cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Chemical Conditioning of Alfalfa on Drying Rate and Nutrient Digestion in Ruminants

Abstract Solutions of K 2 CO 3 or KOH were sprayed on freshly cut, third harvest alfalfa. Drying rates of treated alfalfa were faster than control in both laboratory and field trials. Two 3×3 Latin square digestion trials were conducted with sheep and dairy cows to evaluate the effects of chemical treatment on digestion of field dried alfalfa hay. Forage composition and DM intake of hays were not influenced by treatment in either sheep or cows. Apparent digestibility of dietary constituents did not differ between control and treated hay in the sheep trial, except for decreased digestibility of NDF with hay treated with KOH. However, digestibility of DM, CP, NDF, and ADF was improved in cows with potassium carbonate treatment of hay. Potassium hydroxide treatment only increased ADF digestion in cows. Extent of NDF digestion in vitro was increased at 12, 24, and 48h of incubation with both chemical treatments; both treatments decreased the proportion of indigestible NDF. When incubated in situ, particle-associated carboxymethylcellulase activity was greater with potassium carbonate treatment of field dried hay. Treatment with either KOH or K 2 CO 3 increased drying rate of alfalfa hay, but only potassium carbonate treatment improved nutrient digestibility.
Cell-to-cell communication in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium: they may be talking, but who's listening?

The closely related enteric bacteria Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium are among the best understood microorganisms, and much of our knowledge of prokaryotic physiology and genetics has derived from their study. Despite their utility as model prokaryotes, however, it is clear that E. coli and S. typhimurium do not represent all aspects of microbial physiology and behavior. One such underrepresented area is that of the microbial cell-cell interaction. There are a variety of microorganisms that have evolved elaborate means by which individual cells communicate and coordinate their actions. Often, these bacteria produce and release extracellular signal molecules that allow them to gauge their own population density and respond by altering expression of specific genes, a process generally described as quorum sensing. Examples of intercellular communication systems include oligopeptide-based signaling used by a variety of Gram-positive bacteria, A factor production during fruiting body development in Myxocccus xanthus, butanolide control of antibiotic biosynthesis in Streptomyces spp., and a volatile fatty acid methyl ester signal that regulates virulence in the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (see refs. 1–4). In Gram-negative bacteria, by far the most common form of quorum sensing is mediated by production and subsequent perception of acylated homoserine lactones (acyl HSLs) (5, 6).
Characteristics of Schottky barrier solar cells using polyacetylene, (CH)x

Abstract We have constructed Schottky barrier solar cells using semiconductive polyacetylene, and investigated their characteristics which are influenced significantly by the surface conditions of the polyacetylene films. The surface contacting the glass wall during polymerization has greater trap density, and the device having a Schottky barrier on the surface shows inferior characteristics to that having a barrier on the other surface. The energy conversion efficiency was improved up to 1%, when the incident light intensity was 7 mW/cm 2 and the energy of 0.2 mW/cm 2 was input into the barrier region through the Al electrode. From the strong dependence of the photovoltaic current on the backward biasing voltage, it is inferred that excitons contribute to the photocarrier generation.
Morphological Variation in Geophis nephodrymus (Squamata: Colubridae), with Comments on Conservation of Geophis in Eastern Nuclear Central America

Abstract Six species of Geophis occur in eastern Nuclear Central America: G. damiani, G. dunni, G. fulvoguttatus, G. hoffmanni, G. nephodrymus, and G. rhodogaster. These species are assigned to two species groups: the dubius group and the sieboldi group. Geophis nephodrymus is a species endemic to an isolated cloud forest locality in northwestern Honduras and was recently described based on a single specimen. Subsequently, an additional 16 specimens of G. nephodrymus were collected, demonstrating considerable morphological variation. This variation is characterized using features of morphology and color pattern. A key to the species of Geophis from eastern Nuclear Central America is provided. Of these six species, two meet the IUCN criteria for designation as Critically Endangered and two more as Endangered.
Precise tight-binding description of the band structure of MgB 2

We present a careful recasting of first-principles band-structure calculations for ${\mathrm{MgB}}_{2}$ in a nonorthogonal $\mathrm{sp}$-tight-binding (TB) basis. Our TB results almost exactly reproduce our full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave results for the energy bands, the densities of states, and the total energies. Our procedure generates transferable Slater-Koster parameters that should be useful for other studies of this important material.
Time-Asymmetric and Subcarrier-Specific Pulse Shaping in OFDM-Based Waveforms

In orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, suppressing the out-of-band (OOB) emission with pulse shaping comes with a price. The expense emerges in designing the transition between consecutive symbols. The price can be either the reduction of spectral efficiency (SE) with symbol extension for better transition or the introduction of intersymbol and intercarrier interference (ISI and ICI) due to reduced cyclic prefix (CP) size. In this paper, we propose a time-asymmetric and per-subcarrier (per-SC) pulse-shaping method to minimize the introduced interference without sacrificing SE and OOB performances. Although time-asymmetric pulse reduces the interference due to shortened CP by exploiting the asymmetry in channel delay profile, it causes spectral growth. Thus, the time asymmetry of the pulse-shaping function is gradually increased for the inner SCs that have wider spectral room to the OOB region. A generalized Kaiser window with adjustable time asymmetry is introduced to the provided framework. Theoretical and simulation results showed that the proposed technique achieves superior BER performance while achieving the same level of OOB suppression of pulse shaping and SE of plain OFDM.
Nonlocal continuum mechanics based on distributions

Abstract This paper presents a derivation of the balance laws of nonlocal continuum mechanics, based on the concept of microelements (very small collections of atoms or molecules). Mechanical fields (mass density, stress tensor, internal energy density, …) are assumed to be distributions (generalized functions), over a microelement surface and volume, influenced by distant microelements. Collection of these distributions in the limit when the surface and volume elements approach zero, defines the nonlocal mechanical fields. By this process, singularities and discontinuities that may be present in microelements, are smoothed out. The nonlocal balance laws are then established, having no nonlocal residuals.
Identification of the protein encoded by the transposable element Tn 3 which is required for its transposition

Protein products have now been identified which account for the entire coding capacity of the transposable element Tn3. Mutations in Tn3 have allowed us to map the genes encoding each of these peptides and to identify their role in transposition. We have found that only a single Tn3-encoded peptide is required for transposition. Expression of this peptide is repressed by the product of a second gene, which is itself autogenously regulated.
Progress in aminocyclitol biosynthesis

A stream of genetic and biochemical information available for the biosynthesis of aminocyclitols over the past few years has provided the foundation to study the modes of formation of this clinically important class of natural products. In addition to work on the identification and functional analysis of aminocyclitol biosynthetic gene clusters, a contingent of recent studies has focused on the detailed analysis of unique enzymatic and catalytic mechanisms inherent to these pathways. The results provide invaluable insights into the biochemical and molecular aspects of aminocyclitol biosynthesis and have revealed diverse and unique features of the pathways.
Opposing Catecholamine Changes in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis During Intracranial Self-Stimulation and Its Extinction

Background While studies suggest that both dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmission support reinforcement learning, the role of dopamine has been emphasized. As a result, little is known about norepinephrine signaling during reward learning and extinction. Both dopamine and norepinephrine projections innervate distinct regions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a structure that mediates behavioral and autonomic responses to stress and anxiety. We investigated whether norepinephrine release in the ventral BNST (vBNST) and dopamine release in the dorsolateral BNST (dlBNT) correlate with reward learning during intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS). Methods Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, norepinephrine concentration changes in the vBNST ( n = 12 animals) during ICSS were compared with dopamine changes in the dlBNST ( n = 7 animals) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) ( n = 5 animals). Electrical stimulation was in the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra region. Results Whereas dopamine release was evoked by presentation of a cue predicting reward availability in both dlBNST and NAc, cue-evoked norepinephrine release did not occur in the vBNST. Release of both catecholamines was evoked by the electrical stimulation. Extracellular changes in norepinephrine were also studied during extinction of ICSS and compared with results obtained for dopamine. During extinction of ICSS, norepinephrine release in the vBNST occurred at the time where the stimulation was anticipated, whereas dopamine release transiently decreased. Conclusions The data demonstrate that norepinephrine release in the vBNST differs from dopamine release in the dlBNST and the NAc in that it signals the absence of reward rather than responding to reward predictive cues.
“War Rooms” of the Street: Surveillance Practices in Transportation Control Centers

This article investigates the surveillance dimensions of “intelligent transportation systems” in the United States, with a particular focus on the mediation of data by engineers in transportation control centers. These communication systems lend themselves to surveillance by means of “function creep” beyond their primary intended purposes and through the everyday collection and manipulation of data to manage mobilities. In the U.S., dominant system protocols privilege vehicular throughput and discipline those who deviate from that norm.
Of Different Complexions: Religious Diversity and National Identity in James II's Toleration Campaign

This article uncovers a remarkable speech given by James II in the city of Chester in August 1687. In this speech, which has not previously been discussed in print by any historian, the king made a startling analogy between colour-based prejudice and religious prejudice, saying ‘suppose…there should be a law made that all black men should be imprisoned, twould be unreasonable and we had as little reason to quarell [sic] with other men for being of different opinions as for being of different Complexions’. The king used this speech to articulate a novel definition of English national identity. Under this new vision of Englishness, being a Protestant would no longer be considered a prerequisite of true citizenship; instead, anyone who was willing to tolerate the religion of others would be accepted as a true English citizen. The goal of this catholic king was to secure the election of a Parliament that would repeal the laws that penalized religious nonconformity. At Chester and elsewhere during his toleration campaign, James II adopted a rights-based rhetoric of citizenship that had not previously been used by any English monarch. It is likely that he borrowed much of this rhetoric from his friend William Penn, yet it is remarkable, given his reputation as an authoritarian, that he used it at all. This rhetoric gained a popular purchase among some of those who had been stigmatised by the laws that the king was seeking to overturn.
An improved self consistent phonon theory for neon

Abstract Thermodynamic properties of solid Ne are evaluated using an improved self-consistent phonon theory that explicitly includes odd derivatives of the potential. The T dependence of thermodynamic properties of Ne are in good agreement with experiment (except for the isothermal compressibility near the melting point — a difficult quantity to measure!) and differ substantially from the predictions of the lowest order theory.
Multimodal imaging of dendritic cells using a novel hybrid magneto-optical nanoprobe

Abstract A transfecting agent-coated hybrid imaging nanoprobe (HINP) composed of visible and near-infrared (NIR) light emitting quantum dots (QDs) tethered to superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles was developed. The surface modification of QDs and SPIO particles and incorporation of dual QDs within the SPIO were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical contrasting properties of HINP were characterized by absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy and fluorescence imaging. Multicolor HINP was used in imaging the migration of dendritic cells (DCs) by optical, two-photon and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. From the Clinical Editor The development of a transfecting agent-coated hybrid imaging nanoprobe (HINP) composed of visible and near-infrared light emitting quantum dots (QDs) tethered to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles is reported in this paper. Multicolor HINP was used in imaging the migration of dendritic cells by optical, two-photon and magnetic resonance imaging techniques.
Vacancies and the electrical resistivity of potassium

The authors have measured the electrical resistivity rho (T) of potassium to a relative accuracy of 0.2% in the temperature range 200K<T<330K. Comparison with the theoretical results of Shukla and Taylor (1976) (corrected for the effect of the Debye-Waller factor, multiphonon processes and non-local screening in the form factor) reveals an exponential increase in the measured rho (T) as T approaches the melting temperature. Assuming that this phenomenon is due to vacancy formation the authors are able to deduce a value of the formation enthalpy Hv which is in good accord with the theoretical prediction of Jacucci and Taylor (1979). However a careful error analysis shows that the combined effects of theoretical and experimental uncertainties are sufficiently large to place Hv at any point in the range from 0.2 eV to 0.6 eV. They therefore conclude that measurement of the high-temperature electrical resistivity of a metal is not a useful tool for investigating vacancy formation.
Transcriptional activation of the nuclear receptor corepressor RIP140 by retinoic acid: a potential negative-feedback regulatory mechanism.

Through the use of microarray analysis it was discovered that the nuclear receptor coregulator, receptor interacting protein 140 (RIP140), was induced early during all-trans retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiation of human embryonal carcinoma cells. A rapid, fourfold induction of RIP140 mRNA was detected within 3 h of RA treatment in human embryonal carcinoma and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. RIP140 protein levels were induced within 6 h of RA treatment. The RA induction of RIP140 mRNA did not require de novo protein synthesis, consistent with RIP140 being a direct transcriptional target of retinoid receptors. Promoter/enhancer elements directly upstream of the RIP140 coding region supported RA-induced transcription of a luciferase gene. In addition the ability of overexpressed RIP140 to repress ligand activated retinoid receptors was confirmed. The finding that RIP140 is a direct transcriptional target of RA is one of the first examples of acute transcriptional regulation of a nuclear receptor coactivator or corepressor. These data are consistent with a model by which RA induction of RIP140 supplies a negative feedback signal toward ligand-activated retinoid receptors.
Coexisting in the real world: the problems, surprises and delights of being an ethnographer on a multidisciplinary research project

Abstract Multi-disciplinary research projects are increasingly common in the social sciences, but melding diverse methods and techniques together, especially in the often chaotic data collection phase, has received little attention from office-bound quantitative researchers and qualitative researchers obsessed with issues of reflexivity. As an ethnographer and ‘junior partner' on a multidisciplinary study of HIV risk among youth in Brooklyn, New York, this paper examines some of the unanticipated problems and surprising outcomes encountered in trying to combine the two research approaches. The complex issue of constructing an identity in the field—survey researcher versus ethnographer—is discussed in light of experiences from this project. The researchers had expected the ethnography to facilitate the survey component of the research, and it did, but an unexpected outcome was how the survey helped later ethnographic work by decreasing ambiguity about the ethnographer's identity and purpose in the neighbourhood. The paper also examines a single, unpleasant event that occurred while administering the structured survey to underscore the hypothesis- and theory-generating potential of ethnography. While fieldwork may clearly be risky in a variety of ways, the paper underscores the idea that the fieldwork process is often essential to the development of theory. A seamless fit between quantitative and ethnographic approaches to research remains a distant goal, but ethnographers must continue to exercise flexibility, persistently and creatively carving out their unique niches within the larger field of social science research.
A possible response of the atmospheric Hadley circulation to equatorial anomalies of ocean temperature

Weakness and temporary elimination of the equatorial easterly winds over the eastern and central Pacific in late 1957 and early 1958 brought about a brief cessation of equatorial upwelling which in turn caused the occurrence of above-normal surface water temperatures in the tropical Pacific from the American coast westward to the dateline. This sudden introduction of a large anomalous heat source for the atmosphere intensified its thermodynamic circulation, especially in the wintertime (northern) hemisphere. Record intensity of the westerlies resulted in the eastern North Pacific. The anomalous depth of the Low in the Gulf of Alaska had the downwind effect of weakening the Iceland Low and setting the stage for a cold winter in northern Europe. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1966.tb00303.x
Microdetermination of the major individual isothiocyanates and oxazolidinethione in rapeseed.

A method has been developed for the quantitative determination of the major individual thioglucosides (as their aglycones) in rapeseed on a micro scale. The thioglucosides in the meal were hydrolyzed with myrosinase (B.C. 3.2.3.1, thioglucoside glucohydrolase), and the released aglycones were extracted with methylene chloride. The 3-butenyl and 4-pentenyl isothiocyanates were determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The 5-vinyl-2-oxazolidinethione was determined on an aliquot of the same extract by ultraviolet absorption.
Adherence of streptococci to cells infected with herpesvirus

The attachment of streptococci and staphylococci to cells infected with influenza virus has been previously reported and has been correlated with the increased incidence of these bacterial infections during flu epidemics. The present work was initiated to determine whether infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) might lead to preferential bacterial attachment. HEp-2 cells were grown in monolayer and infected with HSV, Type I or Type II. Twenty-four hours later the cells were incubated with suspensions of various organisms, including Group A and B streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acnes, and Candida albicans. After incubation for one hour, the cells were washed and fixed. Bacterial adherence and virus infection were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as conventional light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Only Group A streptococci adhered to virus-infected cells, both to cells infected with HSV, Type I and those infected with HSV, Type II. SEM and TEM revealed bacteria attaching to cells with budding virus particles. Preincubation of infected cells with anti-HSV serum prevented bacterial adherence. These findings suggest that infection of oral epithelium with HSV might lead to superinfection with Group A streptococci.
Biliary tract disease in rats with experimental small bowel bacterial overgrowth

Small bowel bacterial overgrowth, which develops in surgically created jejunal self-filling blind loops, is associated with hepatic injury in susceptible rat strains. The histological findings are portal tract inflammation and bile duct proliferation and destruction. In this study, evidence of injury to the extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts in susceptible and resistant inbred rats with self-filling blind loops was determined by bile flow rates, histological appearance of cross-sections of bile ducts and cholangiography. Lewis and Wistar rats with self-filling blind loops had thickening of the cross-sectional area of the extrahepatic bile ducts compared with controls and nonsusceptible Buffalo rats (p less than 0.001). Daily metronidazole therapy significantly reduced thickening of bile ducts in Lewis and Wistar rats with self-filling blind loops. Bile flow was increased in Lewis and Wistar rats with blind loops compared with controls (p less than 0.05). Cholangiograms of Lewis and Wistar rats with self-filling blind loops demonstrated extrahepatic ductal dilatation and ectasia with irregular, beaded, rapidly tapering and tortuous intrahepatic ducts. Blinded cholangiographical scores of susceptible rat strains with self-filling blind loops were higher (score = 5.9 +/- 2.3) than those of controls (1.2 +/- 0.4), rats with blind loops treated with metronidazole (0.8 +/- 1.3) and nonsusceptible Buffalo rats with blind loops (0.6 +/- 0.9) (p less than 0.01). Biliary histological and cholangiographical abnormalities found in this rat model resemble features of primary sclerosing cholangitis. This animal model will be useful in exploring mechanisms of the association of hepatobiliary inflammation with intestinal injury and investigating potential therapeutic agents.
Permeability, solubility and diffusivity of hydrogen isotopes in stainless steels at high gas pressures

Abstract In this report, we provide a framework for describing the permeability, solubility and diffusivity of hydrogen and its isotopes in austenitic stainless steels at temperatures and high gas pressures of engineering interest for hydrogen storage and distribution infrastructure. We demonstrate the importance of using the real gas behavior for modeling permeation and dissolution of hydrogen under these conditions. A simple one-parameter equation of state (the Abel–Noble equation of state) is shown to capture the real gas behavior of hydrogen and its isotopes for pressures less than 200 MPa and temperatures between 223 and 423 K. We use the literature on hydrogen transport in austenitic stainless steels to provide general guidance on and clarification of test procedures, and to provide recommendations for appropriate permeability, diffusivity and solubility relationships for austenitic stainless steels. Hydrogen precharging and concentration measurements for a variety of austenitic stainless steels are described and used to generate more accurate solubility and diffusivity relationships.
Can there be a green revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa without large expansion of irrigated crop production?

Although large expansion of irrigated agriculture was a pivotal component of past green revolutions, it is not given much attention for Sub-Saharan Africa. At issue is whether this lack of attention is an oversight. Analysis of irrigated agriculture's role in past green revolutions provides insight to address this question. We conclude that expansion of irrigated rice area will likely be an essential component of achieving self-sufficiency in rice production by 2050. For maize it is much less certain and depends on whether the climate and soils in major Sub-Saharan Africa maize-growing regions are more similar to the harsher conditions in the U.S. Western Corn Belt or to the higher-yielding more reliable Eastern Corn Belt.
Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows

Interactions among ecosystem services are increasingly perceived as important to ecosystem service delivery. Synergies and trade-offs among ecosystem services arise through direct ecological interactions or indirectly through correlated responses to other factors. To investigate whether and how interactions of overstory trees and shrubs with livestock forage species growing beneath generate ecosystem service interactions, overstory and forage species were examined in smallholder fallows in western Kenya. In 18 grazed and 21 improved fallows, we estimated biomass and quantified soil properties. We assessed whether the overstory reduces forage biomass and quality through competition, and whether overstory niche complementarity ameliorates competition or enhances facilitation. In improved fallows, forage biomass declined with overstory biomass, indicating competition and a wood-forage trade-off. In grazed fallows, biomass of higher quality forage species increased with overstory biomass, indicating a synergy, likely indirect. Niche complementarity, quantified as taxonomic and functional diversity, did not appear influential. Forage quality was not associated with overstory characteristics, but declined with grazing intensity. The contrasting relationships between overstory and forage species among fallow types appear ultimately attributable to the presence and intensity of grazing and the dense overstory in improved fallows.
A distributed parallel genetic algorithm for solving optimal growth models

We use a distributed parallel genetic algorithm (DPGA) to fund numerical solutions to a single state deterministic optimal growth model for both the infinite and finite horizon cases. To evaluate the DPGA we consider a version of the Taylor-Uhlig problem for which the analytical solutions are known. The first-order conditions for the infinite horizon case lead to a nonlinear integral equation whose solution we approximate using a Chebyshev polynomial series expansion. The DPGA is used to search the parameter space for the optimal fit for this function. For the finite horizon case the DPGA searches the state space for a sequence of states which maximize the agent's discounted utility over the finite horizon. The DPGA runs on a cluster of up to fifty workstations linked via PVM. The topology of the function to be optimized is mapped onto each node on the cluster and the nodes essentially complete with one another for the optimal solution. We demonstrate that the DPGA has several useful features. For instance, the DPGA solves the exact Euler equation over the full range of the state variable and it does not require an accurate initial guess. The DPGA is easily generalized to multiple state problems.
On the identity of Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen) and Prochyliza nigricornis (Meigen) (Diptera: Piophilidae), with a synopsis of Prochyliza Walker and description of a new species

With representatives distributed throughout the Holarctic and Neotropical regions, the genus Prochyliza Walker (Diptera: Piophilidae) is known from eight species. There has been, however, considerable controversy over the identity of two of them: the common, synanthropic species Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen), and the rarely collected Prochyliza nigricornis (Meigen). The described differences between both species were only based on body colouration but, since a wide colour variation has been documented among P. nigrimana individuals, several authors had suggested that both taxa might be just extreme colour variants of the same species. Recent collections from central Spain showed that the colouration characters described for P. nigricornis certainly apply to dark P. nigrimana individuals, but also to other Prochyliza specimens showing distinct morphological characters and genitalia. In order to solve this controversy, the holotypes of both P. nigrimana and P. nigricornis were studied, concluding that both specimens are conspecific and instating P. nigricornis as a subjective junior synonym (syn. nov.). A new species, Prochyliza georgekaplani sp. nov., is described from specimens collected in central Spain. A synopsis and an updated identification key to the known species of the genus Prochyliza are also provided.
Phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate kinase pathway activation protects leukemic large granular lymphocytes from undergoing homeostatic apoptosis.

T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGL) is characterized by chronic clonal lymphoproliferation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Despite exhibiting phenotypic properties of antigen-activated cells, including expression of Fas and FasL, T-LGL cells accumulate and demonstrate resistance to apoptosis. We propose that increased activity of a prosurvival signaling pathway in T-LGL is responsible for attenuated apoptosis in T-LGL. Given the importance of the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)–AKT pathway in regulating the balance between survival and apoptosis, we analyzed AKT activity in T-LGL cells. Compared with resting CTLs from healthy donors, patients' T-LGL cells showed higher levels of phosphorylated AKT. We demonstrate that phospho-AKT induction is dependent on the upstream activity of a Src family kinase. Since the PI3K-AKT pathway can antagonize the ability of Fas to initiate apoptosis, we hypothesized that inhibition of PI3K would lead to reacquisition of Fas sensitivity in T-LGL. Inhibition of the PI3K-AKT pathway alone led to brisk spontaneous apoptosis of T-LGL. These results suggest that T-LGL pathogenesis is dependent on activity of the PI3K-AKT pathway, without which the leukemic cells will begin to undergo spontaneous apoptosis. We propose that novel therapeutics inhibiting the PI3K-AKT axis may provide effective treatment for T-LGL.
Function of migration in the seasonal synchronization of insects.

Seasonal migrations of insects can be roughly divided into those within the temperate zone, those within the tropics, and those between the tropics and temperate areas. Temperate migrations often involve movements to and form diapause sites with correlated seasonal cycles in reproductive physiology. Many temperate migrants have apterous or brachypterous generations whose adaptive significance is not always clear, diapause may also be involved in tropical migrations, but the cue is likely to be food or moisture limitation rather than photoperiod. Interestingly, the capacity to diapause may be a prerequisite for migration into the temperate zone by tropical species: the two behaviours occur together in several migrants. An interesting subclass of tropical-temperate migrants are “pied-piper” species which apparently have no return movement: the action of natural selection in these cases is unclear. In all cases migration and diapause are intimately involved with other aspects of life histories because they allow choices of where and when to breed. The elucidation of the contributions of genetic and environmental variance to insect migration strategies is an important problem for entomologists. RESUME Role de la migrations dans la synchronisation saisonniere des insectes. Les migrations saisonnieres des insectes peuvent etre globalement divisees en celles a l'interieur de la zone temperee, celles a l'interieur des tropiques et celles entre les tropiques et les zones temperees. Les migrations temperees impliquent souvent des mouvements vers et a partir des sites de diapause en relation avec les cycles saisonniers de la physiologie de la reproduction. De nonbreux migrateurs des regions temperees ont des generations apteres ou brachypteres, dont la signification adaptative n'est pas toujours claire. La diapause peut aussi etre impliquee dans les migrations tropicales, mais la cause doit vraisemblablement etre l'insuffisance d'aliment ou d'humidite plutot que la photoperiode. Il est interessant de noter que l'aptitude a la diapause peut etre une condition pour les migrations des especes tropicales vers la zone temperee; les deux comportements ont lieu ensemble chez plusieurs migrateurs. Une sous-classe interessante de migrateurs des tropiques vers les region temperees est constituee par les especes “pied piper” qui ont apparemment un mouvement sans retour; dans ce cas, l'action de la selection naturelle est peu claire. Dans tous les cas la migration et la diapause sont intimement imbriquees avec tous les autres aspects de la biologie, parce qu'elles entrainent des choix sur ou et quand se reproduire. La comprehension des contributions des variances genetique et environnementale dans les strategies migratrices des insectes est un probleme important pour les entomologistes.
The interaction between semiconductors and acoustic surface waves—A review

Abstract Recent developments in acoustic surface wave (ASW) device applications are based on a coupling between an ASW and charge carriers in a semiconductor. The problems related to such devices are similar to those encountered in MOS and CCD work since the wave-charged particle interaction occurs within a Debye length of the surface. This paper presents a brief review of ASW-semiconductor devices.
Software for simulation of a computed tomography imaging spectrometer using optical design software

Our Imaging Spectrometer Simulation Software known under the name Eikon should improve and speed up the design of a Computed Tomography Imaging Spectrometer (CTIS). Eikon uses existing raytracing software to simulate a virtual instrument. Eikon enables designers to virtually run through the design, calibration and data acquisition, saving significant cost and time when designing an instrument. We anticipate that Eikon simulations will improve future designs of CTIS by allowing engineers to explore more instrument options.
Don’t ignore home grown medical systems

Almost three weeks after the January earthquake in Haiti, two of us went to Port au Prince to take part in the medical relief efforts. We were stationed at the University Hospital with other volunteers from Partners in Health and the International Medical Corps. The conditions at the hospital were grim, with about 400 patients housed in tents on the grounds of the largely destroyed facility. University Hospital is the only academic referral centre in the country, is the site of the only public medical and nursing schools, and is known by locals as the place to go for emergency medical care. It wasn’t a surprise, then, that the stream of patients coming through University Hospital remained steady in the weeks after the earthquake. Most of the patients we saw were no longer considered “earthquake victims,” but they were certainly victims of a natural event that had struck a mortal blow to their already dysfunctional medical system. We didn’t treat traumatic injuries or fractures but rather wound infections, tetanus, bowel perforations associated with typhoid infection, and ruptured ectopic pregnancies. Despite the impressive number of well equipped temporary field hospitals that were functioning in the vicinity of Port au Prince, University Hospital remained severely understaffed. University Hospital was largely neglected …
Biology and pathophysiology of Toxocara vitulorum infections in a rabbit model.

Abstract Ten female New Zealand rabbits were infected via stomach intubation with eggs of Toxocara vitulorum at a dosage of 10 embryonated eggs per gram of body weight on Days 0, 35 and 72. Ten or 4% of the administered parasites passed in the feces during the 3 days following the first or second infection, but 32% after the third infection. Many larvae were passed in the third infection, but not in the first or second. Tissue parasite yields were 4.1% on Day 5, 2% on Day 15, 0.8% on Day 30, 0.1% on Day 65 and 0.06% on Day 101. Five hundred and ninety-three larvae were recovered from liver, 243 from lungs and 0 from muscles on Day 5; 282 from liver, 138 from lungs and 21 from muscles on Day 15; 151 from liver, 21 from lungs and 50 from muscles on Day 30; 0 from liver, 26 from lungs and 15 from muscles on Day 65; 0 from liver, 0 from lungs and 9 from muscles on Day 101. No larvae were found in other tissues. The size of the muscle larvae at 30, 65 and 101 days indicated that the parasites did not develop beyond the infective stage and suggested that they were probably hypobiotic organisms. Erythrocytes, packed cell volume and monocytes decreased, but eosinophils and basophils increased, after each infection. Serum enzyme levels indicated that liver damage occured only after the first infection, but muscle injury occurred after each infection and was increasingly more precocious after each infection.
The Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM): rationale, conception, and structure.

The declaredly atheoretical DSM-III (and its successors), the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association, was created to enhance diagnostic reliability for research, epidemiological survey, and governmental and insurance categorization and reimbursement purposes. It has, however, exhibited many inadequacies for psychodynamic diagnosis and case for- mulation for treatment planning and outcome assessment, and its claimed diagnostic reliability has turned out to be less than originally projected. The psychoanalytically sponsored Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM) marks a return to a theoretically (psychoanalytically) based diagnostic frame and was created as a supplement to, or replacement for, DSM (depending on the precise clinical need), for use in psychodynamic diagnosis and treatment planning.
Getting Off on the Right Foot: The Many Roles of the Psychosocial Evaluation in the Bariatric Surgery Practice

A thorough and specialized pre-operative psychosocial assessment is an important part of a comprehensive bariatric treatment protocol. Over time, the presurgical psychosocial evaluation has evolved from a cut-and-dried process of recommending whether a patient should or should not undergo surgery to a more nuanced and multifaceted process that serves multiple functions. In this article, we review the many ways in which the pre-operative psychosocial evaluation can enhance patient outcomes and adjustment and even the functioning of the interdisciplinary bariatric surgery team.
Intermolecular forces in the self-assembly of peptide amphiphile nanofibers

Peptide amphiphile molecules (PAs) developed in our laboratory self-assemble from aqueous media into three-dimensional networks of bioactive nanofibers. Multiple non-covalent interactions promote assembly of the supramolecular nanofibers and ultimately determine the bulk physical properties of the macroscopic gels. In this study, we use oscillatory rheology, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and circular-dichroism spectroscopy to better understand the assembly mechanism of a typical PA molecule known as PA-1. Self-assembly of PA-1 is triggered by counterion screening and stabilized by van der Waals and hydrophobic forces, ionic bridging, and coordination and hydrogen bonding. The concentration, electronic structure, and hydration of counterions significantly influence self-assembly and gel mechanical properties.
Interphase cytofission maintains genomic integrity of human cells after failed cytokinesis

In cell division, cytokinesis is tightly coupled with mitosis to maintain genomic integrity. Failed cytokinesis in humans can result in tetraploid cells that can become aneuploid and promote cancer. However, the likelihood of aneuploidy and cancer after a failed cytokinesis event is unknown. Here we evaluated cell fate after failed cytokinesis. We interrupted cytokinesis by brief chemical treatments in cell populations of human epithelial lines. Surprisingly, up to 50% of the resulting binucleate cells generated colonies. In RPE1 cells, 90% of colonies obtained from binucleate founders had a karyotype that matched the parental cell type. Time-lapse videomicroscopy demonstrated that binucleate cells are delayed in the first growth phase of the cell cycle (G1) and undergo interphase cellular fission (cytofission) that distributes nuclei into separate daughters. The fission is not compatible with delayed cytokinesis because events occur in the absence of polymerized microtubules and without canonical components of the cytokinetic machinery. However, the cytofission can be interrupted by inhibiting function of actin or myosin II. Fission events occur in both two- and three-dimensional culture. Our data demonstrate that cytofission can preserve genomic integrity after failed cytokinesis. Thus, traction-mediated cytofission, originally observed in Dictyostelium, is relevant to human biology—where it seems to be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that can preserve genomic integrity.
Dynamin Forms a Src Kinase–sensitive Complex with Cbl and Regulates Podosomes and Osteoclast Activity

Podosomes are highly dynamic actin-containing adhesion structures found in osteoclasts, macrophages, and Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-transformed fibroblasts. After integrin engagement, Pyk2 recruits Src and the adaptor protein Cbl, forming a molecular signaling complex that is critical for cell migration, and deletion of any molecule in this complex disrupts podosome ring formation and/or decreases osteoclast migration. Dynamin, a GTPase essential for endocytosis, is also involved in actin cytoskeleton remodeling and is localized to podosomes where it has a role in actin turnover. We found that dynamin colocalizes with Cbl in the actin-rich podosome belt of osteoclasts and that dynamin forms a complex with Cbl in osteoclasts and when overexpressed in 293VnR or SYF cells. The association of dynamin with Cbl in osteoclasts was decreased by Src tyrosine kinase activity and we found that destabilization of the dynamin-Cbl complex involves the recruitment of Src through the proline-rich domain of Cbl. Overexpression of dynamin increased osteoclast bone resorbing activity and migration, whereas overexpression of dynK44A decreased osteoclast resorption and migration. These studies suggest that dynamin, Cbl, and Src coordinately participate in signaling complexes that are important in the assembly and remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, leading to changes in osteoclast adhesion, migration, and resorption.
Effects of vasectomy on seminal plasma alkaline phosphatase in male alpacas (Vicugña pacos).

Contents Azoospermia is a common finding in male alpacas which present for infertility. The challenge is to differentiate azoospermia of testicular origin from non-testicular origin. In several species, alkaline phosphatase (AP) concentrations in seminal plasma have been used as a diagnostic marker of contributions of the testis and epididymis to the ejaculate. The purpose of this study was to determine whether AP assay could differentiate testicular from non-testicular azoospermia in male alpacas. An experimental model of bilateral outflow obstruction (pre-scrotal vasectomy) was used in 22 male alpacas, aged 2–9 years. No reproductive history was available. Animals were submitted for electroejaculation (EE) under general anaesthesia and vasectomy performed. Five weeks later, animals were submitted for EE. Vasectomy was not successful in one animal, which was removed from analysis. AP levels were compared in seminal plasma in the pre- and post-vasectomy samples. The mean ± SEM concentration of AP in pre-vasectomy seminal plasma was 504.29 ± 166.45 U/l (range 10–2910); the post-vasectomy levels were 252.48 ± 81.77 U/l (range 0–1640; p = 0.06). In 71.4% of animals, AP levels decreased, varying from 18% to 100% reduction. Results of this study suggest that AP is not produced exclusively by the testis and epididymis in alpacas and that AP assay is not a valid diagnostic test for determination of origin of azoospermia; the gold standard for diagnosis of origin of azoospermia remains testicular biopsy.
Opiate withdrawal-induced fos immunoreactivity in the rat extended amygdala parallels the development of conditioned place aversion.

Low doses of naloxone have been shown to affect the motivational aspects of opiate withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats. Conditioned place aversion to opiate withdrawal is one of the most sensitive of motivational indices of opiate withdrawal and is thought to be mediated by the basal forebrain. Expression of the transcription factor Fos is known to increase during opiate withdrawal, but its presence during low-dose antagonist-precipitated withdrawal has not previously been established. In order to determine if there is a relationship between withdrawal-induced neuronal activity and conditioned place aversion, immunocytochemical localization of Fos was examined in the basal forebrain of opiate-dependent animals receiving one of several doses of naloxone (0, 3.25, 7.5, 15, 30, or 1000 μg/kg). In separate groups of opiate-dependent animals, naloxone doses of 3.25 - 30 μg/kg were paired with a specific chamber in a single-pairing conditioned place aversion paradigm. Significant increases in both immunocytochemical detection of Fos and conditioned place aversion were seen at doses ≥ 7.5 μg/kg. The shell of the nucleus accumbens and central nucleus of the amygdala were most sensitive to low doses, thus supporting the hypothesis that the extended amygdala plays a role in opiate-induced condition place aversion.
On latency management in time-shared operating systems

The design of general purpose operating systems impose constraints on the way one can structure real-time applications. This paper addresses the problem of minimizing the end-to-end latency of applications that are structured as a set of cooperating (real-time) tasks. When applications are structured as a set of cooperating tasks the time required for data to progress from an input task to an output task is a function of the number of the tasks that handle the data and the deadlines of individual tasks. We present an integrated inter-process communication and scheduling scheme that can be used to minimize the end-to-end latency of multi-threaded applications. Our approach is to provide the scheduler with information on the inter-process communication interconnections between tasks and to use this information to guarantee an end-to-latency to applications that is simply a function of the timing properties of the application and not its task structure. This scheme has been implemented within the YARTOS kernel and is presently being ported to the Real-Time Mach kernel. >
AGAINST CIVIC SCHOOLING

A fierce debate about civic education in American public schools has erupted in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Many liberals and conservatives, though they disagree strongly about which civic virtues to teach, share the assumption that such education is an appropriate responsibility for public schools. They are wrong. Civic education aimed at civic virtue is at best ineffective; worse, it is often subversive of the moral purpose of schooling. Moreover, the attempt to impose these partisan conceptions of civic virtue on America's students violates the civic trust that underpins vibrant public schools.