cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of SANS and DLS hydrodynamic correlation lengths for a polystyrene/methyl-cyclohexane solution in the vicinity of temperature- or pressure-induced critical demixing

Abstract Phase diagrams for polystyrene(PS)/deuteromethylcyclohexane have been determined over a wide range of temperature and pressure. In this work, we report hydrodynamic and SANS correlation lengths, ξDLS and ξSANS, and intensities, IDLS and ISANS, from dynamic light and small-angle neutron scattering, respectively, along various approaches to a near-critical demixing surface, ƒ(T ∗ , P ∗ ) cr . We examined isobaric, isothermal, and more complicated paths, sometimes in the hypercritical region. (At a lower hypercritical temperature ϖ(ƒ(T ∗ ,P ∗ )/ϖP = 0 and ϖ 2 (ƒ(T ∗ ,P ∗ )/ϖP 2 > 0 , and at a lower hypercritical pressure ϖ(ƒ(T ∗ ,P ∗ ) cr /ϖT = 0 and ϖ 2 (ƒ(T ∗ ,P ∗ ) cr /ϖT 2 > 0.) Both ξDLS and ξSANS diverge as ( T ∗ ,P ∗ ) is approached, but the strength of the divergence depends on the direction of approach to ( P ∗ ,T ∗ ) cr . We discuss a modified scaling expression which describes the observations.
The effect of reinforcement differences on choice and response distribution during stimulus compounding

In Experiments I and II, rats were trained to respond on one lever during light and another during tone. The absence of tone and light controlled response cessation. In the multiple schedule of Experiment I, all reinforcements were received for responding in tone or light; in the chain schedule of Experiment II, all reinforcements were received in no tone + no light for not responding. Experiment I subjects, for which tone and light were associated with response and reinforcement increase, responded significantly more to tone-plus-light than to tone or light alone (additive summation). Experiment II subjects, for which tone and light were associated with response increase and reinforcement decrease, responded comparably to tone, light, and tone + light. Thus, additive summation was observed when stimulus-response and stimulus-reinforcer associations in tone and light were both positive, but not when they were conflicting. All subjects in both experiments responded predominantly on the light-correlated lever during tone + light, even when light intensity was reduced in testing. Furthermore, when a light was presented to a subject engaged in tone-associated responding, all subjects immediately switched the locus of responding to the light-correlated lever. No change in locus occurred when a tone was presented to a subject engaged in light-associated responding, irrespective of the stimulus-reinforcer association conditioned to tone. The light-lever preference in tone + light indicates that the heightened responding observed in Experiment I was not the summation of tone-associated behavior with light-associated behavior. Rather, it appears to be the result of a facilitation of one operant (light-associated responding) by the reinforcement-associated cue for the other.
The Role of Debt Purchases in Takeovers: A Tale of Two Retailers

In this paper, we examine acquisitions of two financially distressed retailers-Federated's takeover of Macy's, and Zell Chilmark's takeover of Carter Hawley Hale. In both cases the raider purchased some of the target's outstanding debt to launch its takeover attempt. These debt purchases appear to have been facilitated by two salient factors-the raider's expertise in dealing with distressed firm restructuring and the ability of the raider to acquire a large blockholding of debt. Our analysis indicates that, when these factors are present, it is optimal for a raider to initiate a takeover of a distressed firm through purchasing a block of the firm's debt. Target bondholder reaction will be favorable whereas shareholder reaction may be either favorable or unfavorable.
The Interaction of Tetraethylammonium and Ephedrine

It is demonstrated that tetraethylammonium, an autonomic ganglion blocking agent, does not significantly influence the cardiovascular actions of ephedrine in the anesthetized dog. This is regarded as further evidence that ephedrine, and other phenylisopropylamine derivatives, do not bring about their in vivo effects by inhibiting the inactivation of epinephrine or sympathin by amine oxidase.
An intervention program to build competencies in adolescent parents.

The efficacy of a year long peer intervention program to ameliorate stressors and enhance parent competencies among pregnant or parenting adolescent girls is described. The sample consisted of 57 pregnant or parenting girls with an intervention group of 29 subjects, mean age 16.5, and a control group of 28 girls, mean age 16.0. Peer advocates were senior level undergraduate psychology students at an urban midwestern university. Extensive demographic data and personality inventories were administered pre and post, and results supported the efficacy of the intervention program. Findings showed that the degree to which mothers were bothered by their infants' behavior increased significantly at posttest for the control group with a modest rise for the intervention group. At posttest both groups showed a decrease in the positive perceptions of their infant with the decrease being significantly greater for the comparison group than the intervention group. The implications of these findings which are attributed to the day to day reality of caring for an infant are discussed and directions for future research are presented.
Expression of Deletion-Containing Dystrophins in mdx Muscle: Implications for Gene Therapy and Dystrophin Function

ABSTRACT: The expression of full-length dystrophin and various dystrophin deletion mutants was monitored in mdx mouse muscle after intramuscular injection of dystrophin-encoding plasmid DNAs. Recombinant dystrophin proteins, including those lacking either the amino terminus, carboxyl terminus, or most of the central rod domain, showed localization to the plasma membrane. This suggests that there are multiple attachment sites for dystrophin to the plasma membrane. Only those constructs containing the carboxyl terminus were able to stabilize dystrophin-associated proteins (DAP) at the membrane, consistent with other studies that suggest that this domain is critical to DAP binding. Colocalization with DAP was not necessary for membrane localization of the various dystrophin molecules. However, stabilization and co-localization of the DAP did seem to be a prerequisite for expression and/or stabilization of mutant dystrophins beyond 1 wk and these same criteria seemed important for mitigating the histopathological consequences of dystrophin deficiency.
Osmotic Effects on the Dynamic Shear Properties of Meniscal Fibrocartilage

The meniscus plays an important role in many biomechanical functions of the knee, including shock absorption, load distribution, and joint lubrication. The ability to perform these functions is determined by the interactions of the major tissue constituents (water, proteoglycan, and collagen), although these interactions have not been as thoroughly studied in fibrocartilage as those in other soft tissues. In articular cartilage, electrochemical interactions between negatively charged glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains of proteoglycans and the interstitial fluid generate an osmotic swelling pressure that contributes to the compressive stiffness [1], and proteoglycan degradation dramatically decreases compressive and shear moduli [2]. Although the concentration of proteoglycan in the meniscus is substantially lower (<1%) than that in articular cartilage, aggrecan degradation also greatly decreases the compressive and shear moduli of meniscal fibrocartilage [3]. The proteoglycan distribution in meniscal fibrocartilage is macroscopically heterogeneous [4] and is concentrated in the secondary matrix surrounding the circumferential collagen bundles, and the extent to which osmotic interactions explain the influence on fibrocartilage material properties is unknown. Altering the osmotic strength of the bathing solution supplies a means to control osmotic interactions between the GAGs and the environment without degrading the tissue matrix. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of an altered osmotic environment on the dynamic shear modulus of meniscal tissue.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Focal Adhesion Kinase Plays a Role in Osteoblast Mechanotransduction In Vitro but Does Not Affect Load-Induced Bone Formation In Vivo

A healthy skeleton relies on bone's ability to respond to external mechanical forces. The molecular mechanisms by which bone cells sense and convert mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals, a process known as mechanotransduction, are unclear. Focal adhesions play a critical role in cell survival, migration and sensing physical force. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase that controls focal adhesion dynamics and can mediate reparative bone formation in vivo and osteoblast mechanotransduction in vitro. Based on these data, we hypothesized that FAK plays a role in load-induced bone formation. To test this hypothesis, we performed in vitro fluid flow experiments and in vivo bone loading studies in FAK−/− clonal lines and conditional FAK knockout mice, respectively. FAK−/− osteoblasts showed an ablated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) response to fluid flow shear. This effect was reversed with the re-expression of wild-type FAK. Re-expression of FAK containing site-specific mutations at Tyr-397 and Tyr-925 phosphorylation sites did not rescue the phenotype, suggesting that these sites are important in osteoblast mechanotransduction. Interestingly, mice in which FAK was conditionally deleted in osteoblasts and osteocytes did not exhibit altered load-induced periosteal bone formation. Together these data suggest that although FAK is important in mechanically-induced signaling in osteoblasts in vitro, it is not required for an adaptive response in vivo, possibly due to a compensatory mechanism that does not exist in the cell culture system.
SU-FF-J-14: An Optimized Protocol for Using Small Field MV Cone-Beam CT Imaging in Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop an optimal protocol for imaging different body sites in patients during MV Cone Beam CT (MVCBCT) based IGRT for small field of view (FOV) imaging for Stereotactic Radiosurgery and other applications. Methods and Materials: Clinically delivered MVCBCT imaging systems have built‐in protocols that are optimized for large FOV imaging. For our protocol optimization study, we chose a field size of 12cm × 10cm to acquire CBCTimages. Our study was conducted using our Siemens Oncor Impression Linac, an image quality phantom, an offline reconstruction tool prototype software, a prototype visualization tool, a dicom image extractor tool, and the ImageJ open source software from NIH. Five regions of the image quality phantom were imaged and the raw data was processed using the offline reconstruction tool by changing various reconstruction parameters. Our study was focused on two specific regions of the phantom, corresponding to electron densities of 9% and 17%. A useful projection image size of 448 × 373 pixels on the flat panel detector was used for the filtered backprojection. The dicom images were extracted with the dicom extractor from the reconstructed images for post processing and quantitative image analysis using the ImageJsoftware.Results: Our efforts in optimizing the image reconstruction and processing chain resulted in the development of protocols that result in superior images. We have developed quantitative methods to analyze the results and determine the optimal protocol. We are currently repeating the imaging process with the Image Quality phantom to check for reproducibility of our methods and protocols. Conclusions: Our preliminary result provides a valuable reference to setup an optimal protocol for using small field MVCBCT for IGRT. Once we confirm the reproducibility of our protocol, we plan on imaging a series of patients to clinically test the protocol.
Fungal infections in the newborn

Systemic fungal infection occurs in up to 4% of very low birth weight infants. The incidence is increasing as survival improves. Candida albicans causes most neonatal infections. Specific risk factors for infection are use of parenteral nutrition and prolonged courses of broad spectrum antibiotics. The diagnosis can be difficult to make as the organism is slow to grow. A high index of suspicion is required in the ill, clinically septic but culture negative infant. Empirical therapy pending therapy is advised in this situation. The antifungal drug of choice is amphotericin, which may be combined with 5-fluorocytosine. The test dose and stepwise daily increment in amphotericin dose advised in adult patients is unnecessary in the newborn. The mortality and morbidity of this infection remain high, often due to delay in diagnosis.
Effects of marathon running on platelet activation markers : Direct evidence for in vivo platelet activation

We used the ADVIA 2120 Hematology System (Bayer HealthCare, Diagnostics Division, Tarrytown, NY) to study the effects of vigorous exercise on CBC count, WBC differential, RBC fragmentation, and platelet activation parameters in 32 healthy participants in a 26.2-mile (42.2-km) marathon. The runners demonstrated increases in hematocrit and platelet count consistent with dehydration and leukocytosis indicative of demargination of neutrophils or inflammation secondary to tissue destruction (eg, rhabdomyolysis). The number of RBC fragments was increased after the race (P = .008), consistent with exercise-induced hemolysis. The mean platelet component, a measure of platelet granularity, was decreased (P < .0001), and the number of platelet clumps was increased (P = .0026), providing evidence for in vivo platelet activation during the marathon. By using direct measurement of platelet granularity, our study confirms the in vivo activation of platelets by vigorous exercise and establishes the usefulness of automated cell counters for the assessment of platelet activation and of RBC fragmentation in this setting.
Marginal vein is not a varicose vein; it is a venous malformation

Marginal vein (MV) is one form of venous malformation (VM); MV is not a varicose vein. MV is the outcome of defective development during the later stage of embryogenesis while the vein trunk is formed. It is an embryonic vein tissue remnant remaining on birth following the failure of normal involutional process. MV is the most common VM involved to Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS); together with the lymphatic malformation, MV is one of two clinically most important congenital vascular malformation components among KTS. MV causes chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) due to a unique condition of avalvulosis (lack of venous valve development) it accompanies with. Besides, it accompanies a high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to its structural defect with a lack of smooth muscle cell to form the media properly as a truncular VM infrequently causing fatal pulmonary embolism. Therefore, the MV is indicated for the surgical excision whenever feasible not only for the prevention of VTE and CVI but also for abnormal long bone growth known as vascular bone syndrome as well as lymphatic complication precipitated by MV.
The Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Susceptibility of Rochelle Salt

The electric susceptibility of Rochelle salt has been studied as a function of both temperature and hydrostatic pressure. Both the upper and lower critical temperatures are altered by the pressure, but the pressure coefficients for the alterations are different in the two cases. An attempt is made to correlate the experiment with statistical mechanical theory, but it is found that the theory is not sufficiently explicit to provide a quantitative explanation of the results.
Toxicity of select organic acids to the slightly thermophilic acidophile Acidithiobacillus caldus

Acidithiobacillus caldus is a thermophilic acidophile found in commercial biomining, acid mine drainage systems, and natural environments. Previous work has characterized A. caldus as a chemolithotrophic autotroph capable of utilizing reduced sulfur compounds under aerobic conditions. Organic acids are especially toxic to chemolithotrophs in low-pH environments, where they diffuse more readily into the cell and deprotonate within the cytoplasm. In the present study, the toxic effects of oxaloacetate, pyruvate, 2-ketoglutarate, acetate, malate, succinate, and fumarate on A. caldus strain BC13 were examined under batch conditions. All tested organic acids exhibited some inhibitory effect. Oxaloacetate was observed to inhibit growth completely at a concentration of 250 microM, whereas other organic acids were completely inhibitory at concentrations of between 1,000 and 5,000 microM. In these experiments, the measured concentrations of organic acids decreased with time, indicating uptake or assimilation by the cells. Phospholipid fatty acid analyses indicated an effect of organic acids on the cellular envelope. Notable differences included an increase in cyclic fatty acids in the presence of organic acids, indicating possible instability of the cellular envelope. This was supported by field emission scanning-electron micrographs showing blebbing and sluffing in cells grown in the presence of organic acids.
A Diffusive Crack‐Growth Model for Creep Fracture

A grain-boundary creep-crack-growth model is presented based on the assumptions that a crack propagates along the grain boundary by a coupled process of surface and grain-boundary self-diffusion, the adjoining grains on either side of the boundary behave elastically, and steady state conditions prevail. Under the action of the applied stress, atoms on the crack surfaces are driven by surface diffusion toward the crack tip, from where they are deposited nonuniformly by grain-boundary diffusion along the grain interface so that the grain boundary opens up hi a wedge shape ahead of the advancing tip which, hi turn, produces a misfit residual stress field. The total grain-boundary normal stresses which are the sum of this misfit stress field and that due to applied stress as well as the boundary opening displacements due to materials deposition are solved from a singular integrodifferential equation to give the following equation relating K to v: where K is the applied mode I crack-tip stress intensity factor,Kmin=1.69 kg is the minimum K below which no crack growth is predicted, KG being the critical K based on the Griffith theory; ν is the fixed crack-tip velocity, and νmin is the minimum v for which K=Kmia. In terms of the conventional expression of ν∝Kn, the present model predicts the values of n varying from 12 to infinity. A comparison with a set of creep crack-growth data on Si-Al-O-N at 1400°C shows good agreement between theory and experiment. A detailed analysis of the energy balance for the present model is also presented which indicates that / or (1–ν2)K2/E is indeed the correct energy release rate during the crack growth, as is true in the theory of elastic fracture mechanics. However, the major portion of the energy released in the diffusion processes comes from work done by the normal stress in opening up the grain boundary to accommodate the diffused material rather than from strain energy released by the adjoining grains.
CCN estimates from bulk hygroscopic growth factors of ambient aerosols during the pre-monsoon season over Central Nepal

Abstract Aerosol size distribution (ambient and dried) and chemical composition were measured simultaneously using two Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers (SMPSs) and filters during the pre-monsoon season (April–June 2009) at two locations in Central Nepal: Dhulikhel, an urban site in the Kathmandu valley, and Besisahar, a rural village in the Marsyangdi valley. Diameter growth factors (DGF) were estimated using the larger mode (around 100 nm) of the aerosol size distributions. The measured DGF suggest that the aerosols were in metastable state below 80% RH owing to the strong diurnal cycle of relative humidity (RH) at Dhulikhel, while no discernible growth was observed for Besisahar. Assuming ideal behavior of water-soluble organic compounds and using their fraction as determined by water extraction of filters produced the best agreement for a two-component hygroscopic growth model with the observed DGFs. This finding together with the DGF and chemical composition data were used to determine the aerosol bulk hygroscopicity parameter, κ . The κ parameter suggests that aerosols in this region are less hygroscopic than aerosols reported in previous studies from other regions. The estimated κ and the vertically scaled aerosol size distribution were then used to estimate the CCN spectra. These are the first estimates of CCN spectra from ground-based observations for the Central Himalaya region.
Short-term effects of patellar kinesio taping on pain and hop function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Background:Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is the most prevalent orthopaedic condition among physically active individuals, contributing to an estimated 30% to 40% of all sports medicine visits. Techniques using Kinesio Tape (KT) have become increasingly popular; however, there has been scant research supporting its use on patients with PFPS.Hypothesis:The use of patellar KT to treat patients with PFPS will provide a statistically significant improvement in short-term pain and single-leg hop measures as compared with sham placement of KT.Study Design:Nonrandomized controlled clinical trial with repeated-measures design.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Methods:Forty-nine subjects (41 females, 8 males) between the ages of 12 and 24 years with PFPS participated in this study. Each subject underwent patellar kinesio taping with both experimental and sham applications while completing 4 functional tasks and the single-leg triple jump test (STJT). The treatment outcome was analyzed using separate paired t tests to...
Progression of Electroanatomic Substrate and Electric Storm Recurrence in a Patient With Brugada Syndrome

In December 2011, a 39-year-old man resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation received the diagnosis of Brugada syndrome on the basis of a spontaneous Brugada type 1 ECG pattern (Figure 1A). Before implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator, the patient, after providing written informed consent, underwent a 3-dimensional electroanatomic mapping of the right ventricle (RV) as part of a clinical research study approved by ethics committee of our institution. A localized low-voltage area with delayed and fragmented potentials was evident in both bipolar and unipolar voltage maps in the anterior RV outflow tract. The patient was discharged with no antiarrhythmic medication and was free of arrhythmic events at implantable cardioverter-defibrillator interrogation for 1 year. Figure 1. A , A 12-lead rest ECG obtained in 2011 showing a spontaneous type 1 Brugada pattern in leads V1 and V2. B , Continuous ECG monitoring (in 2013) showing frequent monomorphic ventricular ectopic beats with left bundle-branch block morphology and an inferior axis, as well as frequent R-on-T phenomenon triggering ventricular fibrillation. The type 1 Brugada pattern can …
Fine Structure of Penetration of Cultured Cells by Isospora canis Sporozoites

SYNOPSIS Monolayers of Embryonic Bovine Trachea (EBTr) cells were inoculated with Isospora canis Nemeseri spcrozoites. As penetration commenced, they were fixed, stained with OsO4-ruthenium red, dehydrated, embedded and sectioned in situ. Examination by electron microscopy revealed that host cell membranes remained intact during penetration. The sporozoites caused an invagination of the cell's plasmalemma until the parasites were entirely within the cell, after which the invagination was sealed by short pseudopodia enclosing the parasite within a membrane-lined vacuole inside the cells. Rhoptries and micronemes, which appeared as branched elements of the same network, became less tortuous near the conoid and often became empty or partially empty during penetration. Concurrent with the appearance of these partially empty rhoptries, vesiculations were seen in the host cell cytoplasm opposite the apical tip of the sporczoite. Constrictions of the sporozoite during entry were probably due to bands of microfilaments beneath the plasmalemma and elsewhere in the cytoplasm of the host cell.
The diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography.

Fig 1. Intraoperative transgastric LV short-axis view obtained apical to the papillary muscles showing a dilated apex. The anterior and lateral walls display changes consistent with left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction, including characteristic thickening with a 2-layer appearance and deep recesses between prominent trabeculations.
Dux illa directrixque artium: Rudolph Agricola's dialectical system

(1966). Dux illa directrixque artium: Rudolph Agricola's dialectical system. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 337-347.
Transmission power loss reduction using intelligent techniques-regulated IPFC

This paper compares the ability of various intelligent search algorithms in tuning interline power flow controllers (IPFCs) to diminish the transmission loss in power system networks. The IPFC belongs to a family of a series of compensating flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices and has the ability to manage power flow among multiline transmission systems. It has voltage source converters (VSCs), which can be adjusted to regulate the power flow in a corresponding line. In this paper, a study of the capability of IPFCs to reduce transmission loss is established. First, a general introduction to the FACTS devices is developed, and the problem at hand is defined. Next, the selection of parameters of the IPFC controller is considered as an optimization problem and the parameters are tuned by applying three intelligent search techniques: 1) differential evolution (DE), 2) artificial bee colony (ABC) and 3) particle swarm optimization (PSO). Finally, the effectiveness of the device in diminishing line loss is demonstrated using MATLAB® software application.
Amyloid-β signals through tau to drive ectopic neuronal cell cycle re-entry in Alzheimer's disease

Normally post-mitotic neurons that aberrantly re-enter the cell cycle without dividing account for a substantial fraction of the neurons that die in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We now report that this ectopic cell cycle re-entry (CCR) requires soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau, the respective building blocks of the insoluble plaques and tangles that accumulate in AD brain. Exposure of cultured wild type (WT) neurons to Aβ oligomers caused CCR and activation of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase, fyn, the cAMP-regulated protein kinase A and calcium-calmodulin kinase II, which respectively phosphorylated tau on Y18, S409 and S416. In tau knockout (KO) neurons, Aβ oligomers activated all three kinases, but failed to induce CCR. Expression of WT, but not Y18F, S409A or S416A tau restored CCR in tau KO neurons. Tau-dependent CCR was also observed in vivo in an AD mouse model. CCR, a seminal step in AD pathogenesis, therefore requires signaling from Aβ through tau independently of their incorporation into plaques and tangles.
Patterns and controlling factors of residential water use in Los Angeles, California

The current study evaluates residential water use patterns and driving factors across Los Angeles, California. Ten years of monthly residential water data were obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Socio-economic, vegetation characteristics, climate, and water pricing data were utilized to develop a statistical model to determine controlling factors of single-family residential water use. Key drivers were found to be household income, landscape greenness, water pricing, household volume allocation, precipitation and temperature. Results show that low water users are less sensitive to climate variability than high water users, likely because these customers have reduced outdoor water use. In the lower income group, average household size is a predictor for household water consumption, which increases with more residents. Lower water users are also more sensitive to changes in their first level household water allocation (Tier 1). However, low, medium and high water users all respond more to changes in the Tier 1 rate than the Tier 2 rate, and generally reduce consumption if this block rate is increased.
Nordic in nature: friluftsliv and environmental connectedness.

This study explored the question of whether a relationship exists between the Nordic cultural idea of friluftsliv and the psychological construct of environmental connectedness (EC). This quantitative study employed a correlational design with existing data from the Swedish Outdoor Recreation in Change national survey. Results indicate that there is a significant and meaningful relationship between friluftsliv, operationally defined as nature-based outdoor recreation participation, and EC even when controlling for other predictor variables. In addition, research findings indicate that age group moderates this relationship with one group exception. It was also found that activity participation by respondents shows a correlation with both EC and age group. Implications of this study support a cultural understanding of nature-based outdoor recreation and an awareness of the important role of access to nature as an essential component of nature-based outdoor recreation. Age group differences supported a varie...
Upwind flight response of the bark beetle predator Thanasimus dubius towards olfactory and visual cues in a wind tunnel

1 The checkered beetle Thanasimus dubius (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is a common predator in North America that feeds on bark beetles (mostly Ips and Dendroctonus spp.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Despite numerous field-trapping studies on this predator, the response of individual T. dubius to bark beetle pheromones, host tree volatiles and visual stimuli has seldom been studied in the laboratory. 2 We present a detailed description of T. dubius chemotactic behaviour using wind tunnel observations. We investigated the effect of a synomone, the tree volatile α-pinene, on the T. dubius response towards two kairomones, ipsenol and frontalin, which are, respectively, principal components of Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff) and Dendroctonus frontalis (Zimmermann) prey pheromones. We also compared the chemotactic responses of predators to vanilla (an artificial flavour) and α-pinene, and the response to black and white silhouettes presented near the volatile source. 3 The mean rate of one antennal behaviour (called ‘stand up’) was significantly higher when adult T. dubius were exposed to a semiochemical relative to a blank (no chemical) or to vanilla. The percentage of upwind flights (insects landing upwind and performing at least one ‘stand up’ antennal behaviour) was also significantly higher for semiochemical treatments. The presence of α-pinene did not increase significantly the T. dubius response to ipsenol or frontalin. Predators landed more frequently near black silhouettes but the difference was not significant. 4 Percentages of predators landing closer than 40 cm to the semiochemical source increased significantly during the second trial (43–63%), suggesting a possible effect of experience on chemotactic behaviour.
TU-F-12A-07: Cardiac Fiber Imaging Using High-Frequency Ultrasound in Animal Models

Purpose: Cardiac fibers directly affect the mechanical and electrophysiological properties of the heart. The objective of this study is to explore high-frequency ultrasound imaging for measuring cardiac fiber orientation in an animal model. Methods: An ex vivo heart model was used in this study. The hearts of male rats were excised, perfused, fixed, and embedded in agar phantoms for two imaging procedures. First, the hearts were first imaged by the Vevo 2100 ultrasound system with a 30 MHz transducer. Second, the hearts were then scanned using a Biospec 7 T MRI system for high-resolution MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The geometry of the heart extracted from the MRI is registered with the 3D ultrasound using deformable registration. After registration, deformation fields between both geometries from MRI and ultrasound are obtained. The cardiac fiber orientations imaged by DTI are mapped to ultrasound volumes based on the extracted deformation fields. The registration between 3D ultrasound and MRI of different hearts, e.g. one from the atlas, was further tested. The DTI fiber orientation from the atlas was then mapped to the ultrasound image of a different heart. By this way, we provide a DTI atlas based framework to estimate cardiac fiber orientations from 3D ultrasound images. Results: After MRI/ultrasound image registration, the Dice similarity scores were more than 90% and the corresponding target errors were less than 0.25 mm. For the atlas-based method, the evaluation results demonstrated the feasibility of determining cardiac fiber orientations from 3D ultrasound. Conclusion: An atlas-based fiber orientation estimation method was proposed and evaluated for the extraction of cardiac fiber orientation in an animal model. This method and its further improvements in vivo could contribute to understand the cardiac mechanism and help the diagnosis and therapy of heart disease. This research is supported in part by NIH grants (R01CA156775 and R21CA176684), Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Scientists Award, and the Emory Molecular and Translational Imaging Center (NIH P50CA128301).
Get a Life: Six Tactics for Optimizing Time Spent Online.

A frequent concern raised by distance educators is that e-learning takes more time to facilitate than traditional classroom instruction. The simple fact that it takes more time to read and write th...
Sexual orientation and gender differences in markers of inflammation and immune functioning.

Sexual minorities have documented elevated risk factors that can lead to inflammation and poor immune functioning. This study aims to investigate disparities in C-reactive protein (CRP) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) by gender and sexual orientation. We used the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine disparities in CRP (N = 11,462) and EBV (N = 11,812). Among heterosexuals, women had higher levels of CRP and EBV than men. However, sexual minority men had higher levels of CRP and EBV than heterosexual men and sexual minority women. Lesbians had lower levels of CRP than heterosexual women. Gender differences in CRP and EBV found between men and women who identify as 100 % heterosexual were reversed among sexual minorities and not explained by known risk factors (e.g., victimization, alcohol and tobacco use, and body mass index). More nuanced approaches to addressing gender differences in sexual orientation health disparities that include measures of gender nonconformity and minority stress are needed.
Randomly oriented indium phosphide nanowires for optoelectronics

The concept of randomly-oriented semiconductor nanowires formed on non-single-crystal substrates is introduced and compared with semiconductor nanowires synthesized on single-crystal-substrates in the framework of epitaxial growth. In principle, epitaxial growth of semiconductor nanowires with the presence of metal-catalysts requires no single-crystal substrates owing to the small size of nanowires. A segment on a substrate from which crystallographic information is transferred to a single nanowire would only need to be as larger as the cross-section of a nanowire if a specific geometrical alignment for a group of nanowires is not required, suggesting that randomly-oriented semiconductor nanowires be formed on a surface that is characterized with short-range atomic order in contrast to long-range atomic order that exists on the surface of single-crystal substrates. The surfaces exhibiting short-range atomic order can be prepared on non-single-crystal substrates, further suggesting functional devices that utilize randomly-oriented semiconductor nanowires be fabricated on non-single-crystal substrates. Design, fabrication and characteristics of a photoconductor that utilizes an ensemble of randomly-oriented indium phosphide nanowires are described.
Allochthonous terranes in Alaska: Implications for the structure and evolution of the Bering Sea shelf

Abundant evidence has been gathered in support of the concept that much of the Pacific margin of North America consists of allochthonous terranes that were accreted during Mesozoic and early Tertiary time. In particular, southern Alaska is almost completely composed of separate terranes whose stratigraphy and paleomagnetism indicate distant origins. The Bering Sea continental shelf is among the largest shelves in the world, almost half as large as Alaska itself. Some of the allochthonous terranes in Alaska probably continue beneath the continental shelf, but their distribution beyond the shoreline has not been determined. We believe that much of the continental shelf is probably composed of allochthonous terranes, in much the same way as southern Alaska. Geophysical data from the Bering continental shelf have been used to test this hypothesis. Although inconclusive without extensive drilling, multichannel seismic profiles and magnetic data indicate the composite character of the shelf basement. The magnetic anomalies can be separated into specific domains of limited extent. These magnetic variations suggest a corresponding variation of rock terranes beneath the shelf. In addition, multichannel seismic profiles show possible thrust faults within the shelf basement that could be sutures between separate terranes.
Effects of partner's ability on the achievement and conceptual organization of high‐achieving fifth‐grade students

This study investigated high-achieving fifth-grade students' achievement gains and conceptual reorganization during a unit on convection. Specifically, the achievement and cognitive gains that occurred as a result of interactions of high-achieving students with a high-achieving or low-achieving laboratory partner were compared. The study design included an instructional sequence of three dyadic inquiry investigations related to convection currents as well as pre- and postassessments consisting of a multiple-choice test, card sorting task, construction of a concept map, and an interview. Results showed no significant differences for achievement of high-achieving students regardless of the partner's achievement level and only slight differences in conceptual reorganization. The implications of this study for heterogeneous grouping and construction of knowledge by dyads is discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed87:94–111, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10031
Pinched topography initiates the critical zone

In Earth sciences, the critical zone represents the intersection of the biosphere with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere ( 1 , 2 ). The myriad interactions and feedbacks among these systems assure us of a world with considerable complexity, in which the critical zone varies in thickness, mineralogy, permeability ( 3 ), and structure of ecosystems ( 4 ). It is no wonder, then, that we lack a general theory of how the critical zone works. On page 534 of this issue, St. Clair et al. ( 5 ) argue that we must take the broadest possible view of, and acknowledge a role for, largescale tectonic stresses in guiding the pattern of cracking of rock in the subsurface.
Complications Associated with Immunosuppressive Therapy and Their Management

Besides general complications of immunosuppression such as increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections or malignancy, individual immunosuppressive agents are associated with specific side effects. Nephrotoxicity is the major side effect of cyclosporine (CsA). Various attempts have been made to minimize this toxicity, such as monitoring drug blood levels, modifying the protocol, and coadministering other agents. Other side effects caused by CsA are hepatotoxicity, hyperkalemia, hypertension, tremor, gum overgrowth, and hirsutism. Azathioprine (AZA) causes dose-related bone marrow suppression, commonly leading to leukopenia. Careful monitoring of complete blood cell count and dosage adjustment according to white blood cell count are usually adequate to prevent serious leukopenia. The side effects of corticosteroids are numerous and include slow wound healing and de novo insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Many complications are dose related, and with low dosage or discontinuation of steroids, their frequency rapidly decreases. Antilymphoblast and antithymocyte globulins (P-ALG) are foreign antibodies and may cause allergic-type reactions such as fever, chill, and hypotension. The initial side effect of monoclonal antibody (muromonab-CD3, OKT3) is similar to that of P-ALG. It includes high fever, shaking chills, headache, rigors, and hypotension. To prevent it, acetaminophen, an antihistamine, and a steroid usually are administered before injection. Because this agent is also associated with high frequency of pulmonary edema, it should not be given to any patient who has more than 3% body weight gain during the week prior to therapy. In rare case, it causes aseptic meningitis or encephalopathy, which is manifested by fever, severe headache, and seizure.
Interference cancelling receiver for range extended reception in TDMA cellular systems

An interference rejection combining (IRC) receiver with a highly selective antenna array is proposed for GSM/EDGE cellular systems to mitigate the effect of uncorrelated cochannel interference (CCI) and provide extended range reception. IRC is used to combat cochannel interference by maximizing the received signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). When multiple antenna arrays, each having a narrow angle of reception, are aligned in different directions, the number of incoming rays from both the desired and and interfering signals at each antenna is limited, and the cochannel interferences at different antennas are uncorrelated and the average carrier-to-interference ratios (CIRs) seen at each antenna array are not equal. An IRC delayed decision feedback sequence estimation (IRC-DDFSE) receiver is proposed and evaluated for a variety of cochannel interference environments. Also, the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) of each bit is generated from the IRC-DDFSE receiver to be used as an input parameter for an adaptive antenna array beam steering function. The BER performance and the reliability of the softout of the receiver is evaluated by computer simulation for line-of-sight Rician fading channels.
An adaptive cartesian control scheme for manipulators

A new adaptive control scheme for direct control of manipulator end-effector to achieve trajectory tracking in Cartesian space is developed in this paper. The control structure is obtained from linear multivariable theory and is composed of simple feedforward and feedback controllers and an auxiliary input. The direct adaptation laws are derived from model reference adaptive control theory and are not based on parameter estimation of the robot model. The utilization of feedforward control and the inclusion of auxiliary input are novel features of the present scheme and result in improved dynamic performance over existing adaptive control schemes. The adaptive controller does not require the complex mathematical model of the robot dynamics or any knowledge of the robot parameters or the payload; and is computationally fast for on-line implementation with high sampling rates.
Interaction of cartilage proteoglycans with hyaluronic acid.

Most proteoglycans are present in hyaline cartilage matrices as aggregates with as many as 100 molecules, each with average molecular weight of about 2 × 106, bound through specific, noncovalent interactions to individual strands of hyaluronic acid (HA). The interactions with HA are mediated by the HA-binding region of the core protein, which is located at one end of each of the interactive proteoglycans. A fragment of the core protein, average molecular weight of about 6 × 104, which contains the HA-binding site, can be isolated in an active form from trypsin digests of proteoglycan aggregates. The “active” HA-binding site in this preparation interacts strongly with HA-10 but weakly with HA-8, (oligomers of HA derived from partial digests of HA with testicular hyaluronidase); HA-9 derived from β-glucuronidase digestion of HA-10 also interacts strongly. No polysaccharide other than HA has been found to interact. Christner, Brown, and Dziewiatkowski (personal communication) modified the carboxyls on glucuronic acid groups in mixture of HA-10 to HA-30, and they found that the interaction with proteoglycan no longer occurred if about 60% of the total carboxyls were (a) methyl esterified, (b) reduced to glucose, or (c) substituted with glycine in amide linkage. Saponification of the methyl esters restored activity. Dansylation of lysine residues in the HA-binding region preparation abolished binding activity. However, when the dansylation reaction was done in the presence of HA, the HA-binding activity was protected. Acetylation of the same residues did not abolish binding activity but did prevent subsequent inactivation by dansylation. Hardingham, Ewins, and Muir (Biochem J 157:127–143, 1976) studied the effect of various amino acid modifiers on the interaction of intact proteoglycans with HA and showed that reaction of arginine residues with low concentrations of 2,3-butanedione was particularly effective in destroying binding. In sum, the data above suggests that the HA-binding region (a) contains accessible arginine residues necessary for activity, (b) contains lysine residues near the binding site which, when substituted with bulky groups such as dansyl, but not acetyl, sterically block interaction, and (c) requires a length of HA with at least 4.5 repeat disaccharides containing 3, and possibly 4, unmodified glucuronic acid carboxyls for interaction. The possible relevance of proteoglycan-hyaluronic acid interaction to the observations that hyaluronic acid specifically inhibits proteogly can synthesis by cultured chondrocytes is discussed.
Metering of symmetrical components

CONTENTS of previous publications on metering of symmetrical components have been confined to the components of current and voltage in 3-phase 3-wire systems. This paper discusses the method of metering the positive and negative sequence power and energy in 3-phase 3-wire systems, and positive, negative, and zero sequence power and energy in 3-phase 4-wire systems. Networks are described which make it possible to meter these components simultaneously and separately. Tables are included showing the location and number of instrument transformers required for each network. Equations involving the design of the impedances of the metering systems are given.
Transverse multibunch instabilities for non-rigid bunches

In this paper, we present a method for computing growth rates and frequency shifts of a beam containing multiple non-rigid bunches. With this approach, we calculate non-rigid multibunch effects which can impact phenomena which are traditionally treated as single-bunch effects, such as the transverse mode-coupling instability. This approach is important for high current storage rings such as PEP-II at SLAC (the B-Factory) which have very strong inter-bunch forces. Typical calculations treat multibunch and single bunch effects separately, and thus eliminate important interactions between the two. To illustrate the technique, we calculate growth rates and frequency shifts using PEP-II as an example.