cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of stress-induced cortisol in the relationship between depression and decreased bone mineral density

Background This study was designed to test the hypothesis that cortisol mediates the relationship between bone density and depression in postmenopausal women. Methods Nineteen women aged 52–79 who had been assessed for bone mineral density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometer (DEXA) were evaluated for depression and anxiety. Diurnal and stress-induced measures of salivary cortisol were obtained during the following week and at a laboratory session involving a speech task. Results Nine volunteers reported depression while 10 were never depressed. Ever depressed women had significantly lower total lumbar and right femur DEXA Z scores than never depressed ( t (17) = 2.5, p = .019 and t (17) = 2.06, p = .05, respectively). Ever depressed women demonstrated a significant increase in salivary cortisol (area under the curve (AUC) = 27.83, SD=37.64) compared to never depressed women (AUC = -13.34, SD=19.55) ( t (17) = -3.041, p = .007) during a psychological challenge. There were significant inverse relationships between salivary cortisol AUC values and bone density Z scores at every measured bone site. Mediation analyses suggest that 51 – 67% of the association between depression and bone density could be attributed to stress-induced changes in cortisol. Conclusions Cortisol hypersecretion in response to stress may, in part, explain the impact of depression on bone density in post-menopausal women.
Automating knowledge acquisition for aerial image interpretation

The interpretation of aerial imagery requires substantial knowledge about the scene under consideration. Knowledge about the type of scene-airport, suburban housing development, urban city-aids in low-level and intermediate level image analysis and will drive high-level interpretation by constraining search for plausible consistent scene models. Collecting and representing large knowledge bases requires specialized tools. In this paper we describe the organization of a set of tools for interactive knowledge acquisition of scene primitives and spatial constraints for interpretation of aerial imagery. These tools include a user interface for interactive knowledge acquisition, an automated knowledge compiler that transforms schemabased assertions into productions that are directly executable by our interpretation system, and a performance analysis tool that generates a critique of the final interpretation. The generality of these tools is demonstrated by the generation of rules for a new task, suburban house scenes, and the analysis of a set of imagery by our interpretation system.
Correlates of mammography among women with low and high socioeconomic resources.

Abstract Background . Although screening mammography rates have increased, even women with higher incomes and more formal education do not all obtain the exam. This study examined why a modest proportion of higher income/higher education women do not get screened and, conversely, why a small percentage of lower income/lower education women do receive screening. Methods . Data were from the 1990 National Health Interview Survey of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. A total of 3,014 women, ages 40-75, were in the sample. Low-resource women had incomes of less than $20,000 and less than a high school diploma. High-resource women had incomes of $30,000 or more and at least some college education. Results . Correlates of screening status were similar for both resource groups. Recency of Papanicolaou test, recency of clinical breast exam, and regular breast self-examination were associated with higher rates of screening. Four or more persons in a household were associated with lower rates. Among low-resource women, incomes of $10,000-$19,999 were associated with higher likelihood of screening. An income of $50,000 or more was associated with screening among high-resource women. Conclusions . The fact that several variables were important for both resource groups suggests that targeted interventions could have benefits across a wide population. Nonetheless, in the high-resource group, 2-year rates never exceeded 80% and repeated screening never exceeded 60%. Rates for low-resource women were over 30% lower. Medical care utilization data did not differ between the two resource groups sufficiently to account for the discrepant rates. Improving screening rates in both resource groups remains a major challenge.
Protein Phosphatase 5 Is a Major Component of Glucocorticoid Receptor·hsp90 Complexes with Properties of an FK506-binding Immunophilin

Steroid receptors are recovered from hormone-free cells in multiprotein complexes containing hsp90, p23, an immunophilin, and often some hsp70. The immunophilin, which can be of the FK506- or cyclosporin A-binding class, binds to hsp90 via its tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, and different receptor heterocomplexes exist depending upon which immunophilin occupies the TPR-binding region of hsp90. We have recently reported that a protein serine/threonine phosphatase that is designated PP5 and contains four TPRs binds to hsp90 and is co-purified with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) (Chen, M.-S., Silverstein, A. M., Pratt, W. B., and Chinkers, M. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 32315–32320). In this work, we show that PP5 is recovered with both GR that is nuclear and GR that is cytoplasmic in hormone-free cells. Approximately one-half of the GR·hsp90 heterocomplexes in L cell cytosol contains an immunophilin with high affinity FK506 binding activity, such as FKBP51 or FKBP52, and ∼35% contains PP5. Only a small (but undetermined) fraction of the native GR·hsp90 heterocomplexes contain the cyclosporin A-binding immunophilin CyP-40. PP5, FKBP52, and CyP-40 exist in separate heterocomplexes with hsp90, and competition binding experiments with the PP5 TPR domain suggest that the three proteins occupy a common binding site on hsp90. A 55-residue connecting region between the N-terminal TPR domain of human PP5 and its C-terminal phosphatase domain has 50% amino acid homology and 22% identity with the central portion of the peptidylprolyl isomerase domain of human FKBP52. Of the 9 residues in this portion of FKBP52 involved in high affinity interactions with FK506, 3 residues are retained and 4 have homologous substitutions in PP5. Although immunoadsorbed PP5 did not bind [3H]FK506, we found that both rabbit PP5 in reticulocyte lysate and purified rat PP5 were specifically retained by an FK506 affinity matrix. Thus, we propose that PP5 possesses properties of an immunophilin with low affinity FK506 binding activity and that it determines a major portion of the native GR heterocomplexes in L cell cytosol.
Modulation of Estrogen Production and 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase-Type 1, Cytochrome P450 Aromatase, c-Met, and Protein Kinase Bα Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Content in Rat Ovarian Granulosa Cells by Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

Abstract Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) suppresses FSH-dependent estradiol-17β (E2) production in ovarian granulosa cells (GC). The mechanisms of action for HGF in GC are unknown; however, activation of the HGF receptor, c-Met, can induce c-Akt/protein kinase B (PKB)-mediated signal transduction in nonovarian cells. Using immature rat GC, the present study investigated the effects of HGF within the estrogen biosynthetic pathway, concomitant with changes in c-Met and PKBα mRNA expression. Granulosa cells were incubated with androstenedione and FSH, HGF, and/or dibutyryl-cAMP (Bu2-cAMP). Follicle-stimulating hormone and Bu2-cAMP each stimulated estrone (E1) and E2 synthesis at 48 h. Hepatocyte growth factor suppressed FSH-dependent E2, but not E1, synthesis. Semiquantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction showed that HGF impaired FSH-supported 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-1 (17β-HSD) and cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) mRNA levels. Hepatocyte growth factor did not reduce E2 sy...
Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comprehensive Review.

The purpose of this study was to identify evidenced-based, focused intervention practices for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. This study was an extension and elaboration of a previous evidence-based practice review reported by Odom et al. (Prev Sch Fail 54:275–282, 2010b, doi: 10.1080/10459881003785506 ). In the current study, a computer search initially yielded 29,105 articles, and the subsequent screening and evaluation process found 456 studies to meet inclusion and methodological criteria. From this set of research studies, the authors found 27 focused intervention practices that met the criteria for evidence-based practice (EBP). Six new EBPs were identified in this review, and one EBP from the previous review was removed. The authors discuss implications for current practices and future research.
Velocity of sound in dense fluid methane

Abstract Measurements of the velocity of sound in saturated and compressed fluid methane are reported. Measurements were made on the saturated liquid from 91 K to 186 K and on the compressed fluid along selected isotherms from 100 K to 300 K at pressures to about 35 MN m −2 . Data were combined with newly available PϱT data to obtain the isentropic compressibility and the ratio of the specific heats. Measurements along the higher temperature isotherm were limited to densities greater than about 10 mole l −1 at 300 K increasing to about 14 mole l −1 at 210 K due to the large low pressure sound attenuation in methane.
The steady state kinetics of some biological systems: III. Thermodynamic aspects

Some thermodynamic aspects of steady systems are considered. The time rates of changes, “flux”, of various thermodynamic quantities are formulated. In particular the free energy flux in the steady state, the difference between the free energy flux in the steady and time dependent states and the change in free energy flux upon transition between steady states are discussed. Equations are derived which exhibit the formal similarities and differences between the free energy flux and the conventional free energy change. The temperature dependence of the steady state rate is examined and conditions for “mastery” by a single step discussed. A brief discussion of the role ofrate in the coupling of exergonic and endergonic reactions is given.
Dissociation of the IPSP and response to GABA during spreading depression-like depolarizations in hippocampal slices

We have compared the sensitivity of CA1 and CA3 hippocampal pyramidal cells, in mature and immature tissue, to spreading depression-like depolarization episodes. Using hippocampal slices from rabbit, we have found that mature and immature tissue, and CA1 and CA3 neurons, were differentially prone to depolarization episodes, depending on the method used to produce the depolarization. CA1 region was generally more sensitive than CA3. Spontaneous and stimulus-evoked depolarizations were seen more frequently in immature tissue than in mature slices, but anoxia-induced depolarizations were much more likely to occur in mature tissue. Synaptic transmission and responses to somatic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) ejection were compared during anoxia-induced depolarizations in mature slices. The early component of the inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) normally had the same reversal potential as the GABA response. During anoxia-induced depolarization, both the drug response and the PSPs were lost. Synaptic transmission generally disappeared before the response to exogenous GABA application; the GABA response reappeared before synaptic function was restored. During the recovery of resting potential (RMP) following depolarization, the reversal potential of the early IPSP differed significantly from that of the GABA response; when the cell had recovered to RMP, the IPSP was depolarizing, whereas GABA application produced a 'normal' cell hyperpolarization. IPSPs and GABA-mediated responses attained their pre-depolarization form within a few minutes of RMP recovery. These observations suggest that, at least under special circumstances, the early component of the IPSP and GABA-mediated hyperpolarizations can be dissociated. Therefore, the early IPSP may be mediated by more complex mechanisms than a simple alteration in chloride conductance due to GABA-receptor interactions.
Induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in rat tissue following intratracheal instillation of diesel particulate extract and Benzo[a]pyrene

The potential for aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylate (AHH) induction by inhaled diesel particles was assessed by intratracheal administration. Benzo[a]pyrene, (B[a]P) a reference compound, or an extract of particles, dissolved in gelatin-saline solution was administered to Fischer 344 rats at several dose levels. Twenty-four hours after administration of B[a]P or diesel particulate extract, the AHH activity increased in a dose-response manner in the lung, but not in liver. The maximum increase in the AHH activity in the lung was observed 12 h after intratracheal instillation of B[a]P (5 mg/kg), and the levels remained elevated for seven days. The AHH activity in the liver reached the maximum 24 h after the administration, and returned rapidly to control values. In contrast, intratracheal instillation of diesel particulate extract resulted in a significant increase of AHH activity in the lungs only after doses greater than 6 mg kg-1. The activity, however, declined rapidly and returned to control values within 75 h. The liver AHH activity in this instance, remained unchanged throughout the experimental period. These data indicate that in the lung, hydrocarbons extracted from diesel particles are weak enzyme inducers and exposure to these compounds by intratracheal administration did not result in AHH induction in the liver. The results suggest that doses higher than those normally expected from occupational exposures will be required to induce AHH activity in organs examined.
Role of nitrates in congestive heart failure

Abstract The systemic vasoconstriction that is characteristic of patients with congestive heart failure involves arteriolar constriction, reduction in arterial compliance and reduction in venous capacitance, all of which contribute to the increased impedance and increased preload that aggravate the hemodynamic abnormality. Mitrates are effective in increasing arterial compliance and venous capacitance and thus have a favorable acute hemodynamic effect in heart failure. Long-term studies suggest that this favorable effect is maintained in response to high dose oral isosorbide dinitrate therapy and that it is associated with relief of symptoms and improved exercise tolerance. When combined with hydralazine, isosorbide dinitrate therapy has been shown in the Veterans Administration study to prolong survival in patients with class II and III congestive heart failure. Therefore, long-term nitrate therapy appears to have an important potential in patients with heart failure. It may now be appropriate to use nitrates not only to relieve symptoms, but also to improve long-term outlook in this syndrome.
Combined energy and pitch angle diffusion of pickup ions at comet Halley

It is well known that cometary pickup ions, e.g., H2O(+), OH(+), O(+), CO(+), H(+), initially form a ring-beam distribution in the solar wind reference frame, which is highly unstable to the growth of MHD waves (such as ion-cyclotron waves). The low-frequency magnetic fluctuations (or waves), which were observed upstream of Comet Halley, cannot only pitch-angle-scatter the pickup ions so that the distribution becomes at least partially isotropized, but also stochastically accelerate the ions, resulting in the energetic ion populations observed in the vicinity of Comet Halley. Here, numerical solutions of the quasi-linear diffusion equation were used to investigate the cometary ion pickup process at Comet Halley. Both pitch angle and energy diffusion are taken into account. Many quasi-linear models of cometary pickup ions exist which involve one type of diffusion or the other but not both types at once. It is found that the pitch angle scattering occurs faster than the energy diffusion, as expected. Moreover, the results demonstrate that the distribution of accelerated energetic ions is more isotropic than that of ions which have just been picked up. In fact, the ion distribution function on the initial pickup shell is quite anisotropic, even close to the Comet-Halley bow shock.
The currency risk factor in international equity pricing

Currency risk in the pricing of international equity returns is analyzed from an empirical viewpoint. The significance of the domestic market index, and the world index is also analyzed. The methodology is based on the Asymptotic Principal Components when an approximate factor structure is assumed. Monthly stock price returns for five countries are used. Thirty stocks are chosen from each country. Fifteen years of data is used. The U.S. Dollar is the numeraire. Exchange risk is generally not priced. The Domestic market index is always priced. The pricing of the World Index is mixed, i.e., it is priced in certain case and not in others.
Studying long‐range spin ordering on surfaces by metastable He 23S scattering

We have developed a technique for using diffractive scattering of metastable 2 3 s He (He * ) to determine the long-rande electron spin ordering on the surfaces of magnetic insulators. The technique is based on the fact that the probability of He * surviving a scattering event can be significantly enhanced when an appropriately located electron energy gap and localized spins are present on the surface. A periodic arrangement of the orientation of the local moments on the surface then leads to a periodic modulation of the beam attenuation that is reflected in the corresponding diffraction pattern. In these initial studies, we measured the electron spin-ordering on a NiO (100) surface, and found a structure of periodicity (6×1), which is quite different from the bulk antiferromagnetic arrangement. We modeled the scattering process using a modified version of the eikonal approximation, in which a dissipative hard corrugated wall simulates the spatially modulated attenuation of the He beam. Calculations performed on this model were in good qualitative agreement with our experimental data
Circadian rhythm disruption in severe sepsis: the effect of ambient light on urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin secretion

Properly regulated circadian rhythm supports physical and immunologic function. This rhythm is disrupted in patients with critical illness. We assessed the association between ambient light and circadian melatonin release, measured by urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SMT), in medical intensive care unit (MICU) patients with severe sepsis. After excluding patients for renal failure or hepatic failure, blindness, and intracranial disease, seven patients were studied. No environmental manipulation was performed. Urinary 6-SMT specimens were obtained every 4 h. Light was measured in 1-min epochs for two sequential 24-h periods and compared to 6-SMT levels. No significant differences among urinary 6-SMT levels were found across 4-h time periods or between the 2 days (range 1,190.26 ± 1,040.81–4,738.57 ± 5,543.08 ng, 4-h period p = 0.09, 24-h day p = 0.50). Light levels were low and differed among 4-h periods, but not 24-h averages (minimum 2.32 ± 3.65 lux/min 00:01–04:00, maximum 70.11 ± 79.12 lux/min from 12:01–16:00, 4 h period p = <0.001, 24 h period p = 0.53). There was no relationship between light levels and 6-SMT excretion. Circadian rhythm was disrupted in patients with severe sepsis, as reflected by disordered diurnal variation of urinary 6-SMT excretion. Light levels were low, exhibited limited diurnal variation, and did not entrain circadian rhythms in these patients.
How ready are colleges for an environmental approach that utilizes campus/community coalitions?

While there is optimism about an environmental management approach that utilizes campus-community coalitions to reduce levels of high-risk drinking, the readiness of schools to implement such an approach is unknown. We surveyed 100 colleges regarding their readiness based on eight factors: existence of a task force to address alcohol use on campus; the inclusion of the college/university President; inclusion of a community representative; frequent meetings; external funding to address alcohol use; previous environmental training; changes implemented as a result of environmental training; and a plan to institute environmental training in the future. Having an alcohol task force or coalition (57%) was associated with participation by the president and/or community representative on the task force, having extramural funding to address high-risk drinking, training in environmental management, implementation of changes after the training, plans for future training, school size, Greek organizations on campus, and being a state university. Language: en
A comparison of the oxidation of sodium-implanted CVD Si3N4 with the oxidation of sodium-implanted SiC-crystals

The effects of sodium contamination on the oxidation kinetics of CVD Si3N4 were examined at temperatures of 1100–1300°C. Sodium (50 ppm and 1000 ppm, respectively) was introduced into the material by using a multilayer ion implantation technique. The results of oxidation studies of sodium implanted CVD Si3N4 were compared with those of sodium-implanted SiC-crystals reported in an earlier paper. Sodium contamination accelerates the oxidation of both SiC and Si3N4 materials. The dependence of the parabolic rate constant on sodium concentration for oxidation of Si3N4 is much greater than that for the oxidation of SiC. While the parabolic rate constants for the oxidation of sodium-implanted SiC samples are no more than twice that of unimplanted SiC samples at all temperatures investigated, the parabolic rate constant for the oxidation of the 1000 ppm sodium implanted Si3N4 samples is 14 times that of unimplanted Si3N4 samples at 1100°C. The apparent activation energy for the oxidation of sodium-implanted SiC-crystals is similar to that of unimplanted SiC-crystals (∼130 kJ mol −1). The apparent activation energy values decrease with increasing sodium contamination level for the oxidation of Si3N4, i.e. the activation energy decreases from 460 kJ mol−1 for the oxidation of unimplanted Si3N4 samples to 404 kJ mol−1 for the oxidation of 50 ppm sodium implanted Si3N4 samples, and to 384 kJ mol−1 for the oxidation of 1000 ppm sodium implanted Si3N4 samples. The measured sodium concentrations in the oxides by atomic absorption spectrophotometry are close to calculated sodium concentrations in oxides assuming that all of the sodium from the SiC and Si3N4 consumed by oxidation remains in the oxide. Step etch-back experiments and a double oxidation experiments using 18O2/16O2 gas mixture were performed to explore the mechanism through which sodium accelerates the oxidation of Si3N4. Accelerated oxidation of CVD Si3N4 is suggested to be caused by accelerated transport of oxidants through the thin silicon oxynitride oxidation product layer which is sandwiched between the silica formed during the oxidation and the silicon nitride substrate. This accelerated rate is presumably due to the dissolution of single bonded sodium into the oxynitride layer, which would be expected to facilitate the diffusion of oxidants.
Effective Collaboration among the Gross Motor Assessment Team Members

This article describes the gross motor assessment team (GMAT) members' roles and collaborative approach to making appropriate decisions and modifications when addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities in physical education. Case studies of students are used to demonstrate effective uses of the GMAT. The primary outcome of the GMAT's effective collaboration is increased student learning.
Concatenate feature extraction for robust 3D elliptic object localization

Developing an efficient object localization system for complicated industrial objects is an important, yet difficult robotic task. To tackle this problem, we have developed a system consisting first of a vision model acquisition editor, where the object salient features are acquired through a human-in-the-loop approach. Subsequently, two feature extraction algorithms, region-growing and edge-grouping, are applied to the object scene. Finally, by Kalman filter estimation of a proper ellipse representation, our object localization system successfully generates ellipse hypotheses by grouping edge fragments in the scene. The proposed system is validated by experiments using actual industrial objects.
Ethical, Practical, and Scientific Considerations of Randomized Experiments in Early Childhood Special Education:

Although used extensively in other areas of social science and medicine, randomized experiments are used infrequently in early childhood special education programs. Indeed, many administrators, service providers, and researchers have claimed that randomized experiments in early childhood special education are unnecessary, impractical, or unethical. This paper summarizes and presents counter arguments for each of these positions. It is concluded that more frequent use of randomized experiments in early childhood special education would facilitate the advancement of knowledge. Procedures for using such designs more extensively are suggested.
Arthrodial Joint Markerless Cross-Parameterization and Biomechanical Visualization

Orthopedists invest significant amounts of effort and time trying to understand the biomechanics of arthrodial (gliding) joints. Although new image acquisition and processing methods currently generate richer-than-ever geometry and kinematic data sets that are individual specific, the computational and visualization tools needed to enable the comparative analysis and exploration of these data sets lag behind. In this paper, we present a framework that enables the cross-data-set visual exploration and analysis of arthrodial joint biomechanics. Central to our approach is a computer-vision-inspired markerless method for establishing pairwise correspondences between individual-specific geometry. Manifold models are subsequently defined and deformed from one individual-specific geometry to another such that the markerless correspondences are preserved while minimizing model distortion. The resulting mutually consistent parameterization and visualization allow the users to explore the similarities and differences between two data sets and to define meaningful quantitative measures. We present two applications of this framework to human-wrist data: articular cartilage transfer from cadaver data to in vivo data and cross-data-set kinematics analysis. The method allows our users to combine complementary geometries acquired through different modalities and thus overcome current imaging limitations. The results demonstrate that the technique is useful in the study of normal and injured anatomy and kinematics of arthrodial joints. In principle, the pairwise cross-parameterization method applies to all spherical topology data from the same class and should be particularly beneficial in instances where identifying salient object features is a nontrivial task.
Synthesis and biological activity of diaryl ether inhibitors of malarial enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase. Part 2: 2'-substituted triclosan derivatives.

Abstract 2′-Substituted analogs of triclosan have been synthesized to target inhibition of the key malarial enzyme Plasmodium falciparum enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (PfENR). Many of these compounds exhibit good potency (EC50
Neural Network Implementation Approaches for the Connection Machine

The SIMD parallelism of the Connection Machine (eM) allows the construction of neural network simulations by the use of simple data and control structures. Two approaches are described which allow parallel computation of a model's nonlinear functions, parallel modification of a model's weights, and parallel propagation of a model's activation and error. Each approach also allows a model's interconnect structure to be physically dynamic. A Hopfield model is implemented with each approach at six sizes over the same number of CM processors to provide a performance comparison.
Detection and Significance of Donath-Landsteiner Antibodies in a 5-year-old Female Presenting With Hemolytic Anemia

Donath-Landsteiner (DL) antibodies are immunoglobulins formed in response to a viral, bacterial, or spirochete infection and are capable of inducing Paroxysmal Cold Hemoglobinuria (PCH), an autoimmune hemolytic anemia. In the past, PCH was most commonly associated with syphilitic infections; however, now it is more frequently identified as a sequela in pediatric patients with upper respiratory infections. The authors present a case of a 5-year-old female who presented with hemolytic anemia and was subsequently diagnosed with PCH.
The mental health sector and the social sciences in post-World War II USA Part 2: The impact of federal research funding and the drugs revolution:

The second of two linked papers examining the interactions of psychiatry and the social sciences since World War II examines the role of NIMH on these disciplines. It analyses the effects of the prominence and the decline of psychoanalysis, and the impact of the psychotropic drugs revolution and the associated rise of biological psychiatry on relations between psychiatry and clinical psychology; and it explores the changing relationships between psychiatry and sociology, from collaboration to conflict to mutual disdain.
The Postmerger Financial Performance of Hotel Companies

This study investigates the postmerger financial performance of acquiring firms in the lodging industry between 1985 and 2000. Jensen Measure Model and Market Model are used to examine long-term and short-term market measure of performance. Additionally, return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are used to assess the accounting measures for the financial performance of acquiring firms. The results indicate that the shareholders of acquiring hotel companies earned no abnormal equity returns over the short term, which indicates no significant relationship between merger announcement and the change in short-term equity value. As opposed to general expectations, the study reveals that merger has a negative effect on the acquiring firms' equity values over the long term. Similarly, the ROA and ROE are found to become significantly lower after mergers. Overall, this study provides evidence that shareholders of acquiring hotel companies did not benefit from the mergers.
On the Continued Cost of Upkeep Related to Groins and Jetties

Abstract Pietrafesa, L.J., 2012. On the continued cost of upkeep related to groins and jetties. So-called terminal groins, which are actually jetties at the terminus of barrier islands where inlets are located, have been the subject of controversy for half a century in North Carolina. Coastal scientists have opposed these hardened structures and point to their destructive effects upon downstream beaches, requiring ever increasing and costly beach renourishment projects. Meanwhile, some coastal engineers have claimed that they can be used to “stabilize” migrating inlets. Local politicians, in response to real estate interests, have argued for the construction of the hardened structures and, in contrast to the claims of the scientists on the ground, have cited examples of success in North Carolina and at other locales on the U.S. eastern seaboard. So what are the facts? This Editorial presents the documented facts for North Carolina and the other U.S. east coast locales.
Pregnancy Resulting From Rape

Pregnancy resulting from rape is more prevalent than generally recognized, and violations of women’s sexual and reproductive self-determination take many forms. Four themes—relationship rape, power dynamics, maternal ambivalence, and social reactions and support—can be identified in one woman’s experiences and the literature. Recommended interventions, based on a woman-centered empowerment framework, include safety assessment, formulating a safety plan, and facilitating social support. Emergency postcoital contraception is a preventive option.
Characteristics of retracted open access biomedical literature: A bibliographic analysis

The author analyzes retracted biomedical literature to determine if open access and fee-for-access works differ in terms of the practice and effectiveness of retraction. Citation and content analysis were applied to articles grouped by accessibility (libre, gratis, and fee for access) for various bibliometric attributes. Open access literature does not differ from fee-for-access literature in terms of impact factor, detection of error, or change in postretraction citation rates. Literature found in the PubMed Central Open Access subset provides detailed information about the nature of the anomaly more often than less accessible works. Open access literature appears to be of similar reliability and integrity as the population of biomedical literature in general, with the added value of being more forthcoming about the nature of errors when they are identified.
Behavior of iodide in acid solutions of hemoglobin.

Acidification of aqueous solutions of oxyhcmoglobin containing I131-labelled inorganic iodide resulted in prompt binding of iodine to the protein, so that an appreciable fraction and quantity no longer behaved as inorganic iodide, asjudged by solubility in trichloroacetic acid, dialysis and adsorption by anionexchange resins. Binding was greatly decreased in the presence of reducing agents (thiosulfate, thiourea, fcrrocyanide, ascorbic acid) and of certain halies (thiocyanatc and to a lesser degree bromide), but the addition of these substances after binding had occurred failed to release iodide. Most of the bound iodine was released after brief exposure to strong alkali at room temperature. Methemoglobin, reduced hemoglobin, carboxyhcmoglobin and hematin were much less effective in the binding reaction than oxyhcmoglobin. Bound iodine was found in both the globin and the hemin fractions separated by the acidacetone method. Consideration of iodine⁄hemin and iodine⁄iron ratios led to the conclusion that th...
Humanoid Audio–Visual Avatar With Emotive Text-to-Speech Synthesis

Emotive audio-visual avatars are virtual computer agents which have the potential of improving the quality of human-machine interaction and human-human communication significantly. However, the understanding of human communication has not yet advanced to the point where it is possible to make realistic avatars that demonstrate interactions with natural-sounding emotive speech and realistic-looking emotional facial expressions. In this paper, We propose the various technical approaches of a novel multimodal framework leading to a text-driven emotive audio-visual avatar. Our primary work is focused on emotive speech synthesis, realistic emotional facial expression animation, and the co-articulation between speech gestures (i.e., lip movements) and facial expressions. A general framework of emotive text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis using a diphone synthesizer is designed and integrated into a generic 3-D avatar face model. Under the guidance of this framework, we therefore developed a realistic 3-D avatar prototype. A rule-based emotive TTS synthesis system module based on the Festival-MBROLA architecture has been designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework design. Subjective listening experiments were carried out to evaluate the expressiveness of the synthetic talking avatar.
A thermosensitive defect in the ATP binding pocket of FtsA can be suppressed by allosteric changes in the dimer interface

In Escherichia coli, initial assembly of the Z ring for cell division requires FtsZ plus the essential Z ring-associated proteins FtsA and ZipA. Thermosensitive mutations in ftsA, such as ftsA27, map in or near its ATP binding pocket and result in cell division arrest at non-permissive temperatures. We found that purified wild-type FtsA bound and hydrolysed ATP, whereas FtsA27 was defective in both activities. FtsA27 was also less able to localize to the Z ring in vivo. To investigate the role of ATP transactions in FtsA function in vivo, we isolated intragenic suppressors of ftsA27. Suppressor lesions in the ATP site restored the ability of FtsA27 to compete with ZipA at the Z ring, and enhanced ATP binding and hydrolysis in vitro. Notably, suppressors outside of the ATP binding site, including some mapping to the FtsA-FtsA subunit interface, also enhanced ATP transactions and exhibited gain of function phenotypes in vivo. These results suggest that allosteric effects, including changes in oligomeric state, may influence the ability of FtsA to bind and/or hydrolyse ATP.
Transient spin-gratings of itinerant electrons in lightly-doped GaAs quantum wells

Spin gratings lasting longer than the carrier lifetime are measured in lightly n-doped quantum wells. In a magnetic field, precession of the grating is observed, and diffusion rates are determined by varying the grating period.
The Linear Dynamics of Squall Line Mesohighs and Wake Lows

Two surface pressure features that commonly accompany squall lines, the mesohigh and the wake low, may be explained at least in part as a linear response to the low-level cooling associated with stratiform precipitation. This response is numerically simulated for two- and three-dimensional, moving and stationary low-level coolings characteristic of squall line stratiform regions. When the cooling is defined to move and to have three-dimensional structure both a mesohigh and a mesolow develop, and their structures and evolutions resemble those of squall line mesohighs and wake lows. When an upper boundary is introduced directly above the cooling the response approaches a steady state in which a mesohigh‐mesolow couplet is centered on the cooling. The simulations and the steady-state analysis presented here help to explain observed characteristics of squall line mesohighs and wake lows, including their life cycles and positioning relative to precipitation structures.
InvisiFence: performance-transparent memory ordering in conventional multiprocessors

A multiprocessor's memory consistency model imposes ordering constraints among loads, stores, atomic operations, and memory fences. Even for consistency models that relax ordering among loads and stores, ordering constraints still induce significant performance penalties due to atomic operations and memory ordering fences. Several prior proposals reduce the performance penalty of strongly ordered models using post-retirement speculation, but these designs either (1) maintain speculative state at a per-store granularity, causing storage requirements to grow proportionally to speculation depth, or (2) employ distributed global commit arbitration using unconventional chunk-based invalidation mechanisms. In this paper we propose InvisiFence, an approach for implementing memory ordering based on post-retirement speculation that avoids these concerns. InvisiFence leverages minimalistic mechanisms for post-retirement speculation proposed in other contexts to (1) track speculative state efficiently at block-granularity with dedicated storage requirements independent of speculation depth, (2) provide fast commit by avoiding explicit commit arbitration, and (3) operate under a conventional invalidation-based cache coherence protocol. InvisiFence supports both modes of operation found in prior work: speculating only when necessary to minimize the risk of rollback-inducing violations or speculating continuously to decouple consistency enforcement from the processor core. Overall, InvisiFence requires approximately one kilobyte of additional state to transform a conventional multiprocessor into one that provides performance-transparent memory ordering, fences, and atomic operations.
Application of DFT filter banks and cosine modulated filter banks in filtering

In this paper, we introduce a new under-decimated system. A filter bank is said to be under-decimated if the number of channels is more than the decimation ratio in the subbands. Two types of low-complexity filter banks can be used for the new system, the DFT filter bank and cosine modulated filter bank. The setup of the under-decimated system has 2M channels but is decimated only by M. In both the DFT filter bank case and cosine modulated filter bank case, the system is approximately alias free and the overall response is equivalent to a tunable multilevel filter. The properties of DFT filter banks and cosine modulated filter banks can be exploited to simultaneously achieve parallelism, computational saving and lower working rate. Furthermore, in both filter banks the implementation cost of the analysis bank is comparable to that of one prototype filter plus some low complexity matrices. The individual analysis and synthesis filters have complex coefficients in the DFT filter bank but have real coefficients in the cosine modulated filter bank.
Regional hippocampal damage in heart failure

Aims Heart failure (HF) patients show cognitive and mood impairments, including short-term memory loss and depression, that have an adverse impacting on quality of life and self-care management. Brain regions, including the hippocampus, a structure significantly involved in memory and mood, show injury in HF, but the integrity of specific hippocampal subregions is unclear. Methods and results To assess regional hippocampal volume loss, we evaluated 17 HF patients (mean age ± SD, 54.4 ± 2.0 years; 12 male, left ventricular ejection fraction 28.3 ± 6.8%; New York Heart Association class II/III 94%/6%) and 34 healthy control subjects (52.3 ± 1.3 years; 24 male) using high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and evaluated localized surface changes with morphometric procedures. Hippocampi were manually outlined, and volumes calculated from normalized tracings. Volume differences between groups were assessed by two-sample t-tests, and regional differences were assessed by surface morphometry. Patients with HF exhibited smaller hippocampal volumes than controls (right 3060 ± 146 mm3 vs. 3478 ± 94 mm3, P = 0.02; left 3021 ± 145 mm3 vs. 3352 ± 98 mm3, P = 0.06). Volume reductions were detected principally in CA1, an area integral to an array of learning and memory functions, as well as in mid to posterior CA3 and subiculum. Conclusion The hippocampus shows regional volume reduction in HF, which may contribute to short-term memory loss and depression associated with the condition.
Pathology and genetics of adipocytic tumors

Adipocytic tumors are common mesenchymal neoplasms with considerable morphologic and genetic heterogeneity. The fruitful integration of morphology and cytogenetics in the past 15 years has not only enhanced the diagnostic accuracy, but also refined the various pathological classifications and subtypes in these tumors. The current WHO classification includes eleven benign subtypes, one intermediate and five categories of malignant fatty neoplasms with incorporation of relevant genetic findings. Of the benign tumors, lipomas have been extensively analyzed by chromosome banding which has shown that their cytogenetic patterns are heterogeneous. Still aberrations involving 12q13-->q15, 6p23-->p21 and loss of material from 13q are common and consistent findings. Among the malignant tumors, the t(12;16)(q13;p11) resulting in the fusion of DDIT3 and FUS genes is the hallmark of myxoid and round cell liposarcoma and is used as a highly specific and sensitive marker of this entity. The tumor in the intermediate group, atypical lipomatous neoplasm/well-differentiated liposarcoma which poses morphologic challenges due to close histological similarity to benign lipomas shows characteristic supernumerary rings and giant rod chromosomes due to amplification of the 12q14-->q15 region often involving the MDM2 oncogene. This review will focus on the pathological features of the various adipocytic tumors and relevant genetic findings reported in the literature.
The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership, Leader Effectiveness, and Turnover Intentions: Do Subordinate Gender Differences Exist?

The aim of this study was to examine gender differences among subordinates in the strength of relationships between transformational leadership, leader effectiveness, and voluntary organizational turnover intentions. The authors drew from various theoretical bases, including transformational leadership theory, social role theory, and role congruity theory, to undergird the research. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I male and female assistant coaches of women’s basketball, softball, and volleyball teams (N = 294) responded to the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and turnover intention questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed a noteworthy gender difference in the strength of relationship between leader effectiveness and voluntary organizational turnover intentions. Contributions and implications are discussed.
Inflammatory Cells in Tissues of Gout Patients and Their Correlations with Comorbidities

Background: The major pathological finding of gout is the deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals with inflammatory infiltrate in the tissue. There have been many reports of in vitro analysis of inflammatory mechanism and comorbidities in gout. However, the associations of immune response cells and comorbidities of gout have not been well documented. Our studies aimed to examine the immune cell types and quantity in gout tissues, and to define the association of individual cell type with comorbidities. Methods: Surgically resected or biopsied tissues from 48 patients diagnosed as gout were used for this study. Cell count was performed on Hemotoxylin and Eosin stained sections for macrophages, plasma cells, neutrophils and on immunostained slides for T and B lymphocytes. Results: Hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were seen in 70.8%, 87.5% and 37.5% of patients, respectively. There were 35.6% and 37.8% of patients who admitted history of smoking and alcohol intake, respectively. Mean serum uric acid level was 8.5 mg/dl. The average body mass index was 30.1 kg/m 2 . H&E stained tissue sections demonstrated the crystalline deposits rimmed by palisading multinucleated giant cells, macrophages, neutrophils, plasma cells, T and B cells. Significant correlations between the clinical features and tissue inflammatory cells were observed in hyperlipidemia with number of T cells (p = 0.0363), hypertension with number of T cells and B cells (p = 0.0138 and 0.0033, respectively), diabetes mellitus with macrophages (p = 0.0016), and uric acid level with giant cells (p = 0.0088). Conclusion: Comorbidity factors including hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes are significantly associated with the inflammatory cells in the tissues.
Voltage stability estimation

The proximity of power systems to voltage collapse can be calculated for any of the buses using to the theory of bifurcation and multiple solutions to power flow behavior, in terms of system indicators such as real and reactive power. These indicators can be measured to identify voltage collapse. The application of topology space theory for describing voltage collapse phenomena is effectively demonstrated. The bifurcation points that cause system degradation are detected by evaluating the singularity of power flow Jacobian matrix. The controllability of vulnerable buses is evaluated and network flow limit is calculated to provide early detection warning for planners and operators. The procedure is demonstrated on several power systems. The procedure has been successfully tested on practical power systems, for example, the IEEE-118-bus system. Results obtained, especially with static models, show good correspondence with existing results and indicate some superior features. >