cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leadership development: the heart of the matter

Educators have a comparative advantage over other professionals when it comes to leadership development. They should exploit it in the years ahead to improve the enterprise for which they are responsible. Whether they can capture the moment, take advantage of their deeper understanding of teaching and learning and skirt some of the expensive miscues that prevent others from being an effective force in leadership development remains to be seen. This article assembles and discusses the components necessary for making the most of the present set of circumstances. It explores the terrain of contemporary initiatives in leadership development, critiques the assumptions on which they are based, and makes a case for the more cost‐effective deployment of experiential approaches to educating leaders.
Weak convergence of the generalized parametric empirical processes and goodness-of-fit tests for parametric models

To check the validity of an assumed parametric model for failure time data, we compare the generalized Kaplan-Meier estimator Fn(t) of a distribution function with the estimated distribution function under the assumed model, where is the maximum likelihood estimator. The generalized parametric empirical process is approximated by the stochastic integrals with respect to a martingale. It converges in distribution to a Gaussian process which can be represented by stochastic integrals with respect to a Wiener process. The weak convergence of parametric empirical process on the whole line is derived for random right censored and/or left truncated data. Through the transformation of the limit Gaussian process to a Guassian martingale, we obtain a class of goodness-of-fit tests for the parametric model.
A comparison of in situ and laboratory toxicity tests with the estuarine amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius.

Amphipod survival in laboratory and in situ exposures was assessed using the eastern Pacific Haustoriid species Eohaustorius estuarius. Toxicity test results were compared using intact (unhomogenized) and homogenized sediment samples in both field and laboratory exposures. Experiments were conducted in Moss Landing Harbor, California, an impaired waterbody under 303 (d) of the US Clean Water Act. Synoptic laboratory and in situ sediment toxicity tests were conducted at two stations: Sandholdt Bridge (SB), the most contaminated station in the harbor, and at the South Jetty (SJ), a more marine station near the mouth of the harbor. We found that Eohaustorius is amenable to in situ testing. Despite highly variable field salinity regimes (6–32 PSU at SB and 21–34 PSU at SJ), in situ control survival was 87% and 84% at SB and SJ, respectively. Amphipod survival was lower in the in situ exposures relative to the laboratory exposures at both sites. Survival at SB was 30% and 76% in the homogenized in situ and laboratory samples, respectively, and 40% and 64% in the intact (unhomogenized) in situ and laboratory samples, respectively. Neither the homogenized or intact samples from the SJ station were toxic in laboratory experiments, but amphipod survival was only 40% in the intact in situ exposure at this station, possibly due to predation. These experiments suggest that the interaction of contaminants and variable physical parameters such as salinity and temperature may have resulted in lower survival in the in situ exposures. Sediment homogenization prior to in situ deployment may have reduced effects of predators in some samples.
Detection and quantitation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate in X-irradiated calf-thymus DNA by fluorescence postlabeling.

Abstract 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine 5′-monophosphate (8-OH dGmp) was synthesized from deoxyguanosine 5′-monophosphate (dGmp) by ascorbic acid in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and labeled with dansyl chloride through a phosphoramidate linkage with ethylenediamine (EDA). A DNA model 8-OHd(TACG), isolated intact by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) from x-irradiated d(TACG) and characterized by nmr, was digested enzymatically to 5′-mononucleotides. The modified nucleotide was enriched by HPLC and dansylated. Analysis of the dansylated product by HPLC, using a fluorescent detector, detected a peak with retention time corresponding to that of the dansyl labeled authentic marker. The same overall procedure was used to detect 8-OHdGmp from x-irradiated calf-thymus DNA. The content of 8-OHdGmp in the irradiated DNA increased linearly with increasing levels of x-irradiation in the dose range of 6–60 Gy.
Surface-based analysis methods for high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a popular technique for studies of human brain activity. Typically, fMRI is performed with >3-mm sampling, so that the imaging data can be regarded as two-dimensional samples that average through the 1.5-4-mm thickness of cerebral cortex. The increasing use of higher spatial resolutions, <1.5-mm sampling, complicates the analysis of fMRI, as one must now consider activity variations within the depth of the brain tissue. We present a set of surface-based methods to exploit the use of high-resolution fMRI for depth analysis. These methods utilize white-matter segmentations coupled with deformable-surface algorithms to create a smooth surface representation at the gray-white interface and pial membrane. These surfaces provide vertex positions and normals for depth calculations, enabling averaging schemes that can increase contrast-to-noise ratio, as well as permitting the direct analysis of depth profiles of functional activity in the human brain.
Nucleotide composition of 28-S and 18-S ribosomal RNA from several rat and rabbit tissues.

Abstract Extrapolation from results obtained with microbial systems has led to the general concept that ribosomes in themselves lack the template activity that guides synthesis of specific proteins. However, it has been reported for mammalian species that the composition of rRNA varies from tissue to tissue in the same animal, leading to the suggestion that an informational component of heterogeneous composition is incorporated in the rRNA of these cells. To evaluate this possibility, we have determined the nucleotide composition of the 28-S and the 18-S rRNA from a variety of rat and rabbit tissues. No significant differences between the tissues were detected, leading us to reject what has been advanced as evidence for the hypothesis that mammalian rRNA contains messenger as an integral component.
Bringing forth mathematical concepts: signifying sensorimotor enactment in fields of promoted action

Inspired by Enactivist philosophy yet in dialog with it, we ask what theory of embodied cognition might best serve in articulating implications of Enactivism for mathematics education. We offer a blend of Dynamical Systems Theory and Sociocultural Theory as an analytic lens on micro-processes of action-to-concept evolution. We also illustrate the methodological utility of design-research as an approach to such theory development. Building on constructs from ecological psychology, cultural anthropology, studies of motor-skill acquisition, and somatic awareness practices, we develop the notion of an “instrumented field of promoted action”. Children operating in this field first develop environmentally coupled motor-action coordinations. Next, we introduce into the field new artifacts. The children adopt the artifacts as frames of action and reference, yet in so doing they shift into disciplinary semiotic systems. We exemplify our thesis with two selected excerpts from our videography of Grade 4–6 volunteers participating in task-based clinical interviews centered on the Mathematical Imagery Trainer for Proportion. In particular, we present and analyze cases of either smooth or abrupt transformation in learners’ operatory schemes. We situate our design framework vis-a-vis seminal contributions to mathematics education research.
Prospective, randomized, double-blind trial shows aerobic exercise is a valid treatment option for chronic prostatitis.

Prospective, randomized, double-blind trial shows aerobic exercise is a valid treatment option for chronic prostatitis
Mapping fatty acid binding to beta-lactoglobulin: Ligand binding is restricted by modification of Cys 121.

Native beta-lactoglobulin (Blg) binds 1 mole of palmitic acid per mole of protein with a dissociation constant of 0.6 microM for the primary fatty acid binding site. Chemical modification of Cys 121, which lies at the external putative hydrophobic binding site of Blg, does not affect retinol or 4,4'-bis 1-(phenylamino)-8-naphthalenesulfonate (bis-ANS) binding to the protein, indicating that the incorporated appendages do not perturb the internal hydrophobic site within the beta-barrel of Blg (i.e., the retinoid site is unaffected). On the other hand, methylation of Cys 121, reduces the affinity of Blg for palmitic acid by 10-fold as monitored by intrinsic fluorescence. Modification of the Cys 121 with methylmethanethiosulfonate or a thiol-specific spin label appears to either further weaken or totally eliminate fatty acid binding, respectively, due to steric hindrance. Furthermore, this binding pattern has been independently verified using a spin labeled fatty acid analog and monitoring ESR as well as by bis-ANS fluorescence when bound to the protein. These results suggest that fatty acids bind at the "external site" of beta-lactoglobulin, between the sole alpha-helix and the beta-barrel. In addition, structural stability studies of native and chemically modified Blg appear to confirm this observation as well.
Effects of topical applications of meclofenamic acid and ibuprofen on bone loss, subgingival microbiota and gingival PMN response in the primate Macaca fascicularis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been shown to alter periodontitis in both animals and humans. This study was initiated in the nonhuman primate (Nhp) model to determine the effect of two NSAIDs on preexisting gingivitis, the conversion of gingivitis to periodontitis, the associated subgingival microbiota, and the gingival PMN response. Eighteen cynomolgus monkeys were divided into three groups and treated on a blind basis with ibuprofen 8%, meclofenamic acid 5%, or placebo applied topically 5 days/ week for 20 wk. After 4 wk of treatment, periodontitis was initiated in one quadrant by the placement of silk ligatures. Clinical parameters, bone loss by densitometric analysis of radiographs (CADIA), and cultural microbiology of subgingival plaque were monitored. In situ PMN chemotaxis was assessed by quantitating the PMNs which entered the sulcus in response to a challenge with n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). No significant differences in the clinical parameters were noted by treatment groups. Radiographic bone loss was detected in all experimental sites in placebo animals as compared with 67% and 44% for ibuprofen and meclofenamic acid animals, respectively. Mean CADIA scores/animal showed a significant loss in bone density for placebo at 6 and 16 wk, no change for ibuprofen animals, and a significant increase in density for meclofenamic acid animals. The microbiota of all groups changed with ligation consistent with previous reports of disease initiation in the Nhp. Similar patterns of PMN response to FMLP were elicited in the gingiva of the ibuprofen and placebo groups, with minimal change in PMN levels detected during disease induction: however, sulcular PMNs were significantly higher than placebo in meclofenamic acid animals at all time periods. In this study, ibuprofen inhibited significant bone loss and meclofenamic acid not only inhibited bone loss but produced a significant increase in bone density in the non-human primate model. These effects were achieved without eliminating clinical gingivitis and without significant effects on the subgingival microbiota. In the meclofenamic acid-treated animals this was accompanied by a significant increase in PMNs in the local area. Based on this report it appears that topical ibuprofen and meclofenamic acid do not affect the progression of alveolar bone loss equally. In addition, the local increase in PMNs at sites which did not exhibit bone loss may provide insights to the mechanisms involved in the initiation of periodontitis in the cynomolgus monkey.
Apoptosis of Human Monocytes and Macrophages by Mycobacterium avium Sonicate

Mycobacterium avium is an intracellular organism which multiplies predominantly within human macrophages. This organism has previously been shown to induce apoptosis in human macrophages. With a view to identifying M. avium components that induce cell death in infected host cells, sonicated extracts of M. avium as well as individual components isolated from the M. avium sonicate were tested in various assays with a human monocytic cell line (THP-1). THP-1 cells incubated with M. avium sonicate showed significantly reduced viability after a 2-day exposure compared to control cells incubated with media alone. This effect was dose dependent, with only 6.6% +/- 5.2% and 48.8% +/- 10.3% of the cells being viable by trypan blue exclusion at 600 and 300 microg/ml, respectively. Control cells, on the other hand, exhibited a viability of 98.8% +/- 1.0%. In addition, an 80% ammonium sulfate fraction of the M. avium sonicate and the previously characterized 68-kDa protein were found to have similar effects on THP-1 cells. In both cases, the reduction in viability was due to apoptosis characterized by chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation by agarose gel electrophoresis, or terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and release of nuclear matrix protein (NMP) into the culture medium. M. avium sonicate-induced apoptosis of THP-1 cells was completely inhibited by the commonly used antioxidants pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), indicating that the generation of free oxygen radicals may be responsible for inducing cell death. M. avium sonicate was found to induce apoptosis of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) as well. This effect was not reversed in the presence of PDTC and was not accompanied with DNA fragmentation when determined by agarose gel electrophoresis, as seen in the case of THP-1 cells. However, these MDMs were found to contain fragmented DNA by TUNEL. These findings suggest that the mechanism of cell death in MDMs may be different from that observed with THP-1 cells. Furthermore, these results provide new insight into the effect of M. avium components on host cell responses during M. avium infection.
Ideas, Politics, and Public Policy

▪ Abstract Scholars have become acutely interested in how behavior driven by ideas rather than self-interest determines policy-making outcomes. This review examines the literature on this subject. It differentiates among the types of ideas that may affect policy making (i.e., cognitive paradigms, world views, norms, frames, and policy programs) and identifies some of the persistent difficulties associated with studying how ideas shape policy. In particular, studies often do a poor job pinpointing the causal mechanisms that link ideas to policy-making outcomes. More attention needs to be paid to articulating the causal processes through which ideas exert effects. Suggestions for future scholarship that might improve this situation are offered. These include identifying the actors who seek to influence policy making with their ideas, ascertaining the institutional conditions under which these actors have more or less influence, and understanding how political discourse affects the degree to which policy ide...
Chemistry and Applications of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess outstanding physical properties, but in order to fully realize the promise of this material, chemistry is required to process the CNTs into a form that is useful for applications. In the present paper I will discuss our work on the chemistry of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), and the opportunities that this has afforded in the preparation of thin films and bulk materials for application in sensors, near-IR detectors and composites. Time permitting, recent results of the applications of this approach to graphite and graphene is presented.
REPORT OF THREE CASES OF “CLINICAL” ADDISON’S DISEASE SURVIVING MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS1

THE SURVIVAL TIME in Addison’s disease apparently is showing a tendency to increase; at least more and more cases of prolonged duration are now being reported. Guttman (1), in a careful analysis of 566 cases collected from the literature prior to 1930, that is, before the modern methods of treatment were avail-able, found that the average duration of life of patients with Addison’s disease was 34 ± 4.4 months if simple atrophy of the suprarenal glands existed, and only 13.3 ± 2.5 months when the disease was tuberculous in origin. A case surviving 5 years a generation ago was unusual; one such case surviving 7 years while taking adrenal products was reported by Judson Daland in 1918, was quoted in Osier’s text book and was referred to frequently in medical literature. A decade ago, at the time of publication of our book on Addison’s disease, we had personally observed 6 cases surviving 5 years or more, including 2 cases, one of 7 years and the other of 12 years duration.
Handedness, developmental disorders, and in vivo and in vitro measurements of immune responses

Several hypotheses were tested concerning possible relationships among handedness, developmental disorders, and immune disorders derived from the Geschwind and Galaburda (1985a) formulation of the biological mechanisms of cerebral lateralization. A sample of healthy elderly participants (N = 238) completed handedness, developmental disorders, and immune disorders questionnaires. In addition, four measures of immune function (delayed hyper‐sensitivity skin testing, mitogen testing, assay for autoantibodies and circulating immune complexes, and lymphocyte count) were collected from each participant. Two of the major hypotheses were supported. Hand preference was associated with developmental disorders (r = — .22, p = .0008), and immune disorders were associated with developmental disorders (r = .38, p < .001). However, no relationship was observed between hand preference and either immune history or immune functions. The relevance of these findings for the Geschwind and Galaburda formulation are discussed.
“I Was Born Full Deaf.” Written Language Outcomes After 1 Year of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction

Nonstandard grammatical forms are often present in the writing of deaf students that are rarely, if ever, seen in the writing of hearing students. With the implementation of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) in previous studies, students have demonstrated significant gains in high-level writing skills (e.g., text structure) but have also made gains with English grammar skills. This 1-year study expands on prior research by longitudinally examining the written language growth (i.e., writing length, sentence complexity, sentence awareness, and function words) of 29 deaf middle-school students. A repeated-measures analysis of variance with a between-subjects variable for literacy achievement level was used to examine gains over time and the intervention’s efficacy when used with students of various literacy levels. Students, whether high or low achieving, demonstrated statistically significant gains with writing length, sentence complexity, and sentence awareness. Subordinate clauses were found to be an area of difficulty, and follow up strategies are suggested. An analysis of function word data, specifically prepositions and articles, revealed different patterns of written language growth by language group (e.g., American Sign Language users, oral students, users of English-based sign).
A distributed I/O architecture for HARTS

The issue of I/O device access in HARTS — a distributed real-time computer system under construction at the Real-Time Computing Laboratory (RTCL), The University of Michigan — is explicitly addressed. Several candidate solutions are introduced, explored, and evaluated according to cost and complexity, reliability, and performance: (1) “node-direct” distribution with the intra-node bus and a local I/O bus, (2) use of dedicated I/O nodes which are placed in the hexagonal mesh as regular applications nodes but which provide I/O services rather than computing services, and (3) use of a separate I/O network which has led to the proposal of an “interlaced” I/O network. The interlaced I/O network is intended to provide both high performance without burdening node processors with I/O overhead as well as a high degree of reliability. Both static and dynamic multi-ownership protocols are developed for managing I/O device access in this I/O network. The relative merits of the two protocols are explored and the performance and accessibility which each provide are simulated.
Abdominal muscle function in ventilation and locomotion in new world opossums and basal eutherians: Breathing and running with and without epipubic bones

All tetrapods have the same four basic abdominal hypaxial muscle layers that wrap around the abdomen between the pelvis, ribcage, and spine. However, the marsupials and our immediate mammalian ancestors have epipubic bones extending anteriorly into the ventral hypaxial layers with two additional muscles connecting them to the ventral midline and femur. Studies of two marsupials have shown that all of the abdominal hypaxials play a part bilaterally in resting ventilation and during locomotion there is an asymmetrical pattern of activity as the hypaxial muscles form a cross-couplet linkage that uses the epipubic bone as a lever to provide long-axis support of the body between diagonal limb couplets during each step. The cross-couplet epipubic lever system defines the earliest mammals and is lost in placental mammals. To expand our understanding of the evolution of mammalian abdominal muscle function and loco-ventilatory integration we tested the generality of the cross-couplet system in marsupials and conducted the first formal studies of hypaxial abdominal motor patterns in generalized placental mammals focusing on a representative rodent and insectivore. These new data reveal 1) that continuous abdominal muscle tonus during resting ventilation and a 1:1 breath to step cycle during locomotion appear to be the basal condition for mammals, 2) that the loss of epipubic bones in eutherians is associated with a shift from the cross-couplet dominated motor pattern of marsupials to a shoulder-to-pelvis system with unilateral activation of abdominal muscles during locomotion and 3) that hypaxial function in generalized eutherians is more similar to marsupials than cursorial mammals.
Regulation of the tonsil cytokine milieu favors HIV susceptibility

Mucosal associated lymphoid tissues are major targets of HIV during early infection and disease progression but can also provide a viral safe haven during highly active antiretroviral ther- apy. Among these tissues, the tonsils remain enig- matic regarding their status as primary and/or sec- ondary sites of retroviral infection. To dissect the mechanisms underlying susceptibility to HIV in this compartment, isolated tonsil cells were studied for phenotypic and functional characteristics, which may account for their permissiveness to infection. For this, tonsil cells and PBMC were infected in parallel with HIV, and viral replication was moni- tored by p24 ELISA. Our results demonstrate that unstimulated tonsil cells were more readily in- fected than PBMC with HIV. Phenotypic charac- terization of the tonsil cells revealed heteroge- neous lymphoid populations but with increased ex- pression of early activation markers and the viral co-receptor CXCR4, relative to PBMC, all of which may contribute to viral susceptibility. Fur- thermore, the cytokine microenvironment ap- peared to be key in facilitating HIV infection and tonsil-secreted products enhanced HIV infection in PBMC. Of the cytokines detected in the tonsil su- pernatants, TH2 cytokines, particularly IL-4, pro- moted HIV infection and replication. Interestingly, this TH2 profile appeared to dominate, even in the presence of the TH1 cytokine IFN and the anti- viral factor IFN, likely due to the enhanced ex- pression of suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins, which may disengage IFN signal- ing. These and other local environmental factors may render tonsil cells increasingly susceptible to HIV infection. J. Leukoc. Biol. 80: 1145-1155; 2006.
Expectation fulfillment as a measure of patient satisfaction.

Abstract Previous efforts to determine to what degree patients are satisfied with clinical experiences have been frustrated because of the tendency for patients to give positive, socially acceptable, and invariant answers to postexperience questioning. A new questionnaire was designed and given to 121 gynecologic clinic patients in which expectation was measured as a pretest and fulfillment as a posttest of the same six items. Of a total of 804 responses, 197 expressed increased, and 167 decreased, satisfaction with specific elements of care, a much greater variance than previously reported. Modifications are suggested to increase this test's value in service evaluation.
Interactions between mood and the structure of semantic memory: event-related potentials evidence

Recent evidence suggests that affect acts as modulator of cognitive processes and in particular that induced mood has an effect on the way semantic memory is used on-line. We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine affective modulation of semantic information processing under three different moods: neutral, positive and negative. Fifteen subjects read 324 pairs of sentences, after mood induction procedure with 30 pictures of neutral, 30 pictures of positive and 30 pictures of neutral valence: 108 sentences were read in each mood induction condition. Sentences ended with three word types: expected words, within-category violations, and between-category violations. N400 amplitude was measured to the three word types under each mood induction condition. Under neutral mood, a congruency (more negative N400 amplitude for unexpected relative to expected endings) and a category effect (more negative N400 amplitude for between- than to within-category violations) were observed. Also, results showed differences in N400 amplitude for both within- and between-category violations as a function of mood: while positive mood tended to facilitate the integration of unexpected but related items, negative mood made their integration as difficult as unexpected and unrelated items. These findings suggest the differential impact of mood on access to long-term semantic memory during sentence comprehension.
Comparing internet and mobile phone usage: digital divides of usage, adoption, and dropouts

Abstract Results from a national representative telephone survey of Americans in 2000 show that Internet and mobile phone usage was very similar, and that several digital divides exist with respect to both Internet and mobile phone usage. The study identifies and analyzes three kinds of digital divides for both the Internet and mobile phones—users/nonuser, veteran/recent, and continuing/dropout—and similarities and differences among those digital divides based on demographic variables. The gap between Internet users and nonusers is associated with income and age, but no longer with gender and race, once other variables are controlled. The gap between mobile phone users and nonusers is associated with income, work status, and marital status. The veteran/recent Internet gap is predicted by income, age, education, phone user, membership in community religious organizations, having children, and gender; for mobile phones, age, work status and marital status are predictors. The gap between continuing and dropout users is predicted by education for Internet usage and income for mobile phone usage. Finally, cross-categorization of Internet and mobile phone usage/nonusage is distinguished (significantly though weakly) primarily by income and education. Thus, there are several digital divides, each predicted by somewhat different variables; and while Internet and mobile phone usage levels in 2000 were about the same, their users overlap but do not constitute completely equivalent populations.
The Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium-encoded type III secretion systems can translocate Chlamydia trachomatis proteins into the cytosol of host cells

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate, intracellular pathogen that is a major cause of preventable blindness and infertility worldwide. Although the published genome sequence suggests that C. trachomatis encodes a type III secretion system, the lack of genetic tools for studying Chlamydia has hindered the examination of this potentially important class of virulence genes. We have developed a technique to identify Chlamydia proteins that can be translocated into the host cell cytoplasm by a type III secretion system. We have selected several Chlamydia proteins and tagged them with a multiple peptide motif element called F8M4. Epitopes contained in the F8M4 tag allow us to use tools corresponding to different arms of the adaptive immune system to detect the expression and translocation of these proteins by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. In particular, CD8+-T-cell reactivity can be used to detect the translocation of F8M4-tagged proteins into the cytoplasm of host cells. We have found that CD8+-T-cell activity assays are sensitive enough to detect translocation of even a small amount of F8M4-tagged protein. We have used CD8+-T-cell activity to show that CopN, a Chlamydia protein previously shown to be translocated by Yersinia type III secretion, can be translocated by the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) type III secretion system. Additionally, we demonstrate that CopD and Pkn5, two Chlamydia proteins hypothesized to be substrates of a type III secretion system, are translocated via the SPI-2 type III secretion system of serovar Typhimurium. The epitope tag system described here can be used more generally to examine the expression and subcellular compartmentalization of bacterial proteins deployed during the interaction of pathogens with mammalian cells.
A large-area PSPMT-based gamma-ray imager with edge reclamation

We describe a coded aperture, gamma-ray imager which uses a CsI(Na) scintillator coupled to a Hamamatsu R3292 position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT) as the position-sensitive detector. We have modified the normal resistor divider readout of the PSPMT to allow use of nearly the full 10 cm diameter active area of the PSPMT with a single scintillator crystal one centimeter thick. This is a significant performance improvement over that obtained with the standard readout technique where the linearity and position resolution start to degrade at radii as small as 3.0 cm with a crystal 0.75 cm thick. This represents a recovery of over 60% of the PSPMT active area. The performance increase allows the construction of an imager with a field of view 20 resolution elements in diameter with useful quantum efficiency from 60-700 keV. In this paper we describe the readout technique, its implementation in a coded aperture imager and the performance of that imager.
Binding of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 E6 to E6AP Is Not Required for Activation of hTERT

The human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 (HPV16) E6 protein stimulates transcription of the catalytic subunit of telomerase, hTERT, in epithelial cells. It has been reported that binding to the ubiquitin ligase E6AP is required for this E6 activity, with E6 directing E6AP to the hTERT promoter. We previously reported two E6AP binding-defective HPV16 E6 mutations that induced immortalization of human mammary epithelial cells. Because activation of hTERT is proposed to be necessary for epithelial cell immortalization, we sought to further characterize the relationship between E6/E6AP association and telomerase induction. We demonstrate that while these E6 mutants do not bind E6AP, they retain the capability to stimulate the expression of hTERT. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the presence of Myc, wild-type E6, and the E6AP binding-defective E6 mutants, but not E6AP itself, at the endogenous hTERT promoter. Interestingly, an immortalization-defective E6 mutant localized to the hTERT promoter but failed to increase transcription. We conclude that binding to E6AP is not necessary for E6 localization to or activation of the hTERT promoter and that another activity of E6 is involved in hTERT activation.
Rectification And Radiometric Manipulation Of Hand-held Photography From Space

manned spaceflight. Although the pictures they produce are analog in nature and lack the spectral information of other Earth remote sensing systems, there are several features of astronaut and cosmonaut photography that cannot be matched by automated sensors. These include use of unusual off-nadir geometries, multiple focal length lenses to suit special situations, uncommon lighting conditions for atmospheric and Earth and ocean surface features, and most of all the human ability to recognize phenomena and react in real time to information provided by mission controllers or to their own observations of the Earth's surface. For example, astronauts have observed otherwise unreported volcanic activity of roughly 50% of Space Shuttle flights. This paper discusses the geometric and radiometric properties of these images, how, once digitized, they may be manipulated using photogrammetric techniques to produce rectified (or geocoded) images for registration with maps or data from other sensors, and their radiometric manipulation to exbract the maximum amount of spectral information possible from the color films. By far the most difficult of these tasks is the geometric rectification of the digitized images. Unlike their predecessors on early American manned spaceflights the 70 mm Hasselblad and 5) in Linhof cameras carried on board the Space Shuttle are not metric, nor is a fiducial plate used for the del.exmination of the optical axis, or principal point. Spacecraft position at the time a picture is acquired is only poorly known, since the Shuttle standard ephemeris contains RMS emrs of several km in each axis and time codes on the film (only present when a data back is used) ax. recorded to no better than one second i(spac:ecraft velocity is about 7.75 Ws). Lastly, camera orientation is completely undetermined. This paper details-techniques that have been developed for the use of control poimts in handheld photographs to perform "resection in space", the determination of the camera position imd cnientation at the time of the exposure. It describes an algorithm for the rectification of the images given the position and orientation data, and the transformation of the images into the geometry of other sensors such as imaging radar or into map projections, commonly called geocoding. The errors involved in these operations are discussed and several examples are presented of images that have been rectified, coregistexed, geocoded, and manipulated using standard image processing techniques (histogram equalization, principal components, etc.) for extraction of geoscientific information. I
In-bore projectile dynamics in the linear induction launcher (LIL). 1. Oscillations

The projectile in a linear induction launcher is subject to centering (levitation) forces, as well as propelling ones. Due to their uneven distribution, these forces give rise to rotation, as well as translation of the projectile axis. This paper assesses these motions. >
Isoflurane inhibits synaptic vesicle exocytosis through reduced Ca2+ influx, not Ca2+-exocytosis coupling

Identifying presynaptic mechanisms of general anesthetics is critical to understanding their effects on synaptic transmission. We show that the volatile anesthetic isoflurane inhibits synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis at nerve terminals in dissociated rat hippocampal neurons through inhibition of presynaptic Ca(2+) influx without significantly altering the Ca(2+) sensitivity of SV exocytosis. A clinically relevant concentration of isoflurane (0.7 mM) inhibited changes in [Ca(2+)]i driven by single action potentials (APs) by 25 ± 3%, which in turn led to 62 ± 3% inhibition of single AP-triggered exocytosis at 4 mM extracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]e). Lowering external Ca(2+) to match the isoflurane-induced reduction in Ca(2+) entry led to an equivalent reduction in exocytosis. These data thus indicate that anesthetic inhibition of neurotransmitter release from small SVs occurs primarily through reduced axon terminal Ca(2+) entry without significant direct effects on Ca(2+)-exocytosis coupling or on the SV fusion machinery. Isoflurane inhibition of exocytosis and Ca(2+) influx was greater in glutamatergic compared with GABAergic nerve terminals, consistent with selective inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission. Such alteration in the balance of excitatory to inhibitory transmission could mediate reduced neuronal interactions and network-selective effects observed in the anesthetized central nervous system.
Antidepressant use and colorectal cancer risk.

Purpose A previous epidemiologic study reported a 30% reduced risk of colorectal cancer among users of high doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). We assessed the association of colorectal cancer risk with SSRI and tricyclic antidepressant use in our hospital-based Case Control Surveillance Study.
The effect of naltrexone on body fat mass in olanzapine-treated schizophrenic or schizoaffective patients: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study:

Olanzapine (OLZ), a commonly prescribed second generation antipsychotic drug, is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome and may contribute to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Opioidergic neurotransmission may be implicated in the development of these metabolic disturbances. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of opioid blockade on OLZ-treated patients' metabolic status. Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n=30) on a stable dose of OLZ were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive an opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone (NTX), (n=14) or placebo (n=16). The primary outcome measure was the change in body mass index (BMI) at 12 weeks. Secondary measures included body fat and fat-free mass, along with homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), plasma lipids and liver function tests (LFTs). There was no significant change in BMI between the treatment arms. However, in comparison to the OLZ + placebo combination, the OLZ + NTX group displayed a significant decrease in the fat and increase in fat-free mass along with a trend towards improvement in HOMA-IR values. There were no significant differences in plasma lipids and LFTs. These findings suggest that addition of NTX to OLZ may attenuate OLZ-induced body fat mass gain. A larger study of longer duration will be needed to confirm these results.
Immunogenicity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Lipooligosaccharide Epitope 2C7, Widely Expressed In Vivo with No Immunochemical Similarity to Human Glycosphingolipids

Natural infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae may elicit a substantial antibody response directed against gonococcal lipooligosaccharide. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 2C7 recognized a gonococcal lipooligosaccharide epitope, identified the epitope directly in 94% of 68 consecutive culture-positive genital secretions, and recognized 95% of 101 randomly chosen fresh (second-passage) gonococcal isolates. The epitope was stably maintained after multiple in vitro passages and did not compete with any of the known cross-reactive human glycosphingolipid structures. MAb 2C7 mediated in vitro killing and phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes of 1 serum-sensitive (sialylated or not) and 1 stably serum-resistant gonococcal isolate that expressed the epitope. Gonococcal endometritis and disseminated infection elicited increases (6.5-fold IgM, 4.4-fold IgG; 18-fold IgM, 17-fold IgG, respectively) in anti-2C7 epitope antibody. Immunization with a gonococcal outer membrane vaccine elicited a mean 44.5-fold increase in IgG anti-2C7 epitope antibody in 20 of 28 subjects. The epitope identified by MAb 2C7 may represent an excellent target for a potentially protective gonococcal vaccine candidate.
Antineuroblastoma activity of triterpenoids involves induction of apoptosis through inhibition of Akt/NF-κB prosurvival pathways

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4877 Neuroblastomas are high-risk primary brain tumors that are generally unresponsive or only weakly responsive to the currently available antineoplastic agents. The current median survival for glioblastoma patients is approximately one year, thus novel therapeutic agents are urgently needed. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are naturally occurring triterpenoids that have been used in traditional Asian medicine as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents. Recently, synthetic oleanolic acid derivatives: 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) and its C-28 methyl ester (CDDO-Me) and C-28 imidazole (CDDO-Im) have been shown to exhibit potent antitumor activity against diverse types of tumor cell lines, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma, breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer cell lines; however, anticancer activity of these agents for brain tumors has not been reported. In the present study, we investigated the apoptosis-inducing activity of CDDOs in neuroblastoma cell lines U87MG, U251MG, and SK-N-MC. Cell growth/viability (MTS) and cytotoxicity (LDH release) assays demonstrated that neuroblastoma cell lines are least sensitive to the parent synthetic oleanolic acid triterpenoid (CDDO), but are highly sensitive to CDDO-Me and CDDO-Im at concentrations of 2.5-10 μM. CDDO-Me and CDDO-Im were equipotenent in their growth inhibitory activity. The primary mode of tumor cell destruction was apoptosis as demonstrated by significant increase in the number of hypo-diploid (sub-G1) and annexin V-binding cells. Induction of apoptosis was associated with activation of procaspases -3, -8, and -9, mitochondrial depolarization and the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Furthermore, CDDO-Me inhibited the levels of anti-apoptotic and prosurvival p-Akt, NF-κB (p65) and Notch1 signaling molecules. These studies provide preliminary evidence for the potential use of these novel triterpenoids for clinical management of lethal brain neoplasms.
Simultaneous Multi-plane Imaging of Neural Circuits

Recording the activity of large populations of neurons is an important step toward understanding the emergent function of neural circuits. Here we present a simple holographic method to simultaneously perform two-photon calcium imaging of neuronal populations across multiple areas and layers of mouse cortex in vivo. We use prior knowledge of neuronal locations, activity sparsity, and a constrained nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm to extract signals from neurons imaged simultaneously and located in different focal planes or fields of view. Our laser multiplexing approach is simple and fast, and could be used as a general method to image the activity of neural circuits in three dimensions across multiple areas in the brain.
Variants in bladder exstrophy

ABSTRACT: Two cases, one of Duplicate Exstrophy, and another of covered Exstrophy, are presented. Reconstruction was done in both patients. They are both passing urine per urethra and are continent.
Rent Bypassing and Sourcing of University-Based Technology

Our paper advances theory by addressing the problem of expropriation by specialized knowledge agents who create value-generating resources claimed by principals. Specifically, we explore the conditions under which university scientists can redirect the value of discoveries from university laboratories via private appropriation directly to the market. We studied 23,394 scientists working in 54 U.S. universities and found that private appropriation is reduced when a university professionalizes its technology transfer function. Contrary to expectations contingent compensation schemes tend to encourage more private appropriation. We also found that more valuable intellectual capital and being located in an entrepreneurially active environment were associated with increased private appropriation.
Anti-IgE Therapy

The development of a drug to affect the basic cause of allergic disease has invigorated practicing allergists’ interest in the intricate molecular and cellular processes occurring in allergic reactions. An anti-immunoglobulin (Ig)E antibody is not merely a chemical blocking agent, but possesses potential multiple immunoregulatory effects. A lead product, omalizumab, a recombinant humanized IgG1 antibody with a unique set of binding specificities toward human IgE, has been approved in the United States and Australia for treating adult and adolescent patients with moderate to severe asthma. Applications of this biopharmaceutical in treating allergic rhinitis and for protecting against anaphylactic reactions to peanuts are in active development. It may also have an important role in protection against anaphylaxis during standard antigen specific immunotherapy, providing safety and the ability to more aggressively extend this traditional therapy
Employee behavioral intention and technology use: Mediating processes and individual difference moderators

EMPLOYEE BEHAVIORAL INTENTION AND TECHNOLOGY USE: MEDIATING PROCESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE MODERATORS Robert Conrad Brusso Old Dominion University, 2015 Director: Dr. Richard N. Landers Considering the substantial amount of time and organizational resources that are involved in the development and implementation of end-user technology (e.g., communication software platforms, social networking sites) within organizations, it is imperative to understand the factors that best predict use of end-user software. Although technology acceptance models, grounded in broader theories of behavior, do exist, these models fall-short in determining the most proximal antecedents of actual behavior. Currently, the majority of the research in the information technology arena posits behavioral intention as the most proximal antecedent of technology use. Behavioral intention does explain variance in use, but this relationship has been the subject of discussions and research calling for 1) an investigation of potential moderators based on meta-analytic results, 2) the consideration of theoretically meaningfully mediators that may explain the relationship between behavioral intention and behavior, and 3) stronger experimental designs that do not rely on self-reported technology use. To this end, a model was developed that posited that the relationship between behavioral intention and behavior is mediated by implementation plans. Further, it was also hypothesized that the behavioral intention to implementation plans relationship, as well as the implementation plans to behavior relationship, is moderated by computer self-efficacy. To test the hypotheses, approximately 406 participants from a large international organization responded to survey questions intended to assess their behavioral intentions, implementation plans, and computer self-efficacy. Further, participant usage of the technology in question (Microsoft Lync) was assessed by querying their actual use following a one month post-survey lag. The results demonstrated partial support for the complete hypothesized model, with implementation plans mediating the behavioral intentions – behavior relationship. The moderating effect of computer self-efficacy was not supported. Practical implications, directions for future, and limitations are discussed.