cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissociable processes of cognitive control during error and non-error conflicts: a study of the stop signal task.

Background Conflict detection and subsequent behavioral adjustment are critical to daily life, and how this process is controlled has been increasingly of interest. A medial cortical region which includes the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been theorized to act as a conflict detector that can direct prefrontal activity for behavioral adjustments. This conflict monitoring hypothesis was supported by many imaging studies of the Stroop task, with a focus on non-error processes. Here we sought to examine whether this circuit could be generalized to the stop signal task (SST), another behavioral paradigm widely used to study cognitive control. In particular, with a procedure to elicit errors in the SST, we examined whether error and non-error control were mediated by the same pathways. Methodology/Principal Findings In functional magnetic resonance imaging of 60 healthy adults, we demonstrated that the medial cortical activity during stop success (SS) as compared to go success (G) trials is correlated with increased prefrontal activity in post-stop SS as compared to post-go SS trials, though this correlation was not specific to the medial cortical region. Furthermore, thalamic and insular rather than medial cortical activation during stop error (SE) as compared to G trials correlated with increased prefrontal activity in post-stop SS as compared to post-go SS trials. Conclusions/Significance Taken together, these new findings challenge a specific role of the ACC and support distinct pathways for error and non-error conflict processing in cognitive control.
Infliximab: A Review of Its Use in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Infliximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha that has changed the management of inflammatory bowel diseases. Our review describes its mean clinical and pharmacological features, in order to resume its efficacy in induction and maintenance of clinical remission in both Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Although its efficacy in induction and maintenance of remission has been established by several clinical trials, the administration of Infliximab is also associated with an increased risk of side effects, in particular in long-term treatment. We also discussed about issues regarding the correct timing to start and to stop biological therapy.
Optical properties of a silver nanodisk for application to optical frequency selective surfaces

Depolarization factor of a silver nanodisk for use with Gans theory is derived from numerically extracted extinction spectra. Results are adapted for nanodisk arrays using interaction constant, and validated through a frequency selective surface design.
Dark and acidic conditions for fermentative hydrogen production

Abstract Bacterial consortium capable of producing hydrogen in low pH (LpH) range of 3.3–4.3 is reported in this study. This operational pH is two full units below that of previously reported hydrogen producing organisms. Low pH inocula were derived from a batch biohydrogen reactor inoculated with heat treated compost (∼120 °C, 2 h), which was allowed to accumulate biogas to reach three atmospheres of equivalent headspace pressure and system pH of 3.0. Acclimation effect had positive influence on H 2 production and LpH inocula were passed sequentially into more than 15 generations to achieve consistent conversion efficiency and hydrogen composition, further tested in 23 other culture cycles. With hydrogen composition in the headspace ranging from 50% to 60%, conversion efficiency of ∼43% achieved in LpH systems is comparable to that of other buffered systems. Feasibility of hydrogen production in LpH systems is demonstrated in unbuffered reactors under intermittent pressure release conditions and in absence of initial pH adjustment and stirring. Conversion efficiencies, however, decreased by ∼1-fold for each 3 °C drop below the optimum temperature of 22 °C.
Left to their own devices: Disciplining youth discourse on sexuality education electronic bulletin boards

In contrast to the strict regulation of school-based sexuality education, Internet-based sexuality education has virtually free rein over its content and pedagogical methods. One common feature of sexuality education websites is an electronic bulletin board system (BBS) that facilitates peer education and exchange. A grounded-theory study and analysis of the BBSs sponsored by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and by the Coalition for Positive Sexuality (CPS) were performed, and many thematic similarities and points of divergence between the respective BBSs emerged. Although both organizations advocate for comprehensive sexuality education, the BBS on PPFA’s Teenwire website is moderated by adults, whereas CPS does not moderate discussion on its BBS. Analysis indicated that this subtle exertion of age-based authority played a role in shaping and censoring BBS discourse. These data are used to highlight the capacities of youth, critique age-based hegemonic practices, and support youth-positive sexuality education policies and practices.
Strength-deformation considerations of a reactor core support structure☆

Abstract A method is presented for the strength-deformation solution of a typical nuclear reactor core support structure. The structure under consideration consists of two axisymmetric multiregion plates, located one above the other, and interconnected by concentric rings of tubes. This main body of the structure is supported at the outer circumference or at some intermediate radius by circular cylindrical shells. Loading of the structure may be twofold: static transverse pressure on the plane of the plates or the shell walls, and steady state temperature gradients, both along the radius and across the plates, their individual regions and the separate shells. Plates with perforations of triangular configuration may also be included in the list of region properties to be considered. Solution to this composite structure problem is obtained by mathematical superposition of elementary thin plate, circular cylindrical shell, and ordinary beam problems. This is accomplished by the matrix inversion procedure to solve the resulting simultaneous equations. Analytical results are presented in the form of a matrix, giving the expressions for the coefficients in terms of the design variables. The proposed analytical method is also incorporated into a computer program. This program thus makes the stress-deflection solution of the composite support structure readily available to the designer.
Structural features of Ly-5 glycoproteins of the mouse and counterparts in other mammals.

The Ly-5 system of the mouse defines a set of transmembrane glycoprotein isoforms (T200, B220, etc) that hallmark various lineages and stages of hematopoietic differentiation. These isoforms are the products of a single Ly-5 gene comprising 34 exons, 32 of them (Exs-3-34) protein-coding and three (Exs-5-7) selectively represented in different isoforms (e.g., all three in isoform B220 but none in isoform T200). Probable structural features of Ly-5 glycoproteins, largely inferred from Ly-5 gene composition, are presented and compared with the rat L-CA and human LCA/T200 systems, which are phylogenetic counterparts of Ly-5 as an index of the extent and nature of structural conservation. The outer (N-terminal) region of the Ly-5 T200 isoform comprises three broadly similar domains (Exs-4, 8, 9) with salient features that jointly favor free interaction with the aqueous environment and are shared by the L-CA and human LCA/T200 systems despite an overall interspecies protein sequence similarity in this region of only about 50 %. In the larger B220 isoform this region includes epitopes dictated by the selective exons Exs-5, 6, 7, these being more conserved than the shared exons Exs-4, 8, 9 and no doubt sustaining the differential functions of the respective isoforms. Comparison of the genomic sequences of Ex-5 in the Ly-5 and human systems suggests that a shift in splice donor site accounts for an extra 23 amino acids in the human Ex-5-coding domain, which is the only salient structural difference between the mouse Ly-5 and human systems. The inner extracellular region (Exs-10-16) includes subregions of high variability, but again there are shared salient interspecies similarities such as sites and numbers of Cys residues that imply a conserved, tightly-folded conformation, in contrast to the more open conformation predicted for the outer extracellular region. The transmembrane region (Ex-17) is highly conserved, as is the very large cytoplasmic region (Exs-17-34) which may interact with the plasma membrane but probably does not traverse it.
A statistical approach for calculating the concatenated connector loss in fiber-optic links

The insertion loss contribution of concatenated connectors in fiber-optic links is analyzed. A statistical approach based on the loss distribution of single connectors with a method for numerical convolution is developed. The predicted insertion loss is less than the sum of the “worst case” connector loss values. An avionics short-haul fiber-optic example illustrates the new approach.
A phase-sensitive vagal heart-rate control model.

Abstract A model for the vagal control of heart rate is proposed that combines Warner's S-A node model and Noble's modification of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations for ion transport in nerve. When the potassium conductance in a computer simulation of this combination is perturbed exponentially with time, the simulation exhibits the sensitivity of the heart rate to changes in phase between the vagal stimulus and the P-wave that has been experimentally observed by Dong and Reitz. A modification that states mathematically that, when potassium loss from the S-A node cell occurs or when sodium builds up in the cell (as in tachycardia or acetycholine exposure), the levels return to normal with a time constant that is approximately 2·5 sec. The resulting model more nearly simulates physiological data. A linear analysis of the phase-sensitivity curves explains the phenomenon involved when the heart period “locks on” to a periodic vagal simulation, and a simple change in a coefficient in Noble's equation for the Purkinje fibers results in computer simulation waveforms that are nearly identical to those that have been observed in dog.
Preschool Children's Consumer Learning

Children's learning of consumer economic concepts in two types of preschool teaching con ditions was contrasted. Children in the Ausubelian program (high proportion of teacher- directed learning activity) achieved a significantly higher level of performance on a test mea suring learning of consumer economic concepts than did children in the Piagetian program (high proportion of child-directed activities). Children in the Ausubelian program were also more competent in applying such concepts to a shopping procedure.
Hæmodynamic Aspects of Atherogenesis

ATHEROSCLEROSIS is generally regarded as a disease process which is mainly due to disorder of metabolic factors such as lipoproteins, hormones, heparin, etc. These factors have been extensively studied, especially with respect to lipoproteins. However, careful examination of the artery at autopsy shows that plaques are scattered all along an arterial branch. An artery of considerable length uniformly and concentrically coated with lipid material without localized regions of sclerosis seems to be quite rare. On the contrary, plaques are in the majority of the cases deposited in a peculiar pattern. Such deposition of lipid materials and the topographical arrangement of plaques cannot be explained readily by general metabolic factors alone. Thus a method of quantitative grading of atherosclerosis has been developed1 in order to distinguish the role of the general metabolic factors and local factors. This technique has been applied to a study of the interrelationship between cerebral and coronary atherosclerosis2. By quantitative grading of sclerosis and systematic analysis of the coronary artery for relative position and severity of plaques one is able to demonstrate the significance of local factors in atherogenesis.
Sodium bicarbonate infusion increases discharge frequency of intrapulmonary chemoreceptors only at high CO2.

Abstract We felt that earlier determinations of independent effects of extracellular pH and PCO2 on intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) discharge frequency were difficult to analyze because they used perfused lungs, and ventilation-perfusion changes among parabronchi could not be controlled. We decided to repeat these studies in non-perfused lungs. We cannulated both extrapulmonary bronchi of 10 thoracotomized Pekin ducks anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (25–35 mg/kg) and unidirectionally ventilated each lung. The perfused right lung mainteained gas exchange while the non-perfused left lung recieved 0.6 L/min of CO2 mixed in air. We recorded the discharge frequency of one IPC per duck at various PCO2, re-established circulation, and infused 3.0 mmol/kg of sodium bicarbonate intravenously. After 15 min, discharge frequencies were again measured from the same IPC in the nonperfused lung. The slopes and intercepts of discharge frequencies vs ln PCO2 relationship were depressed in six IPC, increased in two IPC and not significantly affected in two IPC. Arterial pH was increased significantly (0.11 unit) at 38 Torr arterial PCO2. We conclude that acutely increased extracellular sodium bicarbonate affects IPC discharge only by depressing sensitivity of most IPC to PCO2 and does not have an independent effect through pH.
Predicting the response to cytotoxic therapy for childhood nephrotic syndrome: Superiority of response to corticosteroid therapy over histopathologic patterns

To determine the utility of steroid response in classifying childhood nephrotic syndrome, we reviewed 119 biopsies in 92 children aged 1 to 16 years who had been followed for a mean of 7.2 years. Steroid responses were classified as steroid resistant, steroid dependent, and frequent relapser as defined by the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children. Biopsy specimens were classified as showing focal glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 39 children, as showing lipoid nephrosis in 28, and as questionable in another 25 with either focal global sclerosis, IgM nephropathy, or mesangial prominence and tubular changes. A strong agreement ( p p p p
Endogenous epidermal growth factor regulates limb development.

Abstract Mutations associated with genes of the EGF super-family are implicated in limb malformations. To evaluate the potential role of EGF-mediated signal transduction in the control of early mammalian limb development, we developed a simple in vitro system which is permissive for morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation in serumless, chemically defined medium. Our experimental strategy was to ascertain if the EGF precursor gene was transcribed and translated into potentially bioactive growth factor. EGF mRNA transcripts are expressed in Swiss Webster mouse embryonic (42-44 somite pairs) forelimbs as determined by mRNA phenotyping. EGF transcripts are translated into precursor EGF polypeptides which were localized to limb covering epithelium and the chondrogenic mesenchymal cell lineages. EGF immunostaining patterns suggested a paracrine type of regulation for the cartilage blastema associated with forelimb development. To test whether EGF effects the timing and positional information required for limb-specific cartilage morphogenesis, we employed tyrphostin (RG 50864) which inhibits EGF receptor kinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner and severely retards limb development. These findings support our hypothesis that endogenous EGF or EGF-like proteins provide signaling for the size and shape of discrete forelimb cartilage formations during mouse embryonic morphogenesis.
Boundary integral equation method for elastic beams in frictionless contact problems

A boundary integral equation algorithm for the contact analysis of elastic beams is presented in this paper. The analysis of this sort is complicated by the unknown and moving boundary points. The new algorithm incorporates the interface compatibility equation, derived from the principle of minimum potential energy, into the general boundary integral equation so that the locations of boundary points may be correctly identified. The incremental and iterative solution procedure is presented. Accuracy and efficiency of the new algorithm are demonstrated using examples whose classical solutions exists.
Effects of pairing- and test-order constancy on performance during and after paired-associate training

The Ss were exposed to a list of 10 trigram-word pairs under conditions in which pairing order, test order, both or neither were constant throughout training and the pairing order was the same as (or differed from) the test order. Performance during training was facilitated only when the test order was the same as the pairing order and both remained constant throughout training; however, no between-treatment differences were observed in the number of pairs learned.
Bacterial DNA-Induced NK Cell IFN-γ Production Is Dependent on Macrophage Secretion of IL-12

Bacterial DNA (bDNA) activates B cells and macrophages and can augment inflammatory responses by inducing release of proinflammatory cytokines. We found that bDNA stimulation of mouse spleen cells induced NK cell IFN-gamma production that was dependent upon the presence of unmethylated CpG motifs, and oligonucleotides with internal CpG motifs could also induce splenocytes to secrete IFN-gamma. The bDNA-induced IFN-gamma response was strictly macrophages dependent. While splenocytes from SCID mice secreted IFN-gamma in response to bDNA, depletion of macrophages eliminated this response. Additionally, purified NK cells did not respond to bDNA; however, addition of macrophages restored the NK cell IFN-gamma response. Coculture of NK cells with preactivated macrophages further increased bDNA-induced NK cell IFN-gamma production. Anti-IL-12 or IL-10 inhibited bDNA-induced IFN-gamma response. Treatment of purified macrophages with bDNA resulted in IL-12 secretion accompanied by an increase in IL-12 p40 mRNA level. Although isolated NK cells did not make IFN-gamma in response to bDNA, NK cells costimulated with IL-12 gained the ability to respond to bDNA. These experiments show that bDNA induces macrophage IL-12 production which, in turn, stimulates NK cell IFN-gamma production. Macrophage-derived IL-12 renders NK cells responsive to bDNA permitting an even greater IFN-gamma response to bDNA.
A FLORA FROM THE CHESTER SERIES (UPPER MISSISSIPPIAN) OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

New localities in southern lIlliniois have yielded a flora consisting of 9 taxa. The plant remains occur in sandstones of the Chester Series and consist of easts, mol(ds, and flattened impressions. The most important elements in the flora are: Archaeocalanmites radiatus, Lepidodendron volkmannianumn, Stigmaria ficoides, lRhynchogonium fayettevillense, and an unnamed Trigonocarpus. Stems probably referable to Lepidodendron veltheimii and Dictyoxylon also occur, as do numerous casts of the Knorria and Bergeria types. The range of features found in specimens of Lepidodendron volkmannianum allows some revision to be made of several species previously described by White in the Wedington Sandstone flora of northwest Arkansas, with which the present flora is closely comparable. The difficulties in making precise correlations with Upper Mississippian floras in other parts of the world are discusse(d. The necessity for critical re-examination of existing described collections and of uindertaking more extensive field-work in the Mvississippian of N. America is
The Participant-Observer: A Source of Invalidity in Measuring Motor Skills?:

Test validity can be defined as the accuracy of a test score. Artifacts, sources of error that affect validity, have been studied in both research design and written test frameworks but have received little attention in the context of tests of motor behavior in an educational setting. One potential source of invalidity in motor skill testing is the presence of participant-observers. The participant-observer effect is defined as the influence of the presence of other subjects who are waiting to be tested or who have already been tested on subjects who are being tested. This study was designed to measure the test performances of 175 college women with participant-observers present and with participant-observers absent. The test was an overarm throw for speed measured by an incident light velocimeter. The data were analyzed using 2 × 4 fixed-effects analysis of variance. The presence of other participant-observers did not elicit performance scores that were different from those of subjects tested alone. Thus...
Fabrication of vertical comb electrodes using selective anodic bonding

This paper presents a new fabrication technology for forming vertical comb (VC) electrodes used in sensors and actuators. The main feature of VC electrodes is that they are positioned above and below the plane of a moving microstructure that is used as the sensing or actuating plate, thus enabling one to either measure or create out-of-plane motion. In our method, VC electrodes and the moving microstructure are first fabricated using the silicon-on-glass (SOG) process. Next, the VC electrodes are moved into position by selectively displacing them up or down using electrostatic force applied during an anodic bonding step specifically utilized for this purpose. Three different VC electrode designs and analytic approaches to determine mechanical stiffness and required pull-down force are presented. VC structures with both 8mum and 4.6mum gaps to glass wafers are successfully fabricated. VC electrodes with vertical (out of plane) displacement of as large as 45mum in 100mum-thick structure have been realized.
Differences in periodontal disease-associated microorganisms of subgingival plaque in prepubertal, pubertal and postpubertal children.

It is generally accepted that normal prepubertal children do not develop periodontitis, and that the severity of gingivitis in prepubertal children is usually less than that observed in children after puberty. One possible explanation is that the bacteria associated with periodontal diseases cannot become established in great numbers prior to puberty. Studies by Kornman and Loesche and others suggest that levels of black pigmented Bacteroides, especially B. intermedius, increase with increased levels of gonadotrophic hormones in pregnant women. Delaney and Kornman have found that there is a similar increase in levels of black pigmented Bacteroides with puberty. The present study involved cultural and microscopic characterization of the subgingival plaque flora of prepubertal, circumpubertal and postpubertal children with similar Silness and Loe plaque index scores. Puberty was confirmed through examination of wrist radiographs. Populations of black pigmented Bacteroides were very low in prepubescent child...
Aquatic feeding in pipid frogs: the use of suction for prey capture

SUMMARY Inertial suction feeding is the most common method of prey capture among aquatic vertebrates. However, it had been unclear whether the aquatic frogs in the family Pipidae also used inertial suction for prey capture. In this study, we examined feeding behavior in four species of pipids, Pipa pipa, Xenopus laevis, Hymenochirus boettgeri and Pseudhymenochirus merlini. Pressure in the buccopharyngeal cavity was measured during prey capture. These pressure measurements were coupled with high-speed recordings of feeding behavior. For each species, the internal buccopharyngeal pressure was found to drop significantly below ambient pressure, and changes in pressure corresponded with the onset of mouth opening. Kinematic analysis revealed that all species of pipids generated subambient pressure during prey capture; H. boettgeri and P. merlini relied solely on inertial suction feeding. Pipa pipa and X. laevis additionally employed forelimb scooping during prey capture but both of these species demonstrated the ability to capture prey with inertial suction alone. Based on buccopharyngeal pressure measurements as well as kinematic analyses, we conclude that inertial suction feeding is used during prey capture in these four species of pipids.
The Effect of Fictive Temperature on the Structural Environment of Fluorine in Silicate and Aluminosilicate Glasses

We have examined temperature-induced changes in the local structure of fluorine in silicate and aluminosilicate glasses through the application of 19 F magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance to glasses synthesized with a wide range of fictive temperatures. We have observed an increase in Si-F bonding in binary silicates with increasing temperature, as well as a change in the degree of ordering in mixed modifier silicates. We have also observed an increase in F-Al bonding in aluminosilicates, although the degree of this change appears to be composition dependent. These results could help explain the significant changes in properties of melts on the addition of fluorine.
Leukotriene B4 activates intracellular calcium and augments human osteoclastogenesis

Introduction: Bone erosion in inflammatory arthritis depends on the recruitment and activation of bone resorbing cells, the osteoclasts. Interleukin-23 (IL-23) has been primarily implicated in mediating inflammatory bone loss via the differentiation of Th17 receptor activator of nuclear factor κ Bl igand (RANKL)? producing cells. In this article, we describe a new role of IL-23 in activating the synthesis and production of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in innate immune cells. Methods: We utilized whole blood? derived human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), differentiated them towards an osteoclast lineage and then performed immunofluorescence and cytochemical staining to detect the expression of LTB4-associated receptors and enzymes such as phospholipase A2, 5-lipoxygenase and leukotriene A4 hydrolase, as well as the presence of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and F-actin rings on fully mature osteoclasts. We used enzyme immunoassays to measure LTB4 levels in culture media derived from IL-23-treated human PBMCs. We used real-time calcium imaging to study the effect of leukotrienes and requirements of different calcium sources and signaling proteins in activating intracellular calcium flux using pharmacological inhibitors to phospholipase C (U73122), membrane calcium channels (2-APB) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (Wortmannin) and utilized qPCR for gene expression analysis in macrophages and osteoclasts. Results: Our data show that LTB4 engagement of BLT1 and BLT2 receptors on osteoclast precursors leads to activation of phospholipase C and calcium release? activated channel? mediated intracellular calcium flux, which can activate further LTB4 autocrine production. IL-23-induced synthesis and secretion of LTB4 resulted in the upregulation of osteoclast-related genes NFATC1, MMP9, ACP5, CTSK and ITGB3 and the formation of giant, multinucleated TRAP + cells capable of F-actin ring formation. These effects were dependent on Ca 2+ signaling and were completely inhibited by BLT1/BLT2 and/or PLC and CRAC inhibitors. Conclusions: In conclusion, IL-23 can initiate osteoclast differentiation independently from the RANK-RANKL pathway by utilizing Ca 2+ signaling and the LTB4 signaling cascade.
Reliability challenges for advanced copper interconnects: Electromigration and time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB)

Ensuring the reliability of Cu interconnects becomes more challenging as device dimensions shrink, because of the smaller dimensions and because of the weaker mechanical properties of the low-k material. In this report, we will focus on electromigration and time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) in Cu interconnect structures.
Ceftaroline-Heteroresistant Staphylococcus aureus

Heteroresistance refers to the presence, within a large population of antimicrobial-susceptible microorganisms, of subpopulations with lesser susceptibilities. Ceftaroline is a novel cephalosporin with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of ceftaroline heteroresistance in vitro in a select group of S. aureus strains. There were 57 isolates selected for evaluation, 20 MRSA, 20 vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA), 7 daptomycin-nonsusceptible S. aureus (DNSSA), 6 linezolid-nonsusceptible S. aureus (LNSSA), and 4 heteroresistant VISA (hVISA) isolates. MICs and minimal bactericidal concentrations were determined using the broth microdilution method according to CLSI guidelines. All of the isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element (SCCmec) types were determined by a multiplex PCR. Population analysis profiles (PAPs) were performed to determine heteroresistance for all of the isolates using plates made by adding various amounts of ceftaroline to brain heart infusion agar. The frequencies of resistant subpopulations were 1 in 104 to 105 organisms. We determined that 12 of the 57 (21%) isolates tested were ceftaroline-heteroresistant S. aureus (CHSA). CHSA occurred among strains with reduced susceptibilities to vancomycin, daptomycin, and linezolid but occurred in none of the USA-300 isolates tested. Evaluation of the heteroresistant strains demonstrated that the phenotype was unstable. Further studies are needed to determine whether CHSA has a role in clinical failures and to determine the implications of our study findings.
A METHOD FOR SUPRAVITAL STAINING OF ANIMALS WITH NEUTRAL RED AND ITS PRESERVATION IN PARAFFIN SECTIONS

A simple, rapid method for staining all the supravitally stainable cells in the body, as in supravital preparations with neutral red, is described, together with a method for faithful preservation of the dye in paraffin sections. The essential points of the technique are, first, to secure the reaction of cells to neutral red which corresponds to the so-called supravital technique, involving the reaction of only those substances which respond to the dye while the cell is living; and second, to preserve the stain through the processes of fixation, embedding, and counterstaining.
Highly Reactive, Single-Component Nickel Catalyst Precursor for Suzuki–Miyuara Cross-Coupling of Heteroaryl Boronic Acids with Heteroaryl Halides†

The Suzuki–Miyaura (S-M) cross-coupling reaction is the most frequently conducted catalytic process to construct C–C bonds in medicinal chemistry,[1] and these coupling reactions are conducted most frequently with palladium catalysts.[2] The replacement of the precious metal palladium with the first-row, abundant metal nickel for S-M couplings could significantly reduce the cost of the catalyst. S-M couplings catalyzed by nickel complexes, because of the high reactivity of nickel(0) toward chloroarenes could allow some of the more challenging coupling reactions to occur with catalysts containing simple ligands. Several nickel catalysts have been reported for this class of cross-coupling reaction,[3] and these nickel catalysts are unusually active for the coupling of phenol derivatives[4] such as sulfonates,[5] ethers,[6] esters,[7] carbamates,[8] carbonates, and sulfamates.[8b] However, there are two general drawbacks to the existing nickel catalysts for S-M cross-couplings: high catalyst loading (3–10 mol% Ni) is required to achieve the coupling in high yield, and the scope of these cross-couplings does not encompass reactions that form hetero-biaryl products, which are important for medicinal and agrochemical applications.
Evaluation of urea-ammonium-nitrate fertigation with drip irrigation using numerical modeling

Abstract Microirrigation with fertigation provides an effective and cost-efficient way to supply water and nutrients to crops. However, less-than-optimum management of microirrigation systems may cause inefficient water and nutrient use, thereby diminishing expected yield benefits and contributing to ground water pollution if water and nitrogen applications are excessive. The quality of soils, ground, and surface waters is specifically vulnerable in climatic regions where agricultural production occurs mostly by irrigation such as in California. Robust guidelines for managing microirrigation systems are needed so that the principles of sustainable agriculture are satisfied. The main objective of this research was to use an adapted version of the HYDRUS-2D computer model to develop irrigation and fertigation management tools that maximize production, yet minimize adverse environmental effects. This software package can simulate the transient two-dimensional or axi-symmetrical three-dimensional movement of water and nutrients in soils. In addition, the model allows for specification of root water and nitrate uptake, affecting the spatial distribution of water and nitrate availability between irrigation cycles. Recently, we analyzed four different microirrigation systems in combination with five different fertigation strategies for various soil types using a nitrate-only fertilizer, clearly demonstrating the effect of fertigation strategy on the nitrate distribution in the soil profile and on nitrate leaching. In the present study, the HYDRUS-2D model was used to model the distribution of soil nitrogen and nitrate leaching using a urea–ammonium–nitrate fertilizer, commonly used for fertigation under drip irrigation. In addition, the distribution of phosphorus and potassium was modeled. Model simulations are presented for surface drip and subsurface drip tape, each associated with a typical crop in California.
Weed management systems in Indiana tomato production

Abstract The influence of management practices at a system level is rarely studied in weed science, even though weed communities respond to the cumulative effect of farm management systems. On-farm visits and detailed grower surveys were used to objectively classify 59 Indiana tomato fields into management systems. Fields were chosen to represent a range of practices used to grow conventional and organic tomatoes. Multivariate statistical analyses identified five distinct management systems based primarily on differences in hours spent hand-weeding, use of plastic mulch, irrigation, row spacing, and whether tomatoes were staked. Farmers generally reported many more hours of hand-weeding for organically managed fields than for fields in the other groups. This finding may reflect a trade-off between the use of herbicides and the need for hand-weeding. However, some organically managed fields were grouped with conventional fresh market fields, suggesting that management practices besides herbicide inputs can...
Long-term outcomes of IMRT for breast cancer: a single-institution cohort analysis.

Purpose To evaluate long-term outcomes of adjuvant breast intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with a comparison cohort receiving conventional radiation (cRT) during the same period. Methods and Materials Retrospective review identified patients with Stages 0–III breast cancer who underwent irradiation after conservative surgery from January 1999 to December 2003. Computed tomography simulation was used to design standard tangential breast fields with enhanced dynamic wedges for cRT and both enhanced dynamic wedges and dynamic multileaf collimators for IMRT. Patients received 1.8–2-Gy fractions to 44–50.4 Gy to the whole breast, followed by an electron boost of 10–20 Gy. Results A total of 245 breasts were treated in 240 patients: 121 with IMRT and 124 with cRT. Median breast dose was 50 Gy, and median total dose was 60 Gy in both groups. Patient characteristics were well balanced between groups. Median follow-ups were 6.3 years (range, 3.7–104 months) for patients treated with IMRT and 7.5 years (range, 4.9–112 months) for those treated with cRT. Treatment with IMRT decreased acute skin toxicity of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 2 or 3 compared with cRT (39% vs. 52%; p = 0.047). For patients with Stages I–III ( n = 199), 7-year Kaplan-Meier freedom from ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) rates were 95% for IMRT and 90% for cRT ( p = 0.36). For patients with Stage 0 (ductal carcinoma in situ , n = 46), 7-year freedom from IBTR rates were 92% for IMRT and 81% for cRT ( p = 0.29). Comparing IMRT with cRT, there were no statistically significant differences in overall survival, disease-specific survival, or freedom from IBTR, contralateral breast tumor recurrence, distant metastasis, late toxicity, or second malignancies. Conclusions Patients treated with breast IMRT had decreased acute skin toxicity, and long-term follow-up shows excellent local control similar to a contemporaneous cohort treated with cRT.
Maintaining the T Cell Status Quo

Keeping up with the Joneses can be even harder when times are tough. Indeed, to maintain appearances, people may choose to live beyond their means. T cells, too, fall on hard times: Thymic production of naive T cells drastically decreases when we age or in patients who have been thymectomized at a young age. It's unclear how these individuals retain a sufficient naive T cell compartment to fight microbial challenges. Sauce et al . studied maintenance of naive T cells in human patients with decreased or absent thymic T cell input in order to investigate T cell maintenance in times of want. Confirming data from animal models, they found that increased naive T cell expansion is responsible for the maintenance of peripheral T cell counts under these circumstances. The HIV pandemic highlights the importance of maintenance of peripheral T cell counts. Work in mice and primates has shown that cytokines, major histocompatibility complex, commensal bacteria, and access to lymphoid tissues are critical for T cell maintenance. However, human data confirming the relevance of the model of peripheral T cell maintenance and the role of these factors has been lacking. Sauce et al . compared T cell parameters between healthy middle age controls, HIV-positive patients, older people, and people who had received surgical thymectomy as neonates. They found lower T cell counts with increased age—a known phenomenon—and that naive T cells proliferated more in older people or in thymectomized patients. HIV infection had a similar effect regardless of viral load. There was an inverse association between peripheral T cell number and cell proliferation and the T cell cytokine interleukin-7. Increasing numbers of patients are treated with T cell–depleting agents that also affect the thymus; therefore, it is important to understand the effects of these agents on T cell–mediated immunity. These data suggest that T cells are up to the task. When the going gets tough, T cells get going. D. Sauce et al ., Lymphopenia-driven homeostatic regulation of naive T cells in elderly and thymectomized young adults. J. Immunol. 189 , 5541–5548 (2012). [[PubMed] ][1] [1]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23136199?dopt
Active Tracking Lasers for Precision Target Stabilization

Abstract Lasers have historically been considered in the context of weapons, but recent progress has also permitted us to consider using lasers for more subtle applications such as designation, tracking, and discrimination. In this paper, we will review the state of the art of active tracking, including effects such as laser beam quality, diffraction, atmospheric turbulence, and other aspects of laser interactions with the propagation environment. We will present the theory for using lasers in relatively low-power tracking applications. Keywords: Lasers, illuminators, active tracking, beam control, large optics Introduction In this paper, we will review the r ecent history of active tracking, including modeling for engagements from virtually any platform. We will integrate analysis methodologies developed for several previous active tracking experiments at the AFRL Starfire Optical Range (SOR) to generate predictions for active tracking, using the optical systems at the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS) as an example. The techniques for active radiometry have been published previously (ref. 1, 2), but we want to go further here by including the theory for tracking performance itself. Effects such as Noise Equivalent Angle (NEA) errors due to finite SNR, residual atmospheric turbulence-induced tilt, jitter coupling, and speckle are treated. Some of this was previously published as well (ref. 3) so this paper serves mainly as a review to bring it all together and to illustrate some performance results in recent years. Active tracking requires some new thinking in terms of what we expect to see from the target. For example, when we passively track a solar-lit satellite, we see a reasonably constant signal level as the satellite passes over a short distance in elevation angle. The signal does change slowly, and occasionally we even see short-duration glints as the sun temporarily reflects off a natural corner cube composed of satellite edges. With active tracking, these glint effects are expected to be much more frequent, since the beam we are illuminating with is nearly (or perhaps exactly) monostatic with the receiver. Moreover, the atmosphere and other sources of uplink jitter will move the beam rapidly around on the satellite, so that the peak of the beam is only temporarily on any given part of the object. Therefore, the received signal will fluctuate wildly unless we can somehow maintain the tracking and pointing so precisely that this effect is reduced dramatically. That is the crux of active tracking  we must first track the object via some other method as precisely as we can (!) and then
Knockout of Drosophila RNase ZL impairs mitochondrial transcript processing, respiration and cell cycle progression

RNase Z(L) is a highly conserved tRNA 3'-end processing endoribonuclease. Similar to its mammalian counterpart, Drosophila RNase Z(L) (dRNaseZ) has a mitochondria targeting signal (MTS) flanked by two methionines at the N-terminus. Alternative translation initiation yields two protein forms: the long one is mitochondrial, and the short one may localize in the nucleus or cytosol. Here, we have generated a mitochondria specific knockout of the dRNaseZ gene. In this in vivo model, cells deprived of dRNaseZ activity display impaired mitochondrial polycistronic transcript processing, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a switch to aerobic glycolysis compensating for cellular ATP. Damaged mitochondria impose a cell cycle delay at the G2 phase disrupting cell proliferation without affecting cell viability. Antioxidants attenuate genotoxic stress and rescue cell proliferation, implying a critical role for ROS. We suggest that under a low-stress condition, ROS activate tumor suppressor p53, which modulates cell cycle progression and promotes cell survival. Transcriptional profiling of p53 targets confirms upregulation of antioxidant and cycB-Cdk1 inhibitor genes without induction of apoptotic genes. This study implicates Drosophila RNase Z(L) in a novel retrograde signaling pathway initiated by the damage in mitochondria and manifested in a cell cycle delay before the mitotic entry.
Water-arc device proposal

The water-arc reaction is a fairly new technology that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy using pure, distilled water as the transmission medium. To produce a reaction, a high-voltage power circuit is used to charge a pulse-discharge capacitor. A firing switch completes the circuit between the capacitor and the water-arc reaction chamber, causing a large current to surge through the water. The water apparently absorbs the energy previously stored in the capacitor, and releases it in the form of kinetic energy by rapidly ejecting out of the reaction chamber.
Critical Assessment of Microphysical Assumptions within TRMM Radiometer Rain Profile Algorithm Using Satellite, Aircraft, and Surface Datasets from KWAJEX

Abstract The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager precipitation profile retrieval algorithm (2a12) assumes cloud model–derived vertically distributed microphysics as part of the radiative transfer–controlled inversion process to generate rain-rate estimates. Although this algorithm has been extensively evaluated, none of the evaluation approaches has explicitly examined the underlying microphysical assumptions through a direct intercomparison of the assumed cloud-model microphysics with in situ, three-dimensional microphysical observations. The main scientific objective of this study is to identify and overcome the foremost model-generated microphysical weaknesses in the TRMM 2a12 algorithm through analysis of (a) in situ aircraft microphysical observations; (b) aircraft- and satellite-based passive microwave measurements; (c) ground-, aircraft-, and satellite-based radar measurements; (d) synthesized satellite brightness temperatures and radar reflectivities; (e) radiometer-only pr...
The Pathology of Cervical Neoplasia

Cervical cancer and its precursors are defined by their pathology. For the purposes of this discussion, the pathology of cervical neoplasia is essentially the pathology of HPV-associated disease. In this chapter, the goal is to present the histopathology of this spectrum of HPV-associated disease, together with the correlated manifestations of the major lesions identified on Pap smear. During the presentation, the terminology used in various cytologic and histologic classification schemes is commented on, emphasizing the current usage trends in the United States that are driven mainly by the cytology classification system, the 2001 Bethesda System (TBS) (Solomon et al., 2002). While the molecular pathogenesis of cervical neoplasia including the role of human papillomaviruses (HPV) is detailed elsewhere (see Chapter 4), some elements will also be touched upon here as this well understood model of human epithelial carcinogenesis directly influences current classification concepts (Stoler, 1997).