cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative aspects of drug-receptor interactions. II. The role of Ca2+men in desensitization and spasmolytic activity.

Abstract The implications of the basic model of agonist-receptor interactions outlined in paper I † are further examined with specific reference to the role of Ca mem 2+ in desensitization and the action of spasmolytic agents (papaverine). Using the same series of 1, 3-dioxolane agonists it has been found that only the full agonists produce desensitization and that this process is enhanced by high agonist and low Ca ext 2+ concentrations. It is proposed that one form of desensitization is derived from a critical reduction in [Ca mem 2+ ] leading to a membrane conformational change to an inactive state. The selectivity of papaverine, chosen as a typical spasmolytic agent, for the tonic component of response is only seen with full agonists at high concentrations. It is suggested that the same factor controlling desensitization (Ca mem 2+ ) also determines the selectivity of papaverine action: papaverine is proposed to bind preferentially to Ca 2+ -depleted membrane states. The basic conclusion from both papers is that receptor activation consists of a transition between Ca 2+ -associated and Ca 2+ -dissociated membrane states and that the extent of this activation determines the properties of many agonist and antagonist drugs.
Measurements of the Fermi surface of SrTi O 3 : Nb

The oscillatory magnetothermal effect has been used to study the Fermi surface of niobium-doped strontium titanate at low temperatures. Several de Haas-van Alphen frequencies were identified in the (011) crystallographic plane and compared with the predictions of various theoretical models of the conduction band. The many-ellipsoid model cannot be reconciled with the data. The warped-band model of Mattheiss, which predicts the Fermi surface to consist of two disjoint sheets at the center of the zone, appears to be consistent with most prominent features of the experimental results. The implications of this band structure for superconductivity in SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ remain to be explained.
Scaling attenuation data characterizes changes in material microstructure

Ultrasonic attenuation was measured for polycrystalline samples of nickel and copper with various grain-size distributions produced by heat treatment. Attenuation as a function of frequency was determined for a sample having a known mean grain diameter D. It was found that, once this function is determined, it can be scaled to determine the mean grain size of other samples of the same material with different mean grain diameters. These results were obtained using broadband pulse-echo ultrasound in the 25 to 100 MHz frequency range. The results suggest an ultrasonic, nondestructive approach for verifying heat treatment of metals.
Cooperative analysis in Inter-AS diagnostic system ENCORE

For reliable operation of the Internet, it is crucial that each autonomous system (AS) can verify the routing information that it advertises is correctly propagated as it intends. The paper describes cooperative diagnosis behavior in a multiagent based inter-AS diagnostic system called ENCORE, where a collection of intelligent agents are located in multiple ASs and perform collective analysis.
Model checking commitment protocols

We investigate the problem of verifying commitment protocols that are widely used to regulate interactions among cognitive agents by means of model checking. We present a new logic-based language to specify commitment protocols, which is derived from extending CTL* with modalities for social commitments and associated actions. We report on the implementation of the NetBill protocol--a motivated and specified example in the proposed language--using three model checkers (MCMAS, NuSMV, and CWB-NC) and compare the experimental results obtained.
Integrated ocean observing systems: Applying advances in marine environmental research, monitoring and technologies to meet global, national, and local needs

It is my pleasure and honor to be a part of the opening plenary for this symposium. I am impressed by the number and diversity of topics and papers that will be discussed over these three days. Before you delve into discussions of the fascinating details and results of your individual and cooperative research efforts, I would like to provide some broader introductory comments on the opportunities provided by recent advances in marine environmental research, monitoring and technology.
Dunford-Pettis Properties and Spaces of Operators

J. Elton used an application of Ramsey theory to show that if is an infinite dimensional Banach space, then embeds in , embeds in , or there is a subspace of that fails to have the Dunford–Pettis property. Bessaga and Pelczynski showed that if embeds in , then embeds in Emmanuele and John showed that if embeds in , then is not complemented in . Classical results from Schauder basis theory are used in a study of Dunford–Pettis sets and strong Dunford–Pettis sets to extend each of the preceding theorems. The space of continuous operators is also studied.
Glacial/interglacial variations in methanesulfonate (MSA) in the Siple Dome ice core, West Antarctica

Methanesulfonate (MSA) in the Siple Dome ice core is a record of the deposition of biogenic sulfur to the West Antarctic ice sheet covering the past 100 kyr. Siple Dome MSA levels were low during the last glacial maximum, and increased to higher Holocene levels with a several kyr lag relative to the deglacial warming. The positive correlation between MSA and temperature at Siple Dome is similar to that in Greenland ice cores (Renland, GISP2, and GRIP), and stands in contrast to the negative correlation observed at Vostok, East Antarctica. The Siple Dome MSA data suggest that the sign of the high latitude dust/sulfur/climate feedback is negative, at least for the Pacific sector of the high latitude Southern ocean. These results challenge the idea that fertilization by increased dust deposition led to widespread increased DMS emissions from this region of the glacial Southern Ocean.
Coordinated learning of grid cell and place cell spatial and temporal properties: multiple scales, attention and oscillations

A neural model proposes how entorhinal grid cells and hippocampal place cells may develop as spatial categories in a hierarchy of self-organizing maps (SOMs). The model responds to realistic rat navigational trajectories by learning both grid cells with hexagonal grid firing fields of multiple spatial scales, and place cells with one or more firing fields, that match neurophysiological data about their development in juvenile rats. Both grid and place cells can develop by detecting, learning and remembering the most frequent and energetic co-occurrences of their inputs. The model's parsimonious properties include: similar ring attractor mechanisms process linear and angular path integration inputs that drive map learning; the same SOM mechanisms can learn grid cell and place cell receptive fields; and the learning of the dorsoventral organization of multiple spatial scale modules through medial entorhinal cortex to hippocampus (HC) may use mechanisms homologous to those for temporal learning through lateral entorhinal cortex to HC (‘neural relativity’). The model clarifies how top-down HC-to-entorhinal attentional mechanisms may stabilize map learning, simulates how hippocampal inactivation may disrupt grid cells, and explains data about theta, beta and gamma oscillations. The article also compares the three main types of grid cell models in the light of recent data.
Cell response endpoints enhance sensitivity of the immature mouse uterotropic assay.

Abstract Outbred immature CD-1 mice were subcutaneously (s.c.) injected once on postnatal day 17 or on postnatal days 17, 18, and 19 with 17β-estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, tamoxifen, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, methoxychlor, the methoxychlor metabolite HPTE, nonylphenol, o,p’-DDT, endosulfan, or kepone over a wide dose range (0.1 to 1,000,000 μg/kg). On the day following the last injection, uterine weight/body weight ratios were determined and uterine tissues processed for histologic examination. All compounds except endosulfan and kepone increased uterine wet weight compared to vehicle controls; however, the dose response curve and magnitude of response varied depending on the compound. Choosing the maximum wet weight dose for each compound, uterine tissue was evaluated for epithelial cell height, epithelial and stromal cell proliferation, endometrial gland number, and induction of estrogen-inducible proteins lactoferrin and complement C3. All compounds elicited estrogen-responsive changes in these endpoints that were individually more sensitive than uterine weight alone. We conclude that these endpoints enhance the sensitivity of the uterotropic bioassay.
Permafrost and wetland carbon stocks.

In their Report “Global convergence in the temperature sensitivity of respiration at ecosystem level” (13 August, p. [838][1]), M. D. Mahecha et al. have done a fine study to tease apart the distinction between intrinsic and apparent temperature sensitivities ([ 1 ][2]). However, they omitted
The role of apoptosis in regulating hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cells.

Apoptosis, or the ability of cells to die in an orderly and highly regulated manner, is essential for normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Diseases in which deregulation of this process is implicated include autoimmune diseases, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The importance of apoptosis for the development and function of lymphoid cells has been extensively investigated. Less clear is the role apoptosis plays in regulating early progenitor and stem cell compartments. This question is being investigated using, a transgenic mouse model, H2K-BCL-2, in which all hematopoietic cells have an increased resistance to apoptosis. The same transgenic model is also being used to address the question whether protection against apoptosisc an increase system-wide resistance to lethal challenges such as irradiation and chemotherapeutic agents.
Acute Iliac Artery Occlusion Caused by Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Case Report

Peripheral arterial occlusion due to leukostasis is a rare but serious complication of leukemia. A review of the literature reveals only sporadic cases of large-vessel occlusion secondary to leukemia, usually associated with significant morbidity or mortality. The authors present a case of acute arterial occlusion in a man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who was treated with thrombolytic therapy. He had an excellent outcome when compared with other patients in the literature who were treated surgically. To the best of their knowledge, this is the first case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia causing large-vessel thrombosis. Thrombolytic therapy must be considered a treatment option for patients presenting with acute arterial insufficiency due to leukostasis.
Valence and spin fluctuations in one-dimensional systems

Abstract The discovery of the ceramic high-temperature superconductors has renewed the interest in low-dimensional charge and spin fluctuations. Several mechanisms proposed to explain the high-Tc superconductors invoke properties of the two-dimensional Hubbard model, but probably also some one-dimensional aspects are relevant. In this paper, we review exact results derived for three one-dimensional models with possible relevance for high Tc: (i) The Hubbard chain with an attractive on-site interaction; (ii) the one-dimensional t-J model, with emphasis on the supersymmetric point; and (iii) the degenerate Hubbard chain with site occupations constrained to two or less electrons. Most of these results have been obtained within the framework of the Bethe Ansatz. The properties of these models are also discussed in the context of earlier renormalization group results with forward- and backward-scattering amplitudes. We also emphasize properties arising from the unusual statistics of hard-core bosons with a ‘Fermi surface’.
BROAD Lyα EMISSION FROM THREE NEARBY BL LACERTAE OBJECTS

We present far-UV HST/COS spectra of four nearby BL Lac objects. BL Lac spectra are dominated by a smooth, power-law continuum which arises in a relativistic jet. However, the spectra are not necessarily featureless; weak, broad- and/or narrow-line emission is sometimes seen in high-quality optical spectra. We present detections of Ly{alpha} emission in HST/COS spectra of Mrk 421 (z = 0.030) and PKS 2005-489 (z = 0.071) as well as an archival HST/GHRS observation of Mrk 501 (z = 0.0337). Archival HST/STIS observations of PKS 2155-304 (z = 0.116) show no Ly{alpha} emission to a very low upper limit. Using the assumption that the broad-line region (BLR) clouds are symmetrically placed around the active galactic nucleus (AGN), we use these measured Ly{alpha} emission features to constrain either the relativistic {Gamma} values for the ionizing continuum produced by the jet (in the ionization-bounded case) or the mass of warm gas (in the density-bounded case). While realistic {Gamma} values can be obtained for all four cases, the values for Mrk 421 and PKS 2155-304 are high enough to suggest that covering factors of BLR clouds of {approx}1%-2% might be required to provide consistency with earlier values of Doppler boosting and viewing anglesmore » suggested for this class of BL Lacs. This discrepancy also exists in the case of M 87, where the amount of Doppler boosting in our direction is expected to be minimal, again suggestive of a small covering factor of BLR clouds. If, as these small covering factors might suggest, the assumptions of a density-bounded model could be more correct, then the observed Ly{alpha} luminosities require that BL Lac/FR 1 nuclei possess very little warm gas (10{sup -4} to 10{sup -5} M{sub sun}) as suggested by Guilbert et al. If these clouds are in pressure balance with a hotter ({approx}10{sup 6} K) gas, the BLR contains too little mass to power the AGN by accretion alone.« less
Tumor-specific expression and alternate splicing of messenger ribonucleic acid encoding activin/transforming growth factor-beta receptors in human pituitary adenomas

Activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) cytokine family, acts as a pituitary cell mitogen via a novel family of receptor-linked serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) kinases. Pituitary tumors synthesize activin subunits, and the autocrine action of these growth factors may modulate tumor proliferation. We, therefore, investigated the expression of activin/TGF beta type I receptor messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs), designated ALK1 through ALK5 (ALK = activin receptor-like kinase), and type II receptor mRNAs using RT-PCR in 34 human pituitary adenomas of all phenotypes and normal pituitary tissue. ALK2 and ALK5, specific mediators of activin and TGF beta signals, respectively, were found to be expressed only in tumor and not in normal pituitary cells, and ALK2 expression was found only in tumors of a mammosomatotroph cell lineage. ALK1, ALK3, and ALK4 mRNAs were found in both normal and neoplastic pituitary cells. The alternatively spliced cytoplasmic domain of ALK4 consists of 11 kinase ...
Relationship between a History of Consistent Maternal Employment and Depression in Young Adults

Research on the correlates of maternal employment has yielded inconsistent results. In this study, 79 male and 120 female undergraduates with mothers who had been employed from the students' infancy through their adolescence scored higher on the Beck Depression Inventory–II than those whose mothers had not been employed. This relationship between children's depressive symptoms and mothers' employment history was not evident among young adults whose mothers' employment was perceived to be financially unnecessary.
Physeal Sparing Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in Skeletally Immature Prepubescent Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND: The management of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in skeletally immature patients is controversial. Conventional adult reconstruction techniques risk potential iatrogenic growth disturbance due to physeal damage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of a physeal sparing, combined intra-articular and extra-articular reconstruction technique in prepubescent skeletally immature children. METHODS: Between 1980 and 2002, forty-four skeletally immature prepubescent children and adolescents who were in Tanner stage 1 or 2 (with a mean chronological age of 10.3 years) underwent physeal sparing, combined intra-articular and extra-articular reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with use of an autogenous iliotibial band graft. Twenty-seven patients had additional meniscal surgery. Functional outcome, graft survival, radiographic outcome, and growth disturbance were evaluated at a mean of 5.3 years after surgery. RESULTS: Two patients underwent a revision reconstruction for graft failure at 4.7 and 8.3 years postoperatively. In the remaining forty-two patients, the mean International Knee Documentation subjective knee score (and standard deviation) was 96.7 ± 6.0 points, and the mean Lysholm knee score was 95.7 ± 6.7 points. The results of the Lachman examination for anterior cruciate ligament integrity were normal for twenty-three patients, nearly normal for eighteen patients, and abnormal for one patient. The results of the pivot-shift examination were normal for thirty-one patients and nearly normal for eleven patients. Four of the twenty-three patients who underwent concurrent meniscal repair had a repeat arthroscopic meniscal repair or partial meniscectomy. The mean growth in total height from the time of surgery to the final follow-up evaluation was 21.5 cm. No patient had an angular deformity measured radiographically or a discrepancy in the length of the lower extremities measured clinically. CONCLUSIONS: Physeal sparing, combined intra-articular and extra-articular reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with use of an autogenous iliotibial band graft in skeletally immature prepubescent children and adolescents provides excellent functional outcome with a low revision rate and a minimal risk of growth disturbance.
Evidence for presence of kynurenine in lung and brain of neonate hamsters.

Using immunocytochemical techniques, we report here direct evidence of kynurenine (Kyn) presence and localization in the lung and brain. Kyn is a metabolite of tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan, produced by indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO). Whereas IDO has been quantitated in tissues from lung, brain, and other organs, Kyn has only been identified in brain (by HPLC), and its specific localization has not been determined.
School Attachment Among Latino Youth in Rural Minnesota

To explore school attachment in a group of rural Latino students in Minnesota, the data from 159 surveys given to students from 14 schools were analyzed. The findings indicate that students’ level of school attachment is increased by the frequency of attendance at community events and by the number of extracurricular activities in which students engaged. Consistent with theories of school attachment was the finding that some high-risk behaviors were reduced with greater levels of school attachment, although limitations of the study prevent generalization to the population of all Latino students. Additionally, students surveyed who were born outside of the United States were found to be more attached to their school than Latino students born in the United States.
Outcomes of obese versus non-obese subjects undergoing robotic-assisted hysterectomy: a multi-institutional study

The goal of our study was to determine whether there was a difference in operative outcomes in obese versus non-obese subjects undergoing robotic-assisted hysterectomies of varying levels of difficulty. Secondarily, we sought to analyze the published outcomes between robotic-assisted hysterectomy and total laparoscopic hysterectomy in obese women at each of these levels of difficulty. This was a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of all patients undergoing robotic-assisted hysterectomy by five gynecologic oncologists at four geographically separate locations from April 2003 to March 2008. The cohort was stratified into obese vs. non-obese groups, and defined surgical outcomes compared between groups, then further divided into three subgroups based on case difficulty level. Univariate analysis and regression analysis using SAS 9.1 was performed. We then conducted a literature search of total laparoscopic hysterectomy outcomes in obese women, dividing the resulting studies into three comparative subgroups based on surgical difficulty levels for comparison with our robotic-assisted hysterectomy results. Our cohort had 228 obese and 323 non-obese subjects. Overall, the obese group had higher blood loss and longer operative time. When further stratified by level of difficulty, obese subjects also had a higher average blood loss and longer operative time in the hysterectomy-alone subgroup. No clinically significant differences in operative outcomes exist between obese and non-obese women when utilizing the da Vinci robotic system to perform a hysterectomy, independent of case difficulty level. More prospective, controlled studies which compare the two surgical approaches of robotic-assisted and laparoscopic hysterectomy approaches are needed.
Antimicrobial irrigation of periodontal furcation lesions to supplement oral hygiene instruction and root debridement

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of subgingival irrigations with tetracycline as a supplement to mechanical plaque control and root debridement on clinical conditions of periodontal furcation pockets. 20 subjects with molar teeth having furcation pockets of varying depths and different grades of furcation involvement served for the study. Following oral hygiene instruction and root debridement at baseline, test teeth were irrigated subgingivally by a professional with a solution of 50 mg/ml of tetracycline, and control teeth with saline every 2nd week for 3 months. Records of dental plaque, bleeding on probing, probing depth and probing attachment level were obtained at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The results failed to demonstrate any significant differences between test and control teeth for any of the subgroups of furcation sites at any observation interval. It is suggested that future studies may need to be performed over longer periods of time, and that the antimicrobial agents may need to be administered in vehicles, which provide prolonged periods of active subgingival concentrations.
Biopsy of Iris Tumors

biopsy instrumentation and technique they used and provide summary performance data on their biopsy method. The authors of these articles did not mention their clinical diagnosis or differential diagnosis for the tumors in their series, their clinical diagnostic accuracy, the specific indications for biopsy in each case, or the proportion of patients in whom the results of biopsy altered their subsequent patient management. These articles raise the important question: “What constitutes an ideal biopsy technique for iris tumors?” An answer to this question must address (1) why a biopsy is performed in an individual or group of patients, (2) what type of specimen the biopsy is expected to yield, and (3) what impacts the results of the specimen testing are intended to have for the patient.
Regulation of crustacean morphogenesis in larvae of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii

Starvation of penultimate stage brachyuran larvae within 15 hours after ecdysis results in the suspension of the molt cycle in the early premolt stages. This suspension can be maintained for up to 7 days. Using this as a tool to extend the duration of the penultimate zoeal stage, it was possible to demonstrate that crustacean morphogenesis is at least partially regulated by a time-dependent process which is independent of the number of larval instars.
Plasmodium falciparum: Preinitiation complex occupancy of active and inactive promoters during erythrocytic stage.

Over 80% of Plasmodium falciparum genes are developmentally regulated during the parasite’s life cycle with most genes expressed in a “just in time” fashion. However, the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation are still poorly understood. Analysis of P. falciparum genome shows that the parasite appears to encode relatively few transcription factors homologous to those in other eukaryotes. We used Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to study interaction of PfTBP and PfTFIIE with stage specific Plasmodium promoters. Our results indicate that PfTBP and PfTFIIE are bound to their cognate sequence in active and inactive erythrocytic-expressed promoters. In addition, TF occupancy appears to extend beyond the promoter regions, since PfTBP interaction with the coding and 3’ end regions was also detected. No PfTBP or PfTFIIE interaction was detected on csp and pfs25 genes which are not active during the erythrocytic asexual stage. Furthermore, PfTBP and PfTFIIE binding did not appear to correlate with histone 3 and/or 4 acetylation, suggesting that histone acetylation may not be a prerequisite for PfTBP or PfTFIIE promoter interaction. Based on our observations we concluded that the PfTBP/PfTFIIE-containing preinitiation complex (PIC) would be preassembled on promoters of all erythrocytic-expressed genes in a fashion independent of histone acetylation, providing support for the “poised” model. Contrary to the classical model of eukaryotic gene regulation, PIC interaction with Plasmodium promoters occurred independent of transcriptional activity and to the notion that chromatin acetylation leads to PIC assembly.
Operating system management of MEMS-based storage devices

MEMS-based storage devices promise significant performance, reliability, and power improvements relative to disk drives. This paper compares and contrasts these two storage technologies and explores how the physical characteristics of MEMS-based storage devices change four aspects of operating system (OS) management: request scheduling, data placement, failure management, and power conservation. Straightforward adaptations of existing disk request scheduling algorithms are found to be appropriate for MEMS-based storage devices. A new bipartite data placement scheme is shown to better match these devices' novel mechanical positioning characteristics. With aggressive internal redundancy, MEMS-based storage devices can mask and tolerate failure modes that halt operation or cause data loss for disks. In addition, MEMS-based storage devices simplify power management because the devices can be stopped and started rapidly.
Analysis of cell surface galactosyltransferase activity during mouse trophectodermal differentiation.

Abstract The ectoplacental cone (EPC) of the Day 7.5 mouse embryo consists of a core of adhesive, proliferating trophoblast cells which transform to invasive trophoblast giant cells during implantation. Adhesive trophoblast cell types express monoclonally defined lactosaminoglycans (LAGs) at the cell surface; transformation to giant cells results in a loss of LAG cell surface expression ( H. J. Hathaway and B. S. Babiarz, 1988, Cell Differ. 24, 55–66 ). LAGs can serve as substrates for cell surface galactosyltransferase (GalTase), providing an adhesive mechanism between a number of different cell types ( B. D. Shur, 1984, Mol. Cell. Biochem. 61, 143–158 ). It was hypothesized that the LAGs in the EPC represented a substrate for a similar GalTase-mediated cell:cell adhesion system. Cell surface GalTase activity was demonstrated on EPC trophoblast on Day 7.5 of development by the incorporation of galactose from exogenous radiolabeled substrate. In 24- to 48-hr EPC trophoblast cultures the enzyme was localized by immunofluorescence to areas of cell:cell contact. Monolayers of differentiated trophoblast giant cells lacked this labeling pattern. The cell surface glycopeptide substrate for GalTase eluted as a single peak with an apparent molecular mass of 15,000 Da. A portion of this material was sensitive to endo-β-galactosidase digestion, indicating that it contained a LAG structure. Perturbation of the enzyme:substrate complex in 24- to 48-hr EPC outgrowths, with α-lactalbumin, uridine 5′-diphosphogalactose, or anti-GalTase antibody, resulted in the disruption of cell:cell contacts. Differentiation to trophoblast giant cells resulted in a loss of sensitivity to surface GalTase perturbation. The results suggest that adhesive EPC trophoblast cells possess a GalTase-mediated cell:cell adhesion system which is downregulated upon differentiation to invasive trophoblast giant cells.
Optimization of convective fin with temperature-dependent thermal parameters

Abstract The method of temperature-correlated profiles is used to obtain the solution of optimum convective fin when the thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient are functions of temperature. The profile is shown to be convenient to obtain an analytical solution of the resulting nonlinear heat transfer equation. It is shown that the profile correctly predicts the optimization problems with spatial variation of the heat transfer coefficients reported in the literature. The effect of temperature dependence on heat transfer coefficients is found to be important in the design of optimum fins. Using the profile, an approximate solution for the optimum fin, including the effect of temperature dependence on convection heat transfer coefficient (useful for parametric study and design analysis), is obtained. The exact solution, using numerical integration of the resulting equations, is compared with the approximate solutions. The results are reported in terms of dimensionless quantities convenient in design analysis. The method is shown to be very useful for parametric study where the optimization problem is given in terms of two parameters: the tip temperature and a profile parameter.
Sex Offenses and Offenders Reconsidered: An Investigation of Characteristics and Correlates Over Time

Analyses of national and state-based data suggest that the rate of reported sexual offenses has declined in the past 25 years. This decline began prior to the implementation of registration and notification laws in the mid-1990s and continued to decline after the laws’ passage. It remains unclear, however, whether registration and notification laws have produced a qualitative change in the characteristics of the offender population and/or the predictors of sexual recidivism. This study investigates key differences among offenders pre- and postimplementation of community notification laws across an 11-year period (1990-2000) using a random sample of 550 offenders in New Jersey. All offenders were followed for 6.5 years, and reoffenses were analyzed across a range of demographic, clinical, and criminal offense predictors.
Evaluation of a Survivorship Educational Program for Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer

Educational programs to address specific needs of adolescent and young adult (AYA) childhood cancer survivors are scarce. A quarterly speaker series and 1-day conference involved presentations by oncology experts to increase knowledge of AYA cancer survivorship issues and awareness of community programs and resources. Pre- and post-evaluations were administered to determine the program's efficacy. Most rated program satisfaction as “moderately high” to “high” and having met expectations. Self-report ratings indicated a significant increase in perceived knowledge of survivorship topics and resource awareness for AYA childhood cancer survivors and caregivers. Nearly one third attended more than one presentation, indicating that the educational program was beneficial to them. This program was effective in increasing self-reported survivorship education for AYA survivors of childhood cancer, families, and health care providers.
Fundamental Frequency Variability in Elderly Women during Production of Stressed and Unstressed Words

The purpose of this investigation was to examine intrasubject and intersubject fundamental frequency (F0) variability in a group of young adult and elderly female speakers during the production of stressed and unstressed words. While both groups exhibited greater intersubject variability during stressed versus unstressed productions, stressed productions were more variable in the elderly women than in the young adults. Also, the elderly women exhibited greater intrasubject variability during stressed and unstressed productions relative to young adults. Implications of these findings were discussed.
Personality traits and impaired health-related quality of life in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Negative affectivity and social isolation (Type D personality) are personality traits associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We hypothesized these traits would be associated with impaired HRQoL and increased gastrointestinal symptom severity in functional gastrointestinal disorders. METHODS: Data were collected from patients undergoing breath testing. Patients completed the Type D Scale-14, Gastrointestinal Symptoms Severity Index and Short-Form Health Survey 12. RESULTS: Of 230 patients evaluated, 37% met criteria for Type D personality. Type D was associated with a decreased Mental Component score on the Short-Form Health Survey 12 (mean difference = -8.29; 95% confidence interval, 5.2-11.4; P < .001). On the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Severity Index, severity of symptoms was significantly higher in Type D patients compared with non Type D patients (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Type D personality was associated with decreased perceived HRQoL and reporting of more severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Type D personality construct may be an important consideration when assessing HRQoL outcomes. Consideration of personality traits could improve risk stratification in research and clinical practice in this patient group.
Hermitian splines as basis functions of the finite-element method for plotting stress trajectories

We propose a finite-element approach with the use of Hermitian splines for reducing the problem of plotting of stress trajectories for finding two potential functions that satisfy conditions of interpolation of first derivatives at nodes of a regular mesh. The efficiency of this approach is demonstrated on test problems, and features of computational relations are determined.
Beyond the hundredth meridian: nationalizing the history of water in the United States.

There is a wonderful, no doubt apocryphal, story about the American writer, Gertrude Stein. As Stein lay dying in 1946, her friends supposedly gathered around her bed, hoping not just to comfort her at the end, but to profit from the wisdom of her final words. In the face of death, gifted people often experienced remarkable insight into life's great mysteries. And so, as the writer breathed her last, one of her friends whispered: "Gertrude, Gertrude, what are the answers?" To which Stein reportedly responded, "What are the questions?" -and died. Well, Gertrude Stein was a wise woman, and history, no less than literature, is as much the art of asking questions as providing answers. Today I want to pose two questions about the role of water in American history consistent with the theme of this conference, "Environmental History Across Boundaries." When they selected this theme, Doug Weiner, Ed Russell, and the program committee were thinking about the global nature of environmental issues. Yet we all know that powerful boundaries exist within countries as well as between them. The looth Meridian, a north-south boundary that bisects the United States from the Dakotas through Texas, has profoundly affected the way we view the history of water and regions in the United States. To the east of that line, rain falls all year long and often the heaviest in the spring, summer, and fall during the growing season. To the west, rainfall disappears in the spring, except for summer thunderstorms, and doesn't reappear until the fall. In most of the West, the heaviest precipitation comes in winter-much of it falling as snow. Many gifted historians have discussed the influence of aridity on the history of the West, including Wallace Stegner-from whose elegant biography of John Wesley Powell I filched the title of this talk-Walter Prescott Webb, and Donald Worster.1 But today I will spend most of my time looking east of that famous line, arguing that water in the humid half of the nation posed as much of a challenge to those who would reorder nature as water in the arid and semi-arid region. So back to Gertrude Stein. Here are my questions: How have rivers defined the American nation, and what have been the political, economic, and social consequences of moving water from one place to another? Put another way, the three themes I'd like
A team software development course featuring iPad programming (abstract only)

This poster describes a new upper level undergraduate computer science course in team software development, featuring the Apple iPad as the development platform. The course draws from a wide range of state-of-the-art topics in software development theory and practice, including use of Apple's extensive software development Cocoa Touch framework for its mobile devices, advanced Object-Oriented Programming, gang of four Design Patterns, and traditional Software Engineering practices, including accountability to external clients and public presentation of results. The course was developed at Transylvania University, a small Liberal Arts college of approximately 1200 students, and it was taught there during the Fall 2010 semester.
Overexpression of GSK3βS9A Resulted in Tau Hyperphosphorylation and Morphology Reminiscent of Pretangle-Like Neurons in the Brain of PDGSK3β Transgenic Mice

It has been demonstrated that GSK3β is involved in Alzheimer Disease (AD) pathogenesis. In order to understand the underlying mechanism, we have generated and characterized transgenic mice in which the constitutively active human GSK3β(with S9A mutation) was overexpressed in the brain under the control of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B-chain promoter. Varying levels of human GSK3βS9A transgene protein expression was observed in six of the seven founders generated. Line 3083, 3107, 3112 and 3125 displayed higher GSK3βS9A protein expression levels. Immunostaining analysis demonstrated that transgene expression was observed mainly in cortex and hippocampus of transgenic brain. Expression of human GSK3β transgene did not significantly change the brain total GSK3β protein levels in any of the generated mouse lines, as comparing to age matched wild type mice. Although significant kinase activity was detected in human GSK3βS9A transgene protein extracted from brains of all six expressing lines, significant increase in total GSK3βS9A kinase activity was observed only in the offspring of line 3083 and 3107. By analyzing the offspring from several transgenic mouse lines, including lines other than 3083 and 3107, it was found that overexpressed constitutively active human GSK3βS9A resulted in hyperphosphorylation of tau and morphology reminiscent of pretangle-like neurons in cortex and hippocampus.
A Compliant Straight-Line Shock Absorption Mechanism Using a Viscoelastic Pseudo-Rigid Body Model

A compliant suspension linkage based on the Peaucellier mechanism is presented. The suspension uses large-deflection viscoelastic beams to achieve straight-line motion and to provide energy dissipation. Kinematics and force analysis of the linkage are presented. In preparing to simulate the system dynamics, it was noticed that no adaptation of the pseudo-rigid body model for viscoelastic beams had been previously presented. Therefore, a new general approach for modeling viscoelastic, large-deflection beams in compliant mechanisms is described within the context of the pseudo-rigid-body model. This method is applied in simulation of the Peaucellier-based compliant suspension under a variety of input conditions.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Sequential bayesian classification decisions for mobile sensors

This work is motivated by the U.S. Air Forces Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission, where an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or an agent, is to fly over a number of unidentified objects within a given search area, collect information using onboard sensors, and classify the objects. The problem is challenging because the mission time is limited, the agent is only provided with partial a priori information, and the amount of information that the sensor can measure is dependent on the range and the azimuth of the explorer with respect to the object. A sequential decision problem (path planning) is posed that incorporates the potential loss of the classification outcome that is made by an autonomous moving agent. The problem is solved using stochastic dynamic programming. The resulting path exploits the interaction between the agent kinematics, informatics, and classification. Numerical simulation results that validate the concept are presented.
Parallel dopamine D1 receptor activity dependence of L-dopa-induced normal movement and dyskinesia in mice

l-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-Dopa)-induced dyskinesia (LID) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a major clinical problem. The prevailing view is that in PD patients and animal PD models dyskinesia develops after repeated l-dopa use or priming, independent of l-dopa's anti-PD therapeutic effect that occurs immediately. Here we show that in mice with severe and consistent dopamine (DA) loss in the dorsal striatum, rendered by transcription factor Pitx3 null mutation, the very first injection of l-dopa or D1-like agonist SKF81297 induced both normal ambulatory and dyskinetic movements. Furthermore, the robust stimulating effects on normal and dyskinetic movements had an identical time course and parallel dose-response curves. In contrast, D2-like agonist ropinirole stimulated normal and dyskinetic movements relatively modestly. These results demonstrate that severe DA loss in the dorsal striatum sets the stage for dyskinesia to occur on the first exposure to l-dopa or a D1 agonist without any priming. These results also indicate that l-dopa stimulated both normal and dyskinetic movements primarily via D1 receptor activation and that proper D1 agonism is potentially an efficacious therapy for PD motor deficits.
NADH and NADPH as electron donors to respiratory and photosynthethic electron transport in the blue-green alga, Aphanocapsa

Abstract In the blue-green alga, Aphanocapsa, light inhibits respiration. This can be observed with spheroplasts when O2 uptake is measured with NADH or NADPH as electron donor. However, NAD(P)H oxidation is unaffected by illumination. Furthermore, it was possible to demonstrate electron transfer from NAD(P)H to Photosystem I. Thus, the inhibition of respiratory oxygen uptake by light is explained by a competition of cytochrome oxidase and Photosystem I for reduction equivalents. Based on studies with inhibitors, electron transfer from NAD(P)H to Photosystem I involves the chloroplast cytochrome b6-f complex.
On the question of microcrystallites in some amorphous materials. An electron microscope investigation

High resolution dark-field electron microscopy on amorphous thin films of Ge, GeTe, PdSi, and AuNi show coherently scattering regions to be 5 to 7 A rather than the 15 A found in lower resolution instruments. Fringe-like contrast found in tilted beam interference micrographs and used in support of the microcrystallite model by Howie et al. is shown to be caused by instrumental aberrations introduced by the tilted beam method. It is found that the number of fringes increases with tilt angle contrary to the model proposed by Berry and Doyle which predicted a single fringe if the second amorphous halo is used for interference. Using thin (≈20 A) films of Ge and untilted interference microscopy the contrast is found to comprise typically of one to two fringes. The extent of the fringe was of the order of 6 A. An occasional alignment leading to fringe contrast over larger areas was also observed. These observations are consistent with random network or dense random packed models for amorphous solids. Dunkelfeldmikroskopie hoher Auflosung an amorphen, dunnen Schichten von Ge, GeTe, PdSi und AuNi zeigt, das die koharent streuenden Bereiche nur 5 bis 7 A gros sind und nicht 15 A, wie mit geringerer Auflosung gefunden wurde. Der „interferenzstreifenahnliche” Kontrast, wie er in Interferenzbildern mit gekipptem Strahl gefunden wird, und der von Howie et al. zur Unterstutzung des mikrokristallinen Models benutzt wurde, entsteht durch Aberrationen des Elektronenmikroskopes, die durch den gekippten Strahl erzeugt werden. Die Zahl der Interferenzstreifen steigt mit groserem Kippwinkel an, was nicht mit Berry und Doyle's Model ubereinstimmt, nach dem nur ein einziger Streifen zu erwarten ist, wenn der zweite amorphe Halo im Beugungsbild zur Interferenz benutzt wird. Mit Hilfe sehr dunner Ge-Schichten (≈20 A) und ungekippter Interferenzmikroskopie wurden zwei bis drei charakteristische Interferenzstreifen gefunden, die sich uber ≈ 6 A ausdehnen. Gelegentlich wurden Ausrichtungen gefunden, die Streifenkontrast uber grosere Stellen hervorriefen. Diese Ergebnisse sind mit der regellosen Netzstruktur oder dem Model fur regellos dicht gepackte Kugeln vertraglich.
Parallel Capillary Column Gas Chromatography in the Determination of Chlorinated Pesticides and PCBs

An improved method for the determination of chlorinated pesticides and PCBs using the parallel capillary column technique is described. The method employs two capillary columns in parallel from a common injector to separate detectors. This configuration allows simultaneous injection of a sample on two columns. The result is a more efficient, reliable way to identify and quantify these substances in environmental samples. 10 references, 7 figures, 2 tables.
Evaluation of Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Mobility Using Advanced Biomechanical Methods

There is minimal research of upper extremity joint dynamics during pediatric wheelchair mobility despite the large number of children using manual wheelchairs. Special concern arises with the pediatric population, particularly in regard to the longer duration of wheelchair use, joint integrity, participation and community integration, and transitional care into adulthood. This study seeks to provide evaluation methods for characterizing the biomechanics of wheelchair use by children with spinal cord injury (SCI). Twelve subjects with SCI underwent motion analysis while they propelled their wheelchair at a self-selected speed and propulsion pattern. Upper extremity joint kinematics, forces, and moments were computed using inverse dynamics methods with our custom model. The glenohumeral joint displayed the largest average range of motion (ROM) at 47.1° in the sagittal plane and the largest average superiorly and anteriorly directed joint forces of 6.1% BW and 6.5% BW, respectively. The largest joint moments were 1.4% body weight times height (BW × H) of elbow flexion and 1.2% BW × H of glenohumeral joint extension. Pediatric manual wheelchair users demonstrating these high joint demands may be at risk for pain and upper limb injuries. These evaluation methods may be a useful tool for clinicians and therapists for pediatric wheelchair prescription and training.