cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
National standards in pathology education: developing competencies for integrated medical school curricula

Context.—Medical school education has evolved from department-specific memorization of facts to an integrated curriculum presenting knowledge in a contextual manner across traditional disciplines, ...
Testosterone therapy in older men with late-onset hypogonadism: a counter-rationale.

ABSTRACT Objective The past decade has seen a surge in referrals of older men for consideration of testosterone therapy for late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) to treat symptoms such as fatigue, sexual dysfunction and decreased vitality. Prescription sales of testosterone have accordingly increased by 20-fold over the same period, due mainly to marketing campaign as well as to the failure of clinicians to distinguish organic hypogonadism from LOH. This review seeks to provide a counter-rationale for testosterone therapy in LOH. Methods A retrospective review of English-language epidemiologic studies, clinical trials and their relevant cited studies related to testosterone and older men was carried out. Results Shortcomings of population studies on LOH include use of multiple numeric definitions and non-standard testosterone assays, and measurement of testosterone at a single time point. In contrast to higher estimates of prevalence based solely on numeric values, the syndromic prevalence of LOH is only 2%. Although attrition of testicular Leydig cells and slowing of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons both contribute to LOH, obesity and other comorbidities strongly influence testosterone levels, suggesting that testosterone is a biomarker of health. Testosterone therapy in LOH has consistently resulted in improvements in muscle mass and strength, although data regarding effects on physical function and improvements in fall and fracture rates remain unknown. Eythrocytosis is the most common adverse effect of testosterone therapy in older men, while long-term risks in the prostate and cardiovascular system remain unclear. Conclusion Considering the paucity of data on clinically meaningful outcomes, the number of uncertain risks, and the fact that modifiable risk factors adversely influence testosterone levels, healthy lifestyle and treatment of comorbidities might attenuate age-related declines in testosterone levels.
Effect of Slow Vibrational Relaxation on Anomalous Stokes‐Shifted Luminescence and Energy Transfer in Solids

An analysis is presented of the emission spectrum to be expected from model centers in vibrationally excited and electronically excited states. It is shown that for centers which normally exhibit a sizable Stokes' shift there will be, for a short time following excitation, a large component of emission at approximately twice the usual Stokes' shift. This anomalous emission would be detectable by ultra-fast (pico-second) excitation and detection, and in selected systems by conventional means. Its measurement would provide an estimate of the vibrational relaxation time of the center. The implications of the relaxation rate on electronic energy transfer between like species are briefly discussed. Es wird eine Analyse des Emissionsspektrums angegeben, das aus den Modellzentren in angeregten Schwingungszustanden und angeregten elektronischen Zustanden erwartet wird. Es wird gezeigt, das fur Zentren, die normalerweise eine betrachtliche Stokes-Verschiebung zeigen, fur kurze Zeit nach der Anregung eine grose Komponente der Emission mit naherungsweise dern doppelten Wert der gewohnlichen Stokes-Verschiebung existiert. Diese anomale Emission konnte durch ultra-schnelle (Pikosekunden-)Anregung und Nachweis und in ausgewahlten Systemen mit konventionellen Mitteln nachgewiesen werden. Ihre Messung wurde eine Berechnung der Schwingungsrelaxationszeit des Zentrums liefern. Die Folgerungen aus der Abhangigkeit der Relaxationsgeschwindigkeit vom elektronischen Energieubergang zwischen gleichen Zentren werden kurz diskutiert.
Leptin receptor mRNA in rat brain astrocytes

We recently reported that mouse astrocytes express leptin receptors (ObR), and that obesity induces upregulation of astrocytic ObR. To provide further evidence of the importance of astrocytic ObR expression, we performed double-labeling fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry in the rat hypothalamus. Laser confocal microscopic image analysis showed that ObR mRNA was present in glial fibrillary acidic protein (+) cells that show distinctive astrocytic morphology as well as in neurons. In addition to the presence of ObR mRNA, ObR protein was shown in both astrocytes and neurons in the rat hypothalamus by double-labeling immunohistochemistry. In cultured rat C6 astrocytoma cells treated with different doses of lipopolysaccharide for 6h, the mRNA for ObRa or ObRb did not show significant changes, as measured by quantitative RT-PCR. However, the protein expression of both ObRa and ObRb, determined by Western blotting, was increased after the C6 cells were treated with either lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The results indicate that astrocytic ObR expression is present in rats as well as mice, and that it probably plays a role in the neuroinflammatory response.
Is Hume’s Epistemology Internalist or Externalist?

Les philosophes distinguent souvent entre les theories internalistes et externalistes de la connaissance. Apres avoir explique cette distinction, je defends l'idee que la theorie de la connaissance de Hume doit preferablement etre vue comme etant de type internaliste. En outre, je soutiens que la version humienne de l'internalisme consolide une interpretation sceptique de Hume plutot qu'une interpretation naturaliste. Mon objectif n'est pas seulement d'adresser un nouveau defi aux interpretations naturalistes de Hume, mais aussi d'inviter a une etude plus approfondie de plusieurs questions qui meritent l'attention si nous devons developper une comprehension adequate de la theorie de la connaissance de cet auteur.
Cochlear implant complications: utility of federal database in systematic analysis.

Objectives To explore the suitability of the Manufacturer User Facility and Distributor Experience (MAUDE) database (which is maintained by the Food and Drug Administration and has a mandatory reporting requirement) for systemic analysis of cochlear implant complications and treatments and, in so doing, analyze trends in cochlear implant complications for 2 periods, 2002 and pre-1998. Data Sources All events from 2002 and from before 1998 were considered. Events and action taken were categorized and tabulated. Data Synthesis Because there was no null hypothesis, statistical analysis (χ2) was only used in comparing the 2 time frames. Conclusions Structural limitations of the database, in addition to disparate reporting quality, made systematic analysis difficult. It was noted that spontaneous device failure accounted for the greatest single number of adverse events for both 2002 and the pre-1998 period (267/654 [41%] and 74/129 [57%], respectively), confirming earlier studies. A statistically significant decrease in spontaneous device failure and a significant increase in infections from the pre-1998 period to 2002 was observed. Flap problems ranging from extrusion to infection that required explantation were less frequently reimplanted than other problems requiring explantation, such as device failure or trauma. We considered new directions, including close collaboration with the new MedSun reporting system and conclude that while a valuable resource for narrative data, the current structure of the MAUDE database is only modestly useful for analyzing trends in complications and cannot answer several crucial questions, including device type comparisons. We suggest changing the current report format to include patient age, duration of implant, presence of anatomical abnormalities, and details on spontaneous device failures.
Human conditioned compensatory response to alcohol cues: Initial evidence

Abstract Alcohol cues elicited a conditioned autonomic response that was opposite in direction to the effect of alcohol. Normal male social drinkers given placebo following four alcohol conditioning sessions showed a compensatory response consisting of decreased pulse transit time, vasomotor activity, and finger temperature. This pilot research supports the application of a classical conditioning model to human alcohol problems.
“Relaaax, I remember the recession in the early 1980s …”: Organizational storytelling as a crisis management tool

In this conceptual paper, we consider organizational storytelling as a communications tool in which stories are used to reduce the stress and anxiety of organizational members during a crisis. While there is much consensus among organizational scholars detailing storytelling's active role in such processes as organizational learning and performance (Boje, 1991; Czarniawska, 1998), knowledge sharing and knowledge management (Denning, 2000), management development (Morgan & Dennehy, 1997), and normative organizational behavior (Poulton, 2005), the literature is still evolving on how the act of storytelling could facilitate not only how organizational members make sense of a crisis, but also how they adapt to the inevitable organizational changes following a crisis. In particular, storytelling—with its narrative process—can be utilized to manage how the organizational members react to the crisis by absorbing what Patriotta (2003) called “the discordance by constructing a plot around a disruptive occurrence” (p. 163). Indeed, making sense of a crisis follows Weick's (1995) disruption-transformation-solution framework. We argue that storytelling should be part of an organization's crisis-management program, per se. As human resource development and organizational crisis-management disciplines share great commonality and concerns in areas dealing with organizational behavior during crises, we propose that storytelling can be used as HRD's toolkit in leveraging human capital pre-, during, and post-crises.
Absorption coefficients of weakly absorbing solids: theory of a barothermal gas cell.

For the case in which a laser beam passes through the weakly absorbing windows of a cell containing a nonabsorbing gas, the temperature profiles in the cell windows and the pressure and temperature profiles in the gas have been calculated. Both the transient response and steady-state behavior of the cell are examined when the barothermal conditions are valid. These calculations suggest that sufficient heat transfers by thermal conduction from the weakly absorbing windows into the gas to produce a measurable pressure rise in the gas. The theory contains the two assumptions that bulk absorption in the window is the mechanism by which energy is transferred from the laser beam to the windows and that the window and adjacent gas are in good thermal contact. Numerical examples for a laser glass and air (nitrogen) are given.
Unique Symptoms of Japanese Stagnation: An Equity Market Perspective

This paper documents several unique financial symptoms of Japanese economic stagnation in the 1990s. We find a surprising fall in firm-level volatility and turnover in Japanese stocks after the market crash in 1990. These results stand in sharp contrast to the U.S. case, where firm-level volatility generally increases after a market crash. Further analysis reveals a parallel sharp reduction in earnings heterogeneity among Japanese firms. Preliminary evidence suggests that the reduction in firm-level volatility may be related to Japanese business group protection. The large decrease in firm-level volatility may impede the equity market's information role, as it has made it more difficult over the past decade for both investors and managers to distinguish high quality from low-quality firms.
DNA Recognition by a σ54 Transcriptional Activator from Aquifex aeolicus

Transcription initiation by bacterial σ(54)-polymerase requires the action of a transcriptional activator protein. Activators bind sequence-specifically upstream of the transcription initiation site via a DNA-binding domain (DBD). The structurally characterized DBDs from activators all belong to the Fis (factor for inversion stimulation) family of helix-turn-helix DNA-binding proteins. We report here structures of the free and DNA-bound forms of the DBD of NtrC4 (4DBD) from Aquifex aeolicus, a member of the NtrC family of σ(54) activators. Two NtrC4-binding sites were identified upstream (-145 and -85bp) from the start of the lpxC gene, which is responsible for the first committed step in lipid A biosynthesis. This is the first experimental evidence for σ(54) regulation in lpxC expression. 4DBD was crystallized both without DNA and in complex with the -145-binding site. The structures, together with biochemical data, indicate that NtrC4 binds to DNA in a manner that is similar to that of its close homolog, Fis. The greater sequence specificity for the binding of 4DBD relative to Fis seems to arise from a larger number of base-specific contacts contributing to affinity than for Fis.
Performance studies of Id on the Monsoon dataflow system

Abstract In this paper, we examine the performance of Id, an implicitly parallel language, on Monsoon, an experimental dataflow machine. One of the precepts of our work is that the Id run-time system and compiled Id programs should run on any number of Monsoon processors without change. Our experiments running Id programs on Monsoon show that speedups of more than 7 are easily achieved on 8 processors for most of the applications that we studied. We explain the sources of overhead that limit the speedup of each of our benchmark programs. We also compare the performance of Id on a single Monsoon processor with C/Fortran on a DEC Station 5000 (MIPS R3000 processor), to establish a baseline for the efficiency of Id execution on Monsoon. We find that the execution of Id programs on one Monsoon processor takes up to three times as many cycles as the corresponding C or Fortran programs executing on a MIPS R3000 processor. We identify the sources of inefficiency on Monsoon and suggest improvements, where possible. In many cases, however, improving single processor performance will reduce parallel processor performance.
Quantification of l-glutamine using Escherichia coli glutamate synthase: A sensitive fluorometric assay

Abstract A simple, sensitive fluorometric assay for l -glutamine is described. l -Glutamine is quantified by measuring the amount of NADPH oxidized in the presence of a glutamine-containing sample (2–20 nmol), 5 m m α-ketoglutarate, 1 m m EDTA, 63 μM NADPH, and purified Escherichia coli glutamate synthase (EC 2.6.1.53). High concentrations of l -glutamate and ammonia do not interfere. The method has been applied to quantification of l -glutamine in serum.
From Swarthy Ape to Sympathetic Everyman and Subversive Trickster: The Development of Irish Caricature in American Comic Strips between 1890 and 1920

Observed from a distance, the prevalence of ethnic stereotyping in late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century cartooning in the United States is disturbing. All one can see, initially, is that turn-of-the-century readers seemed to enjoy seeing blacks, Native Americans, and non-Anglo immigrants reduced to simplistic caricatures and made to say and do outrageously stupid things. The Distorted Image, the Balch Institute's expose on the evils of ethnic caricature, agrees with this assessment, suggesting that “the strips from the early years of this century [the twentieth] are inevitably suffused with crude, even gross stereotypes” in which blacks and ethnic immigrants are “maligned and mistreated with blithe insouciance.” However, a closer inspection of particular characters, mediums, and creators, reveals that there was greater complexity to these “crude” images – a rich history, in fact, of shifting meanings and uses. There were, of course, some blatantly racist depictions of ethnic minorities in cartoons and comic strips during this period, but there was also a complex spectrum of ethnic characters who played out shifting comedic and social roles. By properly contextualizing some of these cartoons – considering how meanings and uses changed according to where the cartoons appeared, who created them, and who read them – many images that initially seem just like more entries in a long line of gross stereotypes begin to reveal layered, ambivalent, and even sympathetic codings.
The role of calcium–calmodulin kinase II in three forms of synaptic plasticity

Abstract Background Calcium influx into postsynaptic dendritic spines can, depending on circumstances, activate three forms of synaptic plasticity: long-term potentiation (LTP), short-term potentiation (STP) and long-term depression (LTD). The increased postsynaptic calcium concentrations that trigger all three forms of plasticity should activate the α isoform of calcium–calmodulin kinase type II ( α CaMK II), which is present at high levels just below the postsynaptic membrane. Earlier experiments have implicated α CaMK II in the regulation or induction of LTP, but no information is available on the possible role of this enzyme in the two other forms of synaptic plasticity, STP and LTD. Results We used mice that lack the gene for α CaMK II to investigate the role of this enzyme in synaptic plasticity. Field potential recordings from hippocampal slices taken from mutant mice show that STP and LTD are, like LTP, absent or markedly attenuated in the absence of α CaMK II. A brief form of synaptic modification — post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) — is, however, intact in the absence of this enzyme. Conclusion It appears likely that α CaMK II is involved in the production or global regulation of all three forms of synaptic plasticity. We propose that the activation of this enzyme is a common step in the induction of LTP and STP, and that α CaMK II activity is required for the normal production of LTD.
Single and multiple-soliton solutions for the (2+1)-dimensional KdV equation

Abstract The (2+1)-dimensional KdV equation is studied by four distinct methods. The Hirota’s bilinear method is used to derive multiple-soliton solutions for this completely integrable equation. The tanh–coth method and the cosh ansatz are used to obtain single soliton solutions and travelling wave solutions. The Exp-function method gives travelling wave solutions with some free parameters. The work highlights the reliability of the four methods.
Agonist activation of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

How does an agonist activate a receptor? In this article I consider the activation process in muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs), a prototype for understanding the energetics of binding and gating in other ligand-gated ion channels. Just as movements that generate gating currents activate voltage-gated ion channels, movements at binding sites that generate an increase in affinity for the agonist activate ligand-gated ion channels. The main topics are: i) the schemes and intermediate states of AChR activation, ii) the energy changes of each of the steps, iii) the sources of the energies, iv) the three kinds of AChR agonist binding site and v) the correlations between binding and gating energies. The binding process is summarized as sketches of different conformations of an agonist site. The results suggest that agonists lower the free energy of the active conformation of the protein in stages by establishing favorable, local interactions at each binding site, independently. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'The Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: From Molecular Biology to Cognition'.
Post-Disaster Reproductive Health Outcomes

We examined methodological issues in studies of disaster-related effects on reproductive health outcomes and fertility among women of reproductive age and infants in the United States (US). We conducted a systematic literature review of 1,635 articles and reports published in peer-reviewed journals or by the government from January 1981 through December 2010. We classified the studies using three exposure types: (1) physical exposure to toxicants; (2) psychological trauma; and (3) general exposure to disaster. Fifteen articles met our inclusion criteria concerning research focus and design. Overall studies pertained to eight different disasters, with most (n = 6) focused on the World Trade Center attack. Only one study examined pregnancy loss, i.e., occurrence of spontaneous abortions post-disaster. Most studies focused on associations between disaster and adverse birth outcomes, but two studies pertained only to post-disaster fertility while another two examined it in addition to adverse birth outcomes. In most studies disaster-affected populations were assumed to have experienced psychological trauma, but exposure to trauma was measured in only four studies. Furthermore, effects of both physical exposure to toxicants and psychological trauma on disaster-affected populations were examined in only one study. Effects on birth outcomes were not consistently demonstrated, and study methodologies varied widely. Even so, these studies suggest an association between disasters and reproductive health and highlight the need for further studies to clarify associations. We postulate that post-disaster surveillance among pregnant women could improve our understanding of effects of disaster on the reproductive health of US pregnant women.
Torsades de pointes associated with fluoroquinolones: Importance of concomitant risk factors

The fluoroquinolone antibiotics sparfloxacin, grepafloxacin, gatifloxacin, and levofloxacin have been reported to cause torsades de pointes. Pre-existing risk factors increase vulnerability to this life-threatening arrhythmia. In a 65-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, coronary artery disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and osteomyelitis, QTc interval prolongation (605 ms) and torsades de pointes developed after the initiation of levofloxacin, 250 mg intravenously once daily. The patient was hypokalemic and mildly hypomagnesemic before the initiation of levofloxacin and at the time of occurrence of torsades de pointes. The QTc interval decreased to 399 ms within hours of discontinuation of the levofloxacin, after which she had no further arrhythmias. In this and the majority of other published cases of fluoroquinolone-associated torsades de pointes, patients had at least 1 risk factor for the arrhythmia, and most had multiple risk factors. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics should be avoided whenever possible in patients with pre-existing risk factors for torsades de pointes.
On the Road to Sustainability: Properties of Hot In-Place Recycled Superpave Mix

Most state departments of transportation (DOTs) adopted the Superpave® mix design method in the late 1990s. The Superpave mix design method replaced the Marshall method and became mainstream. Superpave came with aggregate, binder, and mix requirements to control rutting and cracking. With a life expectancy of about 15 years, many Superpave roads are now becoming candidates for resurfacing or recycling. Can Superpave mixes undergo hot in-place recycling with success? In fact, Superpave mixes contain expensive and high-quality aggregates, which meet the consensus properties, and high-quality binder, which meets the performance grade (PG) requirements. If these mixes can be recycled in place and meet the original Superpave properties, then substantial savings can be realized. The potential savings are in the 30% to 50% range of the cost to mill and resurface. In addition, emissions could be reduced by 70%, while 100% of the existing material could be reused. This paper reports on an experiment conducted in G...
Skeletal calcium homeostasis and countermeasures to prevent disuse osteoporosis

Maintenance of a skeleton capable of resisting the stresses of everyday life is dependent on the mechanical forces applied to the skeleton during normal activity in a 1-G environment. When the effects of 1-G on the longitudinal skeleton are removed, as with space travel or inactivity, bone and bone mineral are lost because bone resorption is greater than bone formation. Ninety healthy young men were studied during 5-36 weeks of continuous bed rest. During inactivity, urinary calcium increases rapidly and by the sixth week of bed rest, output has risen by 100 mg/day, plateaus for several weeks, and then decreases but remains above ambulatory baseline thereafter. This occurred even though they received vitamin D supplements throughout the study. Calcium balance becomes negative after 2 weeks and by the end of the first month, 200 mg/day is lost. The loss continues at this rate for at least 36 weeks. Calcaneal mineral loses 5% of its mass each month. Attempts to prevent disuse osteoporosis with both mechanical and biochemical means, including exercise, skeletal compression, increased hydrostatic pressure to the lower body, supplemental calcium and/or phosphorus, calcitonin, or etidronate were not successful.
An essential role of variant histone H3.3 for ectomesenchyme potential of the cranial neural crest.

The neural crest (NC) is a vertebrate-specific cell population that exhibits remarkable multipotency. Although derived from the neural plate border (NPB) ectoderm, cranial NC (CNC) cells contribute not only to the peripheral nervous system but also to the ectomesenchymal precursors of the head skeleton. To date, the developmental basis for such broad potential has remained elusive. Here, we show that the replacement histone H3.3 is essential during early CNC development for these cells to generate ectomesenchyme and head pigment precursors. In a forward genetic screen in zebrafish, we identified a dominant D123N mutation in h3f3a, one of five zebrafish variant histone H3.3 genes, that eliminates the CNC–derived head skeleton and a subset of pigment cells yet leaves other CNC derivatives and trunk NC intact. Analyses of nucleosome assembly indicate that mutant D123N H3.3 interferes with H3.3 nucleosomal incorporation by forming aberrant H3 homodimers. Consistent with CNC defects arising from insufficient H3.3 incorporation into chromatin, supplying exogenous wild-type H3.3 rescues head skeletal development in mutants. Surprisingly, embryo-wide expression of dominant mutant H3.3 had little effect on embryonic development outside CNC, indicating an unexpectedly specific sensitivity of CNC to defects in H3.3 incorporation. Whereas previous studies had implicated H3.3 in large-scale histone replacement events that generate totipotency during germ line development, our work has revealed an additional role of H3.3 in the broad potential of the ectoderm-derived CNC, including the ability to make the mesoderm-like ectomesenchymal precursors of the head skeleton.
Physiologic artifacts in resting state oscillations in young children: methodological considerations for noisy data

We quantified the potential effects of physiologic artifact on the estimation of EEG band power in a cohort of typically developing children in order to guide artifact rejection methods in quantitative EEG data analysis in developmental populations. High density EEG was recorded for 2 min while children, ages 2–6, watched a video of bubbles. Segments of data were categorized as blinks, saccades, EMG or artifact-free, and both absolute and relative power in the theta (4–7 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (35–45 Hz) bands were calculated in 9 regions for each category. Using a linear mixed model approach with artifact type, region and their interaction as predictors, we compared mean band power between clean data and each type of artifact. We found significant differences in mean relative and absolute power between artifacts and artifact-free segments in all frequency bands. The magnitude and direction of the differences varied based on power type, region, and frequency band. The most significant differences in mean band power were found in the gamma band for EMG artifact and the theta band for ocular artifacts. Artifact detection strategies need to be sensitive to the oscillations of interest for a given analysis, with the most conservative approach being the removal of all EMG and ocular artifact from EEG data. Quantitative EEG holds considerable promise as a clinical biomarker of both typical and atypical development. However, there needs to be transparency in the choice of power type, regions of interest, and frequency band, as each of these variables are differentially vulnerable to noise, and therefore, their interpretation depends on the methods used to identify and remove artifacts.
The membrane skeleton

One important element that defines cell shape is the membrane skeleton. This filamentous network is closely apposed to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane where it gives mechanical support to the membrane, provides specific attachment sites for cytoskeletal components and helps to organize some integral membrane proteins into domains. The membrane skeleton of erythrocytes has been studied extensively by biochemical and ultrastructural methods, but similar structures in other cell types are just beginning to be defined. In this review, David Pumplin and Robert Bloch draw attention to these nonerythroid skeletons and compare and contrast them with the erythrocyte model.
Na+-Coupled Alanine Transport in LLC-PK1 Cells: The Relationship Between the Km for Na+ at Low [Alanine] and Potential Dependence for the System

Analysis of the mechanistic basis by which sodium-coupled transport systems respond to changes in membrane potential is inherently complex. Algebraic expressions for the primary kinetic parameters (K m and V max ) consist of multiple terms that encompass most rate constants in the transport cycle. Even for a relatively simple cotransport system such as the Na+/alanine cotransporter in LLC-PK1 cells (1:1 Na+ to substrate coupling, and an ordered binding sequence), the algebraic expressions for K m for either substrate includes ten of the twelve rate constants necessary for modeling the full transport cycle. We show here that the expression of K m of the first-bound substrate (Na+) simplifies markedly if the second-bound substrate (alanine) is held at a low concentration so that its' binding becomes the rate limiting step. Under these conditions, the expression for the K Na m includes rate constants for only two steps in the full cycle: (i) binding/dissociation of Na+, and (ii) conformational `translocation' of the substrate-free protein. The influence of imposed changes in membrane potential on the apparent K Na m for the LLC-PK1 alanine cotransporter at low alanine thus provides insight to potential dependence at these sites. The data show no potential dependence for K Na m at 5 μm alanine, despite marked potential dependence at 2 mm alanine when the full algebraic expression applies. The results suggest that neither translocation of the substrate-free form of the transporter nor binding/dissociation of extracellular sodium are potential dependent events for this transport system.
Advances in bridging research and practice: introduction to the second special issue on the interactive system framework for dissemination and implementation.

The need for new ways to bridge the gap between research and practice is clear; the use of evidence-based prevention programs and implementation with fidelity in practice are strikingly limited. The Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation (ISF) was created to help bridge research and practice by specifying the systems and processes required to support dissemination and implementation of evidence-based programs, processes, practices, and policies. The ISF identifies three key systems necessary for this process which include the Synthesis and Translation System, the Support System, and the Delivery System. The ISF was featured in a special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology in 2008. This special issue extends that work by including both researchers who have applied an ISF lens to aspects of their current work and researchers who have proactively applied the ISF in a process that goes across the various systems of the ISF, i.e., Synthesis and Translation, Support, and Delivery. Content areas include: children’s mental health, teen pregnancy prevention, HIV prevention, violence prevention, heart disease and stroke prevention, breast cancer prevention, and substance abuse prevention. In this introductory article, we provide a brief description of the history of the ISF and a summary of the articles in the special issue.
DENIS, 2MASS and VLM Stars

To a first approximation, every star is an M dwarf - but there are still considerable gaps in our understanding of these stars, particularly in the space density of the lowest mass stars. Fortunately, the 2µm sky surveys are likely to change this state of affairs. In this paper, I review briefly the likely impact of these surveys.
A major role for AT1b receptor in mouse mesenteric resistance vessels and its distribution in heart and neuroendocrine tissues

In mice, angiotensin (Ang) II type-1 (AT 1 ) receptors exist as ATla, and AT 1 b subtypes. In an effort to understand the role of AT 1 b in regulating vascular function, AT 1 subtype mRNA and its functional relevance in the mesenteric resistance vessels were determined using wildtype (WT) and AT 1 a knockout (AT 1 a - / - mice) mice. With RT-PCR followed by restriction-enzyme digestion, we found that AT 1 b accounted for almost all (98%) of AT 1 receptors in the mesenteric resistance vessels of WT mice. Also, the Ang II response in the vessels of AT 1 a - / - mice was comparable to that of WT mice, suggesting an important role for AT 1 b in regulating vasoreactivity. To further characterize AT 1 b receptor distribution, several other tissues were examined. Among them, AT 1 b is only predominantly expressed in hypothalamus, whereas AT 1 a exists exclusively or as a major subtype in heart, pituitary, adrenal glands and brainstem. These results further underscore a tissue-specific role for AT 1 b receptor in mice.
Comparison of the Bleeding Potential of Vampire Bat Salivary Plasminogen Activator Versus Tissue Plasminogen Activator in an Experimental Rabbit Model

Background Vampire bat salivary plasminogen activator (Bat-PA) has significantly greater fibrin specificity than any of the fibrinolytic agents currently in clinical use. This study tests the hypothesis that avoiding fibrinogen depletion may protect against the hemorrhage induced by plasminogen activator treatment. Methods and Results Bat-PA was compared with tissue-type plasminogen activator (TPA) in a randomized, prospective, and blinded study using a rabbit ear puncture model of fibrinolytic bleeding. The two agents were used at equimolar dosages (42 nmol/kg) that yielded similar thrombolytic efficacies in a rabbit femoral artery thrombosis model. Both Bat-PA and TPA prolong primary bleeding to double the baseline values, from between 2.1 and 2.3 minutes to between 4.8 and 5.2 minutes. Rebleeding from hemostatically stable sites during the 3-hour observation period occurred equally often with Bat-PA and TPA, 31% from preinjection sites and 23% to 25% from postinjection sites. The lag time between the t...
A Distortion-Invariant Pattern Recognition Algorithm

A position, rotation, and scale invariant pattern recognition algorithm which is robust in non-random cluttered scenes is described. The algorithm's ability to address background noise problems found in target recognition work is examined. Simulation results using realistic aircraft scenes are also presented.
Fractionation of midget faded rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis concolor) venom: lethal fractions and enzymatic activities.

Abstract The venom of the midget faded rattlesnake has been resolved into eight fractions using anion-exchange chromatography. Fractions 1, 6 and 7 were lethal to mice at protein concentrations equivalent to 3 × ld 50 of the crude venom. Fraction 7 ( ld 50, 0·12 μg/g) contained the major lethal component(s) of the venom. Using disc gel electrophoresis only one major and one minor protein component were present in this fraction. One major and one minor component, both with pI values less than 5, were also observed after isoelectric focusing. One protein band with a pI > 9 was present in Fraction 1 after isoelectric focusing. Injection of this fraction resulted in paralysis of the hind limbs and respiratory distress immediately after injection. Crude venom and each fraction were tested for phosphodiesterase, phospholipase, l -amino acid oxidase, arginine ester hydrolase and phosphomonoesterase activities. Phosphodiesterase activity was detected only in Fraction 1. Phospholipase activities were present in Fractions 6 and 7. l -amino acid oxidase activity was present in Fractions 1 and 2. Arginine ester hydrolase activity was most prominent in Fractions 2–5. Phosphomonoesterase activity was not detectable in crude venom nor in any fraction derived therefrom.
Clinical variability in Rett syndrome

The clinical variability of Rett syndrome, associated with mutations in the MECP2 gene, varies from classically symptomatic female patients to asymptomatic female patients, and male patients who have none of the diagnostic features considered pathognomonic of this disease. Multiple factors contribute to this variability. In our studies, mutations closer to the amino-terminus, prior to amino acid 255, led to severe clinical manifestations, such as inability to walk, severe dysphagia, and urinary organic acid abnormalities, compared with mutations toward the carboxyl-terminus. However, we found no correlation between severity and mutation type (missense versus nonsense). Despite the importance of mutation location to clinical severity, the widely varying severity within the same mutation suggests that in females, X-chromosome inactivation or other epigenetic phenomena also have roles in determining severity. We propose that stages 1 and 2 of the disease are a consequence of failed, time-linked, postnatal expression of MeCP2 in cerebellar neurons. This, in association with glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated neuroexcitotoxic injury to the differentiating neurons, results in the transient age-specific autistic-like behavior, motor, and cognitive dysfunction associated with these stages.
Mechanistic Examination of Walnuts in Prevention of Breast Cancer

Walnuts contain bioactive molecules that may contribute to their beneficial effects, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and phytosterols. In these studies, extracts of walnut, purified compounds, or postprandial serum were examined for effects on breast cancer cell proliferation and gene expression. Extracts derived from walnut oil decreased proliferation of MCF-7 cells, as did ALA and β-sitosterol. The gene expression response of ALA in the mouse breast cancer cell line TM2H indicates this molecule has multiple cellular targets with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) target genes, liver X receptor (LXR), and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) target genes being affected. In transactivation assays, walnut oil extracts increased activity of FXR to a greater extent than the other tested nuclear receptors. When examined separately, walnut components ALA and β-sitosterol were the most efficacious activators of FXR. When serum from individuals fed walnut components were applied to MCF-7 cells, there was a correlation between body mass index and breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro. Taken together, these data support an effect of walnut and its bioactive constituents on mammary epithelial cells and that multiple molecular targets may be involved.
Structure in 5-GeV/c π + p Elastic Scattering at Large Angles

Data from a high-resolution experiment on the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+p$ at 5 GeV/c show a very deep, sharp dip in $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{dt}}$ at $t=\ensuremath{-}2.8$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$ and a gentle exponential decrease in $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{du}}$ between $u=\ensuremath{-}1.5 \mathrm{and} \ensuremath{-}3.5$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$.
Distribution of barium and fulvic acid at the mica–solution interface using in-situ X-ray reflectivity

Abstract The interfacial structures of the basal surface of muscovite mica in solutions containing (1) 5 × 10 −3 m BaCl 2 , (2) 500 ppm Elliott Soil Fulvic Acid I (ESFA I), (3) 100 ppm Elliott Soil Fulvic Acid II (ESFA II), (4) 100 ppm Pahokee Peat Fulvic Acid I (PPFA), and (5) 5 × 10 −3 m BaCl 2 and 100 ppm ESFA II were obtained with high resolution in-situ X-ray reflectivity. The derived electron-density profile in BaCl 2 shows two sharp peaks near the mica surface at 1.98(2) and 3.02(4) A corresponding to the heights of a mixture of Ba 2+ ions and water molecules adsorbed in ditrigonal cavities and water molecules coordinated to the Ba 2+ ions, respectively. This pattern indicates that most Ba 2+ ions are adsorbed on the mica surface as inner-sphere complexes in a partially hydrated form. The amount of Ba 2+ ions in the ditrigonal cavities compensates more than 90% of the layer charge of the mica surface. The electron-density profiles of the fulvic acids (FAs) adsorbed on the mica surface, in the absence of Ba 2+ , had overall thicknesses of 4.9–10.8 A and consisted of one broad taller peak near the surface (likely hydrophobic and positively-charged groups) followed by a broad humped pattern (possibly containing negatively-charged functional groups). The total interfacial electron density and thickness of the FA layer increased as the solution FA concentration increased. The sorbed peat FA which has higher ash content showed a higher average electron density than the sorbed soil FA. When the muscovite reacted with a pre-mixed BaCl 2 –ESFA II solution, the positions of the two peaks nearest the surface matched those in the BaCl 2 solution. However, the occupancy of the second peak decreased by about 30% implying that the hydration shell of surface-adsorbed Ba 2+ was partially substituted by FA. The two surface peaks were followed by a broad less electron-dense layer suggesting a sorption mechanism in which Ba 2+ acts dominantly as a bridging cation between the mica surface and FA. When the muscovite reacted first with FA and subsequently with BaCl 2 , more Ba 2+ could be adsorbed on the FA-coated mica surface. The peak closest to the mica included Ba 2+ ions adsorbed directly on the mica in an amount similar to that in the BaCl 2 solution but more broadly distributed. A second peak observed within the FA layer suggests that the FA coating provides additional sites for Ba 2+ sorption. The results indicate that enhanced uptake of heavy metals can occur when an organic coating already exists on a mineral surface.
A parametric study of Microporous Metal Matrix-Phase Change Material composite heat spreaders for transient thermal applications

Metal-PCM (Phase Change Material) composite heat spreaders offer a combination of high effective thermal conductivity and high density heat storage capability that are desirable for transient thermal management applications, especially in mobile and wearable electronic devices. In this study, we propose fabrication of microporous metal matrix (MMM)-PCM composite heat spreaders through electrodeposition of metal over a template of PCM microcapsules that result in composites with metal volume fraction of ~ 0.26. Effective thermal conductivity of these composites equal 74 W/m. K and 44 W/m. K for copper matrix and aluminum matrix respectively. Order of magnitude analysis for time response and thermal energy storage utilization performed on metal-PCM composites, as a function of metal volume fraction, shows that the optimal metal volume fraction range is 0.2-0.5 for the best thermal performance of metal-PCM composite heat spreaders. Furthermore, the temperature response of the MMM-PCM composite heat spreaders to a heat input showed that the use of PCM within a metal matrix can hold the device skin temperature below the ergonomic limit for long durations of time without sacrificing the time response.
A role-based XACML administration and delegation profile and its enforcement architecture

The OASIS technical committee published the XACML v3.0 administration and delegation profile (XACML-Admin) working draft on 16 April 2009 [3] in order to provide policy administration and dynamic delegation services to the XACML runtime. We enhance this profile by adding role-based delegation by amalgamating the proposed profile with the XACML-ARBAC profile proposed in [19]. By doing so, we improve the scalability of the delegation mechanism. Second, we show how XACML-ARBAC enforcement mechanism proposed in [19] can be enhanced to enforce the proposed role-based administration and delegation XACML profile (XACML-ADRBAC), therefore providing a method to enforce the XACML-Admin profile proposed in [3].
Improving the Reliability of Kolb's Revised Learning Style Inventory:

The format of Kolb's Revised Learning Style Inventory (LSI II) was modified to eliminate a probable response bias and to investigate the inventory's subsequent reliability and stability. While internal-consistency estimates for the modified instrument dropped as expected in an initial study, test-retest reliabilities and kappa coefficients increased dramatically. A second study replicated the results of the initial research. The increased stability of the modified version argues against dismissal of the LSI as an instrument for the study of learning styles.
Performance of affine geometry low-density parity-check codes in long-haul optical communications

In this paper, we investigate the performance of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes in long-haul optical communication systems for different modulation formats (nonreturn to zero (NRZ), return to zero (RZ), chirped return to zero (CRZ)). We are particularly concerned with high-rate codes based on affine geometries. These codes have large minimum distance and simple iterative decoding algorithms, which make them good candidates for high-speed applications such as optical communications. We consider both bit-flipping iterative decoding and iterative decoding based on min-sum algorithms. We demonstrate a significant performance improvement with respect to the state-of-the-art error control schemes employed in long-haul systems. Contrary to the common practice of considering the performance of error controlling schemes using the AWGN channel assumption, we consider the performance of the proposed LDPC schemes taking into account, in a natural way, all major impairments in long-haul optical transmission such as ASE noise, pulse distortion due to fiber nonlinearities, chromatic dispersion or polarization dispersion, crosstalk effects, intersymbol-interference (ISI), etc. Copyright © 2004 AEI.
IST-1 and IST-1M current-velocity meters under the sea and river conditions

We present a critical analysis of the applied current-velocity meters produced by leading world companies and pose the problem of creation of a device meeting the contemporary requirements and guaranteeing the succession of the applied and newly developed procedures of measurements and data interpretation. A brief description of IST-1 and IST-1M devices developed at the Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences and the algorithms of operation of their measuring channels is presented. The metrological characteristics of the IST-1 device according to the data of the State Acceptance Tests and the results of evaluation of the reproducibility index for a pilot batch of these devices are discussed.