cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inherited frailty and longevity

The lifespansof parents and children appearonly weakly related,even though parents affect their children’s longevity through both genetic and environmental influences. These influences can be summarizedas a correlation betweenparents’and children’s frailty. It isshownthat even ifchildren perfectly inherit their frailty from their parents, parents’ life spans explain little of the variance in children’s life spans, because the variance in life expectancies among people with different frailties is small compared with the variancein life spansamongpeopleat the same leveloffrailty. Byinterpreting frailty as a relative risk in a proportional-hazard model, longevity as a duration or waiting time, and inheritance as an invariance in relative risk over time, one can extend this result to repeatable events involving fertility, migration, marriage, unemployment, and so forth.
River extraction from high resolution satellite images

High resolution satellite imagery has large ground coverage and extraction of main geographical features such as rivers is of vital importance for numerous applications. In this paper, we propose an automatic technique for extraction of rivers from panchromatic satellite images using an iterative multi resolution decomposition of textural features, combined with morphological operations. The method was used for extraction of Kabul river of Pakistan from high resolution SPOT 5 satellite image.
Middle to Late Cretaceous sedimentary mélange, Franciscan Complex, northern California

Field relationships and paleontologic data in the Covelo-Laytonville area suggest (1) melanges can be mapped as discrete stratigraphic units on the basis of matrix and type of included block; (2) some of the melange units are in depositional contact with other Franciscan units and represent olistostrome deposits; (3) neither the type of included block nor the style of deformation observed in the matrix provides a basis for assuming a tectonic emplacement for these melanges; (4) the process of melange formation, at least locally, involved the mixing of rocks of different composition and age; and (5) in the Covelo-Laytonville area, melange formation was active during or after Middle Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) time.
Analysis of the longitudinal course of PTSD in 716 survivors of 10 disasters

Identification of consistent predictors of the temporal course of PTSD has been hampered by non-uniform definitions of onset and remission. Onset and remission of PTSD based on different definitions were examined in a large database of systematically assessed disaster survivors. Directly exposed survivors of 10 disasters were studied within approximately 3 months of the disasters and again 1–3 years later, using consistent methods including full diagnostic assessment, allowing aggregation of data from different disasters into a unified database of 716 survivors. Application of existing definitions of PTSD onset and remission uncovered problems with definitions based on diagnostic threshold as well as onset/remission of symptoms. Few predictors of timing of onset and PTSD remission were identified. Regardless, PTSD symptom group C was found to be pivotal to processes involved in both onset and remission of the disorder. Research findings related to the onset and remission of PTSD are highly dependent on the definition used. Both symptom-based and diagnostic threshold-based definitions are problematic. Definitions of the onset and remission of PTSD might be more effectively based on the onset and remission of group C symptoms.
Supporting single cause inferences when multiple causation is implied

Participants drew causal inferences about interpersonal and achievement events, and ranked the information aspects on their importance in reaching the inference. High information was ranked most important for drawing a stimulus inference, low distinctiveness information was most important for drawing a person inference, and low consistency information was most important for drawing a circumstance inference.
Effects of TRH, TSH, and prolactin on the release in vitro of thyroxine from thyroid glands of the red-spotted newt

Thyroid glands from red-spotted newts were cultured in medium containing ovine thyroid stimulating hormone (o-TSH), ovine prolactin (o-PRL), or o-TSH and o-PRL in combination. In other preparations thyroid glands were maintained with pituitary glands in cultures to which various concentrations of thyrotropic regulating hormone (TRH) had been added. By radioimmunoassay, concentrations of thyroxine (T4) were measured in samples of medium take after various periods of culture. No effect of TRH on the release of T4 was detected. Levels of T4 were raised by TSH but not by PRL. Greater increases were induced by TSH + PRL than by TSH alone. It is concluded that under the conditions of this study PRL enhances the effect of TSH on the release of T4 by the thyroid gland in the red-spotted newt.
Kinetics of Phosphoramide Mustard Hydrolysis in Aqueous Solution

Hydrolysis of phosphoramide mustard was investigated using HPLC, 31P NMR, and GC—MS with specific deuterium labels. The hydrolysis of phosphoramide mustard in sodium phosphate buffers was found to follow apparent first-order kinetics. The rate of hydrolysis was temperature and pH dependent, being slower under acidic conditions. The hydrolysis was not catalyzed by hydroxyl ion, and its pH dependence appeared to be the result of a change in the mechanism of hydrolysis at different pH values. At a pH value approximately above the pKa of the phosphoramide mustard nitrogen, the major hydrolytic pathway of phosphoramide mustard was via the formation of the aziridinium ion, followed by nucleophilic attack. At pH values below its pKa, cleavage of the P-N bond predominated. At pH 7.4, the formation of an aziridinium ion was followed by a rapid hydrolysis to yield the monohydroxy and, subsequently, the dihyroxy products. The hydrolysis at this pH was adequately described by consecutive first-order kinetics. Seven species in the hydrolytic mixture have been identified as intact phosphoramide mustard, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)phosphorodiamidic acid, N,N-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)phosphorodiamidic acid, phosphoramidic acid, phosphoric acid, N,N-bis-(2-chlorethyl)amine, and N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine by GC–MS with the aid of deuterium labels. Phosphoramide mustard was found to be stabilized by chloride ion. The stabilization was linearly related to the chloride ion concentration, and the mechanism was found to be via the formation of phosphoramide mustard from the aziridinium and chloride ions. Phosphoramide mustard was significantly more stable in human plasma and in 5% human serum albumin as compared to aqueous buffers, an observation that may be important in vivo.
Very low birth weight infants qualifying for a 'late' erythrocyte transfusion: does giving darbepoetin along with the transfusion counteract the transfusion's erythropoietic suppression?

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions can suppress erythropoiesis. On this basis, RBC transfusions administered to very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates potentially render them more likely to qualify for a subsequent transfusion. We hypothesized that ‘late’ (>14 days after birth) RBC transfusions given to VLBW neonates result in a decrease in reticulocyte count persisting for at least 7 to 10 days. We also hypothesized that a single dose of darbepoetin given along with the transfusion would have the opposite effect, increasing the reticulocyte count for at least 7 to 10 days. To test this, we conducted a single-centered randomized trial with 20 VLBW neonates who, according to our transfusion guidelines, qualified for a late transfusion. VLBW infants about to receive a late RBC transfusion were randomized (1:1) to also receive vs not receive (controls) a single subcutaneous dose of darbepoetin (10 μg kg−1). Reticulocyte counts diminished significantly in the controls (a drop of 85±62 × 103 μl−1 (mean±s.d.) at 7 to 10 days), but increased significantly in the darbepoetin recipients (an increase of 177±120 × 103 μl−1 at 7 to 10 days, P<0.0001). At 7 to 10 days after the transfusion, hematocrits of the controls were 8.1±4.9 points above their pre-transfusion values and of the darbepoetin group were 12.4±2.7 points above their pre-transfusion values (P=0.033). This was a limited-scope, single-centered, randomized trial intended to pilot-test a new concept in neonatal transfusion practice. Namely, we tested whether a late RBC transfusion suppressed reticulocytosis and whether a concomitant single dose of darbepoetin counteracted that suppression. Using the pilot data presented in this study, larger trials can now be designed to address meaningful clinical outcomes such as transfusion avoidance using this approach.
Understanding Managerial Effectiveness: A Chinese Perspective.

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the managerial behavior of Chinese managers, as observed by their superiors, subordinates, and peers in a state‐owned enterprise in China. Specifically, this study aims to explore two questions. First, what managerial behaviors are perceived as being effective in the Chinese state‐owned enterprise? Second, what managerial behaviors are perceived as being least effective or ineffective in the Chinese state‐owned enterprise?Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using critical incident (CI) interview techniques. From 35 managers of one large state‐owned telecommunication company in Western China, 230 usable CIs were collected. In total, 31 themes were identified from the thematic analysis, of which 14 related to effective managerial behaviors and 17 related to ineffective behaviors.Findings – An effective Chinese manager is perceived as being supportive, caring, fair, engaging, self‐disciplined, unselfish, responsible, and knowledge...
Basic science and spine literature document bone morphogenetic protein increases cancer risk.

Background Increasingly, clinical articles document that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP/INFUSE: Medtronic, Memphis, TN, USA) and its derivatives utilized in spinal surgery increase the risk of developing cancer. However, there is also a large body of basic science articles that also document that various types of BMP and other members of the TGF-Beta (transforming growth factor beta) family promote the growth of different types of cancers. Methods This review looks at many clinical articles citing BMP/INFUSE's role, largely "off-label", in contributing to complications encountered during spinal surgery. Next, however, specific attention is given to the clinical and basic science literature regarding how BMP and its derivatives (e.g. members of the TGF-beta family) may also impact the development of breast and other cancers. Results Utilizing BMP/INFUSE in spine surgery increased the risk of cancers/new malignancy as documented in several studies. For example, Carragee et al. found that for single-level instrumented posterolateral fusions (PLF) using high-dose rhBMP-2 (239 patients) vs. autograft (control group; n = 224), the risks of new cancers at 2 and 5 years postoperatively were increased. In laboratory studies, BMP's along with other members of the TGF-Beta family also modulated/contributed to the proliferation/differentiation of breast cancer (e.g. bone formation/turnover, breast cancer-related solid tumors, and metastases), lung, adrenal, and colon cancer. Conclusions BMP/INFUSE when utilized clinically in spinal fusion surgery appears to promote cancer at higher rates than observed in the overall population. Furthermore, BMP and TGF-beta are correlated with increased cancer growth both in the clinic and the laboratory.
Conducting Properties of a Contact Between Open-End Carbon Nanotube and Various Electrodes

The carbon nanotube (CNT) is becoming a promising candidate as electrical interconnects in nanoscale electronics. This paper reports the electronic structure and the electrical conducting properties at the interface between an open-end single wall CNT (SWCNT) and various metal electrodes, such as Al, Au, Cu, and Pd. A simulation cell consisting of an SWCNT with each end connected to the metal electrode was constructed. A voltage bias is prescribed between the left- and right-electrodes to compute the electronic conductance. Due to the electronic structure, the electron density and local density of states (LDOS) are calculated to reveal the interaction behavior at the interfaces. The first-principle quantum mechanical density functional and non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) approaches are adopted to compute the transport coefficient. After that, the voltage-current relation is calculated using the Landauer-Buttiker formalism. The results show that electrons are conducted through the electrode/CNT/electrode two-probe system. The contact electronic resistance is calculated by averaging the values in the low voltage bias regime (0.0–0.1 V), in which the voltage–current relationship is found to be linear. And the electrical contact conductance of electrode/CNT/electrode system show the electrode-type dependent, however, the amplitude for different electrodes is of the same order.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Linking Party Platforms to Perceptions of Presidential Candidates’ Policy Positions, 1972–2000:

If candidates sometimes seek to distinguish themselves from their parties and are ambiguous about their policy positions, to what extent do the policy platforms of parties affect individuals’ perce...
Purification and characterization of the fructose diphosphate aldolases from Anacystis is nidulans and Saprospira thermalis

Abstract 1. 1. Fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase (fructose-1,6-diphosphate d -glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-lyase, EC 4.1.2.13) has been purified 970-fold from the blue-green alga, Anacystis nidulans , by a procedure involving (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fractionation, calcium phosphate gel adsorption and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The purified enzyme has a sharp pH optimum at 7.6 for Fru-1,6- P 2 cleavage and an apparent molecular weight of 137 000. For catalytic activity the aldolase exhibits an absolute requirement for both a divalent metal and a thiol acid. The Michaelis constant for Fru-1,6- P 2 is 0.22 mM; for sedoheptulose-1,7- P 2 is 10 mM; and for Fe + is 3.8 μM. The maximal velocity at 26° for Fru-1,6- P 2 is 5200. 2. 2. The aldolase from the Flexibacterium, Saprospira thermalis , has been purified 240-fold by a procedure involving ethanol and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fractionation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The purified enzyme has a sharp pH optimum at 8.0 for Fru-1,6- P 2 cleavage and an apparent molecular weight of 137 000. The aldolase requires cysteine, Zn 2+ and K + for maximum activity. The Michaelis constant and maximal velocity for Fru-1,6- P 2 is 0.19 mM and 6600, respectively. 3. 3. The properties of these metal-requiring aldolases are almost identical to the purified yeast enzyme. Furthermore, since it appears that bacteria possess only metal-dependent aldolases, the occurrence of such an aldolase in Anacystis reinforces the argument that the blue-greens represent a common link between the bacteria and higher plants.
Unbalanced translocation of chromosome 3p in Wilms' tumor

Abstract Genetic studies in Wilms' tumor have most commonly shown a deletion involving band 13 on the p arm of chromosome 11 in association with aniridia. Structural rearrangements of chromosome 3p have been found in carcinoma of renal cell and lung origin but have not been previously reported in Wilms' tumor. We present two phenotypically normal, unrelated patients with Wilms' tumors, one of which was bilateral, in which cytogenetic analysis of the tumors showed an unbalanced translocation of the p arm of chromosome 3. Two biopsies were done in the patient with bilateral Wilms' tumor. The first biopsy specimen showed a translocation between chromosome 3 and 13 with partial trisomy of 3p and loss of material from 13q. The second biopsy three and a half months later again showed trisomy of chromosome 3p. The unilateral Wilms' tumor showed trisomy of 3p with partial loss of 7p. Neither patient showed a constitutional chromosomal abnormality and neither tumor showed any cytogenetic abnormality involving chromosome 11p. Quantitative DNA analysis was performed in the tumors of both patients. The bilateral Wilms' tumor was nearly diploid with a DNA index of 1.284 (mean ploidy, 2.45; SD, 0.854) while the unilateral Wilms' tumor was aneuploid with a DNA index of 1.531 (mean ploidy, 3.35; SD, 0.976). DNA analysis results are discussed in relationship to the chromosome abnormality seen on the karyotype analysis. These cytogenetic findings suggest that genetic oncogenesis in Wilms' tumor is heterogenous.
Dimensionality of Empathy and Its Correlates

ABSTRACT To investigate the dimensions of empathy and their influence on various interpersonal measures, 122 college students were administered a questionnaire consisting of two empathy scales, various interpersonal measures, and two altruism measures. Factor analysis and subsequent multiple regression analyses indicated that empathy is comprised of affective and cognitive components, and that these components affect other interpersonal measures differently. Developmental implications of the two empathy components were discussed, and the relationship of the empathy components to self-disclosure was explored to point out the interpersonal processes involved in empathic responding and to delineate a developmental continuum of empathy and self-disclosure.
THE PHOTOCHEMICAL ISOMERIZATION KINETICS OF UROCANIC ACID AND THEIR EFFECTS UPON THE IN VITRO AND IN VIVO PHOTOISOMERIZATION ACTION SPECTRA

— The kinetic rate equation for the photoreversible photoisomerization between trans -urocanic acid (UA) and cis-UA following absorption of UV radiation has been solved and used to show that the maximum of the trans -UA photoisomerization action spectrum depends upon both the initial trans-UA concentration irradiated in an experiment and upon the irradiation dose used to determine the amount of cis-UA generated. This kinetic model can be used to explain current discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo photoisomerization action spectra reported in the literature.
The role of pallidotomy in Parkinson's disease and dystonia

Pallidotomy has been re-explored for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and is now being used for the treatment of medically intractable dystonia. Although initial results are favourable for both disorders, determination of the long term benefits will require well controlled clinical trials.
A comparison of azocillin and ticarcillin in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections

In a prospective, controlled, and randomized study, 79 patients with urinary tract infections primarily caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were treated with azlocillin at 8 g/day or ticarcillin at 12 g/day for 5 to 23 days. The evaluations of clinical and bacteriological responses of the patients to therapy were made by a 'blind' third-party observer. Overall, 74% of the 38 patients treated with azlocillin were cured, as were 67% of the 33 treated with ticarcillin. A favourable clinical response to azlocillin was achieved in 34 (89.4%) of the patients; 30 (93.8%) of the ticarcillin-treated patients had a favourable clinical response. Bacteriologically, administration of azlocillin eliminated the causative organisms in 31 of the infections (92.1%); the causative organisms were eliminated in 31 of the infections (96.9%) treated with ticarcillin. In both groups, in addition to bacterial persistence, treatment failures were due to bacteriological superinfection, generally with Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae. No local reactions were reported for either treatment group. One 80-year-old patient with prostatic carcinoma treated with azlocillin had a mild and reversible decrease in renal function during therapy, and another developed a mild pruritic rash. The results of this study indicate that azlocillin at 8 g/day is as effective as ticarcillin at 12 g/day for the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by Ps. aeruginosa; both drugs were tolerated well.
Molded underfill development for flipstack CSP

The current standard for flipchip encapsulantion is a two step process. Following flipchip attach, a liquid underfill material is dispensed along the die edge and allowed to flow, via adhesive capillary force, through the gap between the flipchip die and the PCB. Upon cure of the liquid underfill, complete die encapsulation is achieved with a standard transfer mold process using preformed epoxy pellets. When applied to a FlipStack™ CSP product, a matrix of die on the substrate are individually underfilled and cured. The transfer molding process then encapsulates all die in a single transfer of the molding compound.
Predictors of outcome for telephone and face-to-face administered cognitive behavioral therapy for depression.

Background Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be delivered efficaciously through various modalities, including telephone (T-CBT) and face-to-face (FtF-CBT). The purpose of this study was to explore predictors of outcome in T-CBT and FtF-CBT for depression. Method A total of 325 depressed participants were randomized to receive eighteen 45-min sessions of T-CBT or FtF-CBT. Depression severity was measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Classification and regression tree (CART) analyses were conducted with baseline participant demographics and psychological characteristics predicting depression outcomes, HAMD and PHQ-9, at end of treatment (week 18). Results The demographic and psychological characteristics accurately identified 85.3% and 85.0% of treatment responders and 85.7% and 85.0% of treatment non-responders on the HAMD and PHQ-9, respectively. The Coping self-efficacy (CSE) scale predicted outcome on both the HAMD and PHQ-9; those with moderate to high CSE were likely to respond with no other variable influencing that prediction. Among those with low CSE, depression severity influenced response. Social support, physical functioning, and employment emerged as predictors only for the HAMD, and sex predicted response on the PHQ-9. Treatment delivery method (i.e. telephone or face-to-face) did not impact the prediction of outcome. Conclusions Findings suggest that the predictors of improved depression are similar across treatment modalities. Most importantly, a moderate to high level of CSE significantly increases the chance of responding in both T-CBT and FtF-CBT. Among patients with low CSE, those with lower depressive symptom severity are more likely to do well in treatment.
1,2‐Dicyanocyclobutene

[3716-97-0] C6H4N2 (MW 104.11) InChI = 1S/C6H4N2/c7-3-5-1-2-6(5)4-8/h1-2H2 InChIKey = VMFXYPBFHHRGKQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reactive dienophile in [4 + 2],1 [3 + 2],2 and [2 + 2]3 Diels–Alder additions; reactive diene in [4 + 2] inverse electron demand Diels–Alder additions upon in situ thermolytic cleavage to 2,3-dicyanobutadiene) Alternate Name: cyclobutene-1,2-dicarbonitrile. Physical Data: bp 58–60 °C/0.06 mmHg; nD20 1.4926; d204 1.033 g cm−3; IR (neat) cm−1: 3002, 2957, 2230, 1612, 1422, 1251, 1169, 1003, 623; 1H NMR δ 2.91 (s, 2H). Solubility: insol H2O; sol most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: colorless liquid; not commercially available. Preparative Methods: may be prepared by several methods.4 The most convenient involves the chlorination of 1,2-dicyanocyclobutane with Phosphorus(V) Chloride followed by dechlorination with Triethylamine in refluxing benzene to give the reagent in good yield1, 5 (eq 1). (1) Purification: prepared by the method described, the reagent may be used directly for most cycloadditions. To remove trace impurities (1–4%) and obtain the pure compound, stir for 4 h over Raney cobalt under N2 at 70 °C, then distill directly under vacuum; purity may be assessed by gas chromatography.5
Stress and eating disorder behavior in anorexia nervosa as a function of menstrual cycle status

Objective Fluctuations in ovarian hormones during the menstrual cycle and psychosocial stress contribute to eating disorder (ED) behavior.
Beyond common and privileged: Gradient representations of common ground in real-time language use

The present research tested the hypothesis that on-line language processing is guided by gradient representations of linguistic common ground that reflect details of how common ground was established, including the discourse context and partner feedback. This hypothesis was contrasted with a simpler hypothesis that interpretation processes are only sensitive to simple binary representations of whether a potential discourse referent is or is not common ground. In order to evaluate these hypotheses, participants engaged in a task-based conversation with an experimenter in which some of the participant's game-pieces were hidden from the experimenter. On critical trials, the participant revealed the identity of the hidden game-pieces. Critical utterances contained referring expressions temporarily ambiguous between a visually shared game-piece, and a hidden game-piece. Analysis of participant eye movements during interpretation of these utterances revealed that participants were more likely to consider the hi...
Electron Diffraction and Microscopy Techniques for Studying Grain-Boundary Structure

Electron microscopy and diffraction techniques for studying grain-boundary structure are reviewed. The experimental conditions for applying strong-beam, weak-beam, and lattice imaging and electron diffraction are described and examples from recent studies in ceramics, semiconductors, and metals are used to illustrate the information that these techniques provide. It is demonstrated that electron diffraction can be used to study both the periodic nature of the boundary layer and its thickness. A particularly valuable feature of weak-beam imaging is that it can provide information on the details of the dislocation structure of the boundary, whereas strong-beam imaging can be used to determine the rigid-body translation between neighboring grains across special boundaries; these translations can be significantly smaller than the resolution of the microscope. Finally, lattice imaging can provide information on the location of dislocations and steps in the boundary.
The Long Island Blood Distribution System as a Prototype for Regional Blood Management

Each year over two million hospitalized Americans depend upon the timely availability of the right type of blood products at 6,000 hospital blood banks HBB's in the United States. If the right blood products are not available at the HBB when required, then medical complications or postponements of elective surgery can result which translates to extra days of hospitalization and expense. On the other hand, since most blood products may only be administered to a patient of the same blood type within 21 days of collection, overstocking at HBB's leads to low utilization, which increases costs and is wasteful of the scarce blood resource. The Long Island blood distribution system was set up as a prototype of a regional blood center and the hospital blood banks that it services collaborating to preplan regional blood flow. It maximizes blood availability and utilization according to a Programmed Blood Distribution System PBDS model and strategy that has been shown to be generally applicable. PBDS schedules blood deliveries according to statistical estimates of the needs of each HBB and monitors actual requirements to adjust deliveries when indicated by control chart techniques. In addition, it provides a daily forecasting of short-term shortages and surpluses for the next several days that results in controlled movement of blood to and from adjoining regions. Finally, the system is able to adjust the regional strategy so that availability is reduced uniformly at all HBB's during periods of seasonal, regional shortages. PBDS has drastically improved utilization and availability of blood on Long Island: wastage has been reduced by 80%, and delivery costs by 64%. This prototype is acting as a model for other regional blood centers in the United States and for other national blood services as a basis for planning and controlling blood flow in a geographic area. It usually replaces preexisting procedures where a regional blood center collects blood based upon gross estimates and reacts to requests for blood by individual HBB's on the basis of experience and on the currently prevailing inventory situation.
Effects of growth hormone-releasing factor on growth hormone secretion in acromegaly.

Twenty-nine patients with acromegaly (8 un treated and 21 previously treated in various ways) and 16 normal men were given iv bolus doses of human pancreatic tumor GH-releasing factor (hpGRF-40). Twenty-five of the 29 patients responded to hpGRF-40 with elevations of plasma GH. The magnitude of the responses varied widely. Responses of untreated patients were generally similar to those of the normal subjects. Previously treated patients had a significantly lower response than normal individuals [change in GH, 7.5 ±1.8 vs. 42.0 ± 11.0 ng⁄ml (mean ± SEM); P < 0.01], and 4 patients whohad received radiation therapy failed to respond to hpGRF-40. There was no significant correlation between the magnitude of the response and patients′ age, sex, baseline GH levels, GH responsiveness of TRH, or GH suppression after oral glucose administration. Patients studied both pre- and postoperatively were responsive to hpGRF-40 at all times tested, but the magnitude of the response decreased after successful surgical remov...
Regulation of the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in cultured human endothelial cells derived from rheumatoid synovium

OBJECTIVE: To examine the regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in human synovial microvascular endothelial cells (HSE) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVE) upon exposure to a variety of agents. METHODS: Cultured endothelial cells were treated with various cytokines alone and in combination. The expression of ICAM-1 was evaluated at several levels, including an investigation of messenger RNA (mRNA) and surface protein expression. RESULTS: Treatment of HSE with interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) resulted in minimal increases in ICAM-1 expression, in contrast to findings with HUVE. Incubation of HUVE or HSE with IL-1 or TNF in combination with interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) greatly potentiated the increase in ICAM-1 surface expression. The synergistic effect of IFN gamma and TNF was confirmed by several methods, including a cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, immunofluorescence staining, and determination of mRNA levels. IFN gamma also augmented the actions of several other agonists on HSE, i.e., IL-4, lipopolysaccharide, and TNF beta/lymphotoxin. Immunoprecipitation of TNF alpha + IFN gamma-stimulated, 125I-labeled HSE cells with anti-ICAM-1 revealed a single 90-kd band, similar in size to ICAM-1 from HUVE treated in an identical manner. Unexpectedly, IFN gamma alone was a potent stimulus for HSE ICAM-1 mRNA synthesis, but was relatively ineffective in HUVE. CONCLUSION: These studies indicate that IFN gamma plays a critical synergistic role in the regulation of ICAM-1 expression in human synovial endothelial cells.
Seasonality of birth in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objectives We investigated the seasonal pattern in births of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and mesial temporal sclerosis. We hypothesized that the seasonal pattern in births of these patients is different from that in the general population. Materials and methods In this retrospective study, all patients who were evaluated for epilepsy surgery at Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Thomas Jefferson, Philadelphia, USA, between 1986 and 2014 and had a diagnosis of mesial temporal sclerosis (made by definite imaging findings of atrophy and/or sclerosis) were included. The seasonality in births of patients was compared with the seasonal pattern in the live births of the general population from Pennsylvania State. Results Two hundred and eighty-two patients (146 females and 136 males) were studied. The seasonality pattern in birth of patients was not statistically different from that in the general population. Conclusions The observed contradictory findings among various studies indicate the need for further studies to elucidate whether season of birth brings the possibility of acquiring various epilepsy syndromes in the future. To investigate any possible association between season of birth and epilepsy, we suggest avoid pooling all patients with epilepsy together.
Weak values and the Leggett-Garg inequality in solid-state qubits

An implementation of weak values is investigated in solid-state qubits. We demonstrate that a weak value can be nonclassical if and only if a Leggett-Garg inequality can also be violated. Generalized weak values are described in which post-selection occurs on a range of weak measurement results. Imposing classical weak values permits the derivation of Leggett-Garg inequalities for bounded operators. Our analysis is presented in terms of kicked quantum nondemolition measurements on a quantum double-dot charge qubit.
How many landmark colors are needed to avoid confusion in a polygon

Suppose that two members of a finite point guard set S within a polygon P must be given different colors if their visible regions overlap, and that every point in P is visible from some point in S. The chromatic art gallery problem, introduced in [7], asks for the minimum number of colors required to color any guard set (not necessarily a minimal guard set) of P. We study two related problems. First, given a polygon P and a guard set S of P, can the members of S be efficiently and optimally colored so that no two members of S that have overlapping visibility regions have the same color? Second, given a polygon P and a set of candidate guard locations N, is it possible to efficiently and optimally choose the guard set S ⊆ N that requires the minimum number of colors? We provide an algorithm that solves the first question in polynomial time, and demonstrate the NP-hardness of the second question. Both questions are motivated by common robot tasks such as mapping and surveillance.
Utility of a seven-subtest version of the WAIS-R among an Alzheimer's disease sample.

Abstract Recent health care sector changes have created a need for shorter, more focused neuropsychological assessments. The WAIS-R provides useful information on patients’ general cognitive abilities, but poses problems in that it is time-consuming and may contribute to fatigue, especially among geriatric patients with dementia. This study evaluated Ward’s (1990) 7-subtest version of the WAIS-R among 32 patients with presumptive Alzheimer’s disease. Among all patients, the abbreviated test underestimated full WAIS-R scores by an average of 2.0, 0.2, and 1.8 points for the Verbal Intelligence Quotient (VIQ), Performance Intelligent Quotient (PIQ), and Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ). This general finding held true regardless of whether scores were generated using the standard WAIS-R method (for patients age 75 and younger) or using age corrections (i.e., Mayo Older Americans’ Normative Studies [MOANS]) for older patients. Most patients scored within the mean standard errors of measurement defined in the WAIS-R manual for VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ. In general, the 7-subtest and full versions of the WAIS-R yielded similar findings among this closely screened sample, but further testing among a more typical sample of patients with multiple risk factors for dementing conditions is needed.
Review of Prigg v. Pennsylvania: Slavery, the Supreme Court, and the Ambivalent Constitution

In 1842, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Prigg v. Pennsylvania, resolving a dispute about fugitive slave rendition that had raged between the states for decades. H. Robert Baker’s analysis of the decision and the events that led up to it is the first book-length work to investigate Prigg and its place in American history. Baker traces the development of fugitive slave laws and recounts the heart-wrenching story that lies behind Prigg to shed light on the Supreme Court’s decision and the gradual clarification of American federalism. This review explores Baker's coverage of the human and legal stories at stake in the Prigg decision.
Inferences for life history strategies of Artemisia tridentata subspecies

Communities dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, and A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana, found in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado, were evaluated for life history strategy. Species cover data were analyzed using Grime's (1984) triangular model. Then a canonical analysis was conducted to obtain an ordination of relative species cover. Results from these two analyses were then used to infer strategy differences among life histories of subspecies, based on the respective plant community associates. These differences were found to be consistent with the divergent evolution assumed to have occurred in this species. The primary ordination axis was interpreted as an elevation-moisture gradient. Further analysis of soil data by factor analysis also separated the three Artemisia subspecies along a soil texture gradient.
Constant Velocity High Force Microactuator for Stick-Slip Testing of Micromachined Interfaces

A chevron thermal actuator has been implemented as a constant velocity puller in a multiasperity frictional test platform. This platform enables a wide variation of puller velocity (1– $3100~\mu \text{m}$ /s, 3.5 decades), normal load (2– $4500~\mu \text{N}$ , 3.4 decades), and spring constant (0.06– $100~\mu \text{N}/\mu \text{m}$ , 3.2 decades). These characteristics are achieved by leveraging the actuator thermal time constant, which is long compared with the mechanical time constant, in combination with iterative learning control. Good thermal isolation between the actuator and the friction block is achieved by shunting heat to the substrate. Uncoated and FOTAS [tridecafluorotris(dimethylamino)silane, CF3(CF2)5(CH2)2Si(N(CH3)2)3]-coated devices were tested, and normal load induced a transition from steady sliding to stick-slip. This platform could have several important uses for mapping microscale kinetic friction phase diagrams, including determining the stick-slip to steady sliding bifurcation line, performing start-stop tests and instantaneous velocity change tests, and inferring information on wear performance of coatings as a function of load and velocity. [2015-0123]
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth: Limited representation in school support personnel journals☆

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth experience harassment and discrimination in schools and these experiences lead to increased negative social-emotional outcomes. Youth who can identify at least one supportive adult at school report better outcomes than youth who cannot identify a safe adult. Yet, many educators report feeling uncomfortable or unprepared to support LGBT youth. One reason for educators' discomfort may be that content related to issues unique to LGBT youth is sometimes missing or covered minimally in university training programs. We hypothesized that LGBT content may be covered minimally in school support personnel journals, as well. This study analyzed eight school support personnel journals across the disciplines of school counseling, school nursing, school psychology, and school social work for LGBT content published between 2000 and 2014 to gain a better understanding of the visibility of LGBT issues in the research. Results suggested that there has been a lack of presence of LGBT issues in journals across disciplines. These results also suggest a need for an intentional focus on issues relevant to LGBT youth in school support personnel journals. Thus, the article concludes with an introduction to two articles in this special topic section, including Russell, Day, Ioverno, and Toomey's (in this issue) study on teacher perceptions of bullying in the context of enumerated school policies and other supportive sexual orientation and gender identity related practices and Poteat and Vecho's (in this issue) study on characteristics of bystanders in homophobic bullying situations. The broad goal of these three studies is to increase visibility of critical LGBT issues in school support personnel journals.
Trust edDB: a trusted hardware based outsourced database engine

TrustedDB [11] is an outsourced database prototype that allows clients to execute SQL queries with privacy and under regulatory compliance constraints without having to trust the service provider. TrustedDB achieves this by leveraging server-hosted tamper-proof trusted hardware in critical query processing stages.TrustedDB does not limit the query expressiveness of supported queries. And, despite the cost overhead and performance limitations of trusted hardware, the costs per query are orders of magnitude lower than any (existing or) potential future software-only mechanisms. In this demo we will showcase TrustedDB in action and discuss its architecture.
Identification of fumarate hydratase inhibitors with nutrient-dependent cytotoxicity

Development of cell-permeable small molecules that target enzymes involved in energy metabolism remains important yet challenging. We describe here the discovery of a new class of compounds with a nutrient-dependent cytotoxicity profile that arises from pharmacological inhibition of fumarate hydratase (also known as fumarase). This finding was enabled by a high-throughput screen of a diverse chemical library in a panel of human cancer cell lines cultured under different growth conditions, followed by subsequent structure-activity optimization and target identification. While the highest cytotoxicity was observed under low glucose concentrations, the antiproliferative activities and inhibition of oxygen consumption rates in cells were distinctly different from those displayed by typical inhibitors of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The use of a photoaffinity labeling strategy identified fumarate hydratase as the principal pharmacological target. Final biochemical studies confirmed dose-dependent, competitive inhibition of this enzyme in vitro, which was fully consistent with the initially observed growth inhibitory activity. Our work demonstrates how the phenotypic observations combined with a successful target identification strategy can yield a useful class of pharmacological inhibitors of an enzyme involved in the operation of tricarboxylic acid cycle.
Louis Sander and Contemporary Psychoanalysis An Introduction

Louis Sander's bold and ambitious theoretical synthesis deserves careful attention from psychoanalysts of all persuasions. Sander's cutting-edge approach draws on infant observation research, nonlinear dynamic systems theories, and current biology, physics, and other “hard” sciences. He is rethinking the psychoanalytic approach to psychic structure, motivation, and therapeutic action. In so doing, he updates Freud's project of linking psychoanalysis with scientific paradigms, but without reductionism, epistemological naivete, or an implicit antipsychological attitude. Sander emphasizes the dynamic relationships between elements in systems. His method draws parallels between the different levels of the functioning of natural systems, starting with the basic “biological” level of cells and organs and moving toward the psychic and interpersonal phenomena that are of greatest interest to psychoanalysts. In this way, he opens a window for a broad and inclusive “relational metapsychology.”
Achieving Uniform Flow Distribution in Compact Irrigation Splitter Boxes with High Flow Rates

Achieving Uniform Flow Distribution in Compact Irrigation Splitter Boxes with High Flow Rates
Reproductive and gynecologic surgical experience in diethylstilbestrol-exposed daughters

Information on reproductive history, gynecologic operations, and examinations was analyzed for 338 diethylstilbestrol (DES)–exposed and 298 unexposed women whose mothers participated in an evaluation of DES use in pregnancy 28 years ago. A history of infrequent menses (less often than every 36 days) was reported more commonly by the exposed women (32%) than by the unexposed women (15%) and the mean duration of menstrual flow was also less. A greater number of exposed women than unexposed women experienced primary infertility (53 versus 19). The reasons for these differences are not currently known. Comparison of the outcomes of first pregnancies showed a higher proportion of premature births, spontaneous abortions, and ectopic pregnancies in the exposed women (P
The mechanism of faulting regimes change over depths in the sedimentary layers in an intracratonic basin

It has long been found that faulting regimes can change over depths at a similar location in a sedimentary basin. Such knowledge is very important for the estimation of the magnitude and orientation of the in situ stress, which are generally very difficult to estimate because of many uncertain factors, such as tectonic movement, rock heterogeneities, discontinuities, pore pressures, heat flow, etc. In comparison with many other geological settings, a stable intracratonic basin has a relatively flat structure that allows for a tractable numerical conceptualization to be made to help understand the faulting regime conditions. Some intracratonic basins such as the Williston Basin (USA), the Tarim Basin (China), and the Siberia Basin (Russia) are important sites to host oil reservoirs and may also provide the spaces for CO2 sequestration. In this paper, numerical simulation is used to characterize the Illinois Basin in North America. This paper presents the methodology for estimating the in situ stress conditions of an intracratonic basin using a poroelastic model. The numerical simulation results show that a thrust-faulting regime is expected at shallow depths, while the three principal stresses are close in magnitude at intermediate depths. A strike-faulting regime dominates at great depths, which corresponds to the continental stress pattern. Such an in situ stress pattern is shared by another intracratonic basin in the North America—the Williston Basin. This methodology is also applicable to estimate in situ stress for other intracratonic basins worldwidely.
XAFS Data Interchange: A single spectrum XAFS data file format

We propose a standard data format for the interchange of XAFS data. The XAFS Data Interchange (XDI) standard is meant to encapsulate a single spectrum of XAFS along with relevant metadata. XDI is a text-based format with a simple syntax which clearly delineates metadata from the data table in a way that is easily interpreted both by a computer and by a human. The metadata header is inspired by the format of an electronic mail header, representing metadata names and values as an associative array. The data table is represented as columns of numbers. This format can be imported as is into most existing XAFS data analysis, spreadsheet, or data visualization programs. Along with a specification and a dictionary of metadata types, we provide an application-programming interface written in C and bindings for programming dynamic languages.
The High and Lower-High Back Vowels

This chapter reports the acoustic findings for /u/ and /Ʊ/, which are examined in relation to the front vowels, /i/ and /i/. Fronting is quantified by examining /u/~/i/ and /Ʊ/~/i/ F2 distances (see further Section 5.4). Section 6.1 describes the fronting patterns of /u/ and /Ʊ/ of the African American (AA) and Appalachian White (AP) groups with attention to contextual effects. Section 6.2 analyzes the effects of consonantal context, considering the interactions of context, Vowel quality, vowel duration, and their effects on fronting. Section 6.3 discusses the combined effects of rounding and backing. Section 6.4 discusses Nguyen’s (2006) real-time analysis of /Ʊ/ by social status for Detroit AAs. Section 6.5 presents the results of Nguyen and Anderson’s (2006) comparisons of /u/ fronting among AA and Midwestern White speakers in the Detroit area. The chapter concludes with a summary and emphasizes the importance of considering the role of phonetic context when examining vowel changes in American English.