on branched 2-manifolds, or templates. By proving the existence of “universal templates”, or embedded branched 2-manifolds supporting all finite links, we conclude that the set of closed orbits of any flow transverse to the fibration of the figure-eight knot complement in S3 contains representatives of every (tame) knot and link isotopy class.
Using Crosslinking and Mass Spectrometry to Study Glycine Receptor Allostery

A wealth of high-resolution structural information regarding pentameric ligand-gated ion channels is now available, but less is known of the molecular details underlying complex allosteric mechanisms involved in channel gating and desensitization. Receptor allostery can be studied by identifying state-dependent distance constraints that may be used in molecular modeling of these receptors. Systematically generated single Cys mutations of the human α1 glycine receptor (GlyR) expressed in insect cells were labeled with a clickable methanethiosulfonate-benzophenone crosslinker. After covalent ligation to Cys, crosslinks may then be introduced in the resting, open, or desensitized states by photoactivation. Including an alkyne tag on the crosslinker permits click chemistry addition of biotin, which allows for enrichment by avidin chromatography. Mass spectrometry (MS) fingerprinting of monomeric and higher-order GlyR bands on SDS-PAGE using ESI-QTOF MS/MS then allows for determination of the site of crosslinking. Our initial proof-of-principle studies conducted on purified GlyR have provided state-dependent information on this receptor. This approach may be broadly applicable to studies of any allosteric complex.
A novel cross-linking reagent for biomacromolecular modification: Bis(phenoxycarbonylethyl)phosphinic acid

Abstract Synthesis, properties, and reactions of the title reagent, bis(phenoxycarbonylethyl)phosphinic acid, are reported. The reagent's utility for biomacromolecular modification has been demonstrated by successfully cross-linking human hemoglobin.
Multiship, multishop, workload‐smoothing progfum

This paper describes a computer program that uses simple rules and applies them probabilistically to minimize manpower requirements in shops of a naval shipyard. Preliminary runs on a small fictitious problem show that this “multiship, multishop, workload-smoothing” program, called (MS)2, may be able to reduce the maximum number of men required on any one day by 30 to 60 percent. The program employs the critical path method of analyzing the jobs to be done on a given project (ship) and begins by assigning all jobs at their earliest possible start time. Then suitable jobs on peak workload days are selected at random and shifted to later days beyond the peak days until further shifting no longer reduces peak loads. The first segment of the program smooths the workloads on all shops simultaneously. After the first segment is completed the second segment performs further smoothing on individual shops, beginning with the most expensive shop. Although a limited amount of experience has been gained with this program, it appears likely that it can be developed further so that it can handle realistic-sized problems such as those encountered in a Naval Shipyard. Moreover, it can be applied on three levels: (1) smoothing shop workloads in a shipyard; (2) smoothing the workloads of individual shops; and (3) smoothing shipyard workloads.
Futures and realized cash or settle prices for gold, silver, and copper

Abstract This article examines the relation between 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-day gold, silver, and copper futures, and their realized cash or delivery settle prices, for deliveries on the first, middle, and last business day (FD, MD, and LD, respectively) of the delivery month. Samples of futures prices for gold, silver, and copper, and the realized cash or delivery settle prices, based on fixed maturities for a cross-section of contracts are used, because time-series over fixed maturities are unfeasible owing to the restrictive maturity periods in these contracts. This study contrasts with similar studies for forwards, which are not hampered by this problem (e.g., Baillie and Bollerslev in 1989), studies that use contemporaneous time-series of futures and cash prices to obtain optimal hedge ratios (e.g., Ghosh and Clayton in 1996), and studies that examine for parity between different futures prices (e.g., Franses and Kofman in 1991). Near-term gold, closest to delivery silver and all copper futures (the latter only with settle prices at delivery) are good predictors of the future cash price, except for silver and copper deliveries on the last day of delivery months. These results are consistent with previous studies on short-term cash (Ma in 1985) and futures (Ma and Soenen in 1988) parity between gold and silver, and with Gross's (1988) results for copper. The longer-term gold (45- and 60-day) and silver (30-, 45-, and 60-day) futures reject an unbiased expectations hypothesis. This result is consistent with Leistikow (1990) because cash prices respond less than futures prices in these instances.
Gene expression patterns in dendritic cells infected with measles virus compared with other pathogens

Gene expression patterns supply insight into complex biological networks that provide the organization in which viruses and host cells interact. Measles virus (MV) is an important human pathogen that induces transient immunosuppression followed by life-long immunity in infected individuals. Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that initiate the immune response to pathogens and are postulated to play a role in MV-induced immunosuppression. To better understand the interaction of MV with DCs, we examined the gene expression changes that occur over the first 24 h after infection and compared these changes to those induced by other viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. There were 1,553 significantly regulated genes with nearly 60% of them down-regulated. MV-infected DCs up-regulated a core of genes associated with maturation of antigen-presenting function and migration to lymph nodes but also included genes for IFN-regulatory factors 1 and 7, 2′5′ oligoadenylate synthetase, Mx, and TNF superfamily proteins 2, 7, 9, and 10 (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand). MV induced genes for IFNs, ILs, chemokines, antiviral proteins, histones, and metallothioneins, many of which were also induced by influenza virus, whereas genes for protein synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation were down-regulated. Unique to MV were the induction of genes for a broad array of IFN-αs and the failure to up-regulate dsRNA-dependent protein kinase. These results provide a modular view of common and unique DC responses after infection and suggest mechanisms by which MV may modulate the immune response.
Colonization of Yellows-Infected Asters by Two Species of Aphids

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), was able to colonize asters, Callistephus chinensis Nees., infected with aster yellows virus and flowers of healthy plants, but could not survive on foliage of healthy asters. Aphids “conditioned” for 44 days on yellowed asters appeared to survive somewhat longer on healthy asters than aphids from the stock culture on cabbage. However, the conditioned aphids did not increase as rapidly on yellowed asters as the control aphids from cabbage. Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) maintained its numbers on yellowed asters but survived only 3 to 7 days on healthy asters.
Lectin binding by macroglial and microglial cells in the brains of young normal and myelin-deficient (md) mutant rats

To distinguish macroglia (oligodendrocytes and astrocytes) from microglia in the brain, 'markers' that have been used in previous studies include carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) immunoreactivity for macroglia, and Ricinus and Bandeiraea (BS-I) lectins for microglia. However, in rats < 1 week of age, many cells stained intensely with both anti-CAII and the labelled BS-I lectin. If some of the BS-I+/CAII+ cells were macroglia, and not microglia, BS-I should no longer be regarded as specific for microglia. To confirm or rule out that possibility, lectin histochemistry and double immunofluorescence staining were performed in tissue from the brains of normal young rats and from the microglial cell-enriched brains of myelin-deficient mutant rats. BS-I+/CAII- cells were found and examined. The BS-I+/CAII- cells resembled macrophages and microglia and did, indeed, differ in sizes and shapes from the BS-I+/CA+ cells. The BS-I+/CA+ cells appeared to represent CAII+ putative oligodendrocyte precursors described previously. Although less obvious, a lectin-binding structure was also observed in astrocytes. Lectins may cross-react with macroglial glycoproteins. For example, a glycoprotein found in oligodendrocytes and myelin, the myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), is related to the Ig superfamily and cell adhesion molecules. Therefore, it is cautioned that lectins and antibodies against members of the latter families of proteins should be used as cell-type specific markers only if other parameters are also examined.
Changing trends in well differentiated thyroid carcinoma over eight decades.

Abstract Introduction The incidence of well differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) is rising in the USA. The objective of this study is to present the changes in incidence, presentation, management and outcomes of WDTC within our institution over the past 8 decades. Methods 2797 patients managed between 1932 and 2005 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were identified from our institutional database. Results There has been an increase in the number of patients managed per decade. Although the median age was 45 years, patients managed post-1985 were more likely to be over 45 years (53% versus 44%, p p = 0.026), and the percentage of papillary carcinomas also increased, from 78% to 92%, p p p 95% thereafter ( p Conclusions Older patients with earlier stage disease present an increasing workload for surgical oncologists. Excellent outcomes remain unchanged despite increasingly aggressive surgical and medical management.
Development of an in vitro model to assess posterior capsule safety during phacoemulsification with ultrasound or AquaLase handpieces.

Purpose To develop a cadaver eye model that would assess posterior capsule (PC) vulnerability when different cataract removal technologies were evaluated and use the model to evaluate the relative amplitude levels required to rupture the human PC with the AquaLase handpiece (Alcon) compared with an ultrasound (US) handpiece. Setting Private practice, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Methods In part 1 of the study, 26 phakic human cadaver eyes were sectioned in the anteroposterior meridian. The anterior portion of the globe was placed cornea side down, and the vitreous was gently cleared from the posterior surface of the lens capsule. Ultrasound was applied directly to the central capsule after achieving a vacuum of 100 mm Hg. The power was incremented until rupture was observed. In part 2 of the study, the same procedure was repeated with 50 eye pairs. For each pair, US was randomly applied to 1 eye and AquaLase to the other. The 50 pairs were divided into 3 groups based on vacuum level: 100, 300, or 500 mm Hg. Results Part 1 results show that at 100 mm Hg, the mean power needed to break the PC with US was 19% ± 6% (SD). There was no correlation between time from harvest to test and rupture power (R2 = 0.04) or between donor age and rupture power (R2 = 0.2). When the same procedure was repeated in part 2, on average, US power ruptured the capsule at a lower power than the AquaLase magnitude at each vacuum setting. The respective means were 18.5% ± 6.7% and 61.0% ± 23.3% for 100 mm Hg, 15.2% ± 5.4% and 47.1% ± 14.5% for 300 mm Hg, and 11.8% ± 6.5% and 20.0% ± 9.4% for 500 mm Hg. The difference between the groups and the values within each group decreased as vacuum levels increased. Conclusion This new experimental model in a cadaver eye provides a useful method for comparing factors and techniques that contribute to PC rupture.
Use of Bladder Stimulation in High Risk Patients

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated whether intravesical bladder stimulation therapy is effective in improving bladder compliance in patients with myelomeningocele, neurogenic bladder and high risk urodynamic parameters.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the charts of all patients treated with bladder stimulation therapy at our institution since 1984, and identified 7 with pretreatment high risk urodynamic findings (percent expected bladder capacity 60 percent or less and bladder capacity pressure 50 cm. water or greater). Urodynamic and clinical data were reviewed before and after therapy.Results: Following bladder stimulation in 4 of the 7 patients percent expected bladder capacity substantially increased and bladder capacity pressure decreased to safe levels. Two patients had minimal increases in percent expected bladder capacity but bladder capacity pressure decreased to 50 cm. water or less. Overall percent expected bladder capacity increased from an average pretreatment value of 44 percent before to 65 pe...
Biosynthesis of antioxidant lignans in Sesamum indicum seeds

Abstract Sesame lignans, whose biosynthetic pathway is the subject of this study, have well-established antioxidant and health protecting properties. Using a combination of radio- and stable-isotopically labelled precursor administration experiments, it was demonstrated that E-coniferyl alcohol undergoes stereoselective coupling to afford (+)-pinoresinol in Sesamum indicum seeds. Only this enantiomer, and not its (−)-antipode, is metabolized further in maturing seeds to afford (+)-piperitol, (+)-sesamin, and (+)-sesamolin. Introduction of the methylene dioxy bridges occurs sequentially with piperitol first being formed, this being subsequently modified to afford sesamin.
Perceptual organization can affect performance on rhythmic tasks

The current study explored whether perceptual organization can influence performance in a rhythm task. To test this possibility we had experienced drummers play two identical rhythmic passages by different groupings. The pulse of the rhythmic passage was manipulated to create a fast task and a slow task. All 27 participants performed the rhythmic passage more accurately when they were under the influence of the slower pulse. In addition, for all 27 participants, the fastest tempo for which they were able to perform the rhythm task to criterion was faster when in the slower pulse condition. These results demonstrate that perceptual organization can affect musical performance.
Optimized assessment of sentinel lymph nodes for metastatic melanoma: Implications for regional surgery and overall treatment planning

Correct identification of the sentinel node (SN) and accurate evaluation of this node's tumor status constitute the most precise technique for staging clinically localized cutaneous melanoma. However, even if tumor is present in the SN (as in approximately 20% of patients), the remaining nodes in the basin are often tumor-free. We have found that the Breslow thickness of the primary, the relative area of tumor in the SN (with respect to the area of the SN), and the density of dendritic leukocytes in the SN paracortex not only can predict the likelihood of nonsentinel node metastases but also are correlated with likelihood of tumor recurrence and melanoma-specific survival. The most robust of these predictors is relative tumor area, and this may be used as the basis of practical predictive algorithms.
Destruction of breast cancers and their metastases by lytic peptide conjugates in vitro and in vivo

In a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments, the concept has been established that breast cancer cells that express LH/CG or LHRH receptors can be targeted and destroyed by constructs consisting of a lytic peptide moiety and a 15-amino acid segment of the beta-chain of CG or by an LHRH lytic peptide conjugate. Data obtained in vitro established the validity of this concept, showed the specificities of the Hecate-betaCG, and Phor14 and Phor21-betaCG conjugates in killing cells that express functional LH/CG receptors and proved that the LH/CG receptor capacity is directly related to the compound's specificity. In in vivo experiments, Hecate-betaCG, Phor14-betaCG, and Phor21-betaCG(ala) each caused highly significant reductions of tumor volume and tumor burden in nude mice bearing breast cancer xenografts; Hecate and Phor21 alone or conjugated with non-specific peptides were not effective. Most importantly, the lytic peptide conjugates were all highly effective in targeting and destroying disseminated breast cancer metastases in lymph nodes, bones, lungs and other organs.
Neurological lesions in chickens experimentally infected with virulent Newcastle disease virus isolates

Distribution, character, and severity of lesions were evaluated in tissues from the central nervous system of chickens inoculated with 10 different Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates: CA 1083, Korea 97-147, Australia (all velogenic viscerotropic), Texas GB and Turkey North Dakota (both velogenic neurotropic), Nevada cormorant, Anhinga and Roakin (all mesogenic), and B1 and QV4 (lentogenic). Tissues for the present study included archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain (all strains) plus spinal cord (two strains). Encephalitis was observed in all velogenic viscerotropic and velogenic neurotropic strains, and in some mesogenic strains. In general, the encephalitic lesions began at 5 days post infection, with more severe lesions occurring around 10 days post infection. At this time point, especially in the grey matter of the brain, cerebellum and spinal cord, there were neuronal necrosis, neuronal phagocytosis, and clusters of cells with microglial morphology. Axonal degeneration and demyelinati...
Attenuation of streptozotocin diabetes with superoxide dismutase-like copper(II)(3,5-diisopropylsalicylate)2 in the rat

Experimental diabetes can be produced by agents with specific toxicity for pancreatic islet B cells. This effect has been reported to be modified both in vitro and in vivo by various radical scavengers including the enzyme Superoxide dismutase. Copper(II)(3,5-diisopropylsalicylate)2 is lipophilic and possesses Superoxide dismutase bioactivity. Prior administration of this compound to male rats appeared to attenuate the severity of streptozotocin-induced diabetes as assessed by glycosuria and glucose tolerance. Diisopropylsalicylate, which has no Superoxide dismutase activity, did not alter the severity of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Rats treated with the copper complex, with Streptozotocin or with a combination of the two agents gained 50% less weight than untreated controls, or rats treated with diisopropylsalicylate. The attenuation of diabetes by the copper-complex may represent partial protection of the B cells against Streptozotocin damage, although an extrapancreatic, toxic effect cannot be ruled out.
3D Wikipedia: using online text to automatically label and navigate reconstructed geometry

We introduce an approach for analyzing Wikipedia and other text, together with online photos, to produce annotated 3D models of famous tourist sites. The approach is completely automated, and leverages online text and photo co-occurrences via Google Image Search. It enables a number of new interactions, which we demonstrate in a new 3D visualization tool. Text can be selected to move the camera to the corresponding objects, 3D bounding boxes provide anchors back to the text describing them, and the overall narrative of the text provides a temporal guide for automatically flying through the scene to visualize the world as you read about it. We show compelling results on several major tourist sites.
Excited State Dynamics of Methyl Viologen. Ultrafast Photoreduction in Methanol and Fluorescence in Acetonitrile

The photophysical and photochemical deactivation pathways of electronically excited methyl viologen (1,1‘-dimethyl-4,4‘-bipyridinium, MV2+) were studied in several polar solvents at room temperature using a variety of ultrafast time-resolved and steady-state spectroscopic techniques. The results highlight the very strong electron accepting character of the lowest singlet excited state of MV2+. Transient absorption was measured between 270 and 740 nm as a function of delay time after excitation of the strong π−π* transition of MV2+ by a 150 fs, 265 nm pump pulse. In methanol, the radical cation of methyl viologen (MV•+) appeared within our time resolution, indicating that forward electron transfer from a nearby donor quenches electronically excited MV2+ in < 180 fs. Identical dynamics within experimental uncertainty were observed for the chloride salt of MV2+ and for the salt prepared with tetrafluoroborate counterions. This latter “superhalide” ion has a condensed-phase detachment threshold that is too hi...
Genetic Diversity of Wild and Hatchery Lake Trout Populations: Relevance for Management and Restoration in the Great Lakes

Abstract The biological diversity of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in the upper Great Lakes was historically high, consisting of many recognizable morphological types and discrete spawning populations. During the 1950s and 1960s, lake trout populations were extirpated from much of the Great Lakes primarily as a result of overfishing and predation by the parasitic sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus. Investigations of how genetic diversity is partitioned among remnant wild lake trout populations and hatchery broodstocks have been advocated to guide lake trout management and conservation planning. Using microsatellite genetic markers, we estimated measures of genetic diversity and the apportionment of genetic variance among 6 hatchery broodstocks and 10 wild populations representing three morphotypes (lean, humper, and siscowet). Analyses revealed that different hatchery broodstocks and wild populations contributed disproportionally to the total levels of genetic diversity. The genetic affinities of hatchery l...
Is the centromeric heterochromatin of Mus musculus late replicating

Quantitative analysis of DNA replication in embryonic cultures of C57BL/6J mice was carried out, using autoradiography after tritiated thymidine incorporation. The centromeric regions are late-replicating.
Distribution of β3-adrenoceptor mRNA in human tissues

The beta 3-adrenoceptor is a G protein-coupled receptor which mediates metabolic functions of the endogenous catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine. Questions exist regarding distribution of the beta 3-adrenoceptor in human tissue. In order to examine the distribution of beta 3-adrenoceptor mRNA in human tissues, we used sensitive and specific RNase protection assays without previous PCR amplification in an extensive list of human tissues. We confirm the presence of beta 3-adrenoceptor mRNA in human white fat from several locations, gall bladder, and small intestine, as well as extend the distribution of beta 3-adrenoceptor mRNA to previously uncharacterized human tissues such as stomach and prostate. The presence of beta 3-adrenoceptor mRNA in human white adipose tissue has important implications regarding possible use of beta 3-adrenoceptor selective agonists as anti-obesity agents, and the demonstration of beta 3-adrenoceptor mRNA in a number of gastrointestinal tissues and prostate raises the question of the role of the beta 3-adrenoceptor in motility and secretory processes.
Egg Limitation, Host Quality, and Dynamic Behavior by a Parasitoid in the Field

Patterns of host selection and host use by insects with parasitic lifestyles are predicted to be fundamentally dynamic, responding to environmental conditions and physi- ological states. A particularly robust prediction is that the number of mature eggs that a female carries (her "egg load") should influence behavior. As egg load decreases, females are predicted to exhibit increasingly selective host use patterns. We tested the hypothesis that egg load and host size influence the behavior of the parasitoid wasp Aphytis aonidiae attacking the armored scale insect Quadraspidiotus perniciosus. Aphytis females can use hosts either for oviposition or for adult "host feeding," which is the consumption of host material by adult parasitoids. Theory predicts that host feeding should be (i) favored by low egg loads and (ii) more prevalent on lower-quality (smaller) hosts. We conducted observations of in- dividual females foraging freely in the field to determine whether hosts were used for ovi- position or for host feeding. As predicted by theory, the likelihood that a host was used for oviposition (as opposed to host feeding) increased with both parasitoid egg load and host size. Thus, parasitoids exhibited higher host-selectivity at lower egg loads. Since egg load and a parasitoid's experience with hosts were not experimentally separated, the egg load effect could in principle have been either direct or indirect and operating through a correlation with experience. In either case, this result constitutes the first demonstration of a link between physiological state and oviposition behavior by a parasitoid in the field. Parasitoid age, as measured using a wing wear index, did not influence behavior. A laboratory study revealed that the relationship between a host's size and the size and initial egg load of the parasitoid developing on that host was positive, but that it followed a pattern of diminishing returns. No effect of host size on behavior could be detected over the range of host sizes that were within the asymptotic region of this relationship.
Genome-wide activity-dependent MeCP2 phosphorylation regulates nervous system development and function

Autism spectrum disorders such as Rett syndrome (RTT) have been hypothesized to arise from defects in experience-dependent synapse maturation. RTT is caused by mutations in MECP2, a nuclear protein that becomes phosphorylated at S421 in response to neuronal activation. We show here that disruption of MeCP2 S421 phosphorylation in vivo results in defects in synapse development and behavior, implicating activity-dependent regulation of MeCP2 in brain development and RTT. We investigated the mechanism by which S421 phosphorylation regulates MeCP2 function and show by chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing that this modification occurs on MeCP2 bound across the genome. The phosphorylation of MeCP2 S421 appears not to regulate the expression of specific genes; rather, MeCP2 functions as a histone-like factor whose phosphorylation may facilitate a genome-wide response of chromatin to neuronal activity during nervous system development. We propose that RTT results in part from a loss of this experience-dependent chromatin remodeling.
Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acarina: Ixodidae) established in southeastern Washington and northern Idaho.

Dermacentor Variabilis (Say) is recorded for the first time from southeastern Washington and northern Idaho. The numerous records from these areas indicate that this tick is well established in this region and considerably extends its range and distribution. Adults of this species are active much later in the summer than those of D. andersoni , thereby extending the time people can be exposed to tick-borne diseases in this region.
Methyl substitutent effects in radical cation Diels-Alder reactions

The effect of methyl substitution on the Diels−Alder radical cation reaction was studied using B3LYP with a 6-31G* basis set. Five separate pathways, one concerted and four stepwise, were examined for each possible position of a methyl substituent. None of the concerted transition structures could be located without symmetry constraints, and all but one of the structures obtained under these conditions were destabilized by a second-order Jahn−Teller distortion. A concerted pathway with simultaneous bond formation at C1 and C4 is therefore excluded. Stepwise pathways that had the methyl group either on a carbon involved in the initial bond formation or in a position where it could not stabilize the radical/cation were a few kcal/mol above alternate pathways. High transition state energies for the formation of vinylcyclobutane derivatives cause it to be a minor product in general. The pathway that proceeds through an anti-intermediate is the most favored, while the pathways forming the gauche-out intermedia...
Evaluation of hemostasis in flowing blood

Hemostasis and thrombosis are now increasingly recognized as integrally related to blood rheology and blood flow. Platelets, for example, are known to access the vessel wall in ways which depend upon the small-scale motions of neighboring erythrocytes, and access one another via collisions driven by gradients in blood flow velocity. In this context, flow devices have become a subject of great interest in the clinical assessment of bleeding disorders, especially platelet function defects and von Willebrand disease. While these devices currently lack standardization and outcomes measures which establish clear clinical utility, their promise remains great, particularly in the potential to simulate the microenvironment of arteries vs. veins and in their ability to incorporate such intrinsically flow-dependent phenomena as co-localization of tissue-factor-bearing microparticles with platelets, the weakness of the GPIb-vWF bond at very high shear stresses, and even the hemostatic and antithrombotic function of vascular endothelium. In contrast, currently utilized assays are often performed under static conditions that do not involve flow and therefore are not able to simulate the microenvironment of arteries and veins.
Tissue and organ engineering: can we build intestine and vital organs?

The field of tissue engineering has emerged over the past 20 years. This paper presents a brief review of the conceptual framework of the field, its relationship to stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and several examples of the state of the art including engineering of intestine as well as large vital organs such as the liver.
The triggering of myocardial infarction by fine particles is enhanced when particles are enriched in secondary species

Previous studies have reported an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) associated with acute increases in PM concentration. Recently, we reported that MI/fine particle (PM2.5) associations may be limited to transmural infarctions. In this study, we retained data on hospital discharges with a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (using International Classification of Diseases ninth Revision [ICD-9] codes), for those admitted January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2006, who were ≥ 18 years of age, and were residents of New Jersey at the time of their MI. We excluded MI with a diagnosis of a previous MI and MI coded as a subendocardial infarction, leaving n = 1563 transmural infarctions available for analysis. We coupled these health data with PM2.5 species concentrations predicted by the Community Multiscale Air Quality chemical transport model, ambient PM2.5 concentrations, and used the same case-crossover methods to evaluate whether the relative odds of transmural MI associated with increased PM2.5 concentration is modified by the PM2.5 composition/mixture (i.e., mass fractions of sulfate, nitrate, elemental carbon, organic carbon, and ammonium). We found the largest relative odds estimates on the days with the highest tertile of sulfate mass fraction (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.27), nitrate mass fraction (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 0.98, 1.35), and ammonium mass fraction (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.00 1.28), and the lowest tertile of EC mass fraction (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.34). Air pollution mixtures on these days were enhanced in pollutants formed through atmospheric chemistry (i.e., secondary PM2.5) and depleted in primary pollutants (e.g., EC). When mixtures were laden with secondary PM species (sulfate, nitrate, and/or organics), we observed larger relative odds of myocardial infarction associated with increased PM2.5 concentrations. Further work is needed to confirm these findings and examine which secondary PM2.5 component(s) is/are responsible for an acute MI response.
Feeding and Weaning Practices of Cuban and Haitian Immigrant Mothers

The decline of breast feeding among immigrant mothers is of concern to transcultural nurses and other health care professionals. A descriptive survey of 30 Cuban and 30 Haitian immigrant mothers in South Florida explored their feeding and weaning beliefs and practices. Findings revealed that social, economic, and political factors in their country of origin and in South Florida affected their traditional health-culture beliefs and practices related to breast and bottle feeding and weaning, initial fluid intake, introduction of supplemental foods, and administration of vitamins, minerals, and medications. Implications for transcultural nursing care are presented.