cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HubSpot: Lower Churn through Greater CHI

HubSpot, a web marketing startup is under pressure from VCs to rapidly acquire new customers and to maintain a low level of customer churn. In the case, students explore the drivers of customer churn and uncover opportunities to increase customer retention across the customer selection, selling, and training processes. Students assess a metric, CHI (Customer Happiness Index) which HubSpot uses to predict which customers will churn, and suggest alternatives to improve the firm's predictions. Students develop programs to reduce churn post-hoc and then reengineer the company's marketing, selling, and customer relationship management processes to manage churn proactively through market segmentation and targeting, product design, and customer interactions.Learning Objective: Analyze the economic implications of churn rates, and examine the methods for predicting and manage customer churn. Discuss the relationship between churn rates, customer satisfaction, and customer lifetime value.
Purification, microheterogeneity, and stability of human lipid transfer protein.

Abstract A method for the purification of lipid transfer protein (LTP) from human plasma was developed with the aid of succinylated low density lipoprotein-Sepharose affinity column chromatography. The purified LTP exhibited a single main band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, upon isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel, the preparations consistently showed nine bands with isoelectric points ranging from 4.6 to 5.4. The treatment of LTP with Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase shifted these multiple bands toward higher pH regions due to the release of sialic acid. Extensive treatment with neuraminidase resulted in the appearance of a major band with the isoelectric point of 5.6. The purified LTP was rapidly inactivated upon incubation at 37 degrees C due to the denaturation at the "air"-water interface. Various factors promoting or preventing this interfacial denaturation were elucidated. When purified LTP was stored at 4 degrees C, plasma neuraminidase co-purified with LTP became activated, resulting in the gradual desialylation of LTP. It seemed that the LTP preparations of apparent homogeneity are associated with a trace amount of an inactive form of plasma neuraminidase. The inclusion of 4 mM 2-mercaptoethanol or 0.2% EDTA in the storage media completely prevented the activation of plasma neuraminidase. These agents, however, did not significantly inhibit the already activated neuraminidase. When LTP was stored at -20 degrees C in very low ionic strength media, such as 0.001% EDTA (pH 7.4) and at high protein concentrations, the loss of the activity was minimal even after prolonged storage.
Impact of 2H and 18O Pool Size Determinations on the Calculation of Total Energy Expenditure

Measurement of total energy expenditure using [2H,18O] water requires both accurate and precise determination of the rates of disappearance of 2H and 18O from body water over time and determination of the 2H and 18O pool sizes. However, the impact of the isotopic determination of body water upon the determination of energy expenditure is often overlooked. For measurement of total body water per se, the delay after administration before sampling body fluids becomes important, and saliva sampling can be used to resolve the timing of early samples for body water determination. For energy expenditure measurement per se, linear regression can be used to define the initial dilution. Because the hydrogen tracer dilutes into a pool significantly larger than body water pool per se due to the presence of labile hydrogens, a correction to the isotope pool size must be applied. The theoretical calculations of the exchangeable hydrogen pool presented here suggest that the hydrogen pool size is < 3% greater than the body water pool and data are provided to support this idea. Finally, the two approaches used to define the body water pool space contribution to the calculation of energy expenditure using 2H2(18)O are reviewed. Using a pool size based upon the average of the two pool spaces limits the effect of pool size error in the calculation of energy expenditure.
Phylogeography of Pteronotropis signipinnis, P. euryzonus, and the P. hypselopterus Complex (Teleostei: Cypriniformes), with Comments on Diversity and History of the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Streams

The cyprinid genus Pteronotropis is endemic to southeastern Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean of North America. Never before has the genus been demonstrated to be monophyletic. We investigate both the phylogenetic relationships and the phylogeography of some species in the genus using mitochondrial ND2 sequences. In no analysis is the genus resolved as monophyletic if Notropis harperi is not included in the genus. Biogeographic and phylogeographic evaluations are conducted with Pteronotropis, including P. signipinnis, P. euryzonus, and the P. hypselopterus complex. Patterns of relationships and population genetic analyses support divergences within multiple clades both at the species level and within species that are tied to abiotic changes in the region. Replicated patterns across clades are observed, as well as patterns previously found in other taxa. Pteronotropis hypselopterus is likely not a natural grouping as populations from some drainages form clades more closely related to other species of the genus. The general patterns of relationships indicate likely cryptic species not currently recognized. Finally, the patterns of species relationships and clades and population structuring within species serve as another example of replicated divergences in the biodiversity east and west of the Mobile Bay.
Pulmonary hypertension associated with bronchiolitis obliterans after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare and potentially fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). PH arises from increased pulmonary vascular resistance leading to increased right ventricular pressure (RVP), right heart failure and death.1 PH is often difficult to diagnose as symptoms can be nonspecific, including shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness and hypoxemia, and may also result in death if left untreated.2
Soluble receptors in human disease.

Soluble cytokine receptors naturally arise from genes encoding membrane-bound recep- tors or are direct derivatives of the receptors themselves. There is mounting evidence that soluble receptors play important roles in human disease states. In many cases, soluble receptors appear to play an integral part in the dynamic interaction between ligands and their membrane-bound recep- tors in maintaining and restoring health after a pathological insult but, in some instances, dysregu- lated expression of soluble receptors can contrib- ute to disease pathology. Nonetheless, an apprecia- tion of the biological actions of soluble receptors, particularly as cytokine inhibitors, has led to their therapeutic use in human diseases. Although early clinical trials of soluble receptors have had unex- pected toxicities, their application in medicine continues to advance and it is likely that soluble receptors will join hormones, cytokines, and growth factors as established biological therapies. J. Leu- koc. Biol. 64: 135-146; 1998.
Comparison of pH, lactate, and glucose analysis of equine synovial fluid using a portable clinical analyzer with a bench-top blood gas analyzer.

Objective To compare agreement between a portable clinical analyzer and laboratory-based bench-top analyzer for analysis of pH, lactate, and glucose concentrations in synovial fluid. Study Design Prospective experimental study. Animals Clinically normal horses (n=8); 6 horses euthanatized for reasons unrelated to the study; 11 horses that had synoviocentesis for reasons other than sepsis; 7 horses that had synoviocentesis for evaluation of sepsis; and 2 horses without recorded clinical data. Median age of horses was 8 years (range, 1 day to 24 years). Methods Supernatant from each synovial fluid sample was analyzed for pH, lactate, and glucose concentrations using an ABL 705 laboratory-based bench-top analyzer and i-STAT portable clinical analyzer. Bland–Altman plots were constructed and concordance analysis performed to determine bias and agreement between the 2 analyzers. Results There was acceptable agreement between analyzers for lactate and glucose concentrations, with biases of 0.198 mmol/L and 9 mg/dL and concordance correlation coefficients of 0.97 and 0.96 for lactate and glucose, respectively. The agreement between analyzers for pH was not acceptable, with a bias of −0.057 and concordance correlation coefficient of 0.89. Conclusions This study found that the portable clinical analyzer performed similarly to the bench-top blood gas analyzer for evaluation of lactate and glucose concentrations, but not pH, in synovial fluid.
An electrostatic powder spray process for manufacturing thermoplastic composites

Manufacture of thermoplastic composites is expensive because of the difficulty of impregnating the resin into the fibers. Powder processing shows great promise as an impregnation technique for cost-effective manufacturing. This paper dis cusses an electrostatic powder spray impregnation technique that uses glass fibers. A geodesic fiber spreader is used to spread the fibers locally in the region of maximum powder deposition. A negative corona electrostatic spray gun is employed to charge and direct the powder for coating both sides of the spread fiber tow. The process has been used to impregnate glass fibers with poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) powder. The effect of the powder mass flow, corona voltage, and fiber tow velocity on powder deposition has been investigated. Particle image velocimetry is utilized to determine particle velocities. Compression molded panels have been produced and tested in three point bending.
Effect of Pathogen-Specific Clinical Mastitis on Milk Yield in Dairy Cows

Our objective was to estimate the effects of the first occurrence of pathogen-specific clinical mastitis (CM) on milk yield in 3071 dairy cows in 2 New York State farms. The pathogens studied were Streptococcus spp.,Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Arcanobacterium pyogenes, other pathogens grouped together, and "no pathogen isolated." Data were collected from October 1999 to July 2001. Milk samples were collected from cows showing signs of CM and were sent to the Quality Milk Production Services laboratory at Cornell University for microbiological culture. The SAS statistical procedure PROC MIXED, with an autoregressive covariance structure, was used to quantify the effect of CM and several other control variables (herd, calving season, parity, month of lactation, J-5 vaccination status, and other diseases) on weekly milk yield. Separate models were fitted for primipara and multipara, because of the different shapes of their lactation curves. To observe effects of mastitis, milk weights were divided into several periods both pre- and postdiagnosis, according to when they were measured in relation to disease occurrence. Another category contained cows without the type of CM being modeled. Because all pathogens were modeled simultaneously, a control cow was one without CM. Among primipara, Staph. aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella spp., and "no pathogen isolated" caused the greatest losses. Milk yield generally began to drop 1 or 2 wk before diagnosis; the greatest loss occurred immediately following diagnosis. Mastitic cows often never recovered their potential yield. Among older cows, Streptococcus spp., Staph. aureus, A. pyogenes, E. coli, and Klebsiella spp. caused the most significant losses. Many multipara that developed CM were actually higher producers before diagnosis than their nonmastitic herd-mates. As in primipara, milk yield in multipara often began to decline shortly before diagnosis; the greatest loss occurred immediately following diagnosis. Milk loss persisted until at least 70 d after diagnosis for Streptococcus spp., Klebsiella spp., and A. pyogenes. The tendency for higher producing cows to contract CM may mask its impact on cow health and production. These findings provide dairy producers with more information on which pathogen-specific CM cases should receive treatment and how to manage these cows, thereby reducing CM impact on cow well being and profitability.
Robust and efficient point registration based on clusters and Generalized Radial Basis Functions (C-GRBF)

Radial Basis Functions (RBF) are effective in modeling regularization stabilizers, and have been successfully utilized in several point-based registration algorithms. Unfortunately the solutions usually require the inversion of a matrix or solving a linear system, whose computational cost grows rapidly with the increase of the input data size. In this paper, we present a fast and robust approximation remedy for this issue. Our model formulates the registration objective function under the Generalized Radial Basis Function (GRBF) framework w.r.t the cluster centers of one point set. With fewer variables, an computationally efficient registration is achieved, which updates the non-rigid transformation and the correspondence matrix simultaneously. Since the cluster centers often capture the global structure of the point sets very well, enhanced registration robustness is also resulted due to the less likelihood of trapping into local minima. This is especially beneficial in the context of large or/and unevenly distributed data sets. By means of experiments on real and synthetic data, we demonstrate the improvements made over several state-of-the-art solutions.
Axial resolution of laser opto-acoustic imaging: influence of acoustic attenuation and diffraction

Laser optoacoustic imaging can be applied for characterization of layered and heterogeneous tissue structures in vivo. Accurate tissue characterization may provide: (1) means for medical diagnoses, and (2) pretreatment tissue properties important for therapeutic laser procedures. Axial resolution of the optoacoustic imaging is higher than that of optical imaging. However, the resolution may degrade due to either attenuation of high-frequency ultrasonic waves in tissue, or/and diffraction of low-frequency acoustic waves. The goal of this study was to determine the axial resolution as a function of acoustic attenuation and diffraction upon propagation of laser-induced pressure waves in water with absorbing layer, in breast phantoms, and in biological tissues. Acoustic pressure measurements were performed in absolute values using piezoelectric transducers. A layer or a small sphere of absorbing medium was placed within a medium with lower optical absorption. The distance between the acoustic transducer and the absorbing object was varied, so that the effects of acoustic attenuation and diffraction could be observed. The location of layers or spheres was measured from recorded optoacoustic pressure profiles and compared with real values measured with a micrometer. The experimental results were analyzed using theoretical models for spherical and planar acoustic waves. Our studies demonstrated that despite strong acoustic attenuation of high-frequency ultrasonic waves, the axial resolution of laser optoacoustic imaging may be as high as 20 micrometers for tissue layers located at a 5-mm depth. An axial resolution of 10 micrometers to 20 micrometers was demonstrated for an absorbing layer at a distance of 5 cm in water, when the resolution is affected only by diffraction. Acoustic transducers employed in optoacoustic imaging can have either high sensitivity or fast temporal response. Therefore, a high resolution may not be achieved with sensitive transducers utilized in breast imaging. For the laser optoacoustic imaging in breast phantoms, the axial resolution was better than 0.5 mm.
Design considerations for adaptive control of buildings

The control technology for interior building environments has evolved through heuristic techniques. Only in the past 15 years has modeling and mathematical analysis been applied successfully in the design of controllers. Coincident with the analytical tool development was the development of modern control theory (adaptive and optimal control theory) and the emergence of inexpensive but powerful microcomputers. The combination of these ingredients will reset in better controllers and control systems, but this will not occur until several hurdles are overcome. This paper outlines these issues and suggests areas for future work.
Shelf circulation cells

Considerable insight has recently been gained into the dynamics of continental-shelf circulation through a simplification of the governing equations, resulting in a parabolic equation for the pressure field. Solutions of this equation appear to model realistically important flow phenomena, notably the effects of winds and coastal geography in setting up half-open coastal circulation cells, and an associated trapped pressure field. Circulation cells should be established mainly on the inner shelf, according to theory, i.e. within about 30 km of the coast, and should be important agents of mass exchange. In the present paper the theory of shelf circulation is reviewed with an emphasis on its most general predictions. Then the question is examined of how a considerable body of evidence on coastal sea-level variations in response to wind, longshore sea-level gradients, longshore and cross-shore currents can be interpreted in the theoretical framework.
Ninety-Third Annual Meeting of the Organization of American Historians

The ninety-third annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians (OAH) took place in St. Louis, Missouri, from March 30 to April 2, 2000. Sur prisingly, few panels addressed labor history at the OAH, but those that did pro posed new and exciting ways of rethinking the field, emphasizing new narratives for the history of labor in the United States and the inclusion of new areas of in vestigation. A panel chaired by Hartmut Keil (University of Leipzig) on "Reconstruct ing American Exceptionalism: The Rise of Craft-Industrial Unionism, 188
Alternative Approaches for Measuring Values: Direct and Indirect Assessments in Performance Prediction

Abstract Two general approaches have been used to measure human values. In one approach, a direct approach, people are asked to endorse value statements. In the other approach, an indirect approach, people are asked to make choices indicative of their values. The intent of the current study was to compare these two general approaches to the measurement of values. Initially, 195 undergraduates were asked to complete both a direct measure and an indirect measure of their values before starting work on three performance tasks: an entrepreneurial task, a consulting task, and a marketing task. When scores on these performance tasks were regressed on the value measures, it was found that both types of measures yielded effective prediction. The indirect measures, however, appeared to yield better prediction and better discrimination of cross-task performance differences than the direct measures. The implications of these findings with respect to the identification and assessment of values are discussed.
Degradation of monomethylhydrazine by two soil bacteria.

It has been reported that three heterotrophic soil bacteria had the capacity to degrade hydrazine. One of these organisms, Achromobacter sp., degraded hydrazine to N/sub 2/ gas. Furthermore, it was reported that monomethylhydrazine (MMH) in Arredondo fine sand was mineralized to CO/sub 2/, and that such degradation is microbial. However, microorganisms that degrade MMH have not been reported. MMH and hydrazine are chemically similar to one another. Therefore, this study was initiated to test the capacity of the two hydrazine-degrading bacteria, Achromobacter sp. and Pseudomonas sp., to degrade MMH.
Shape-Adaptable Water-Soluble Conjugated Polymers

Cationic water-soluble conjugated polymers with a non “rigid-rod” aspect ratio can be prepared by Suzuki coupling condensation polymerization of 2,7-dibromo-9,9-bis(6'-bromohexyl)fluorene and varying ratios of p- and m-phenyl diboronic acids, followed by reaction with trimethylamine. The resulting polymers are designated MnPm+, where the subscripts in Mn and Pm correspond to the ratio of meta and para linkages, respectively. Absorption and fluorescence spectra indicate facile energy transfer via interachain or intrachain mechanisms. The emission of MnPm+ with m > 50 matches that of M0P100+. Excitations ultimately reside in the polymer segments with largest number of para linkages. FRET experiments show that the polymers with a more flexible structure are better donors to fluorescein-labeled double-stranded DNA. Similar results are obtained when intercalated ethidium bromide is used as the acceptor. These results indicate that there is better spatial registry between the flexible conjugated polymers and th...
Potential of inner cell mass outgrowth and amino acid turnover as markers of quality in the in vitro fertilization laboratory

Objective To compare sensitivity of inner cell mass (ICM) outgrowth assay and analysis of culture media amino acid turnover with the sensitivity of the human sperm motility assay (HSMA) and murine embryo assay (MEA) for detection of formaldehyde toxicity. Design Prospective in vitro study. Setting University hospital–based infertility center. Animal(s) Murine embryos. Intervention(s) The HSMA, MEA, and ICM outgrowth assays were performed with media containing 0–64-μM concentrations of formaldehyde. These assays were compared with dynamics of amino acid turnover in culture media. Main Outcome Measure(s) The lowest concentration of formaldehyde in culture media detected by each quality control assay. Result(s) Sperm forward progression, but not motility, detected formaldehyde at a concentration of 32 μM. Sperm motility index identified formaldehyde toxicity at 64 μM, whereas blastocyst rates in the MEA were affected at 32 μM formaldehyde. Evaluation of ICM using outgrowth and grade detected 16 μM formaldehyde. Leucine turnover in culture media detected 64 μM formaldehyde in the amino acid assay. Conclusion(s) Inner cell mass outgrowth is a more sensitive bioassay than MEA and HSMA for the detection of formaldehyde in culture media. Amino acid metabolism may also provide a sensitive quality control measure for detection of formaldehyde.
High-dose oral prednisolone for infantile spasms: An effective and less expensive alternative to ACTH

The ideal treatment of infantile spasms is unclear, but many studies advocate hormonal treatment. In the United States, intramuscular ACTH is most widely used, despite the problematic financial cost and side effect profile. Since September 2007, we have replaced ACTH with high-dose oral prednisolone (40-60 mg/day) according to the 2004 United Kingdom Infantile Spasms Study (UKISS). Ten of 15 (67%) infants with new-onset and previously treated infantile spasms became spasm free within 2 weeks; 4 later recurred. More children with an idiopathic etiology for infantile spasms were spasm free than were symptomatic cases (88% vs 43%, P=0.10). Spasm freedom was equivalent to our most recent 15 infants receiving ACTH, with 13 (87%) responding, P=0.16. Oral prednisolone had fewer adverse effects (53% vs 80%, P=0.10) and was less expensive ($200 vs approximately $70,000) than ACTH. We now routinely recommend oral prednisolone to all families of children with infantile spasms.
Regulation of obesity and insulin resistance by hypoxia-inducible factors

In obesity, dysregulated metabolism and aberrant expansion of adipose tissue lead to the development of tissue hypoxia that plays an important role in contributing to obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Recent studies utilizing adipocyte-specific hypoxia-inducible factor-α (HIF-α) gain- or loss-of-function animal models highlight the pivotal involvement of hypoxic responses in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated inflammation and insulin resistance. HIF-1α, a master transcription factor of oxygen homeostasis, induces inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity, whereas its isoform, HIF-2α, exerts opposing functions in these obesity-associated metabolic phenotypes. In this review, recent evidence elucidating functional implications of adipocyte HIFs in obesity and, more importantly, how these regulate obesity-associated inflammation, fibrosis, and insulin resistance will be discussed. Further, we propose that modulation of HIF-1 could be a potential novel therapeutic strategy for antidiabetic treatment.
Molecular dynamics simulation of Pf1 coat protein

The results of molecular dynamics simulations of Pf1 coat protein are described and compared to experimental NMR data on both the membrane bound and structural forms of this viral coat protein. Molecular dynamics simulations of the 46 residue coat protein and related model sequences were performed according to a simple protocol. The simulations were initiated with the polypeptides in a completely uniform alpha helical conformation in a dielectric continuum (epsilon = 2) and the motions of individual residues were followed as a function of time by monitoring the angular fluctuations of amide NH bond vectors. The simulations of Pf1 coat protein were able to identify the same mobile and structured segments found in experimental NMR studies of the membrane bound form of the protein (Shon, K.-J., Y. Kim, L. A. Colnago, and S. J. Opella. 1991. Science (Wash. DC). 252:1303–1305). Significantly, in addition to mobile amino and carboxyl terminal regions, a mobile internal loop was found that connects the rigid hydrophobic and amphipathic helices in the protein. NMR experiments show that this mobile loop is present in both the viral and membrane bound forms of the protein and that it plays a role in viral assembly (Nambudripad, R., W. Stark, S. J. Opella, and L. Makowski. 1991. Science (Wash. DC) 252:1305–1308). The results of simulations of several alanine based 46 residue polypeptides with some of the charged residues present in the Pf1 coat protein sequence suggest that interactions between the Asp 14 and Asp 18 sidechains and the peptide backbone are responsible for the formation of the mobile loop.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Organizational Climate and Communication Climate: Predictors of Commitment to the Organization

Employees of a large service organization based in the Southwest were surveyed to determine if individual levels of organizational commitment were related positively to perceptions of organizational climate and of communication climate. The results of the study suggest that employees' perceptions of organizational climate and communication climate were correlated positively with the level of employees' organizational commitment. Specifically, multiple regression analysis indicated that organizational clarity, participation, and superior-subordinate communication accounted for 41% of the variance in organizational commitment, with participation and organizational clarity emerging as significant predictors of commitment. Tenure was included in the study as a moderating variable, using Buchanan's conceptualization of tenure stages: Stage 1 representing the first year of employment, Stage 2 representing Years 2 through 4, and Stage 3 representing Year 5 and beyond. Results varied by tenure stage.
The effect of phase transitions on release of n-propanol entrapped in carbohydrate glasses.

Abstract The mobility of an organic volatile probe (1-n-propanol), incorporated in two types of amorphous carbohydrate glasses, was evaluated by measuring probe retention as a function of time. Retention was found to depend on temperature, moisture content and the degree of matrix collapse. In sucrose glasses, crystallization and probe release occur simultaneously and both crystallization and release depend on the temperature above Tg, as predicted by the William-Landel-Ferry (WLF) equation. In sucrose: raffinose systems held above Tg, initial rapid release of the probe (‘fast’ release) is observed, coinciding with, and presumably due to, matrix flow during collapse, followed by a much slower diffusional release. Relaxation times for collapse (τc), and ‘fast’ release (τfr) above Tg were calculated. They were found to be dependent on T-Tg and moisture content. Dependence of relaxation times on (T-Tg) was found to be well predicted by the WLF equation.
Extending the littoral battlespace (ELB)

The ELB program is a joint Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration funded by the Navy, Marine Corps and the Office of the Secretary of Defence, and managed by the Naval Research. ELB is based on the new warfare paradigm defined by 'joint vision 2010, and on concepts developed by the Navy and Marine Corps in 'From the Sea', 'Forward...from the Sea', 'Ship to Objective Maneuver (STOM)', and 'Operational Maneuver from the Sea'. The objective of ELB is to demonstrate effective operation of dispersed forces in a variety of littoral environments, and to provide those forces timely remote fire support. Successful operation will depend on achieving a common situational awareness among a mobile, distributed command and control, a shortened sensor- to-shooter timeline, and effective utilization of all information source. The glue to hold this system of systems together is a reliable wide band communications system and network infrastructure. This paper will describe the overall architecture of ELB and focus on the core command and control functions associated with achieving a common situational awareness.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Attachment to objects as compensation for close others' perceived unreliability

article Attachment theory posits that close interpersonal relationships provide people with psychological security across the lifespan. Research shows that when people perceive that close others are unreliable, they may seek alternative, non-social sources of security (e.g., deities). Building on this work, the authors hypothesized that attachment to objects compensates for threatened attachment security when close others are unreliable. Partic- ipants primed with close others', but not strangers', unreliability reported increased attachment to belongings (Study 1), and this effect was mediated by feelings of attachment anxiety (concern over close others' availabili- ty),butnotattachmentavoidance (avoiding emotionaldependence; Study2),suggesting thatobjectattachment compensates for the perception that close others are unreliable rather than consistently rejecting. In Study 3, when a valued belonging was removed, participants primed with uncertainty about their relationships showed increased separation anxiety and motivation to reunite with the belonging, regardless of the belonging's perceived importance for facilitating relationships.
Electromagnetically induced transparency in ladder-type inhomogeneously broadened media: Theory and experiment

We develop a theory of electromagnetically induced transparency in a three-level, ladder-type Doppler-broadened medium, paying special attention to the case where the coupling and probe beams are counterpropagating and have similar frequencies, so as to reduce the total Doppler width of the two-photon process. The theory is easily generalized to deal with the \ensuremath{\Lambda} configuration, where the ideal arrangement involves two copropagating beams. We discuss different possible regimes, depending on the relative importance of the various broadening mechanisms, and identify ways to optimize the absorption-reduction effect. The theory is compared to the results of a recent experiment (on a ladder-type system), using the Rb D2 line, with generally very good agreement. The maximum absorption reduction observed (64.4%) appears to be mostly limited by the relatively large (\ensuremath{\sim}5 MHz) linewidth of the diode lasers used in our experiment.
Sodium butyrate alters the response of a human colon carcinoma cell line to transforming growth factor-β1

The effects of sodium butyrate (NaB) on the response of the RCA human colon carcinoma cell line to transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) were examined. NaB induced differentiation, as judged by an increase in cellular alkaline phosphatase, in the RCA cells and this differentiation was accompanied by a decreased growth rate. TGF-beta 1 did not significantly alter the growth or state of differentiation of the RCA cells. The growth rate of cells treated simultaneously with NaB and TGF-beta 1 was similar to that of control untreated cells while the alkaline phosphatase levels remained comparable to cells treated with NaB. Addition of TGF-beta 1 to cells grown in the presence of NaB resulted in a stimulation of growth. Cells pretreated with TGF-beta 1 remained sensitive to the growth inhibitory and differentiation inducing effects of NaB. These results suggest that NaB may alter the expression of proteins responsible for a stimulatory signal response to TGF-beta 1 in RCA cells.
Analysis of Lipolytic Protein Trafficking and Interactions in Adipocytes

This work examined the colocalization, trafficking, and interactions of key proteins involved in lipolysis during brief cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) activation. Double label immunofluorescence analysis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes indicated that PKA activation increases the translocation of hormonesensitive lipase (HSL) to perilipin A (Plin)-containing droplets and increases the colocalization of adipose tissue triglyceride lipase (Atgl) with its coactivator, Abhd5. Imaging of live 3T3-L1 preadipocytes transfected with Aquorea victoria-based fluorescent reporters demonstrated that HSL rapidly and specifically translocates to lipid droplets (LDs) containing Plin, and that this translocation is partially dependent on Plin phosphorylation. HSL closely, if not directly, interacts with Plin, as indicated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments. In contrast, tagged Atgl did not support FRET or BiFC with Plin, although it did modestly translocate to LDs upon stimulation. Abhd5 strongly interacted with Plin in the basal state, as indicated by FRET and BiFC. PKA activation rapidly (within minutes) decreased FRET between Abhd5 and Plin, and this decrease depended upon Plin phosphorylation. Together, these results indicate that Plin mediates hormone-stimulated lipolysis via direct and indirect mechanisms. Plin indirectly controls Atgl activity by regulating accessibility to its coactivator, Abhd5. In contrast, Plin directly regulates the access of HSL to substrate via close, if not direct, interactions. The differential interactions of HSL and Atgl with Plin and Abhd5 also explain the findings that following stimulation, HSL and Atgl are differentially enriched at specific LDs.
Characteristics of the Cation Cotransporter NKCC1 in Human Brain: Alternate Transcripts, Expression in Development, and Potential Relationships to Brain Function and Schizophrenia

Early in development, GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in adults, is excitatory. NKCC1 (SLC12A2) encodes one of two cation chloride cotransporters mediating the conversion of GABA from excitatory to inhibitory. Using 3' and 5' RACE and PCR, we verified previously characterized alternative transcripts of NKCC1a (1-27) and NKCC1b (1-27(Δ21)), identified new NKCC1 transcripts, and explored their expression patterns during human prefrontal cortical development. A novel ultra-short transcript (1-2a) was expressed preferentially in the fetus. Expression of NKCC1b and 1-2a were decreased in schizophrenia compared with controls (NKCC1b: 0.8-fold decrease, p = 0.013; 1-2a: 0.8-fold decrease, p = 0.006). Furthermore, the expression of NKCC1b was associated with NKCC1 polymorphism rs3087889. The minor allele at rs3087889, associated with reduced NKCC1b expression (homozygous for major allele: N = 37; homozygous for minor allele: N = 15; 1.5-fold decrease; p < 0.01), was also associated with a modest increase in schizophrenia risk in a case-control sample (controls: N = 435; cases: N = 397, OR = 1.5). This same allele was then found associated with cognitive (n = 369) and fMRI (n = 313) intermediate phenotypes associated with schizophrenia-working memory (Cohen's d = 0.35), global cognition or g (d = 0.18), and prefrontal inefficiency (d = 0.36) as measured by BOLD fMRI during a working memory task. Together, these preclinical and clinical results suggest that variation in NKCC1 may increase risk for schizophrenia via alterations of mRNA expression at the molecular level and impairment of optimal prefrontal function at the macro or systems level.
Nociceptin/orphanin FQ and NOP receptor gene regulation after acute or repeated social defeat stress.

Abstract Antagonists of the NOP receptor have antidepressant effects in rodent models, suggesting that the N/OFQ–NOP system may play an important role in affective disorders. Furthermore, multiple lines of experimental evidence link N/OFQ neurotransmission with physiological and behavioral responses to stress. One possibility is that disregulated expression of the N/OFQ peptide neurotransmitter and/or the NOP receptor may participate in the etiology of stress-induced psychopathology. In the present set of experiments, we compared gene expression for prepro-N/OFQ and NOP receptor in groups of rats that were exposed to differing regimens of social defeat stress. Male Long-Evans rats were exposed to no social defeat, a single, acute social defeat or to repeated social defeats with or without an acute defeat on the final day. In situ hybridization was conducted with 35 S-labelled riboprobes aimed at prepro-N/OFQ mRNA or NOP receptor mRNA. Expression was analyzed by quantification of optical density in limbic and extra-limbic forebrain regions. There were no statistically significant changes in prepro-N/OFQ mRNA expression after stress exposure in any of the brain regions analyzed. However, the rats that were exposed to acute social defeat displayed elevations in NOP receptor mRNA expression in the central and basomedial nuclei of the amygdala and in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Additionally, the rats that were acutely stressed after a history of repeated social defeat also displayed elevated levels of NOP receptor mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These results suggest that the N/OFQ–NOP receptor system is affected by acute stress exposure, particularly in limbic regions. This stress-induced upregulation of NOP receptor gene expression further supports the possibility that disregulation of the N/OFQ–NOP system may contribute to behavioral and hormonal disregulation following stress.
Palynological, foraminiferal and aminostratigraphic studies of quaternary sediments from the U.S. middle Atlantic upper continental slope, continental shelf and coastal plain

Abstract A pollen climate index curve provides the basic stratigraphic subdivision of the 305 m cored Quaternary section of AMCOR 6021C located on the upper continental slope off New Jersey, U.S.A. Cold and warm intervals from top to bottom were assigned to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages 1 through 13(?). At a sub-bottom depth of about 220 m, foraminiferal data indicate a possible hiatus, and, if so, sediments below this may be as old as Isotope Stage 16 or older. Aminostratigraphic studies yielded results that are consistent with either interpretation. Benthic foraminifers are dominated by Elphidium excavatum and Islandiella norcrossi . The planktic foraminiferal record provided no independent means of subdividing the section. The stratigraphic distribution in 6021C of six species of Quercus (oak) and aminozone determinations were applied to dating, in terms of presumed Oxygen Isotope Stages, of other offshore core hole samples and some onshore Quaternary deposits of Delaware. Stratigraphic information from AMCOR sites 6021 and 6009 correlated to seismic reflection profiles that cross the shelf/slope break indicate that the thickest accumulations of terrigenous Quaternary sediments are located along the outer continental shelf/upper continental slope offshore the northeastern United States.
A new platelet preservative.

A new platelet preservative, ViaCyte. (balanced salt solution, physiological buffer, D-ribose, bovine serum albumin, D-glucose, sterile water) was tested against the presently used storage solution (citrate-phosphate-dextrose; CPD) and results revealed that ViaCyte demonstrated added protection for platelets during storage-induced activation. Following five days of storage at room temperature, only 12.2% of platelets stored in ViaCyte exhibited P-selectin expression at rest and, upon thrombin challenge, 64.2% were activated, an increase of 42%. In control platelets (platelets stored in CDP), 44.4% were activated due to storage-induced lesions, and thrombin stimulation resulted in 47.9% P-selectin expression, an increase of only 2.5%. ViaCyte storage maintained the resting state and preserved platelet function, making more platelets available for activation upon agonist challenge. This preliminary study demonstrated that the presently used standard preservative does not offer protection from storage-induce...
Maintaining Food and Nutrition Security in the United States with Welfare Reform

Researchers in nutrition (Berg) and economics (Fogel) have recognized the importance of social human capital investment in proper nutrition, which contributes to more productive, healthy individuals. This paper reviews the federal commitment to domestic food security; discusses recently adopted welfare reform measures, including significant cuts in the Food Stamp Program (FSP); briefly discusses complementary nutrition programs; and provides preliminary estimates of the expected impacts of FSP cuts on the food expenditures and nutritional status of one targeted group: able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). Results suggest that without compensation, nutritional effects could be significant. This points in turn to the importance of effective monitoring of welfare reform effects on these and other vulnerable groups along with additional research needs.
Genetic evidence that intestinal Notch functions vary regionally and operate through a common mechanism of Math1 repression.

Notch signaling is active in many sites, and its diverse activities must require tissue-specific intermediaries, which are largely unknown. In the intestinal epithelium, Notch promotes crypt cell proliferation and inhibits goblet cell differentiation. Pharmacologic studies suggest that the latter effect occurs through the transcription factor Math1/Atoh1, which specifies all intestinal secretory cells. We tested this hypothesis using mouse mutants. Genetic loss of the Notch effector RBP-Jκ alone increases all intestinal secretory lineages, with variation between proximal and distal gut segments. This secretory cell excess observed with RBP-Jκ loss was blocked in the absence of Math1 in RBP-JκFl/Fl;Math1Fl/Fl;Villin-Cre(ER-T2) mice. Loss of both factors also restored progenitor replication, proving that Math1 is epistatic to Notch signaling in both secretory cell differentiation and crypt cell proliferation. Investigating mechanisms downstream of Math1, we found that expression of the known Notch effector protein Hes1 was predictably lost in RBP-Jκ−/− mice but surprisingly recovered in RBP-Jκ;Math1 compound conditional mutants. Furthermore, the cell cycle inhibitors p27Kip1 and p57Kip2 were selectively overexpressed in duodenal and ileal crypts, respectively, in RBP-Jκ-deficient mice. Regional activation of these products was completely abrogated in the absence of Math1. Thus, all intestinal Notch effects channel through the tissue-restricted factor Math1, which promotes secretory differentiation and cell cycle exit by regionally distinct mechanisms. Our data further suggest that, besides transmitting Notch signals, the transcription factor Hes1 acts downstream of Math1 to regulate expression of cell cycle inhibitors and intestinal crypt cell replication.
Anxiety and the aching heart

There are four specific syndromes: functional cardiac disorders, mitral valve prolapse syndrome, hyperventilation syndrome and panic disorder. In many cases, the symptoms are very similar and reassurance is a critical aspect of treating these patients. Controversy exists as to what constitutes a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse, but echocardiography has suggested a prevalence of about 5 per cent of the population. It is more common in young women weighing less than 50 kg (30 per cent) but as they become older they are less likely to suffer from the condition. On the other hand, in males age does not seem to make any difference. In most cases, prolapse is a benign and often silent disorder. Drug therapy has primarily focused on beta-blockers whilst antipanic drugs are effective in panic disorder. The hyperventilation test undertaken in the doctor's office is a very useful way of explaining this condition to the patient and reassuring him of its relatively benign nature.
Displacement compressors with high performance flow control valves

The paper is a first order analytic description of the performance characteristics of a displacement compressor with floating poppet valves. The valves are actuated by the pressure forces acting on them to allow the compressor to deliver compressed gas at any chosen pressure level. The irreversibilities considered are the losses associated with the flow into and out of the cylinder past the valves of the type described. The performance indices of interest are the adiabatic and volumetric efficiencies as they are affected by the mechanical operating speed of the compressor and the chosen pressure ratio. These performance indices are obtained in terms of non-dimensional parameters which describe the dimensions of the valves and cylinder as well as the operational characteristics.
Tolerance to tobacco smoke- and nicotine-induced analgesia in rats

Abstract Acute exposure of male Sprague-Dawley rats to either nicotine or tobacco smoke results in analgesia as measured by tail-flick latencies. A second treatment, 24 hr after the first, failed to produce analgesia, thereby demonstrating the rapid development of tolerance. The restraint which was a necessary part of the tobacco smoke exposure also produced analgesia, although of a more transient nature and lesser magnitude than the resulting from tobacco smoke exposure. Tolerance also developed to restraint stress-induced analgesia. The long-term (43 weeks) daily exposure of rats to tobacco smoke or restraint stress resulted in the development of cross-tolerance, suggesting that these two procedures share, at least in part, a common mechanism. Additionally, long-term tobacco smoke exposure resulted in an increased tail-flick latency when the animals had been withdrawn from tobacco smoke for 24 hr, suggesting the development of tolerance. The data also suggest a differential time course for the development of tolerance and dependence. This is the first report that addresses the effect of acute and chronic tobacco smoke exposure on pain sensitivity.