cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Release characteristics of the non-toxic insect repellant 2-undecanone from its crystalline inclusion compound with α-cyclodextrin

2-Undecanone (methyl nonyl ketone), a natural non-toxic insect repellant compound, was recently isolated from the trichomes of wild tomatoes, and is currently being introduced as a replacement for insect repellants containing N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide or DEET, which are permitted for use on children older than 2 months. In an effort to improve the delivery of the somewhat volatile 2-undecanone, we have successfully formed the crystalline inclusion compound (IC) between 2-undecanone and α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), using a coprecipitation method. Employing WAXD, DSC, FT-IR, and NMR observations, we have confirmed that 2-undecanone is included as a guest inside the host α-CD cavities, and forms a channel-type crystalline IC. The release characteristics of 2-undecanone insect repellant from its α-CD-IC were studied using TGA either at a heating rate of 20 °C/min in nitrogen, and air atmospheres or at constant temperatures of 25, and 40 °C over a period of 24 h. The release/loss of 2-undecanone insect repellant from its α-CD-IC was ~60% after 24 h at 40 °C. By comparison, ~97% of pure 2-undecanone was volatilized, and lost over 24 h at 40 °C. In addition, insecticidal activity of 2-undecaonone from its α-CD complex against German cockroaches was evaluated. The results show an excellent repellency that 100% of the cockroaches were repelled for the first 2 days after application. These results suggest that the gradual, long-term delivery of the insect repellant 2-undecanone can be significantly improved through employment of its crystalline α-CD-IC.
Compact miniature microelectrode-telemetry system.

Abstract A multiple semi-microelectrode assembly and a pretuned miniature FM transmitter for recording unit and slow wave potentials are described. This compact system makes it possible to record unit and slow-wave potentials from the same brain locus over long periods of time in freely behaving animals. The procedure for constructing the ten wire electrode is described in detail. Used in conjunction with the transmitter, broadcast distance is at least 30 ft and locomotor activity of rats and rabbits is not affected by the light weight assembly. The fidelity of transmitted single unit potentials compares favorably with and is more noise-free than any currently available direct-wire procedure.
Postbellum race relations in commodity exchange

A structural imperative of capital is to expand commodity exchange. To realize surplus value, capitalists not only have to exploit workers in the production process, but also make workers buy what they produce. This paper examines how this imperative of capital shaped race relations from the end of slavery through the Jim Crow era. The racism that sustained black slavery was highly exclusionary––a fixed racism that undermined this imperative of capital to expand commodity exchange. A more flexible racism would resolve this contradiction. Reconstruction was a move to erase all vestiges of the fixed racism that sustained slavery from relations of commodity exchange. Jim Crow countered with a more flexible racism that maintained the racial status quo but was less of a barrier to blacks participating in commodity exchange in the consumption process.
Optimal diets in complex environments: feeding strategies of two herbivorous fishes from a temperate rocky intertidal zone.

The seasonal diets of Cebidichthys violaceus and Xiphister mucosus, two herbivorous fishes from the complex, multifood environment of the central California rocky intertidal zone, were partially consistent with three predictions of optimal diet models based on energy maximization: 1) The prediction that at high food densities a forager should concentrate solely on the energetically most valuable items was incompletely met by these two fish species. C. violaceus and X. mucosus increased their consumption of energy-rich annual macrophytes during periods (summer and fall) of high food abundance, but nevertheless continued to take a mixed diet. 2) The prediction that abundance of lower-valued foods does not determine their inclusion in the diet was largely upheld by the feeding habits of these two intertidal fishes. The probability of an item being consumed apparently depends upon its abundance as well as its chemical composition. 3) The prediction that foragers will generalize as food abundance declines was largely met by the two fishes since their diets broadened considerably during periods (e.g. winter) of reduced food supply. Furthermore, diets of the two species converged during periods of high food abundance and diverged during months of low food abundance. Whether this seasonal pattern of overlap was due to interspecific competition or other factors is unknown. This study, in agreement with other recent investigations, indicates that optimal diet models cannot be based solely on energy maximization but should also include nutrient constraints in order to more accurately predict the seasonally fluctuating mixed diets of these fishes and other generalist herbivores.
Regulation of Serum Calcitriol by Serum Ionized Calcium in Rats During Pregnancy and Lactation

Serum calcitriol concentrations in rats follow a biphasic pattern during reproduction, with elevated levels during late pregnancy, a decline after parturition, and a rise to even higher levels during peak lactation. We have previously shown that serum calcitriol in rats at peak lactation correlates significantly with, and appears to be regulated by, serum ionized Ca (Ca2+), with parathyroid hormone (PTH) serving a permissive role. We have extended this study by determining if serum calcitriol also correlates with serum Ca2+ during late pregnancy, when calcitriol levels are clearly elevated, and during early lactation, when only modest increases in serum calcitriol are observed. Analyses of data combined from nonmated, 21-day pregnant (P), and 1-day lactating rats (L) revealed a significant regression (p 0.05). Fetal weights (uterus and contents) correlated significantly with both maternal calcitriol and Ca2+ concentrations (p < 0.01), but not with maternal PTH levels. Litter weights for 14-day-old pups likewise correlated significantly with maternal calcitriol and Ca2+ (p < 0.001). We conclude that hypocalcemia, induced by the demands for Ca for fetal calcification and milk production, appears to be a controlling factor in serum calcitriol elevation in late pregnancy and throughout lactation, whereas PTH may be important for calcitriol synthesis without playing a direct regulatory role.
Detections of eleven organophosphorus insecticides and one herbicide threatening Pacific salmonids, Oncorhynchus spp., in California, 1991-2010.

California’s surface water monitoring results from 1991 through 2010 were analyzed to determine whether 12 organophosphorus insecticides and herbicides (i.e., azinphos methyl, bensulide, dimethoate, disulfoton, ethoprop, fenamiphos, methamidophos, methidathion, methyl parathion, naled, phorate, and phosmet) and their degradates have been detected above maximum concentration limits (MCLs) in Pacific salmonid habitats. Methidathion, methyl parathion, phorate, phosmet, and the oxygen analogue of naled (DDVP) detections exceeded MCLs. Methyl parathion detections may be accounted for by monthly use trends, while methidathion detections may be explained by yearly use trends. There were inadequate phorate, phosmet, or DDVP data to evaluate for correlations with use.
Far-echo cancellation in the presence of frequency offset (full duplex modem)

A design is presented for a full-duplex echo-cancelling data modem based on a combined adaptive reference echo canceller and adaptive channel equalizer. The adaptive reference algorithm has the advantage that interference to the echo canceller caused by the far-end signal can be eliminated by subtracting an estimate of the far-end signal based on receiver decisions. This technique provides a novel approach for full-duplex far-echo cancellation in which the far echo can be cancelled in spite of carrier-frequency offset. To estimate the frequency offset, the system uses a separate receiver structure for the far echo which provides equalization of the far echo channel and tracks the frequency offset in the far echo. The feasibility of the echo-cancelling algorithms is demonstrated by computer simulation with realistic channel distortions and with 4800-b/s data transmission, at which rate the frequency offset in the far echo becomes important. >
Concerning the interior of the D-stable matrices

Abstract This paper gives a necessary and sufficient condition for a D -stable matrix to be in the topological interior of the set of D -stable matrices.
Splintered Space: Hybrid Spaces and Differential Mobility

Early theories of the internet imagined that individuals would begin living most of their lives online, decreasing the importance of physical mobility and urban spaces. With the development of internet-enabled mobile phones, these early predictions have been proven false. The internet has not decreased the importance of physical mobility; instead, the digital information of the internet has begun to merge with physical space, leading to new types of hybrid spaces. These hybrid spaces are becoming increasingly common, and they may change the way physical space is negotiated and understood. At this early juncture, however, it is crucial to critically examine the development of hybrid spaces and how they may lead to issues of exclusion and exacerbate issues of access. This essay takes a critical approach to the development of hybrid spaces, arguing that what is often lost in discourses about these new understandings of space are questions of who gets to experience this convergence of the digital and the physical.
A SWOT model of the challenges and benefits of volunteer involvement in US non-profit organisations during times of fiscal stress

As a result of the current fiscal crisis, the US Federal Government is calling on non-profit organisations and communities across the country to contribute their service through volunteering. This study uses qualitative data retrieved from a purposive sample of New York City non-profit administrators to determine the challenges and benefits of volunteer involvement in US non-profit organisations during the economic downturn that began in 2008. Findings conclude that although US Federal Government initiatives, including $50 million of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated to the strengthening communities fund provided non-profits the opportunity to draw on an influx of a highly skilled pool of volunteers, many non-profits remain underfunded, understaffed and unequipped to make the most of those who are looking to serve.
A Numerical View into Direct Shear Specimen Size Effects

The ASTM D 3080-04 standard, Standard Test Method for Direct Shear Test of Soils under Consolidated Drained Conditions, indicates that the direct shear test specimen width L must be at least ten times larger than the largest particle in the specimen, L/d ≥ 10. The results documented in this note provide visual insight into specimen size and boundary effects through discrete element simulations conducted with numerical specimens ranging in size from L/d = 6.5 to L/d = 177. Particle translation data indicate that in the tested configuration, localized shear zones located far from the specimen boundaries develop only when the specimen size is L/d > 58. The results provide a description of the microstructure evolution during shearing and suggest that the ASTM specimen size criterion may be inappropriate when localized shear banding in uniform granular materials is sought.
In vitro versus in vivo impedance modeling for electrochemically deposited iridium oxide electrodes

We present here an electric circuit model that fits the behavior of iridium oxide coated electrodes when tested in vitro and in vivo. Our objective is to understand the interface between the active iridium oxide and the biological tissue. In order to do that we have first measured the impedance and the cyclic voltammetry in five electrodes which we later implanted in the hippocampi of rodents. While implanted, we have again measured the charge delivery through cyclic voltammetry and the impedance through spectroscopy. We later explanted the electrodes and performed the exact same tests, demonstrating that the electrodes had not been damaged either by our tests or by the implant. Here we will present the impedance values and the fit of the models we suggest, which include a solution resistand and a constant phase element. A charge transfer resistance is only present in our in vitro model, and this phenomenon is discussed in the current paper.
Accuracy of the unitary pole approximation for the reid triplet potential

Abstract The unitary pole approximation (UPA) has been shown to be quite accurate for a central attractive potential with a soft core, such as the Reid singlet potential. We examine its accuracy for the Reid triplet soft-core potential, which includes tensor and spin-orbit forces. We compare UPA values for the t-matrix tLL′(p, k; s) with Haftel's numerical values. Here L and L′ are angular momenta, either 0 or 2. The momenta are p and k, and we emphasize negative energy s. We find that the UPA fits Haftel's values for t00 about as well as the UPA fits for the Reid singlet. The UPA is less successful for t02 and t22, but in general it fits Haftel's values better than does the Yamaguchi t-matrix.
A study of the oxidative degradation of phenol-formaldehyde polycondensates using infrared spectroscopy†‡

An infrared spectrophotometric examination of the oxidative degradation of acid- and base-catalyzed phenol-formaldehyde polycondensates, novolaks and resoles, respectively, has been carried out in the temperature range form 100–200°C. The existence of structural moieties such as quinone methides and dibenzyl ethers in the cured phenolic resins systems could not be substantiated. The oxidation of phenolic resins was shown to be a stepwise degradation. Attack of oxygen, a surface reaction, was shown to be at the doubly activated methylene bridge linkage to form a substituted dihydroxybenzophenone system. This species was substantiated by the synthesis of polymers containing the ketonic linkage and their spectral identity to the degrading resin. The initial oxidation was shown to continue through the formation of quinone structures and secondary oxidation was shown to continue through the formation of quinone structures and secondary oxidation at these functional linkages to produce carboxylic acids as one of the fragments during chain scission. This degradation mechanism is in good agreement with other supporting experimental data concerning phenolic resin degradation.
Genetic rescue of remnant tropical trees by an alien pollinator

Habitat fragmentation is thought to lower the viability of tropical trees by disrupting their mutualisms with native pollinators. However, in this study, Dinizia excelsa (Fabaceae), a canopy-emergent tree, was found to thrive in Amazonian pastures and forest fragments even in the absence of native pollinators. Canopy observations indicated that African honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata) were the predominant floral visitors in fragmented habitats and replaced native insects in isolated pasture trees. Trees in habitat fragments produced, on average, over three times as many seeds as trees in continuous forest, and microsatellite assays of seed arrays showed that genetic diversity was maintained across habitats. A paternity analysis further revealed gene flow over as much as 3.2 km of pasture, the most distant pollination precisely recorded for any plant species. Usually considered only as dangerous exotics, African honeybees have become important pollinators in degraded tropical forests, and may alter the genetic structure of remnant populations through frequent long-distance gene flow.
Fault ride-through capability investigation of a doubly-fed induction generator with an additional series-connected voltage source converter

In this paper, several published protection schemes applied to fault ride-through capability of DFIGs are compared at first. The voltage sag response of a conventional DFIG with a back-to-back PWM converter connected in the rotor side has been investigated based on both a steady-state DFIG model and a full transient DFIG model in PSCAD. Furthermore, an integration scheme of a DFIG with an additional series-connected voltage source converter is proposed for improving the fault ride-though performance when a DFIG experiences a grid fault on the near side of the point of common coupling (PCC) or remote in the network. The PSCAD/EMTDC simulation results demonstrate the proposed scheme can significantly increase the whole DFIG system stability even following severe symmetrical or unsymmetrical voltage sags.
On a Carathéodory-type selection theorem

Abstract We offer a new Caratheodory-type selection theorem. This result arose naturally from the authors' study of equilibria in abstract economies (generalized games) with a measure space of agents.
HIGHLY REPRODUCIBLE SINGLE POLYANILINE NANOWIRE USING ELECTROPHORESIS METHOD

Site-specific single polyaniline nanowires were fabricated through electrophoresis growth with acetone wetting. After growing the nanowires, the post-process of acetone wetting of the nanowires improved morphology, topology, and electrical conductivity with coagulation and substitution in polyaniline. They showed resistance changes of 39.57 ± 11.57% and presented 2.38 × 10-4 ± 3 × 10-5 Ω · cm, 133.77 ± 13.82 nm thickness, and 133.17 ± 13.01 nm width in 1 μm to 5.5 μm length. The new combined growth process of electrophoresis and acetone wetting significantly improved reproducibility, reliability, and controllability in the fabrication of single polymer nanowires.
Cell Phones in the Classroom: Don't Put Them Away Just Yet!

As the number of students with cell phones has steadily increased over the past decade, these technological advances have caused trepidation among educators over behavioral issues, from off-task ac...
Environmental Justice and the New Regionalism

During the past decade, renewed calls for central city revitalization have come from scholars and practitioners working within a new regionalist perspective. Such arguments have provided much of the ideological underpinning for coalitions around the country promoting smart growth and other regional reforms. Smart growth policies seek to curb urban sprawl by channeling investment into already developed areas, including inner-city communities. Given the attention paid to urban policy among advocates of the new regionalism, one would expect inner-city minorities to be well represented in the dialogue. However, the dialogue over smart growth and regionalism has largely failed to engage inner-city African Americans, Latinos, and other minorities. This article asks why that is the case, examines the consequences, and proposes a strategy for reframing the new regionalist debate in a way that may resonate more with minority stakeholders.
Clinical and pathologic factors associated with delayed diagnosis in solitary rectal ulcer syndrome.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) often goes unrecognized or is misdiagnosed. Of 98 patients with a final clinicopathologic diagnosis of SRUS, an initially incorrect diagnosis had been made in 25 patients (26 percent). In these 25 patients with a misdiagnosis, the median age was 43 years and the female-to-male ratio was 3.2∶1. The median duration of incorrect diagnosis was five years (range, three months to 30 years), and seven patients received prednisone (>30 mg/day) for a mistaken diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. The main clinical symptoms were rectal bleeding (84 percent) and a disturbance of bowel function (56 percent). Rectal prolapse was present in 13 patients. Original rectal biopsy specimens from 23 patients were reviewed; inadequate specimens and failure to recognize diagnostic features of SRUS contributed to delayed diagnosis in 13 and 10 patients, respectively. The most common clinicopathologic mis-diagnoses in SRUS patients with rectal ulcers or mucosal hyperemia were Crohn's disease and mucosal ulcerative colitis. In patients with “polypoid” SRUS, diagnostic confusion was usually with a neoplastic polyp. Persistent bowel symptoms and rectal lesions led to review of the presentations and repeat biopsy directed toward the edge of the rectal ulcers or from within the polypoid or hyperemic rectal lesions, finally establishing the diagnosis of SRUS. Intractable symptoms led to surgery in 15 patients (60 percent), with symptomatic improvement in over two-thirds.
Effects of Cold-Adaptation, Re warming and Heat-Exposure on Thyrotropin (TSH) Secretion in Rats

The effects of cold-adaptation, rewarming and heat exposure were studied in euthyroid and hypothyroid male rats. Pituitary and serum TSH concentrations were measured. Thyroid function was assessed by weight, histology, 131I uptake, serum TSH and PBI values. Net pituitary TSH synthesis, the calculated TSH secretion rate (SR) and the response to challenge with propylthiouracil (PTU) were obtained. There was no evidence of increased TSH secretion in cold-adapted rats. In some experiments the serum TSH level, the PBI and net TSH synthesis were decreased. When cold-adapted rats were rewarmed, the PBI increased briefly, the serum and pituitary TSH remained unchanged or increased, and net TSH synthesis and the SR remained unchanged. Exposure to heat caused an increase in pituitary TSH and sometimes in serum TSH and the elevated net TSH synthesis observed in hypothyroid rats and the TSH SR in hypothyroid rats were not inhibited. These observations support the current opinion that an increase in thyroid activity i...
Highest redshift radio galaxies

At low redshifts powerful radio sources are uniquely associated with massive galaxies, and are thought to be powered by supermassive black holes. Modern 8m-10m telescopes may be used to find their likely progentors at very high redshifts to study their formation and evolution.
Safe Formulas in the General Theory of Stable Models (Preliminary Report)

Safe first-order formulas generalize the concept of a safe rule, which plays an important role in the design of answer set solvers. We show that any safe sentence is equivalent, in a certain sense, to the result of its grounding--to the variable-free sentence obtained from it by replacing all quantifiers with multiple conjunctions and disjunctions. It follows that a safe sentence and the result of its grounding have the same stable models, and that stable models of a safe sentence can be characterized by a formula of a simple syntactic form.
Large-Scale Structural Characterization of Biopolymer Systems by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

Biopolymers are polymer structures produced by living organisms. These molecules, like synthetic polymers, are built from monomers. There are three main classes of biopolymers based on the chemical nature of themonomeric units and the structure of the biopolymer formed. Polypeptides are chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. Proteins consist of one ormore polypeptide chains folded into a globular or fibrous form in a biologically functional way. Many proteins have structural or mechanical functions, such as actin in the muscle and various proteins in the cytoskeleton, which form a system of scaffolding that maintains cell shape. The building blocks of polynucleic acids are nucleotide monomers. DNA and RNA are examples of polynucleotides. Long polynucleotide chains are wound around each other in the form of a double helix. Double-helical DNA plays an essential role in gene regulation. Polysaccharides are carbohydrate structures that have diverse biological functions: they serve as either structural components (e.g., in the extracellular matrix) or energy storage molecules. They are often covalently attached to proteins to form proteoglycans. The chemical composition and the sequence of the monomeric units define the primary structure of the biopolymer. Many biopolymers (e.g., proteins) spontaneously fold into compact shapes as well as form higher order structures, which determine their biological functions and depend in a complicated way on their primary structures. The diversity in the geometry of biopolymer systems at the level of the individual molecule and molecular assemblies is remarkable. Understanding these functions and roles can help to not only elucidate the complexity of biological machinery but also form the basis for development of new therapeutic approaches. Extensive efforts have been devoted to separating the basic monomers as well as more complex structures. In many instances, biopolymer assemblies, some very similar to those observed in nature, can be reconstructed in solution (in vivo), allowing researchers to investigate the structure, dynamics, biological properties, and functions under well-controlled experimental conditions.
Assessment of the Haemolytic Activity of 2-Butoxyethanol and its Major Metabolite, Butoxyacetic Acid, in Various Mammals Including Humans

2-Butoxyethanol (BE) is a glycol ether produced in volumes exceeding 335 million pounds/year for industrial and domestic uses. BE causes acute haemolytic anaemia in rats and some other mammals. While BE is inactive in vitro, 2-butoxyacetic acid (BAA) is a potent haemolytic agent in vivo and in vitro. This finding suggests that metabolic activation of BE to BAA is required for haemolysis of erythrocytes to occur in vivo. Haemolysis of red blood cells (RBC) by BAA is preceded by swelling (increased mean cell volume [MCV] and haematocrit [HCT]). In an attempt to assess the potential risk to humans exposed to BE, studies were designed to determine the in vitro effect of BAA on RBCs from 10 mammalian species including humans. Blood samples from each mammalian species (n = 3-5) were incubated with BAA at a final concentration of 0 (vehicle), 1 or 2 mM and kept at 37 degrees C in a gently shaking water bath. Complete blood counts (CBCs) were measured at 0, 1, 2 and 4 h, BAA caused a time- and concentration-dependent increase in MCV and HCT of blood from rats, mice and hamsters (rodents), rabbits (lagomorphs), and baboons (primates). In contrast, blood from pigs (artiodactyls), dogs and cats (carnivores), guinea pigs (rodents/marsupials), and humans (primates), was minimally affected by BAA. These results were confirmed in guinea pigs and rats in vivo. Gavage administration of BE (250 mg kg-1) to rats resulted in increased MCV and HCT followed by haemolysis (decreased RBCs). Identical treatment with BE resulted in no significant change in these parameters in guinea pigs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Leaf Water Potentials and Light Transmission of Intercropped Sorghum and Soyabeans

In a field experiment to estimate water needs of intercropped sorghum and soyabeans, leaf water potential (LWP) and canopy light transmission were measured. Sorghum had 8–11% lower LWP when grown in mixture than alone, but soyabeans, shaded by sorghum had a higher LWP than in monoculture. Absolute LWP values suggest that only about 10% additional water would be required by the mixture compared with individual requirements of the aggressor species in a two-species mixture of this nature.
Papillomavirus proteins and their potential as drug design targets

The papillomaviruses are a family of small, double-stranded DNA viruses that infect the basal cells of cutaneous and mucosal epithelium. While a large percentage of the population is benignly infected with various strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), long-term infection by a subset of HPV strains is associated with malignant transformation. The prospects for prophylaxis against HPV infection have recently received an enormous boost with the approval by the US FDA of a vaccine targeted against the most common cancer-associated HPV strains. However, the large number of people already infected, the high cost of the vaccination regimen (particularly in poorer countries) and the HPV infections that these vaccines do not protect against underscore the need for therapeutic strategies. The elucidation of molecular details underlying fundamental processes in the viral life cycle, such as virus replication, transcription and HPV-induced carcinogenesis, is required to meet this aim. This article provides an overvi...
A modified augmented error algorithm for adaptive noise cancellation in the presence of plant resonances

A difficult and well-known problem for adaptive noise cancellation arises when there are plant resonances blocking the noise cancellation path. A new algorithm is proposed for this problem based on a modification of the augmented error algorithm of Monopoli (1974). It is shown using a recently developed LTI analysis framework that the modified algorithm has several performance and robustness advantages over both the filtered-X and augmented error algorithms for this class of problems.
Hydrogen Storage in Microporous Metal-Organic Frameworks with Exposed Metal Sites

Owing to their high uptake capacity at low temperature and excellent reversibility kinetics, metal–organic frameworks have attracted considerable attention as potential solid-state hydrogen storage materials. In the last few years, researchers have also identified several strategies for increasing the affinity of these materials towards hydrogen, among which the binding of H2 to unsaturated metal centers is one of the most promising. Herein, we review the synthetic approaches employed thus far for producing frameworks with exposed metal sites, and summarize the hydrogen uptake capacities and binding energies in these materials. In addition, results from experiments that were used to probe independently the metal–hydrogen interaction in selected materials will be discussed.
Genotype-Directed Dosing Leads to Optimized Voriconazole Levels in Pediatric Patients Receiving Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Invasive fungal infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), warranting antifungal prophylaxis as a standard of care in these patients. Voriconazole is commonly used in this setting because of its broad-spectrum activity and available dosage forms. There is wide well-known inter- and intrapatient variability in voriconazole concentrations, in part because concentrations are affected by common CYP2C19 polymorphisms. In 2 successive studies we have optimized voriconazole dosing to achieve target voriconazole serum concentrations using a genotype-specific dosing algorithm for antifungal prophylaxis in the post-HSCT period. In our pilot study all patients undergoing HSCT who received voriconazole antifungal prophylaxis were prospectively followed. Voriconazole concentrations were monitored weekly and doses adjusted until concentrations reached between 1 and 5.5 μg/L. The most common CYP2C19 polymorphisms were determined and correlated with voriconazole dose and time required to reach the target concentration range. In the subsequent study patients receiving voriconazole prophylaxis were dosed based on their CYP2C19 genotype and followed prospectively. In the pilot study 25 patients received voriconazole as antifungal prophylaxis for a median of 49 days (range, 15 to 196 days). The median time to reach the target concentration was 34 days for extensive metabolizers and 11 days for poor metabolizers. Three patients were genotyped as intermediate metabolizers; they reached the target concentration in a median of 56 days. Similarly, 2 patients who were genotyped as ultrarapid metabolizers reached the target range in 18 and 25 days. The time and dose required to reach the adequate concentration showed a trend toward correlation with individual CYP2C19 genotype, although voriconazole concentrations showed large interpatient variability in wild-type patients (extensive metabolizers). In our follow-up study, 20 patients received voriconazole prophylaxis prospectively dosed based on their CYP2C19 genotype. The median times to reach the target concentration using genotype-guided dosing were 9, 6.5, and 4 days for ultrarapid, extensive, and intermediate metabolizers, respectively. Overall, the median time to reach the target concentration with genotype-guided dosing was 6.5 days compared with a median time of 29 days when all patients were started on the same dose regardless of CYP2C19 genotype (P < .001). Our data show that traditional voriconazole dosing does not lead to timely achievement of target levels for fungal prophylaxis. However, a genotype-directed dosing algorithm allows patients to reach the voriconazole target range significantly sooner, providing better prophylaxis against fungal infections in the immediate post-transplant period.
Weather, Stock Returns, and the Impact of Localized Trading

We document by several methods that trading in Nasdaq stocks is localized. The first evidence of localized trading is that the time zone of a company's headquarters affects intraday trading patterns in its stock. Stocks of west coast firms have lower volume early in the trading day than east coast companies and do not exhibit the steep decline in volume documented for the east coast lunch hour. Second, firms in blizzard-struck cities see a dramatic trading volume drop compared to firms in other cities. On average, about 1/3 of a normal day's trading volume is lost when a blizzard strikes. Third, trading volume drops for stocks in general during Yom Kippur, but the effect is particularly strong for cities with large Jewish populations. The finding that trading in Nasdaq stocks is geographically concentrated allows us to construct powerful alternative tests of other researchers' finding that stock returns are lower on cloudy days. We construct portfolios of Nasdaq stocks based in 25 cities. We are unable to find any evidence that cloud cover in the city of a company's headquarters affects its stock returns.
Use of Fuel Assembly/Backfill Gas Effective Thermal Conductivities to Predict Basket and Fuel Cladding Temperatures Within a Rail Package during Normal Transport

Two-dimensional finite element thermal simulations of large rail casks designed to transport spent nuclear fuel assemblies were performed for normal conditions. Two different effective thermal conductivity models, developed by other investigators, were implemented within the basket openings that support the fuel assemblies. The effective thermal conductivity models affect the peak cladding temperature directly by influencing the temperature difference between the hottest cladding at the cask center and the walls that surround it. It also affects it indirectly by influencing the center basket wall temperature. The fuel assembly heat generation rates that cause the peak cladding temperature to reach the allowed limit were determined for both effective thermal conductivity models. At those generation rates the basket wall temperatures in the periphery of the package were highly nonuniform. The basket wall temperatures determined in this work will be used in future studies to develop improved thermal models of fuel assemblies.
Simple Determination of Organophosphorus Pesticides in Agricultural Products by Using a Graphitized Carbon Black Cartridge

A simple and rapid determination of 24 organophosphorus pesticides in agricultural products by using high-purity graphitized carbon black (Supelclean Envi-Carb) cartridge clean-up was developed. Compared to the traditional clean-up method (activated carbon column chromatography or coagulating method), this method saved time and solvent, removed colored materials, and afforded sufficient recovery of 22 organophosphorus pesticides except two polar pesticides, methamidophos and acephate. The detection limit was 0.01-0.1ppm for agricultural products. The recoveries of methamidophos and acephate were 15.8% and 16.7%, while those of the other 22 organophosphorus pesticides were 66.3-88.3%.
Resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization and zero kinetic energy photoelectron spectroscopy of benzo[g,h,i]perylene.

We report zero kinetic energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy of benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BghiP) via resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). Our analysis concentrates on the vibrational modes of both the first electronically excited state and the ground cationic state. Extensive vibronic coupling due to a nearby electronically excited state manifests through strong Franck–Condon (FC) forbidden bands, which are stronger than even the FC allowed bands in the REMPI spectrum. Theoretical calculations using Gaussian are problematic in identifying the electronic configurations of the excited electronic states and predicting the transition energies. However, by setting the keyword for the second excited electronic state, both density functional theory and configuration interaction methods can reproduce the observed spectrum qualitatively. The general agreement significantly helps with the vibrational assignment. The ZEKE spectra demonstrate propensity in preserving the vibrational excitation of the in...
Two Parallel Signaling Pathways Couple 5HT1A Receptors to N- and L-Type Calcium Channels in C-Like Rat Dorsal Root Ganglion Cells

Cardenas, Carla G., Lucinda P. Del Mar, and Reese S. Scroggs. Two parallel signaling pathways couple 5HT1A receptors to N- and L-type calcium channels in C-like rat dorsal root ganglion cells. J. N...
Six New Species of Hilara (Diptera:Empididae) from Shennongjia,Hubei

Six new species of Hilara from China are described: Hilara basiprojecta sp. nov., H. curvata sp. nov., H. curviphallus sp. nov., H. digitiformis sp. nov., H. flata sp. nov., H. obtusa sp. nov. The types are deposited in the Entomological Museum of China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing.
Hansen's disease

Physicians in the United States may encounter Hansen's disease in immigrants and areas such as Texas, Louisiana, Hawaii, and California. Exposure to infected armadillos may be one means of acquiring the disease. The Mycobacterium leprae bacillus has a predilection for nerves and skin in the cooler areas of the body. The limited tuberculoid form of the disease is characterized by one or a few hypoesthetic skin lesions and palpably enlarged nerves. The more extensive lepromatous form of the disease appears as multiple nodular skin lesions, sometimes with involvement of the nasal structures and eye. Current recommended regimens for treatment of Hansen's disease are based on combinations of dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine. Recent advances in treatment have resulted in a significant decline in the worldwide prevalence of the disease.
A Simple Vision System for an Educational Robot

An inexpensive computer vision system has been interfaced with a small educational robot to provide vision data for control of a robot in simple pick-and-place operations. The equipment, procedures, and limitations are described in this paper. For miniminal cost, educators and engineers can have a system for demonstrating how machine vision and a robot can be made to work together in an elementary fashion.
Impacts of Invasive Earthworms on Soil Mercury Cycling: Two Mass Balance Approaches to an Earthworm Invasion in a Northern Minnesota Forest

Invasive earthworms perturb natural forest ecosystems that initially developed without them, mainly by consuming the forest floor (an organic rich surficial soil horizon) and by mixing the upper parts of the soil. The fate of mercury (Hg) formerly contained in the forest floor is largely unknown. We used two mass balance approaches (simple mass balance and geochemical mass balance) to quantitatively assess the impact of exotic earthworms on Hg cycling in forest soils and the fate of Hg formerly contained in the forest floor. Two sets of soils, collected in 2009 and 2014 from an earthworm invasion transect in north central Minnesota, were analyzed in this study. We observed a substantial loss of Hg from the soil system following earthworm invasion. Mass balance calculations showed that 35 to 65 % of the forest floor Hg was retained in the underlying mineral soil with the remainder unaccounted. The most likely explanation for the loss of forest floor Hg from the system is microbially induced volatilization of Hg by soil microbes and possibly by earthworm gut microbes during consumption of the forest floor. Our calculations suggest that exotic earthworms can substantially perturb mercury cycling in the topsoil. Forest floor Hg may accumulate within worm biomass; however, this process can account for only a small fraction (1 to 3 %) of the lost Hg. Additionally, we calculated the mass balance of organic carbon (C) due to Hg’s high affinity for organic matter and found that a portion of the organic carbon also appears to be lost from the soil system.
Delayed-type hypersensitivity determination

Delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in the skin (in the case of mice, in the foot pad) is used to assess cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in vivo. In the case of CMI to Helicobacter infection, the mice are given an injection of cultured Helicobacter organisms into the hind footpad, and induration is measured at the site of inoculation 24 h after inoculation. Here we describe the methods for assessing delayed-type hypersensitivity in the mouse.
Endoscopic Management of Polyps, Polypectomy, and Combined Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery

Polypectomy is fundamental to the practice of colonoscopy. Polypectomy disrupts the adenoma to carcinoma sequence, thereby reducing colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. The goals of polypectomy are the effective, safe, and efficient removal of precancerous polyps while minimizing the risk of complications. Recent advances in endoscopic techniques such as endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection can ensure complete and safe resection of lesions and evade surgery in some patients. Combined endo-laparoscopic surgery is an adjunct to endoscopic polypectomy that may help to avoid colectomy. Although polyp removal using these advanced techniques may be an effective alternative in select patients, they require both experience and expertise to become an available option in a surgeon’s armamentarium.
A Macrophage Infection Model to Predict Drug Efficacy Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

Abstract In the last 40 years, only a single new antituberculosis drug was FDA approved. New tools that improve the drug development process will be essential to accelerate the development of next-generation antituberculosis drugs. The drug development process seems to be hampered by the inefficient transition of initially promising hits to candidate compounds that are effective in vivo. In this study, we introduce an inexpensive, rapid, and BSL-2 compatible infection model using macrophage-passaged Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) that forms densely packed Mtb/macrophage aggregate structures suitable for drug efficacy testing. Susceptibility to antituberculosis drugs determined with this Mtb/macrophage aggregate model differed from commonly used in vitro broth-grown single-cell Mtb cultures. Importantly, altered drug susceptibility correlated well with the reported ability of the respective drugs to generate high tissue and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations relative to their serum concentrations, which ...
Imitation-Based Aphasia Therapy

Imitation is a key component of many approaches to aphasia testing and rehabilitation. Treatment of aphasia, as a biological impairment, must target plasticity and repair of affected biological systems. The existence of a parieto-frontal mirror neuron system in humans is supported by behavioral, neurophysiological, and brain imaging studies, suggesting that imitation is phylogenetically and ontogenetically subserved by neural mechanisms mapping observed actions onto internal motor representations of the same action. Repetition is associated with the function of the dorsal stream for language, which plays a role in speech perception and comprehension of action language in addition to speech production. These factors make imitation, which has long been used in speech therapy to enhance accurate speech output, a suitable target for language rehabilitation. Aphasia therapies primarily targeting imitation include IMITATE and speech entrainment. Many aphasia therapies used clinically and in research rely heavily on imitation and choral reading.
Attitudinal Acceptance of and Experiences with Intimate Partner Violence among Rural Adults

There is little research on the associations between acceptance of and experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural samples, which may be different from associations in urban areas due to the higher prevalence of IPV in rural areas and the social and physical environment issues related to seeking help. The purpose of our study was to determine the proportion of participants who reported accepting male- and female-perpetrated IPV and the associations between experiences of IPV and acceptance of IPV. Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of rural residents in one Midwest state. Approximately 4 % of participants reported it is ever acceptable for a male to hit his partner. Approximately 20 % of males and 12 % of females reported it is ever acceptable for a female to hit her partner. A higher proportion of individuals who were victims or perpetrators of IPV reported accepting retaliatory IPV (i.e., when partner hits first) perpetrated by individuals of their own gender. This finding suggests the previously reported high rates of bidirectional IPV in rural areas may be fueled by this acceptance of physical retaliation. Interventions to break this cycle of IPV may be guided by qualitative research into the specific ways the rural environment contributes to acceptance of retaliatory aggression.
CLASSIFICATION OF SATELLITE RESONANCES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Several pairs of solar system satellites occupy mean motion resonances (MMRs). We divide these into two groups according to their proximity to exact resonance. Proximity is measured by the existence of a separatrix in phase space. MMRs between Io–Europa, Europa–Ganymede, and Enceladus–Dione are too distant from exact resonance for a separatrix to appear. A separatrix is present only in the phase spaces of the Mimas–Tethys and Titan–Hyperion MMRs, and their resonant arguments are the only ones to exhibit substantial librations. Could there be a causal connection between the libration amplitude and the presence of a separatrix? Our suspicions were aroused by Goldreich & Schlichting, who demonstrate that sufficiently deep in a MMR, eccentricity damping could destabilize librations. However, our investigation reveals that libration amplitudes in both the Mimas–Tethys and Titan–Hyperion MMRs are fossils. Although the Mimas–Tethys MMR is overstable, its libration amplitude grows on the tidal damping timescale of Mimas's inclination, which is considerably longer than a Hubble time. On the other hand, the Titan–Hyperion MMR is stable, but tidal damping of Hyperion's eccentricity is too weak to have affected the amplitude of its libration.