cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Osteoporosis as the sole manifestation of systemic mastocytosis in a young man.

OBJECTIVE: To highlight the difficulty involved in making a diagnosis of systemic mastocytosis (SM) when it manifests solely as osteoporosis. METHODS: We present a detailed case report and review the literature regarding the work-up of secondary osteoporosis and the diagnosis and treatment of SM. Other cases of SM presenting as osteoporosis in male patients are also described. RESULTS: A 35-year-old man presented with back pain after weight lifting and was diagnosed with a T7 vertebral compression fracture. A dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan resulted in a T-score of -3.2 in the spine and of -1.9 and -2.4 in the hip and femoral neck areas, respectively. Results of standard tests for secondary osteoporosis including calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, kidney and liver function, thyroid function, testosterone level, and midnight salivary cortisol were normal. Further testing revealed a high serum tryptase level of 26.8 μg/L (reference range, <11.4) and elevated urinary histamine at 39.1 μg/g creatinine (reference range, <35). Bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of mastocytosis. CONCLUSION: The rare diagnosis of SM is difficult when there is little clinical suspicion and remains a challenge to endocrinologists and other physicians. The condition should be suspected in young male patients with no other obvious cause of osteoporosis.
Measurement Methods of Electron Emission Over a Full Range of Sample Charging

Spacecraft charging codes require accurate models of electron yields as a function of accumulated charge to correctly predict the charge buildup on spacecraft. The accumulated charge creates equilibrium surface potentials on spacecraft resulting from interactions with the space plasma environment. There is, however, a complex relation between these emission properties and the charge built up in spacecraft insulators. This paper focuses on different methods appropriate to determine the fundamental electronic material property of the total electron yield as the materials accumulate charge. Three methods for determining the uncharged total yield are presented: 1) The dc continuous beam method is a relatively easy and accurate method appropriate for conductors and semiconductors with maximum total electron yield σmax ; 1024 Ω·cm; and 3) the yield decay method is a very difficult and time-consuming technique that uses a combination of measurement and modeling to investigate the most difficult materials with σmax >; 4 and ρ up to <; 1024 Ω·cm. Data for high-purity polycrystalline Au, Kapton HN and CP1 polyimides, and polycrystalline aluminum oxide ceramic are presented. These data demonstrate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each method but more importantly show that the methods described herein are capable of reliably measuring the total electron yield of almost any spacecraft material.
Teaching and Testimony: Witnessing and Bearing Witness to Racisms in Culturally Diverse Classrooms

AbstractThis article is an effort to understand some patterns of student response in four sections of a cultural diversity course I taught during two subsequent spring semesters. I wanted to understand why students in one of the two sections each semester were quite receptive to the multicultural and antiracist perspectives of the course, and the tone and feeling in those sections were quite positive throughout, while in the two other sections both I and most of the students, from the outset, experienced the course as a difficult, somewhat aversive, ongoing struggle. I also wanted to understand why students in both the difficult and receptive second semester sections were much more satisfied with and impacted by the course than were their first semester counterparts. I wondered if I had learned something about teaching this course that I did not yet understand.I, a woman of European descent, explore these questions in terms of a framework explicated in Testimony, a book that seeks to understand surviving ...
Change in Soluble Phosphorus in Soils following Fertilization is Dependent on Initial Mehlich‐3 Phosphorus

There is a lack of information on how fertilization and initial Mehlich-3 phosphorus (M3P) interact to affect water soluble P (WSP) in soils. Our objectives were to (i) quantify the relationship between WSP and M3P for four textural diverse benchmark soils of North Carolina (NC) and (ii) quantify the change in WSP concentrations following P additions to soils over a wide range of initial M3P. Soils known to represent a wide range in M3P were collected from an Autryville loamy sand (loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Arenic Paleudults), Wasda muck (fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, acid, thermic Histic Humaquepts), Georgeville silt loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults), and Pacolet sandy clay loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults) and analyzed for M3P, Fe, Al, and WSP. An incubation study was also conducted where four samples representing a range in M3P from each series were fertilized at rates of 150 and 300 kg P ha -1 , 1, and WSP was measured at 1, 7, and 21 d after fertilization. The Wasda muck exhibited a change point at 115 mg P kg -1 across a broad range of M3P concentrations (60-238 mg kg -1 ) while Autryville, Georgeville, and Pacolet series (with ranges in M3P of 32-328, 119-524, 0-1034 mg P kg -1 , respectively) maintained linear relationships between WSP and M3P. For the fertilized soils, significant increases in WSP occurred regardless of P rate. Yet, WSP concentrations were greater in soils with greater initial M3P. Thus, these data suggest that shifting animal waste applications to fields of relatively lower M3P concentrations would have an immediate impact on reducing risk for P losses, if all other factors are equal.
A Document Storage Method Based on Polarized Distance

Some elementary mathematical properties of term matching document retrieval systems are developed. These properties are used as a basis for a new file organization technique. Some of the advantages of this new method are (1) the key-to-address transformation is easily determined; (2) the documentary information is stored only once in the file; (3) the file organization allows the use of various matching functions and thresholds; and (4) the dimensionality of the transform is easily expanded to accommodate various sized data bases.
Visualization and Simulation of Asphalt Concrete with Randomly Generated Three-Dimensional Models

The objective of this study is to visualize and simulate microscale properties of asphalt concrete with three-dimensional discrete element models under mechanical loading. The microstructure of the asphalt concrete sample was composed of three ingredients: coarse aggregates, sand mastic (a combination of fines, fine aggregates, and asphalt binder), and air voids. Coarse aggregates were represented with the irregular polyhedron particles which were randomly created with an algorithm developed for this study. The gaps among the irregular particles were filled with air voids and discrete elements of sand mastic. The mechanical behaviors of the three ingredients were simulated with specific constitutive models at different contacts of discrete elements. Based on the geometric and mechanical models, visualization and simulation of asphalt mixtures were conducted in this study.
Drinking and creativity: objective and subjective effects

A literature characterized by considerable speculation but a paucity of empirical studies prompted this experiment on the relation between drinking and creativity. After being queried about how they believed alcohol would affect their creative performance, 40 male undergraduate social drinkers were assigned to one of four treatments in a balanced placebo design. Those actually receiving alcohol consumed a mixture containing .6 g of ethanol per kg of body weight. All subjects then completed the entire Figural portion and the Unusual Uses subtest of the Verbal portion of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Posttesting explored subjects' own evaluations of their creative products and the kinds of attributions they made about factors contributing to the outcomes. Results showed minimal effects of beverage manipulations on measured creativity even when a priori belief and concurrent mood scores were covaried. However, those individuals who thought they had received alcohol gave significantly more positive evaluations of their creative performances than did subjects who believed they were in the non-alcohol treatments. Subjects did not attribute changes in creativity to drinking. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.
Simulated annealing and tabu search: lessons from a line search

Abstract Two prominent techniques for finding near optimal solutions to hard combinatorial optimization problems are simulated annealing and tabu search. In this paper we describe some methods of determining the expected time to encounter an optimal solution. The methods are used in the analysis of the performance of these two algorithms when applied to a line search. The results provide rationalization of decisions made by many algorithm designers and some insights useful for future designs.
Acquired Hallux Varus

Acquired hallux varus most commonly occurs after hallux valgus surgery. Sagittal plane, coronal plane, and varus deformities are present at the metatarsophalangeal joint. Evaluation of both the metatarsophalangeal and interphalangeal joints for mobility is necessary in surgical decision making. Not all patients require surgery. The anatomy, incidence, pathogenesis, evaluation, classification, and treatment of acquired hallux varus are discussed in this review.
MMP-2 alters VEGF expression via αVβ3 integrin-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling in A549 lung cancer cells

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important angiogenic growth factors for tumor angiogenesis. Here, we sought to explore whether RNA interference (RNAi) targeting matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) could disrupt VEGF-mediated angiogenesis in lung cancer. MMP-2 siRNA inhibited lung cancer cell-induced tube formation of endothelial cells in vitro; addition of recombinant human-MMP-2 restored angiogenesis. MMP-2 transcriptional suppression decreased VEGF, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) protein levels and AKT phosphorylation in lung cancer cells. In addition, MMP-2 suppression decreased hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a transcription factor for VEGF, as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). We also show that MMP-2 suppression disrupted PI3K dependent VEGF expression; ectopic expression of myr-AKT restored VEGF inhibition. Further, MMP-2 suppression decreased the interaction of integrin-αVβ3 and MMP-2 as confirmed by immunoprecipitation analyses. Studies with either function blocking integrin-αVβ3 antibody or MMP-2 specific inhibitor (ARP-100) indicate that suppression of MMP-2 decreased integrin-αVβ3-mediated induction of PI3K/AKT leading to decreased VEGF expression. Moreover, A549 xenograft tissue sections from mice that treated with MMP-2 siRNA showed reduced expression of VEGF and the angiogenic marker, factor-VIII. The inhibition of tumor angiogenesis in MMP-2 suppressed tumor sections was associated with decreased co-localization of integrin-αVβ3 and MMP-2. In summary, these data provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying MMP-2-mediated VEGF expression in lung tumor angiogenesis.
Numerical optimization of texture shape for parallel surfaces under unidirectional and bidirectional sliding

Abstract A numerical optimization approach based on the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm is used to determine the optimum texture shape for generating the highest load-carrying capacity (LCC). A benchmark problem is first solved to validate this optimization method. Then the novel texture shapes which produce the maximum LCC for both unidirectional and bidirectional sliding motion are proposed and analyzed. For unidirectional sliding the optimum textures have chevron-type shapes with flat fronts and for bidirectional sliding they consist of pairs of the trapezoid-like shapes. Finally, the performances of optimum shapes are compared with those of regular shapes using a mass-conservative algorithm.
Near-infrared fluorophores as biomolecular probes

Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescence has been valuable in analytical and bioanalytical chemistry. NIR probes and labels have been used for several applications, including hydrophobicity of protein binding sites, DNA sequencing, immunoassays, CE separations, etc. The NIR region (700-1100 nm) has advantages for the spectroscopist due to the inherently lower background interference from the biological matrix and the high molar absorptivities of NIR chromophores. During the studies we report here several NIR dyes were prepared to determine the role of the hydrophobicity of NIR dyes and their charge in binding to amino acids and proteins, e.g., serum albumins. We synthesized NIR dye homologs containing the same chromophore but substituents of varying hydrophobicity. Hydrophobic moieties were represented by alkyl and aryl groups. These NIR dyes of varying hydrophobicity exhibited varying degrees of H-aggregation in aqueous solution indicating that the degree of H-aggregation could be used as an indicator to predict binding characteristics to serum albumins. In order to understand what factors may be important in the binding process, spectral behavior of these varying hydrophobicity dyes were examined in the presence of amino acids. Typical dye structures that exhibit large binding constants to biomolecules were compared in order to optimize applications utilizing non-covalent interactions.
Exaggeration of perceived smoking norms among college students: Does smoking status matter?

Introduction: Research suggests that over half of the college students who have smoked within the past 30 days deny being smokers (“deniers”). Furthermore, college students overestimate injunctive and descriptive norms of peer drug use. The purposes of this study were to (a) estimate the prevalence of deniers and students who identify as smokers within a college sample, (b) determine whether students overestimate descriptive and injunctive norms related to cigarette use by peers, and (c) determine whether the degree of exaggeration differs according to smoking status.Method: Participants included 1904 students (18–24 years) from a Northeastern private university who were primarily female (59%), Caucasian (70%), and first-year students (59%). Students completed an online questionnaire that asked for reports of current smoking behavior and attitudes, as well as estimates of other students’ behaviors and attitudes.Results: Results indicated that students significantly overestimated the percentage of peers wh...
Asymmetric synthesis with chiral β-lactams. Highly stereoselective alkylation and aldol reaction of a chiral 3-amino-4-styryl-β-lactam

Abstract Extremely stereoselective alkylation and aldol reaction of enantiomerically pure 3-amino-4-styryl-β-lactams and an applcation to the asymmetric synthesis of α,β-diamino acid and alcohol are described. Possible mechanisms for these reactions are proposed.
Carbon nanotubes: opportunities and challenges

Carbon nanotubes are graphene sheets rolled-up into cylinders with diameters as small as one nanometer. Extensive work carried out worldwide in recent years has revealed the intriguing electrical and mechanical properties of these novel molecular scale wires. It is now well established that carbon nanotubes are ideal model systems for studying the physics in one-dimensional solids and have significant potential as building blocks for various practical nanoscale devices. Nanotubes have been shown to be useful for miniaturized electronic, mechanical, electromechanical, chemical and scanning probe devices and materials for macroscopic composites. Progress in nanotube growth has facilitated the fundamental study and applications of nanotubes. Gaining control over challenging nanotube growth issues is critical to the future advancement of nanotube science and technology, and is being actively pursued by researchers.
Pyrrolidine bis-cyclic guanidines with antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens identified from a mixture-based combinatorial library.

The rapid rise in antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacterial infections prompted us to explore the development of novel strategies for synthesis of large chemical libraries amenable to high-throughput screening for antimicrobial activities. Here we report the solid-phase synthesis of a 738,192 member pyrrolidine bis-cyclic guanidine chemical library with 26 different amino acids at three positions of diversity and 42 carboxylic acids at the fourth position. This synthetic combinatorial library was developed for posi- tional scanning and screened for bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities against the important human pathogen methicillin-resis- tant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The eight compound mixtures exhibiting bactericidal activity (10 lg/mL) against MRSA were used to direct the synthesis of 36 individual compounds that were then screened for activity against MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), and two Gram-negative bacterial species. At least 20 individual compounds were bactericidal for MRSA at 62.5 lg/mL, with a subset of these compounds showing bactericidal activities (610 lg/mL) against the other species test- ed. This approach demonstrates the capability to synthesize and screen a complex library to yield promising antimicrobials that address a critical need for novel infectious disease therapeutics. � 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dragma Hippomanicum II: Astragali Novi Peninsulares Moraniani

Three new species are described from Estado Baja California, Mexico:A. (sect. Trichopodi)oxyphysopsis;A. (sect. Inflati)sanctorum; andA. (sect. Inflati)moranii.
Crystal Structures of Staphylococcus epidermidis Mevalonate Diphosphate Decarboxylase Bound to Inhibitory Analogs Reveal New Insight into Substrate Binding and Catalysis

The polyisoprenoid compound undecaprenyl phosphate is required for biosynthesis of cell wall peptidoglycans in Gram-positive bacteria, including pathogenic Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus spp. In these organisms, the mevalonate pathway is used to produce the precursor isoprenoid, isopentenyl 5-diphosphate. Mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD) catalyzes formation of isopentenyl 5-diphosphate in an ATP-dependent irreversible reaction and is therefore an attractive target for inhibitor development that could lead to new antimicrobial agents. To facilitate exploration of this possibility, we report the crystal structure of Staphylococcus epidermidis MDD (1.85 Å resolution) and, to the best of our knowledge, the first structures of liganded MDD. These structures include MDD bound to the mevalonate 5-diphosphate analogs diphosphoglycolyl proline (2.05 Å resolution) and 6-fluoromevalonate diphosphate (FMVAPP; 2.2 Å resolution). Comparison of these structures provides a physical basis for the significant differences in Ki values observed for these inhibitors. Inspection of enzyme/inhibitor structures identified the side chain of invariant Ser192 as making potential contributions to catalysis. Significantly, Ser → Ala substitution of this side chain decreases kcat by ∼103-fold, even though binding interactions between FMVAPP and this mutant are similar to those observed with wild type MDD, as judged by the 2.1 Å cocrystal structure of S192A with FMVAPP. Comparison of microbial MDD structures with those of mammalian counterparts reveals potential targets at the active site periphery that may be exploited to selectively target the microbial enzymes. These studies provide a structural basis for previous observations regarding the MDD mechanism and inform future work toward rational inhibitor design.
QCD in the axial gauge: Boundary terms and Poincaré invariance

Abstract Quantum chromodynamics is investigated in the axial gauge with particular attention to boundary terms. The Poincare algebra has anomalies and closes only in the gauge-invariant physical sector. A simple method is proposed for dealing with the boundary condition E3a → 0 as x3 → ∞ in a Hamiltonian formalism. It is found that the gauge potentials have physically meaningful non-trivial asymptotic behavior related to instanton effects. This presents an obstacle to perturbation theory.
Immunomodulatory effects of deacetylase inhibitors: therapeutic targeting of FOXP3+ regulatory T cells

Classical zinc-dependent histone deacetylases (HDACs) catalyse the removal of acetyl groups from histone tails and also from many non-histone proteins, including the transcription factor FOXP3, a key regulator of the development and function of regulatory T cells. Many HDAC inhibitors are in cancer clinical trials, but a subset of HDAC inhibitors has important anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive effects that might be of therapeutic benefit in immuno-inflammatory disorders or post-transplantation. At least some of these effects result from the ability of HDAC inhibitors to enhance the production and suppressive functions of FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells. Understanding which HDACs contribute to the regulation of the functions of regulatory T cells may further stimulate the development of new class- or subclass-specific HDAC inhibitors with applications beyond oncology.
Quantitative measure of cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs and other agents.

Abstract Many anticancer drugs act on cancer cells to promote apoptosis, which includes impairment of cellular respiration (mitochondrial O 2 consumption). Other agents also inhibit cellular respiration, sometimes irreversibly. To investigate the sensitivity of cancer cells to cytotoxins, including anticancer drugs, we compare the profiles of cellular O 2 consumption in the absence and presence of these agents. Oxygen measurements are made at 37 °C, using glucose as a substrate, with [O 2 ] obtained from the phosphorescence decay rate of a palladium phosphor. The rate of respiration k is defined as − d [O 2 ]/ dt in a sealed container. Different toxins produce different profiles of impaired respiration, implying different mechanisms for the drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. The decrease in the average value of k over a fixed time period, I , is proposed as a characteristic value to assess mitochondrial injury. The value of I depends on the nature of the toxin, its concentration, and the exposure time as well as on the cell type. Results for several cell types and 10 cytotoxins are presented here.
Annealing effects on surface-plasmon-enhanced bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics

We investigated the ability of silver thin metal films to enhance photovoltaic conversion efficiency in blends of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) and methanofullerene [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). By varying the thickness of the silver films and developing a new fabrication routine that involves annealing for long periods of time at low temperatures, we were able to reproducibly enhance photoconversion in P3HT/PCBM devices. Photovoltaic conversion efficiency was monitored using internal photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) and current-voltage measurements. We observed that plasmonic materials were able to enhance the conversion efficiencies of organic, bulk heterojunction devices. The relationship between the surface plasmon resonance wavelength and overall device performance is also presented with IPCE data. These preliminary studies indicate that plasmonic enhancement in bulk heterojunction devices show promise to improve the viability of organic solar cells.
Stress distributions in patterned-substrate InGaAs/InP

Under appropriate conditions, the growth of InGaAs/InP on patterned InP substrates leads to the development of atomically smooth triangular structures with [111]B sidewalls and embedded in InGaAs quantum wells. Using finite element methods, we examine how the stress distribution arising from embedded compressive and tensile quantum well influences the subsequent growth of self-assembled InAs quantum dots on the sidewalls. By calculating the total strain energy of the structure we show that the InAs dots would locate preferentially along the sidewall near the location of a comprehensive quantum well and away from a tensile quantum well. We also show that the size distribution can be narrowed in a three-layer structure that consists of one compressive quantum well sandwiched between two tensile quantum wells.
Cognitive, affective, and attribute bases of the satisfaction response.

An attempt to extend current thinking on postpurchase response to include attribute satisfaction and dissatisfaction as separate determinants not fully reflected in either cognitive (i.e., expectancy disconfirmation) or affective paradigms is presented. In separate studies of automobile satisfaction and satisfaction with course instruction, respondents provided the nature of emotional experience, disconfirmation perceptions, and separate attribute satisfaction and dissatisfaction judgments. Analysis confirmed the disconfirmation effect and the effects of separate dimensions of positive and negative affect and also suggested a multidimensional structure to the affect dimensions. Additionally, attribute satisfaction and dissatisfaction were significantly related to positive and negative affect, respectively, and to overall satisfaction. It is suggested that all dimensions tested are needed for a full accounting of postpurchase responses in usage.
Treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma with IMRT: patterns of failure after concurrent chemoradiotherapy and sequential therapy

ABSTRACT Background The optimal management of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is controversial. Modern radiotherapy typically employs intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and herein, we report the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) experience with IMRT-based treatment of OPSCC. Design Retrospective study of all patients treated at DFCI for OPSCC with definitive or adjuvant IMRT between 8/04 and 8/09. The primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points were locoregional control (LRC) and freedom from distant metastases (FFDM). Propensity score matching was used to create concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and sequential therapy (ST) cohorts equally balanced for patient and disease characteristics. Results One hundred and sixty-three patients were included with 75% presenting with stage IV disease. Fifty-six patients (34%) were treated with ST. The three-year actuarial OS, LRC, and FFDM rates for the entire cohort/ST subset were 86%/89%, 86%/87%, and 88%/93%, respectively. There were no differences in OS, LRC, or FFDM between CCRT and ST in the propensity-matched cohort. Conclusions IMRT was associated with excellent OS, LRC, and FFDM. Although the results following ST were superb, there was no obvious benefit to ST after adjustment for selection bias. We recommend that ST be reserved for medically fit patients with a high risk of distant metastases.
Optimal control of switched systems based on parameterization of the switching instants

This paper presents a new approach for solving optimal control problems for switched systems. We focus on problems in which a prespecified sequence of active subsystems is given. For such problems, we need to seek both the optimal switching instants and the optimal continuous inputs. In order to search for the optimal switching instants, the derivatives of the optimal cost with respect to the switching instants need to be known. The most important contribution of the paper is a method which first transcribes an optimal control problem into an equivalent problem parameterized by the switching instants and then obtains the values of the derivatives based on the solution of a two point boundary value differential algebraic equation formed by the state, costate, stationarity equations, the boundary and continuity conditions, along with their differentiations. This method is applied to general switched linear quadratic problems and an efficient method based on the solution of an initial value ordinary differential equation is developed. An extension of the method is also applied to problems with internally forced switching. Examples are shown to illustrate the results in the paper.
A new approach of robust observer design

This paper shows that based on the recent development of observer design solution, an observer pole selection method can be formulated to minimize the observer gain to the system input. It is proved in this paper that this method is a deterministic approach of the recovery, of loop transfer function and robustness of direct state feedback system.
Activation of Group III mGluRs increases the activity of neurons in area 17 of the cat

Activation of Group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) by L(+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4) has different effects on in vitro slice preparations of visual cortex (Jin & Daw, 1998) as compared with in vivo recordings from somatosensory cortex (Wan & Cahusac, 1995). To investigate the role of Group III mGluRs in the cat visual cortex, in vivo recordings were made of neurons in area 17 of the visual cortex of kittens and adult cats at different ages and the effect of iontophoretic application of L-AP4 (100 mM) was examined. Application of L-AP4 resulted in an increase of the spontaneous activity and visual response of neurons to visual stimulation, the former more than the latter. The effect of L-AP4 was greatest at 3-5 weeks of age with the effect on the visual response declining more rapidly than the effect on spontaneous activity. Consistent with work in rat cortex (Jin & Daw, 1998), the effect of L-AP4 was significantly greater in upper and lower layers than in middle layers. Whole-cell in vitro recordings from slices of rat visual cortex indicated that L-AP4 (50 mM) did not increase the number of spikes elicited by increasing levels of current injections. These results confirm that L-AP4 increases activity in vivo and reasons for the discrepancy with the in vitro results are discussed.
Conceptual Development and Empirical Use of the Family Intrusiveness Scale

This article reports on the conceptual development and empirical use of the Family Intrusiveness Scale (FIS), an instrument designed to reflect levels of intrusiveness in the family system. The development of the FIS and initial data regarding its psychometric properties are presented. Furthermore, use of this instrument in published studies is reviewed as evidence of the scale's reliability and validity. Finally, consideration is given to the use of the FIS as a practical and effective tool in future research efforts that focus on adolescents and families.
Retention of butt‐end aluminum leg bands by wild turkeys

We examined retention of butt-end aluminum leg bands on Rio Grande wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) captured in Texas and Kansas, USA, 2000-2009. We examined 187 recaptured or harvested radiotagged wild turkeys to determine band retention and modeled band retention with Program MARK. We did not detect differences in band retention among age and gender classes or that band retention probability was time dependent. We estimated monthly probability of band retention was 0.990 (SE ¼ 0.002). Band retention probability was 0.971 (SE ¼ 0.006) at 3 months post-banding and 0.864 (SE ¼ 0.028) at 15 months post-banding. Butt-end aluminum leg band retention was not 100% for wild turkeys marked during our work; however, our band retention rates were 3.7-5.7 times greater than described previously. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Camera-Based ID Verification by Signature Tracking

A number of vision-based biometric techniques have been proposed in the past for personal identification. We present a novel one based on visual capturing of signatures. This paper describes a system based on correlation and recursive prediction methods that can track the tip of the pen in real time, with sufficient spatio-temporal resolution and accuracy to enable signature verification. Several examples and the performance of the system are shown.
Repopulation of Periodontal Pockets by Microbial Pathogens in the Absence of Supportive Therapy

This clinical study evaluated the reinfection incidence by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), and Prevotella intermedia (Pi) in periodontal pockets following scaling and root planing (SRP) and intra-pocket irrigation with antimicrobial agents in a patient population who did not receive supportive maintenance therapy. The number of target organisms was determined utilizing DNA probes. Forty-one (41) inflamed pockets > or = 5 mm with attachment loss and containing at least one target species were selected in 6 adult patients. Following a baseline clinical and bacterial examination, all patients received thorough SRP. In addition, 1 to 2 teeth in each patient were randomly assigned to each of the following 4 treatment modalities: 1) control group, no irrigation; 2) saline group, irrigation with 2 cc of 0.85% saline; 3) tetracycline group, irrigation with 2 cc of aqueous tetracycline HCl, 50 mg/ml (5%); and 4) chlorhexidine group, irrigation with 2 cc, respectively. All selected sites were non-adjacent. No additional therapy was rendered during the entire 1-year observation period. Clinical parameters and microbial analyses were recorded again at 1 week, and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment. The effect of antimicrobial irrigation on the reinfection rate of sites by Aa, Pg, and Pi was compared with that of the control groups (1 and 2) by ANOVA. No statistically significant differences were observed among the irrigation treatment groups with regard to any of the clinical or bacterial parameters studied. Therefore, the 4 treatment groups were combined into a single group whereby the rate of bacterial repopulation following extensive scaling and root planing could be ascertained. The infection incidence of sites at baseline (of total sites), 1 week and 12 months (of sites originally infected at baseline) was 14/41, 3/14, and 7/14 for Aa; 33/41, 6/33, and 12/33 for Pg; and 37/41, 3/37, and 12/37 for Pi, respectively. Thus, half or fewer of the originally infected sites became reinfected at 12 months despite lack of maintenance therapy. The results suggest that 1) a single episode of pocket irrigation with antimicrobial agents following thorough scaling and root planing did not affect the rate of repopulation of periodontal pockets by the tested pathogens; 2) thorough scaling and root planing has a lasting suppressive effect on selected periodontal pathogens for the majority of sites in patients with adult periodontitis; 3) pre-operative probing depth, the amount of gingival fluid flow and the composition of the subgingival microflora may serve as predictors for reinfection in the absence of maintenance care; and 4) reinfection of the treated sites by Aa, Pg, and/or Pi may constitute a risk factor that diminishes the effect of therapy in the absence of supportive maintenance care.
Pessimism and Anxiety: Effects of Tween Sitcoms on Expectations and Feelings About Peer Relationships in School

Television programs for tweens (roughly 8–14 year olds) offer glimpses of life in high school, often depicting prototypical crowds (e.g., jocks and populars) and various forms of interpersonal hostility. Fifth graders (N = 97) were randomly assigned to watch a tween television episode that was high or low in social conflict (two exemplars at each level) and then answered questions about their future middle school and their habitual exposure to tween television programs. Consistent with predictions afforded by the General Aggression Model (Anderson & Bushman, 2002), habitual exposure was associated with expectations of encountering specific crowds in middle school (person schemata), with expectations of less friendliness and more bullying (behavioral scripts), and with greater anxiety about attending their future school. Similarly, those who saw high-conflict episodes anticipated more hostility and less friendliness in their future school and felt more anxious and less positive about going there than those...
Shock and Coagulopathy

The care of bleeding trauma patients with associated orthopedic injuries remains challenging. The combination of shock and tissue injury in these severely injured patients results in multiple proinflammatory factors being released and/or produced. Unfortunately, these responses to severe injury lead to excessive inflammation resulting in worse outcomes, including multiple organ failure and death. As our understandings of post-injury physiological responses evolve, we are finding that there are multiple intersections between both the inflammatory and coagulation pathways, which explain the close and frequent association of shock with coagulopathy. However, the current evaluation and diagnosis of coagulopathies, as determined by plasma-based laboratory tests, have been limited in identifying both hypocoagulable and hypercoagulable states in post-injury trauma patients. Consequently, viscoelastic hemostatic assays are now the standard of care in identifying post-injury coagulopathies and have further elucidated links between inflammation and coagulation. Moreover, viscoelastic hemostatic assays may also prove to be the optimal devices to guide component resuscitation. Extensive research in resuscitation and the use of rapid point-of-care assays are necessary to further understand the complex pathophysiological responses to shock, especially in the trauma setting. Earlier, and appropriate, interventions, which minimize inflammation and decrease coagulopathies, may ultimately reduce transfusions and improve outcomes.
Parallel computation of three-dimensional flows using overlapping grids with adaptive mesh refinement

This paper describes an approach for the numerical solution of time-dependent partial differential equations in complex three-dimensional domains. The domains are represented by overlapping structured grids, and block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is employed to locally increase the grid resolution. In addition, the numerical method is implemented on parallel distributed-memory computers using a domain-decomposition approach. The implementation is flexible so that each base grid within the overlapping grid structure and its associated refinement grids can be independently partitioned over a chosen set of processors. A modified bin-packing algorithm is used to specify the partition for each grid so that the computational work is evenly distributed amongst the processors. All components of the AMR algorithm such as error estimation, regridding, and interpolation are performed in parallel. The parallel time-stepping algorithm is illustrated for initial-boundary-value problems involving a linear advection-diffusion equation and the (nonlinear) reactive Euler equations. Numerical results are presented for both equations to demonstrate the accuracy and correctness of the parallel approach. Exact solutions of the advection-diffusion equation are constructed, and these are used to check the corresponding numerical solutions for a variety of tests involving different overlapping grids, different numbers of refinement levels and refinement ratios, and different numbers of processors. The problem of planar shock diffraction by a sphere is considered as an illustration of the numerical approach for the Euler equations, and a problem involving the initiation of a detonation from a hot spot in a T-shaped pipe is considered to demonstrate the numerical approach for the reactive case. For both problems, the accuracy of the numerical solutions is assessed quantitatively through an estimation of the errors from a grid convergence study. The parallel performance of the approach is examined for the shock diffraction problem.
Determinants of Investors’ Information Acquisition: Credibility and Confirmation

ABSTRACT: Psychology theory suggests that current investors are unlikely to be impartial in their acquisition of information regarding a currently held position after receiving information that casts doubt on the profitability of the position. This study examines whether the favorability of initial information an investor receives subsequent to taking an investment position moderates his acquisition of additional information regarding that position. A web-based experiment indicates that participants generally choose to view information based on its credibility. However, the majority of information chosen by participants initially receiving unfavorable information supports the investment position they chose at the beginning of the case. Moreover, participants receiving unfavorable information prefer to view lower-credibility, preference-consistent information at a similar rate to higher-credibility, preference-inconsistent information. Given a psychological need to support a previous investment decision, p...
Dietary sodium intake modulates systemic but not forearm norepinephrine release.

Introduction Sodium intake has profound effects on systemic and renal sympathetic activity, but its effects on sympathetic activity in skeletal muscle vascular beds, a site at which local regulatory mechanisms could alter vascular tone directly, are unclear. Methods To determine the effect of dietary sodium intake on basal and isoproterenol-stimulated systemic and forearm norepinephrine kinetics, we studied seven healthy male volunteers twice, 4 weeks apart, while they were receiving a low-sodium (10 mmol sodium/24 hours) diet and a high-sodium diet (250 mmol sodium/24 hours). Forearm blood flow, measured by plethysmography, and systemic and forearm norepinephrine spillover, measured by radioisotope dilution, were determined before and after intra-arterial infusion of 60 and 400 ng/min isoproterenol. Results Baseline (before isoproterenol) systemic norepinephrine spillover was higher when subjects received the low-sodium diet (448.1 ± 55.7 ng/min) compared with the high-sodium diet (269.7 ± 42.7 ng/min; p < 0.05). In contrast, sodium intake did not affect local forearm norepinephrine spillover, either at baseline (low-sodium diet, 2.05 ± 0.48 ng/min versus high-sodium diet, 2.63 ± 0.79 ng/min; p = 0.50) or after stimulation with isoproterenol in doses of 60 ng/min (low-sodium diet, 8.84 ± 2.2 ng/min versus high-sodium diet, 6.1 ± 1.9 ng/min; p = 0.38) or 400 ng/min (low-sodium diet, 16.4 ± 4.5 ng/min versus high-sodium diet, 16.7 ± 2.5 ng/min; p = 0.93). Conclusions Under conditions of low sodium intake, systemic norepinephrine spillover was increased but forearm norepinephrine spillover was not, suggesting that alteration in sodium intake may produce a differential effect on norepinephrine spillover in different tissues but that decreased local sympathetic activity in skeletal muscle is not the likely mechanism by which a low-sodium diet may lower blood pressure or attenuate stress-induced pressor responses. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1995) 58, 425–433; doi:
Holocarboxylase synthetase interacts physically with euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase, linking histone biotinylation with methylation events

Holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS) catalyzes the binding of the vitamin biotin to histones H3 and H4, thereby creating rare histone biotinylation marks in the epigenome. These marks co-localize with K9-methylated histone H3 (H3K9me), an abundant gene repression mark. The abundance of H3K9me marks in transcriptionally competent loci decreases when HCS is knocked down and when cells are depleted of biotin. Here we tested the hypothesis that the creation of H3K9me marks is at least partially explained by physical interactions between HCS and histone-lysine N-methyltransferases. Using a novel in silico protocol, we predicted that HCS-interacting proteins contain a GGGG(K/R)G(I/M)R motif. This motif, with minor variations, is present in the histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EHMT1. Physical interactions between HCS and the N-terminal, ankyrin and SET domains in EHMT1 were confirmed using yeast-two-hybrid assays, limited proteolysis assays and co-immunoprecipitation. The interactions were stronger between HCS and the N-terminus in EHMT1 compared with the ankyrin and SET domains, consistent with the localization of the HCS-binding motif in the EHMT1 N-terminus. HCS has the catalytic activity to biotinylate K161 within the binding motif in EHMT1. Mutation of K161 weakened the physical interaction between EHMT1 and HCS, but it is unknown whether this effect was caused by loss of biotinylation or loss of the motif. Importantly, HCS knockdown decreased the abundance of H3K9me marks in repeats, suggesting that HCS plays a role in creating histone methylation marks in these loci. We conclude that physical interactions between HCS and EHMT1 mediate epigenomic synergies between biotinylation and methylation events.
Determination of Zero-Point Phonon Parameters: Calibration of the Second-Order Doppler Shift

A considerable body of research has been devoted to the determination of the Mossbauer recoil-free fraction, or f-factor, from which the mean square atomic displacement of resonant nuclei can be deduced. A quantity intimately related to the mean square displacement, but considerably less accessible to experiment, is the mean square velocity. Normally this quantity is hidden amida wealth of complexity relating to the chemical shifts of source and absorber. We have developed a technique of inter comparing two quantities, both directly determined from the Mossbauer experiments—the recoil-free fraction and the second order Doppler shift—so as to permit deduction of the absolute zero-point mean-square velocity. This quantity has not been hitherto determined in any experiments of which we are aware, and we believe it will prove valuable in permitting tests of theoretical models of impurities in crystal lattices. Results are presented for a number of systems involving both the Fe57 and the Sn119 resonances.
Observations of Sediment Transport in Lake Erie during the Winter of 2004–2005

Time series measurements of current velocity, wave action, and water transparency were made at two sites—one in 24 m of water and the other in 53 m—in Lake Erie during the fall and winter of 2004–2005. The observations at the shallow site show that bottom resuspension occurred several times during the deployment. Although local resuspension did not occur at the deeper station, several advection episodes were observed. The storms during the observation period were not unusually large, so the processes observed are probably typical of those that occur on a yearly basis. The observations agree reasonably well with previous estimates for both the bottom shear stress during storms, and for the critical shear stress needed to resuspend bottom sediment, but previous estimates of the particle settling velocity are probably too low, while previous estimates of the sediment entrainment rate are too high. The results show that bottom material in the central basin is reworked numerous times before it is finally buried. Deposition in the eastern basin is a more continuous process, but the events observed were not sufficient to match the long-term accumulation rate, so deposition at this site is probably also due in part to larger, more infrequent storms.