cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rocky intertidal fish communities of California: temporal and spatial variation

We examined data from our own and published collections of intertidal and shallow littoral fishes of the North American Pacific Coast with respect to temporal and spatial trends in species composition and dominance. We compared (1) recent and past intertidal collections made five and seven years apart, respectively, for two California localities, (2) intertidal collections from twelve localities in California, Oregon, and British Columbia, and (3) intertidal versus subtidal collections at one California locality. Temporal comparisons indicated substantially lower abundance of the cottid Oligocottus snyderi at two California localities during 1984, at one locality due to depressed abundance of young. Interannual differences in abundances suggested that other tidepool fish assemblages undergo significant changes as well. Geographical comparisons indicated general similarity in species composition, with cottids predominating in tidepools although several other families also were well represented (e.g., Stichaeidae, Scorpaenidae). Eel-shaped stichaeids and pholids occurred at high densities in exposed boulder fields. Both the tidepool and boulder field assemblages showed north-south changes in species abundances. Comparison of collections from the intertidal and subtidal zones at one California locality demonstrated that fishes of these habitats form two essentially distinct assemblages, with most species restricted to or concentrated in one or the other habitat.
Chemical stimulation of feeding behavior in the pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides: A new approach to an old problem

Abstract o 1. A new bioassay procedure is described for studying chemically-induced feeding behavior in the pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides. The procedure involves the introduction of stimulant through a small perforated rubber bulb and an automated recording of the number of times the fish strike the bulb. The quantitative nature of the procedure and the relative reliability of alternative testing regimes are discussed. 2. Assays of extracts prepared in a similar manner from seven animals (four phyla) revealed that considerable differences in potency existed. The most potent extract (shrimp) was approximately 3 times as effective as that of crab and greater than 10 times as effective as extracts of clam, oyster, whelk, mullet or sea urchin. 3. The major stimulants in five extracts were found to be substances of less than ca. 10,000 molecular weight.
Rationalism and empiricism: A new perspective

Though classical and twentieth-century versions of empiricism and rationalism fail in their aims, as does the Kantian attempt at a compromise between those views, there are residues of those views that play important roles in the scientific enterprise. Those residue, and their scientific roles, are examined in this paper.
A conceptual framework to study medication adherence in older adults

Background: Adults aged ≥50 years often have multiple chronic diseases requiring multiple medications. However, even drugs with well-documented benefits are often not taken as prescribed, for a variety of reasons. Objective: The objective of this article was to provide background information about medication adherence and its measurement, the development of the conceptual model for use in adherence research, and supportive intervention strategies such as pharmaceutical care by pharmacists to improve chronic medication use in older adults. Methods: English-language literature published from 1990 to 2000 was searched on MEDLINE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and AARP Ageline using the terms aged, heart failure, CHF, adherence, chronic heart failure, compliance, and related terms. The authors used their personal files and libraries to obtain seminal literature and textbooks published before 1990. Results: Although the cognitive processes needed to manage and take medications decline with aging, the number of prescription and nonprescription medications consumed increases. Other factors such as vision, hearing, health literacy, disability, and social and financial resources may all complicate the ability of older adults to adhere to the pharmacologic prescription. Conclusions: Many factors are associated with medication adherence and related health outcomes in older adults. Therefore, strategies to improve adherence will need to be multidimensional, including improvements in pharmacy services that consider age-related factors (eg, declining cognitive and physical functions) as well as a variety of environmental and social factors.
Paraholosticha polychaeta n. sp. (Ciliata, Hypotrichida) from a New Hampshire Tidal Marsh

SYNOPSIS. This member of the Holostichidae differs from its five congenors in the possession of transverse cirri, the way in which its frontal cirri are arranged, and its estuarine habitat. Like other valid members of the genus Paraholosticha, this species has some of the frontal cirri arranged in a corona parallel with the anterior part of the zone of membranelles. This unique character, despite the possession of transverse cirri, places this ciliate in the genus Paraholosticha. Diagnostic characters of all valid members of this genus are presented, and the need for careful descriptions and taxonomic revisions within the suborder Stichotrichina is discussed.
The Phantoms of Home Care: Home Care Nurses' Care Decisions for Medicare Home Health Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Early indications are that the Medicare home health prospective payment system (PPS) has controlled Medicare home health expenditures. However, studies indicate many unresolved questions about whether PPS improves patient quality of care and is cost-effective. The article reviews effective home-based palliative care interventions and presents the views of seven home health care nurses regarding the impact of Medicare requirements on their care decisions for one chronic disease population—Alzheimer's disease. The article asserts the current failure to simultaneously address the cost and quality-of-life issues of home health Alzheimer's patients is analogous to the end-of-life care situation Medicare confronted in the 1970s prior to the Medicare hospice demonstration program that preceded the Hospice Medicare Benefit. The article asserts that a similar demonstration is appropriate to determine how PPS might better meet patient quality-of-life needs and the government's need to reduce costs.
Endocardial noncontact activation mapping of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia.

Mapping of Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardia. Idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia with a right bundle, left-axis deviation is thought to originate from posterior fascicles. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the anatomic and mechanistic basis of this arrhythmia. We report our experience with a 26-year-old man in whom new noncontact mapping technology was used to acquire detailed data from the left ventricle, identify the mid-diastolic potential and part of the ventricular tachycardia circuit, and perform successful ablation. This information helped define the physiologic aspects of this unique tachycardia.
A hierarchical investigation of personality and behavior: Examining Neo-Socioanalytic models of health-related outcomes

Abstract Based on proposed hierarchical relations derived from the Neo-Socioanalytic Theory of personality [Roberts, B. W., & Wood, D. (2006). Personality development in the context of the Neo-Socioanalytic Model of personality. In D. K. Mroczek & T. D. Little (Eds.), Handbook of personality development (pp. 11–39). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers], the present study examined the relationships between trait and motivation constructs and health-related outcomes. Participants ( N = 201) completed a Big Five measure of personality traits, parallel exercise and diet behavioral identity trait measures, measures of personal values, exercise and diet-related personal strivings, and exercise and diet self-reports. Participants also completed a physical activity assessment and were weighed on a calibrated electronic scale from which body fat percentage could be determined. It was expected that contextualized trait and motivation constructs would mediate the relations between broad trait and motivation constructs and the health-related outcomes. The patterns of relations across trait and motivation constructs also were explored. The trait domain exhibited the expected pattern of hierarchical relations, but the motivation domain showed a more complex pattern of relations. The results are discussed in relation to a hierarchical model of personality and behavior that brings together trait and motivation constructs at multiple levels of analysis.
Alignment Trends of a Decomposed SGS Stress Tensor Determined From Holographic PIV Measurements

Based on the holographic PIV measurements in the core region of a square duct at ReH ≈ 1.2×105 , the tensorial alignment of the deviatoric subgrid-scale (SGS) stress (τij ) is shown to have a bi-modal behavior (Tao et al., 2001, 2002). To gain further insight into the statistical geometry of τij , we employ the Germano decomposition, τij = Lij + Cij + Rij (Leonard, 1974; Germano, 1986), and compute the decomposed stress elements directly from the velocity data. Their alignment trends are then investigated using joint probability density functions (pdf), similar to those in Tao et al. (2002). The alignment between the Leonard stress, Lij , and the filtered strain-rate (Sij ) is found to exhibit a similar bi-modal trend, but the alignment angle between the corresponding eigenvectors is around 40° instead of 32°. The alignment between the SGS Reynolds stress, Rij and Sij , on the other hand, is found to be consistent with an eddy viscosity configuration. In contrast, the alignment between the cross stress, Cij , and Sij is more complicated and does not exhibit any significant trend. Furthermore, previously reported alignment trends of the vorticity vector, ωi , relative to τij , are primarily due to the contribution from Lij . The orientation of ωi relative to Cij shows less robust alignment trends, and there is no clear trend in the alignment of ωi relative to Rij .Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Classifying and Predicting Presidential Styles: Two “Weak” Presidents

In the United States, no one can be president but the President. If he withholds his energies or fritters them away ineffectively, we endure or enjoy a period of national stalemate. So we need to know as much about why some presidents fail to lead as about why others succeed. Indeed, it can be argued that our periods of political drift have been as fateful for the nation as our eras of New Freedom, New Deal and New Frontier. But the dull presidents are a trial for the political analyst, particularly for the student of personality and political leadership. It is not just that they sap one's intellectual verve, but that their personality configurations are, on the surface, indistinct. They thus provide "hard-case" tests for the supposition that personality helps shape a president's politics. If a personality approach can work with Coolidge and Hoover, it can work with any chief executive. I mean to show here how these two men illustrate some recurrent dynamics of presidential style and how these dynamics can be caught in a theory with predictive possibilities. The following pages take up these themes in order. First I shall set forth a scheme for classifying presidents according to the major dimensions of their political styles and demonstrate the applicability of the classification scheme to Coolidge and Hoover. The purpose of this section is to define and apply concepts potentially
Reproducible induction of "atypical" torsades de pointes by programmed electrical stimulation: a novel form of sotalol-induced proarrhythmia?

Sotalol-Induced Polymorphic VT. We present a patient with sotalol-induced polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that was seen only with programmed ventricular stimulation. Electrophysiologic studies performed prior to initiation of sotalol therapy revealed inducible monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. Possible underlying electrophysiologic mechanisms are discussed.
Multibody instantly centered moving lagrangian observer schemes—Part II. Application to vehicular simulations

A finite element modeling method employing an instantly centered moving Lagrangian observer is proposed to solve multibody problems involving several rotating components, each with its own rotational history. The present technique allows the steady-state behavior of the problem simulation to be rendered stationary and time independent. In the second part, the method is extended to model the steady and transient response of ground-based automotive-type vehicular systems, including the modeling of vehicular obstruction rollover events.
Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Inhibit Thyrotropin-Increased Iodide Transport in Serum-Depleted FRTL-5 Rat Thyroid Cells: Modulation of Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate Signal Action

Insulin enhances the ability of TSH to induce iodide uptake in FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells maintained in 5% serum; however, in cells maintained in 0.2% serum, insulin inhibits the ability of TSH to induce iodide uptake. Since the inhibitory action of insulin is duplicated by 100-fold lower concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), inhibition appears to be mediated by the IGF-I receptor. Insulin and IGFI inhibit the action of a cAMP analog to induce iodide uptake in a manner identical to TSH, but do not inhibit basal or TSHincreased cAMP levels; inhibition, thus, results from regulation of cAMP signal action rather than cAMP signal generation. Inhibition is associated with a more than 2-fold decrease in the maximum velocity of iodide influx, a less than 15% change in the rate of iodide efflux, and no change in the Km for iodide influx, i.e. inhibition effectively results from a decrease in the number of iodide porters. The inhibitory action of insulin/IGFI is not additive with hydrocortisone, wh...
Parallel parsing on a one-way linear array of finite-state machines

Efficient parallel algorithms for some parsing problems are presented. These problems include the parsing of linear context-free languages, languages accepted by nondeterministic one-counter automata, and transductions defined by a special class of two-tape nondeterministic finite-state transducers. The model of parallel computation is a one-way linear array of identical finite-state machines. The data movement in the array is one-way, from left to right. For inputs of length n, the array uses n nodes, but the design of the node (finite-state machine) is independent of n. Our algorithms can actually produce a parse, i.e., a sequence of rules (moves) that generates (accepts) an input, in linear time. When only a no/yes answer is required, the parsing problem becomes a recognition problem. The best serial (RAM) algorithms for the corresponding recognition problems take O(n2/log2n) time and space. Previous parallel algorithms for the recognition problems run in linear time on a one-way linear array of finite-state machines.
Action of Spermine on Soluble Ribonucleic Acid and Some Polynucleotides: Solubility of Complexes of Polynucleotides with Spermine

Action of Spermine on Soluble Ribonucleic Acid and Some Polynucleotides: Solubility of Complexes of Polynucleotides with Spermine
Cyclin-dependent kinase five mediates activation of lung xanthine oxidoreductase in response to hypoxia.

Background Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) is involved in oxidative metabolism of purines and is a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As such, XOR has been implicated in oxidant-mediated injury in multiple cardiopulmonary diseases. XOR enzyme activity is regulated, in part, via a phosphorylation-dependent, post-translational mechanism, although the kinase(s) responsible for such hyperactivation are unknown. Methods and Results Using an in silico approach, we identified a cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) consensus motif adjacent to the XOR flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) binding domain. CDK5 is a proline-directed serine/threonine kinase historically linked to neural development and injury. We tested the hypothesis that CDK5 and its activators are mediators of hypoxia-induced hyperactivation of XOR in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (EC) and the intact murine lung. Using complementary molecular and pharmacologic approaches, we demonstrated that hypoxia significantly increased CDK5 activity in EC. This was coincident with increased expression of the CDK5 activators, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activator 1 (CDK5r1 or p35/p25), and decreased expression of the CDK5 inhibitory peptide, p10. Expression of p35/p25 was necessary for XOR hyperactivation. Further, CDK5 physically associated with XOR and was necessary and sufficient for XOR phosphorylation and hyperactivation both in vitro and in vivo. XOR hyperactivation required the target threonine (T222) within the CDK5-consensus motif. Conclusions and Significance These results indicate that p35/CDK5-mediated phosphorylation of T222 is required for hypoxia-induced XOR hyperactivation in the lung. Recognizing the contribution of XOR to oxidative injury in cardiopulmonary disease, these observations identify p35/CDK5 as novel regulators of XOR and potential modifiers of ROS-mediated injury.
Ultra-Low-Emittance Light Sources

In this special issue, we delve into the subject of ultra-low-emittance storage ring light sources. While these go under various names, such as “diffraction-limited storage rings” and “ultimate storage rings,” perhaps the most universally applicable name is “fourth-generation storage rings” or 4GSRs. As this name suggests, these rings promise improvements in X-ray brightness that are comparable to those seen in the transition from second- to third-generation rings.
Production and work force planning in manufacturing systems for long-cycle products: A survey

Abstract The production and work force scheduling problem for long-cycle products is one of determining the optimal production and work force levels throughout the planning horizon for products requiring many months of effort prior to completion. If the product can be finished in the same period in which it is started, it is called a short-cycle product. Most repetitive manufacturing companies deal with short-cycle products. On the other hand, if it takes longer than one period to complete a product, it is called a long-cycle product. Examples of long-cycle products are aircraft, ships, buildings, and special machines. This paper presents a review of the studies on production planning for long-cycle products and points out the need for research incorporating the learning effect in this area.
A Hessian-based methodology for automatic surface crack detection and classification from pavement images

Around 3,000,000 million vehicle miles are annually traveled utilizing the US transportation systems alone. In addition to the road traffic safety, maintaining the road infrastructure in a sound condition promotes a more productive and competitive economy. Due to the significant amounts of financial and human resources required to detect surface cracks by visual inspection, detection of these surface defects are often delayed resulting in deferred maintenance operations. This paper introduces an automatic system for acquisition, detection, classification, and evaluation of pavement surface cracks by unsupervised analysis of images collected from a camera mounted on the rear of a moving vehicle. A Hessian-based multi-scale filter has been utilized to detect ridges in these images at various scales. Post-processing on the extracted features has been implemented to produce statistics of length, width, and area covered by cracks, which are crucial for roadway agencies to assess pavement quality. This process has been realized on three sets of roads with different pavement conditions in the city of Brockton, MA. A ground truth dataset labeled manually is made available to evaluate this algorithm and results rendered more than 90% segmentation accuracy demonstrating the feasibility of employing this approach at a larger scale.
Use of the waveguide parameter V to determine the difference in the index of refraction between the rat rod outer segment and the interstitial matrix.

The difference in the index of refraction between the receptor outer segment and the interstitial matrix has been determined to be 0.06 by making use of the waveguide properties of rat rod photoreceptors. This was done first by determining the cutoff wavelength for the transition between the bilobe or annulus modal patterns and the single-lobe H E11 modal pattern, and by measuring the diameter of the transmitting cell. These measurements were made on bleached receptors. Enoch, Scandrett, and Tobey had previously shown that bleaching only slightly alters the outer-segment index of refraction and diameter in the frog. Assuming interspecies transfer, and using Sidman’s prior estimate of bleached rat rod outer-segment index of refraction, then the index of refraction of the interstitial matrix of the albino rat is estimated to be 1.3476. This estimate was made using two different media in contact with the retinal preparation, a miscible mountant tissue culture medium believed to be compatible with the rat retina, and an encapsulating nonmiscible silicone oil which allows only ocular media from the same eye in contact with the outer segments.
Novel biological metamaterials, nanoscale optical devices, and Polarimetric Exploratory Data Analysis (pEDA)

This study reports that certain biological macromolecules, colloidal suspensions, or organic molecular structures, with very large optical activities, exhibit enhanced transmission, backscattering and signal characteristics. Although by definition, these molecular nanocomposite structures can be classified as metamaterials, whether these macromolecules exhibit uniquely defined metamaterial characteristics, deserves a careful study before any assessment can be made. Based on the above, a new optical polarimetric metrics definition is introduced, namely, the Polarimetric Exploratory Data Analysis (pEDA) aimed to quantify the signal characteristics of photons interacting with optically active media, in terms of enhanced contrast and potential discriminant descriptors, without excluding expansion of the same metrics to other areas of research.
Primary epidural non‐Hodgkin lymphoma: Spinal cord compression syndrome as the initial form of presentation in childhood non‐Hodgkin lymphoma

Background Primary epidural non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a rare but devastating event in pediatric oncology. Spinal cord compression due to an epidural mass from NHL, although it presents as a localized problem, in fact, is a systemic disease. Over the last 3 decades, aggressive systemic treatments with central nervous system prophylaxis have been designed with improving results. Procedure We reviewed the 20-year experience of the treatment of NHL with the LSA2-L2 protocol in our institution. Among 256 patients treated, five presented with primary epidural mass. Clinical features, treatment, and outcome of those five patients are presented. Results Three patients out of five responded favorably, and after a median follow-up of 10 years, they are cured. After presenting with paraplegia, functional and neurological recoveries were excellent. Of the patients who failed treatment, relapse occurred early, either during the treatment or right after completion of therapy. The relapses were within the central nervous system as well as systemic. Conclusions Patients with primary epidural NHL presented with long histories of persistent back pain. Plain films of the spine were useless. All patients were diagnosed when neurologic damage had already been established. However, when the epidural NHL is treated aggressively with systemic chemotherapy and vigorous rehabilitation, the prognosis for complete neurological recovery and cure of the lymphoma is encouraging. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 32:102–105, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Performance evaluation of two methods for online monitoring of linear calibration profiles

We compare the performance of two phase II monitoring schemes for linear profiles, one based on the classical calibration method monitoring the deviations from the regression line (referred to as the NIST method) and the second based on individually monitoring the parameters of the linear profile (referred to as the KMW method). The comparison criterion is average run length performance under different sustained shifts in the intercept, slope and error standard deviation of the linear calibration line. A simulation study shows that the NIST method performs poorly compared to the combined control charting scheme of the KMW method.
Comparative analysis of nutrient data in the lower Mississippi River

Abstract As the second phase of a large-scale Tulane University Mississippi River water-quality database project, nutrient data on the lower Mississippi River have been examined for potential differences among sampling agencies, geographic locations and chemically similar nitrogen parameters. These data represent the most comprehensive source of information on nutrients in the Mississippi River available as a single database. Monthly means, grouped by parameter, sampling location and agency, were calculated and compared as paired sets, excluding months where data were not available for both sets. Evaluations using ANOVA indicated few differences among agencies providing nitrogen-compound data, although differences were observed in phosphorus-compound data from different sources. Unfiltered and filtered fractions of nitrate–nitrite were found to be comparable throughout the study area. Spatial examination of the nutrient data indicated few differences in inorganic nitrogen concentrations throughout the study area, but significant variability in total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). Orthophosphate and total phosphorus concentrations increased through the study area from Arkansas [river miles (RM) 500–810] downstream to St. Francisville (RM 231–315), but with little or no change from Baton Rouge (RM 111–230) to the Gulf of Mexico. Results provide a combined data set from which preliminary calculations of daily nutrient loads in the Mississippi River between 1960 and 1997 were conducted.
Small-scale helicity and α -effect in the Earth's core

Abstract It is a commonly held belief that the combination of rotation and buoyancy creates a net helicity and electromotive force (EMF), known as an α -effect, and hence, dynamo action. We investigate this possibility for a simple, but dynamically complete, model, consisting of a small, isolated buoyant parcel rising in an infinite extent of rotating electrically conducting Boussinesq fluid in the presence of a large-scale magnetic field. We show that the leading order in the local magnetic Reynolds number, assumed small, is that the total helicity and EMF are identically zero, due to symmetry. This is in effect an anti-dynamo theorem, to be overcome if dynamo action is to occur. The helicity and EMF densities are found to be concentrated in wakes having spatial extent much larger than the scale of the buoyant parcel. The wakes are aligned with rotation if Coriolis force dominates Lorentz (forming a foreshortened Taylor column) and with the magnetic field if Lorentz dominates Coriolis. Consequently, the integrals of helicity and EMF over a half-space on either side of the parcel are non-zero. These distributions have the potential of creating wavelike dynamo action as the buoyant parcel rises through the outer core. In the case that the Coriolis force is dominant and the viscous force is very weak, it is found that the half-space integral of helicity is inversely proportional to the square root of the Ekman number. This is a counterintuitive result, depending on the action of a very weak viscous force at very large distance from the buoyant parcel.
Whither Kashmir Studies?: A Review

This paper explores the current state of the field of Kashmir Studies and argues that, whilst scholarship on Kashmir has come a long way since the decades after Indian independence and partition, the political situation in the region continues to cast a long shadow over writings on Kashmir. Nevertheless, and despite the continued difficulties associated with research within Kashmir, a new generation of scholars has emerged at the turn of the twenty-first century, whose writings transcend geographical and political determinism as well as the discourse of Kashmiri exceptionalism, to present Kashmir as a complex, but not unique, entity, that has been shaped by multiple influences. In addition, this scholarship explores the ideas that have given Kashmir a particular shape in our imaginations, through analysis of a variety of sources, including poetry, art, film, and oral histories. A lot remains to be done, however, particularly in the field of Kashmir's medieval and pre-modern history, and in the application of theoretical approaches such as borderlands to the region's past and present.
Passive Chemiresistor Sensor Based on Iron (II) Phthalocyanine Thin Films for Monitoring of Nitrogen Dioxide

Abstract Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a highly toxic oxidizing gas generally produced as a byproduct of combustion processes and also commonly stored in high concentrations as dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) for military and industrial use. A passive, unpowered sensor for the detection of NO2 gas was achieved using iron phthalocyanine (FePc), an organometallic molecular crystal. FePc acts as an electron donor in the presence of nitrogen dioxide gas, forming a charge carrier complex that effectively dopes the FePc. The resulting decrease in resistivity was monitored to determine ambient NO2 concentrations. FePc thin film sensors were manufactured via physical vapor deposition of FePc powder onto gold inter-digitated electrodes patterned on oxidized silicon substrates. Gas exposure tests were conducted in a Teflon PTFE test cell, with sensor resistance monitored in real time. Up to four orders of magnitude change in resistance was observed upon saturation to 100 parts per million (ppm) NO2 equilibrated in Nitrogen (N2) gas; sensors were tested over an extreme diurnal temperature range of − 46 to 71 ° C, demonstrating two orders of magnitude change at 71 ° C and up to four orders of magnitude change at − 46 ° C. Thermal cycling results across this temperature range indicated that sensor base resistance is mostly a function of temperature. Using normalized sensor resistance output plotted vs. time, NO2 concentrations in the range of 0.5–2 ppm was consistently detectable. A passive FePc based NO2 sensor can provide passive long-term monitoring of toxic NO2 levels with high cost-effectiveness and minimal maintenance under a large operating temperature range.
Serglycin Proteoglycan Is Required for Multiple Myeloma Cell Adhesion, in Vivo Growth, and Vascularization *

Recently, it was discovered that serglycin, a hematopoietic cell proteoglycan, is the major proteoglycan expressed and constitutively secreted by multiple myeloma (MM) cells. High levels of serglycin are present in the bone marrow aspirates of at least 30% of newly diagnosed MM patients. However, its contribution to the pathophysiology of MM is unknown. Here, we show that serglycin knockdown (by ∼85% compared with normal levels), using lentiviral shRNA, dramatically attenuated MM tumor growth in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency. Tumors formed from cells deficient in serglycin exhibited diminished levels of hepatocyte growth factor expression and impaired development of blood vessels, indicating that serglycin may affect tumor angiogenesis. Furthermore, knockdown of serglycin significantly decreased MM cell adhesion to bone marrow stromal cells and collagen I. Even though serglycin proteoglycan does not have a transmembrane domain, flow cytometry showed that serglycin is present on the MM cell surface, and attachment to the cell surface is, at least in part, dependent on its chondroitin sulfate side chains. Co-precipitation of serglycin from conditioned medium of MM cells using a CD44-Fc chimera suggests that CD44 is the cell surface-binding partner for serglycin, which therefore may serve as a major ligand for CD44 at various stages during myeloma progression. Finally, we demonstrate that serglycin mRNA expression in MM cells is up-regulated by activin, a predominant cytokine among those increased in MM patients with osteolytic lesions. These studies provide direct evidence for a critical role for serglycin in MM pathogenesis and show that targeting serglycin may provide a novel therapeutic approach for MM.
Pre- and Postnatal Developmental Changes in Hypothalamic Content of Rat Growth Hormone- Releasing Factor*

The ontogenesis of hypothalamic GH-releasing factor (GRF) in pre- and postnatal rats was examined by means of a specific rat GRF RIA. Whereas GRF content was undetectable (<10 pg/hypothalamus) on day 17 of gestation, it increased to 30–65 pg/hypothalamus during days 18–20. During postnatal life, hypothalamic GRF content increased more rapidly during days 20–50 than during days 0–20 or 50–90. GRF content was 900–1300 pg/hypothalamus in 50- to 90-day-old rats, and there was no consistent sex difference during postnatal life. Hypothalamic somatostatin levels, as measured by RIA, showed a developmental pattern similar to that of rat GRF. GRF immunoreactivity in hypothalamic extracts from fetal as well as adult rats exhibited HPLC retention times identical to that of synthetic rat GRF. Administration of antirat GRF serum produced a significant decrease in plasma GH levels in fetal rats on day 21 of gestation and in newborn pups 4 h after birth. Passive immunization against GRF caused a more marked suppression ...
Recovery of missing speech packets using the short-time energy and zero-crossing measurements

A waveform substitution technique using interpolation based on the slowly varying speech parameters of short-time energy and zero-crossing information is developed for a packetized speech communication system. The system uses 64-kb conventional pulse code modulation (PCM) for encoding and takes advantage of active talkspurts and silence intervals to increase the efficiency of utilizing a digital link. The short-time energy and information on the zero-crossings needed for the purpose of determining talkspurts are transmitted in a preceding packet. Hence, when a packet is pronounced lost, its envelope and frequency characteristics are obtained from a previous packet and used to synthesize a substitution waveform which is free of annoying sounds that are due to abrupt changes in amplitude. >
Intra-arterial infusion of radiosensitizer (BUdR) combined with hypofractionated irradiation and chemotherapy for primary treatment of osteogenic sarcoma

Abstract Combined modality treatment was given in nine patients of osteogenic sarcoma wherein the tumor was unresectable because of location or amputation was refused. This alternative to massive surgery comprised hypofractionated irradiation, intra-arterial infusion of the radiosensitizer 5′-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) and adjuvant systemic chemotherapy. Local control was achieved in seven of the nine patients. Four survived, all without evidence of disease at 6, 7.1, 8.8, and 10.5 years after completion of irradiation. Pulmonary metastases developed in six patients—of whom one survives, following high-dose pulmonary irradiation and additional chemotherapy. Significant soft-tissue injury occurred in five patients. On the basis of our experience, we believe that new approaches using modifications of external beam irradiation with different fractionation schedules or better radiosensitizing compounds may hold promise for patients with non-resectable osteosarcoma.
Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against ricin's enzymatic subunit interfere with protein disulfide isomerase-mediated reduction of ricin holotoxin in vitro

The penultimate event in the intoxication of mammalian cells by ricin toxin is the reduction, in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), of the intermolecular disulfide bond that links ricin's enzymatic (RTA) and binding (RTB) subunits. In this report we adapted an in vitro protein disulfide isomerase (PDI)-mediated reduction assay to test the hypothesis that the RTA-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) IB2 interferes with the liberation of RTA from RTB. IB2 recognizes an epitope located near the interface between RTA and RTB and, like a number of other RTA-specific neutralizing mAbs, is proposed to neutralize ricin intracellularly. In this study, we found that IB2 virtually eliminated the reduction of ricin holotoxin into RTA and RTB in vitro. Surprisingly, three other neutralizing mAbs (GD12, R70 and SyH7) that bind epitopes at considerable distance from ricin's disulfide bond were as effective (or nearly as effective) as IB2 in interfering with PDI-mediated liberation of RTA from RTB. By contrast, two non-neutralizing RTA-specific mAbs, FGA12 and SB1, did not affect PDI-mediated reduction of ricin. These data reveal a possible mechanism by which RTA-specific antibodies may neutralize ricin intracellularly, provided they are capable of trafficking in association with ricin from the cell surface to the ER.
On-chip temperature gradient interaction chromatography

This paper reports the first integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) HPLC chip that consists of a parylene high-pressure LC column, an electrochemical sensor, a resistive heater and a thermal-isolation structure for on-chip temperature gradient interaction chromatography application. The separation column was 8 mm long, 100 μm wide, 25 μm high and was packed with 5 μm sized, C18-coated beads using conventional slurry-packing technique. A novel parylene-enhanced, air-gap thermal isolation technology was used to reduce heater power consumption by 58% and to reduce temperature rise in the off-column area by 67%. The fabricated chip consumed 400 mW when operated at 100 °C. To test the chromatography performance of the fabricated system, a mixture of derivatized amino acids was chosen for separation. A temporal temperature gradient scanning from 25 to 65 °C with a ramping rate of 3.6 °C/min was applied to the column during separation. Successful chromatographic separation of derivatized amino acids was carried out using our chip. Compared with conventional temperature gradient HPLC system which incorporates “macro oven” to generate temporal temperature gradient on the column, our chip's thermal performance, i.e., power consumption and thermal response, is greatly improved without sacrificing chromatography quality.
Relationships among trait, situational, and comparative optimism: clarifying concepts for a theoretically consistent and evidence-based intervention to maximize resilience.

Research evidence identifies trait optimism as the strongest individual predictor of adolescent resilience when framed within Lazarus's theory of stress and coping. As a precursor to the development of an intervention to maximize resilience, this study clarifies the concept of optimism. Relationships among trait, situational, and comparative optimism were explored. The sample ( N = 132) consisted of rural adolescents between 14 and 18 years old who were attending public school. The results demonstrate weak correlations, suggesting that adolescents' perceptions of situations may be amenable to an intervention to maximize resilience but that adolescents also do not expect to experience health or environmental problems. Implications for developing an intervention are discussed.
Explicit solution for the optical properties of a uniaxial crystal in generalized ellipsometry

Abstract The complex ordinary (No) and extraordinary (Ne) refractive indices of an absorbing uniaxial crystal can be explicitly derived from the normalized diagonal (α) and off-diago-nal (β) elements of one oblique-incidence (at angle φ) reflection matrix measured by generalized ellipsometry on a crystal face that contains the optic axis at an oblique orientation (ω ≠ O or π 2 ) with respect to the plane of incidence. At most four solution sets (No, Ne) are mathematically and physically consistent with one measurement set (α,β,φ,ω). In many cases, identification of the correct solution is feasible without additional measurements. If necessary repeated measurements at a different value of φ or ω will resolve the ambiguity; only one solution set remains invariant upon a change of φ or ω, the correct set. A single measurement of reflectance (e.g., for p-polarized light) may also be adequate. The analytic inversion method is used in an error analysis to determine optimum choices of angle of incidence (φ ≅ 50–70°) and crystal orientation (ω ≅ 45°) that lead to minimum percentage errors of No and Ne for several uniaxial crystals.
Coupled Formation of an Amidotransferase Interdomain Ammonia Channel and a Phosphoribosyltransferase Active Site

Activation of gluatmine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (RPPP) amidotransferase (GPATase) by binding of a PRPP substrate analog results in the formation of a 20 A channel connecting the active site for glutamine hydrolysis in one domain with the PRPP site in a second domain. This solvent-inaccessible channel permits transfer of the NH3 intermediate between the two active sites. Tunneling of NH3 may be a common mechanism for glutamine amidotransferase-catalyzed nitrogen transfer and for coordination of catalysis at two distinct active sites in complex enzymes. The 2.4 A crystal structure of the active conformer of GPATase also provides the first description of an intact active site for the phosphoribosyltransferase (PRTase) family of nucleotide synthesis and salvage enzymes. Chemical assistance to catalysis is provided primarily by the substrate and secondarily by the enzyme in the proposed structure-based mechanism. Different catalytic and inhibitory modes of divalent cation binding to the PRTase active site are revealed in the active conformer of the enzyme and in a feedback-inhibited GMP complex.
High school profiles: Application of HTML for recruitment decision making

Because high school graduates are many colleges' primary target population, information on high school students' performance and sociodemographic characteristics becomes important for the recruitment process.
The Politics of Energy Dependency: Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania Between Domestic Oligarchs and Russian Pressure 1992–2012, by Balmaceda, Margarita M.

Energy security is considered a priority by any government, but not all nations are able to deal with various threats to their own energy insecurity. The Soviet Union’s dissolution tested this argu...
Detection of Antibody to Rubella Virus by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Fetal infection with rubella virus is a known cause of congenital birth defects and mental retardation. Thus, protection of females of childbearing age is the major concern of rubella research and immunization programs. Good serologic assays are needed to identify women at risk and to detect active infections with rubella virus, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Several reliable methods for detection of antibody to rubella virus have been developed. Most commonly used are the HAI, virusneutralization, and indirect immunofluorescence tests. Antibody to rubella virus has also been assayed by CF, but this method is less reliable because CF antibodies appear later and persist at perceptible levels for a shorter duration than do those measured by the other tests [1]. Recently Voller and Bidwell [2, 3] reported a simple solid-phase enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for antibody to rubella virus based on a procedure originally developed by Engvall and Perlmann [4]. This ELISA method offers advantages, to be discussed later in this communication, over the commonly used tests for rubella antibody. The procedure used by Voller and Bidwell [2, 3] employed nonpurified antigen of rubella virus containing components of medium and cells in which the virus was propagated. Since contaminating medium and cellular antigens might reduce the sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA, we have investigated the use of a purified rubella antigen. Results of these studies are reported here.
Systemic delivery of siRNA in pumpkin by a plant PHLOEM SMALL RNA‐BINDING PROTEIN 1–ribonucleoprotein complex

In plants, the vascular system, specifically the phloem, functions in delivery of small RNA (sRNA) to exert epigenetic control over developmental and defense-related processes. Although the importance of systemic sRNA delivery has been established, information is currently lacking concerning the nature of the protein machinery involved in this process. Here, we show that a PHLOEM SMALL-RNA BINDING PROTEIN 1 (PSRP1) serves as the basis for formation of an sRNA ribonucleoprotein complex (sRNPC) that delivers sRNA (primarily 24 nt) to sink organs. Assembly of this complex is facilitated through PSRP1 phosphorylation by a phloem-localized protein kinase, PSRPK1. During long-distance transport, PSRP1-sRNPC is stable against phloem phosphatase activity. Within target tissues, phosphatase activity results in disassembly of PSRP1-sRNPC, a process that is probably required for unloading cargo sRNA into surrounding cells. These findings provide an insight into the mechanism involved in delivery of sRNA associated with systemic gene silencing in plants.
The impact of unrecognized bipolar disorders among patients treated for depression with antidepressants in the fee-for-services California Medicaid (Medi-Cal) program: a 6-year retrospective analysis.

Abstract Introduction The cost of unrecognized bipolar disorders over time is unknown. Methods Ten years of data from the California Medicaid program were used to identify depressed patients initiating new episodes of antidepressant therapy and with 6+ years of post-treatment data. Recognized bipolar (RBP) patients received a BP diagnosis or used mood stabilizers in the pre-index period. Unrecognized bipolar (UBP) patients received an initial BP diagnosis or used a mood stabilizer in the post-index period. Depression-only (MDD) patients had no BP diagnosis or mood stabilizer use. Three analyses were conducted: (1) regression models of cost per year, (2) a regression model of aggregate cost over 6 years and (3) a time trend analysis of the costs for UBP patients. Results 14,809 patients were identified: RBP 14.5%, UBP 28.2% and MDD 57.3%. The growth in costs per month for UBP patients over 6 years (171%) far exceeds the growth for RBP and MDD patients (82% and 95%, respectively). RBP and MDD patients cost $2316 and $1681 less per year in the 6th year relative to UBP patients ( p p = 0.011). Costs for UBP patients increased by $10 per month prior to their initial BP diagnosis ( p p = 0.006 for the change in slope). Limitations Classification of patients based on diagnosis or mood stabilizer use using paid claims data is inexact. Conclusions Early diagnosis of bipolar disorders may significantly reduce health care cost.
Historical Archaeo-Geographies of Scaled Statehood: American Federalism and Material Practices of National Prohibition in California, 1917–1933

This paper discusses the ways that a more explicit engagement with the discipline of historical geography could contribute to archaeologies of the recent and contemporary past. Scholars working in this time period must consider multiple scales of connectivity between people and places through time and would benefit from political geography’s recent theorizing on scale and the state. We present a preliminary case study of what we term a historical archeo-geography drawing upon archaeological materials from late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century sites to demonstrate how state and federal legislation is enacted at the household level.