cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Fos induced in rat brain by GLP-1 and amylin

The patterns of Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) in rat brain were compared following treatment of rats with two anorectic 'gut' peptides. Central administration of GLP-1 produced dose-related increases in Fos-ir in the area postrema (AP) and caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS) as well as strong activation in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBE), hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). At centrally-active doses, peripheral administration of GLP-1 did not induce Fos-ir in brain. In contrast, peripheral administration of amylin produced strong Fos-ir in the AP and cNTS, as well as the BNST and CeA, but not in the PVN. The common activation of the LPB-BNST-CeA by these and other previously-studied anorectics suggest this is an important circuit involved in satiety.
Effect of Alkyl Chain Length on the Conformation and Order of Simple Ionic Surfactants Adsorbed at the D2O/CCl4 Interface as Studied by Sum-Frequency Vibrational Spectroscopy

The conformational order of three alkanesulfonates, sodium hexanesulfonate (HS), sodium undecanesulfonate (UDS), and sodium dodecanesulfonate (DDS), adsorbed at the D2O/CCl4 interface are examined in detail by sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy. An increase in surfactant concentration at the interface results in the reduction of gauche defects in the hydrocarbon chains as determined from the intensity ratio of the methyl to methylene symmetric stretch vibrational modes. The degree of disorder in the alkyl chains varies greatly with alkyl chain length. The alkyl chain of HS displays the fewest gauche defects while DDS and UDS display more disorder in their hydrocarbon chains at similar surface concentrations. This observation is interpreted as a reduction in the possible number of gauche conformations for the shorter alkyl chain.
An elastic–plastic-cracking model for finite element analysis of indentation cracking in brittle materials

Abstract An ‘elastic–plastic-cracking’ (EPC) constitutive model was developed and incorporated into the commercial explicit finite element package abaqus to analyze the fracture characteristics of brittle materials subjected to indentation loads. The analysis indicated that the EPC model can capture the development of median cracks during the loading phase and the development of lateral cracks during the unloading phase of the Vickers indentation cycle. The influence of material properties on induced damage zone characteristics was analyzed by defining a non-dimensional brittleness parameter. The model predictions of hardness as well as load–depth ( P – h ) relationship during an indentation cycle were found to agree well with the experimental trends presented elsewhere in the literature.
Refractive index reconstruction of biological samples from multimodal phase microscopy

The extraction of quantitative information is important to better understand cellular activity in biological processes. In particular the optical refractive index can be used to analyze the results of cellular processes such as the average dry mass of biological samples. Phase microscopy modalities are widely used to image unstained biological samples because of their ability to obtain high-contrast images without introducing exogenous agents. The most common phase modalities are predominantly qualitative. However quantitative phase microscopy can provide more specific information about optical thickness and refractive index. In biological samples with several internal inhomogeneities and thickness variations, refractive index calculation becomes challenging to achieve by direct analysis of the images. Here we present a multimodal iterative method to reconstruct the spatial distribution of refractive index, combining information from two phase microscopy techniques. We use a constrained boundary iterative method under the assumption that the index of refraction inside the object can be approximated as piecewise constant. The boundary locations of all inhomogeneities are obtained by leveraging measurements from DIC and quantitative phase imaging modalities, and then the index of refraction is estimated based on those boundaries and a quantitative forward model for one modality. Simulations have confirmed the reliability of the proposed method. Experiments with measurement from mouse embryos at several development stages show that the proposed approach can reconstruct the distribution of the refractive index of these samples.
From amplified spontaneous emission to microring lasing using nanocrystal quantum dot solids

We study different emission regimes in close-packed films of chemically synthesized CdSe nanoparticles [nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs)]. We observe that the NQD photoluminescence is dominated by excitons and biexcitons, respectively, before and after the threshold for stimulated emission. Furthermore, we demonstrate the regime of microring lasing into sharp, whispering-gallery modes using NQD solids incorporated into microcapillary tubes. This result indicates a feasibility of miniature, solid-state laser devices based on chemically synthesized NQDs.
A phase separation reaction in a binary titanium-chromium alloy

Abstract Experimental evidence is presented to show that a phase separation reaction occurs in the beta phase of Ti-Cr binary alloys. The reaction has been detected prior to the precipitation of both the omega and the alpha phases, and it becomes a prominent mode of decomposition when omega precipitation is inhibited either by alloying additions or through appropriate heat-treatments. It is suggested that the β2 particles in Ti-Cr alloys are leaner in solute than the matrix. The precipitation of the alpha phase during prolonged aging has been observed to occur on the β2 particles formed during prior phase separation.
Plaque sampling and telemetry for monitoring acid production on human buccal tooth surfaces

The plaque sampling method and wire telemetry using miniature, glass pH electrodes on the buccal surface of mandibular first permanent molars, compared human dental plaque pH responses to a 10 per cent solution of sucrose. Nine subjects abstained from oral hygiene and were tested in morning sessions on 5 consecutive days. The mean resting plaque pH value for all sessions by plaque sampling was 6.60 ± 0.18 (mean ± SD) and by telemetry was 6.56 ± 0.19. After a 1 min sucrose rinse, 1-day-old plaque showed a decrease in pH to approx. 5.5 by both methods. The 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-day-old plaque showed a consistent and more marked response to the carbohydrate. With 5-day-old plaque, the mean minimum pH achieved was 4.69 ± 0.28 as measured by sampling and 3.94 ± 0.49 as determined by telemetry. The times taken to reach minimum pH as determined by the two methods were almost identical. The electrode calibration data showed that all the telemetry electrodes responded consistently for all 5 days of study. Scanning electron microscopy and microbiological analysis of electrode tips and enamel replicas revealed that plaque accumulated on glass at the same rate and with a similar bacterial composition to plaque formed on clean enamel. It is proposed that glass microelectrodes and wire telemetry are a reasonable means for continuously monitoring plaque pH in situ. Comparison with plaque sampling suggested that telemetric responses reflect the type of plaque which accumulates at particular sites on the dentition.
The Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide and Ultraviolet Irradiation on Non-sporing Bacteria

A kill of 99.99% was obtained in cell suspensions of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus faecalis by incubation with hydrogen peroxide 1.0% (w/v) for 75 and 180 min respectively. The same kill was produced by 30 s irradiation with ultraviolet (u.v.) light in the presence of hydrogen peroxide 1.0% (w/v). This simultaneous treatment with u.v. and hydrogen peroxide produced a synergistic kill at least 30-fold greater than that produced by irradiation of cell suspensions of Esch. coli with or without subsequent incubation with hydrogen peroxide.
Fine structure of the functional mesonephros in the eight-day chick embryo.

An electron microscopic study of the functional mesonephros in the 8-day chick embryo revealed the following features of the nephron: Proximal tubule cells. Nuclei are spherical and basally oriented. Mitochondri are round or elongate with clear-cut cristae. Intramitochondrial granules occur sporadically. The Golgi complex, lying adjacent to the nucleus in apical cytoplasm, consists of flattened lamellae and associated secretion droplets. The cytoplasm is filled with ribosomes which occasionally are spiral in arrangement. Characteristic microvilli project from the apical end of cells. Basal regions of the cells are bounded by a homogeneous basement membrane. Adjacent epithelial cells are separated at their base by wide intercellular spaces. Interdigitating processes between cells are common in this area. At their apices, cells are joined by junctional complexes. Distal tubule cells. Nuclei are round and centrally located. Microvilli are sparse and usually absent. When present, they are short and blunt. Cells are closely allied at their base and joined tightly at their apices. Interdigitating processes are not as prevalent as in proximal tubules. Infoldings of the plasma membrane are prominent and compartmentalize mitochondria. Glomerulus. Endothelial cells are elongate, bordering the capillary lumen, and their membranes contain definite slit-pores. Epithelial pedicels extend from the cell body, intergiditate with each other and rest on the capillary basement membrane. The latter consists of three layers resembling those in adults. The similarity in the fine structural characteristics between chick mesonephros and adult metanepros corroborates the holonephric theory of vertebrate kidney evolution.
Catastrophizing and pain sensitivity among chronic pain patients: Moderating effects of sensory and affect focus

Background: Pain catastrophizing is a particularly harmful cognitive factor among patients with chronic pain, but little is known of mechanisms linking this factor to pain and disability.Purpose: The study examined whether attentional focus on sensory versus affective information about pain constitutes a path-way by which catastrophizing affects responses to painful stimuli.Methods: Participants were 82 chronic pain patients assigned randomly to sensory focus, affect focus, or control conditions. They underwent cold pressors first prior to and then following an information focus manipulation, and they completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS).Results: Regressions produced significant Condition × PCS interaction effects on threshold and tolerance change from first to second cold pressor, such that PCS scores were significantly and negatively related to these changes in both sensory and affect focus conditions, but not in the control condition. Only a main effect for PCS scores emerged for self-reported pain changes. Solving regression equations for hypothetical PCS values (± 1 SD from the mean) revealed that (a) high catastrophizers decreased threshold and tolerance in the affect focus condition and showed no appreciable changes in sensory focus and (b) low catastrophziers showed increases in threshold and tolerance in sensory focus, but no appreciable changes in affect focus. Further, the degree to which patients focused on emotions during pain partly mediated effects of PCS scores on threshold and tolerance changes.Conclusion: Catastrophizing about pain may affect pain severity and distress of chronic pain patients through a bias toward processing the most disturbing elements of a painful stimulus.
An improved method for water vapor detection

We describe improvements in and details for the construction, calibration and use of a device using a thermal conductivity cell for the measurement of low-level rates of water evaporation (E) from a small surface area. E is measured from 0.0 to 1.0 mg·min−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 between measured and independently verified rates and amounts of water evaporation. Data are available as a recordable analog d.c. voltage as well as in digital display for E and for the amount of water evaporated during an operator defined time period. The device we describe is noninvasive and it is designed to be constructed of conventional components. It is useful not only for measuring transcutaneous water diffusion in normal and diseased skin, but also it is adequately sensitive and rapidly responding to follow thermoregulatory and psychogenic sweating in small (nom. 1.0 cm2) skin areas. It can also be used to measure accurately and precisely the rates at which water is adsorbed by and removed from inanimate materials, as well as to determine how much water they store.
Temporal Cross-Selling Optimization Using Action Proxy-Driven Reinforcement Learning

Customer lifetime value modeling and cross-selling pattern mining are two important areas of data mining applications in marketing sciences. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that can address both of these problems in a unified manner. We propose a variant of reinforcement learning, enhanced with the notion of "action proxy", which is applicable to the cross-selling pattern discovery even in the absence of actions. For action proxies, we consider the target reward (changes) across product categories. The motivation is to optimize the target values of immediate rewards to maximize the expected overall long-term reward. Since the changes are directly tied to the reward, unconstrained formulation would result in unbounded behavior, leading us to constrain the learned policy. The goal is to optimize the target values while keeping their effects on the overall immediate rewards constrained. Experiments on real world data not only verify the effectiveness of our framework, but also provide qualitative study of allocation behavior, with particular emphasis on temporal cross-selling optimization.
Embedded Assessment: A Measure of Student Learning and Teaching Effectiveness

Evidence of student learning has increasingly become the focus of external constituents, yet methods of documenting student learning outcomes are considered expensive, onerous, or both. This article provides a brief review of the limitations associated with traditional student opinions or course evaluations as evidence of teaching effectiveness, and it suggests a second strategy for evaluating student learning. In addition, we propose a model for using existing assessments to provide evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness.
Ion Beam Reduction Of Optical Scatter From Coated Metal Surfaces

ABSTRACT Deposition of thin (0.2 - 2.0 jim) metal film on a polished metal substrate changes its scatter characteristic. The light scatter due to high spatial frequency structure is reduced by as much as a factor of ten; total integrated scatter is reduced by as much as a factor of four. The effect is strongly influenced by the deposition mechanism employed, film and substrate materials and film thickness. The effect is most apparent when using simultaneous Ar+ bombardment during film deposition (i.e., ion assisted deposition). INTRODUCTION Thin film microstructure is an important property to consider in both optical and microelectronics applications because of the strong influence of morphology on the coating properties. The optical scatter characteristics of a film is directly related to the film microstructure. Because of this, measurement of optical scatter represents a simple technique to examine a microscopic film characteristic. Microstructure strongly influences thin film electrical properties. In addition, environmental stability is strongly dependent on film morphology.Ion-assisted deposition (IAD) of thin films has been investigated as a technique to tailor the properties of many materials.1 ""* The IAD process involves ion bombardment of the film surface during deposition. Use of Kaufman-type ion beam sources to accomplish this is attractive because it is possible to control many of the important experimental parameters involved. Reactive and inert gas ions can be employed? beam energy and current density can be varied over a wide range of values; and ion angle of incidence can be controlled.In previous publications5 ~7 we examined the effects that the deposition of a metallic thin film had on the scatter characteristics of coated surfaces. This work is an extension to the previous works. In particular, we have examained the influence of IAD on the optical scatter of metal films.
Contact sensitivity by diisocyanates: potencies and cross-reactivities.

Abstract The dermal sensitizing potencies of four diisocyanates were investigated using the mouse car-swelling test (MEST) with BALB cBy mice. Mice were administered topical doses of diisocyanates to the abdomen and were challenged on the ear 4 days later with a nonirritating dose of chemical. The increase in ear thickness at 24 hr postchallenge indicated the extent of contact sensitivity. Ear thickness increase plotted against the log of the dose of diisocyanate indicated three regions of effects: a no-effect region, a dose-response region, and a region of reduced response at highest dosages. The potencies of the diisocyanates expressed as the SD50 (dose required to sensitize 50% of the animals in each group) were hexamethylene diisocyanate, 0.088 mg/kg; diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate, 0.73 mg/kg; and toluene diisocyanate, 5.3 mg/kg. For dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, the steep dose-response curve suggested a thresholdtype response occurring at 0.24 mg/kg. The specificity of sensitization was evaluated by challenging sensitized animals with heterologous diisocyanates. The homologous reactions were always the most extensive. However, cross-reactions were noted between aryl and alkyl diisocyanates. Toluene diisocyanate, the weakest sensitizer, elicited the fewest cross-reactions. The MEST proved to be a simple and effective method for assessing delayed-type hypersensitivity without need of adjuvants, occlusive patches, abrasions, or other procedures which fail to mimic industrial exposures. The observation that very high exposures resulted in reduced response indicates that protocols which generate dose-response data must be utilized to accurately assess the sensitizing potencies of industrial chemicals.
Articulatory coding in short-term memory

Confusion errors in short-term memory for visually-presented nonsense syllables were analyzed to determine the influence of two articulatory features of consonants: voicing and place of articulation. Both were found to contribute to confusions. Results are interpreted as consistent with a hypothesis of mediation by kinesthetic cues arising from subvocal rehearsal, and inconsistent with a hypothesis of mediation by an auditory image.
The cost of irregular antibody screening.

The cost of irregular antibody screening in the third trimester exceeds $600,000.00 per perinatal death averted. This cost appears prohibitive compared with the clinical impact of the disease and costs of other screening tests.
Further Studies in the Spectrum of the OH Molecule: A New (2,2) Band; Satellite Series in λ 3122 ; Λ -Type Doubling and Electronic Spin Doubling

The investigations begun in the neighborhood of the (0\ensuremath{'},1\ensuremath{''}) band at $\ensuremath{\lambda}3428$ (cf. [3]) have been extended to include the bands of the (0,0) and (1\ensuremath{'},0\ensuremath{''}) sequences. Approximately 400 lines were observed in this region of the spectrum, of which 120 are reported for the first time. All but 18 of these have been successfully assigned. The assignments include the identification of a new (2,2) band with its principal head at $\ensuremath{\lambda}3185$; the identification of $^{\mathrm{RR}}R_{21}$ and of $^{\mathrm{PP}}P_{12}$ satellite branches of the (1,1) band; complete assignments of the regular $R$-branches of the (1,1) and (2\ensuremath{'},1\ensuremath{''}) bands; and extensions of nearly all the remaining branches of the bands which appear in this region. The new data are also utilized to obtain $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-doublets and spin doublets to $K=35$ for the 0\ensuremath{''} level and to somewhat smaller values of $K$ for the 1\ensuremath{''} and 2\ensuremath{''} levels. The experimental results are compared with equations in the literature. Molecular constants derived from the new (2,2) band are in good agreement with those derived from the (1\ensuremath{'},2\ensuremath{''}) band.
Recovery Orientation in Hospital and Community Settings

There has been an increasing emphasis on community integration, consumer involvement, and recovery-focused treatment; but the extent to which these recovery-oriented principles have been adopted in state hospitals is unknown. This study surveyed 1,150 staff at three state hospitals and 230 staff at four community mental health centers on personal optimism, consumer optimism, and agency recovery orientation. Responses were obtained from 729 (63.4%) hospital staff and 181 (78.7%) community staff. Staff at state hospitals scored significantly lower on all three recovery measures even after controlling for background differences. Treatment setting may be an important factor in the dissemination of recovery-oriented care principles.
On LQR control with asynchronous clocks

We consider LQR control for a scalar system when the sensor, controller, and actuator all have their own clocks that may drift apart from each other. We consider both an affine and a quadratic clock model. For a quadratic cost function, we analyze the loss of performance incurred as a function of how asynchronous the clocks are. This also allows us to obtain guidelines on how often to utilize the communication resources to synchronize the clocks.
10. Eco-ethics as the foundation of conservation

Environmental ethics must be distinguished from ecological ethics. While the former concerns itself with the appropriate management of natural resources and is often guided by cost-benefit analysis, the latter (ecological ethics) is much broader as it spells out the relationships between man and nature; and also analyses those attributes of man which can make him an ecological animal. Eco-values are based on the recognition of intrinsic values of which reverence for life is one, and perhaps the most important one. Without recognizing some intrinsic values we do not have a basis which is sufficiently universal and comprehensive to talk either of environmental ethics or eco-ethics. The values of eco-ethics are an inherent part of ecological thinking.
Diastereoinduction in the Synthesis of Pallada(II)pyrrolidinones: Palladacycles with Two Pd-bonded Stereogenic Carbons

Stable palladapyrrolidinones (L-L)Pd-CH(p-MeC6H4)NBnC(═O)CHPh representing endocyclic carbon-bonded palladium(II) amide enolates with two Pd-bonded sp3-hybridized stereogenic carbons and bidentate ...
Proton and carbon chemical-shift assignments for 6-kestose and neokestose from two-dimensional n.m.r. measurements

The proton and carbon chemical shift assignments of the simplest levan, 6-kestose, [O-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2----6)-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2 in equilibrium with 1)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside], along with another trisaccharide, neokestose, [O-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2----6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 in equilibrium with 2)-beta-D-fructofuranoside], were determined using two-dimensional (2D) homonuclear and heteronuclear n.m.r. methods. The 1H peak of H-1 of the glucose residue was determined by its chemical shift. Using H-H coupling information to this proton, the chemical shifts of most of the proton signals of the glucose moiety were determined. Though the signals from the two fructose residues were very close, a NOESY experiment and long-range C-H correlation experiments allowed their complete carbon and proton assignment. This work completes and corrects literature assignments.
Killing kids: The juvenile death penalty and community sentiment

In the Supreme Court's Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, “community sentiment” plays a central if not dispositive role in determining if a punishment is disproportionate. To gauge sentiment on the death penalty for juveniles, two experiments with death-qualified subjects were run, where age (a 15–25 age range) and case (heinousness) were varied in the first, and type of defendant (principal, accessory, or felony-murder accessory) and an extended age range (13–25) varied in the second. Significant age effects occur in both experiments, with approximately 75% and 65% refusing to give the death penalty for the youngest (13–15) and next youngest (16–18) groups, whereas 60% give the death penalty for the 25-year-old. In their reasons for their decisions, the killing kid was judged less blameworthy and death-worthy. Although politicians have called for “a man-sized punishment for a man-sized crime,” this community does not see that “man-sized” punishment fitting the kid.
Effect of environmental toxicants on enzyme biosynthesis: a comparison of beta-galactosidase, alpha-glucosidase and tryptophanase.

Except for β-galactosidase, little is known about the effect of environmental toxicants on enzyme induction. The information could be potentially useful for the development of low-cost and rapid ecotoxicity assays. The effect of toxicants on thede novo biosynthesis of three inducible enzymes, β-galactosidase and tryptophanase inE. coli and α-glucosidase inB. subtilis was investigated. Biosynthesis of α-glucosidase was the most sensitive to environmental toxicants, particularly pentachlorophenol and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The sensitivity ofB. subtilis to toxicants was further increased when Tween® 80 was incorporated in the growth medium.
DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF PRESSURE DRIVEN FLOW OF FLUIDS WITH SUSPENDED FERROUS PARTICLES IN A MICRO CHANNEL UNDER MAGNETIC FIELD

This computational study focuses on the dynamics of individual ferrous particles and the flow of the incompressible Newtonian fluid under the effect of an externally applied magnetic field and pressure gradient in a two-dimensional micro channel with smooth walls. The particle dynamics is simulated as a discrete phase using MATLAB code and the fluid flow is solved as a continuous phase using Computational Fluid Dynamics Software FLUENT. Interaction between the particle and fluid phases are included as hydrodynamic forces predicated by the fluid phase simulation and updated particle locations determined by the particle phase solution under non-uniform magnetic field. Non-uniform magnetic field forces the particles to move to poles of the magnet, and results in their accumulation. This causes drastic change on the continuous phase flow and pressure distribution, which in turn influences the particle motion. Predicted dynamics of the suspended ferrous particles under magnetic field and flow of the carrier fluid with pressure gradient is in reasonably well agreement with previous work. The results show that non-uniform magnetic field generated by externally placed magnets can be used to control the locations of the particles and flow of the fluid in a micro channel.
Modeling the effects of ship emissions on coastal air quality: A case study of southern California

Abstract Impact of emissions from ocean-going ships on ozone and particulate matter concentrations is quantified using UCI-CIT model for the South Coast Air Basin of California (SoCAB). The modeling domain encompasses Los Angeles and Long Beach ports and part of the Pacific Ocean that is traversed by ships to visit these ports. Impacts are assessed for a base year (2002) and a future year (2020) by analyzing results from simulations of a three-day summer episode. Contribution of ship emissions to peak 1-h and 8-h ozone concentrations is predicted to be up to 29 and 24 ppb, respectively, for the year 2002. Similarly, particulate nitrate and sulfate concentrations increase up to 12.8 and 1.7 μg m −3 , respectively, in the basin when ship emissions are included. Maximum impacts are predicted to occur along the coasts of Ventura and Los Angeles and also at inland locations near Simi Valley. Future year simulations show substantial increase in impacts from ships due to expected growth in ship emissions. Ozone increases are as high as 59 ppb for land-based locations when estimates of ship emissions for 2020 are included. Similarly, particulate nitrate and sulfate increase up to 14 and 2.5 μg m −3 . The results of this study show that control of ship emissions is important to mitigate air pollution.
Pharmacokinetics of LY163892 in infants and children.

Two dosages (7.5 and 15 mg/kg of body weight) of LY163892 were given to infants and children, and five plasma specimens were collected for antibiotic assay during the ensuing 4 h. Peak concentrations of 12.6 and 18.7 micrograms/ml occurred at 45 min. The mean half-lives were 0.85 and 0.78 h, and the mean areas under the curve were 24.4 and 38.0 micrograms.h/ml.
Predictors of the use of seclusion on an inpatient child psychiatric unit.

ABSTRACT Characteristics of 102 children admitted to a child psychiatry unit were analyzed to determine predictability of seclusion use. A subgroup of 36 children was rated using the Zeitlin Coping Inventory. Results showed that frequently secluded children were significantly more likely to have a history of physical abuse, neurological impairment, relatively weaker verbal ability, assaultive behavior, and a suicide attempt in the 6 months prior to admission. They shared a profile of coping behavior, such as more need for environment structure, less ability to successfully meet needs, and more activity and rigidity in their unsuccessful attempts. Three items on the Coping Inventory related to frustration tolerance, response to external controls, and knowledge of what is expected in situations were highly predictive of seclusion use. Results suggest that seclusion may meet specific needs for children and may not always be an indicator of inadequate institutional policies and programs.
Of fish, flies, worms and men: powerful approaches to neuropsychiatric disease using genetic models

Neuropsychiatric diseases are common; current therapies are only partially effective in controlling symptoms and there are no curative treatments. These diseases cause significant suffering and cost a staggering amount to society in treatment, care and lost productivity, and are consequently a high priority for research. The past two decades have witnessed an extraordinary expansion in our knowledge of the molecular basis of neurological diseases. Much of this progress has arisen through mapping gene loci in families with genetically-determined neurological diseases. The subsequent positional cloning of genes whose mutation provokes neurological disease has provided researchers with a solid foundation for investigating molecular mechanisms that might provide novel therapeutic targets. Although in some instances the relationship between common sporadic neurological diseases and their rare Mendelian phenocopies remains uncertain, the unequivocally causative connection between genetic mutation and disease etiology in hereditary diseases is important. There are few examples of sporadic neurological diseases in which the etiological factors are known in any detail, but it is expected that mechanistic commonality between genetic and sporadic forms of diseases will allow meaningful insights to be gained into the latter from understanding the former. This prediction is supported by the many clinical, pathologic and biochemical features that are shared between sporadic and hereditary forms of many diseases.
Loop Series and Bethe Variational Bounds in Attractive Graphical Models

Variational methods are frequently used to approximate or bound the partition or likelihood function of a Markov random field. Methods based on mean field theory are guaranteed to provide lower bounds, whereas certain types of convex relaxations provide upper bounds. In general, loopy belief propagation (BP) provides often accurate approximations, but not bounds. We prove that for a class of attractive binary models, the so-called Bethe approximation associated with any fixed point of loopy BP always lower bounds the true likelihood. Empirically, this bound is much tighter than the naive mean field bound, and requires no further work than running BP. We establish these lower bounds using a loop series expansion due to Chertkov and Chernyak, which we show can be derived as a consequence of the tree reparameterization characterization of BP fixed points.
Identification of surprisingly diverse type IV pili, across a broad range of gram-positive bacteria.

Background In Gram-negative bacteria, type IV pili (TFP) have long been known to play important roles in such diverse biological phenomena as surface adhesion, motility, and DNA transfer, with significant consequences for pathogenicity. More recently it became apparent that Gram-positive bacteria also express type IV pili; however, little is known about the diversity and abundance of these structures in Gram-positives. Computational tools for automated identification of type IV pilins are not currently available. Results To assess TFP diversity in Gram-positive bacteria and facilitate pilin identification, we compiled a comprehensive list of putative Gram-positive pilins encoded by operons containing highly conserved pilus biosynthetic genes (pilB, pilC). A surprisingly large number of species were found to contain multiple TFP operons (pil, com and/or tad). The N-terminal sequences of predicted pilins were exploited to develop PilFind, a rule-based algorithm for genome-wide identification of otherwise poorly conserved type IV pilins in any species, regardless of their association with TFP biosynthetic operons (http://signalfind.org). Using PilFind to scan 53 Gram-positive genomes (encoding >187,000 proteins), we identified 286 candidate pilins, including 214 in operons containing TFP biosynthetic genes (TBG+ operons). Although trained on Gram-positive pilins, PilFind identified 55 of 58 manually curated Gram-negative pilins in TBG+ operons, as well as 53 additional pilin candidates in operons lacking biosynthetic genes in ten species (>38,000 proteins), including 27 of 29 experimentally verified pilins. False positive rates appear to be low, as PilFind predicted only four pilin candidates in eleven bacterial species (>13,000 proteins) lacking TFP biosynthetic genes. Conclusions We have shown that Gram-positive bacteria contain a highly diverse set of type IV pili. PilFind can be an invaluable tool to study bacterial cellular processes known to involve type IV pilus-like structures. Its use in combination with other currently available computational tools should improve the accuracy of predicting the subcellular localization of bacterial proteins.
A method for characterizing sarcoma tumor boundary scanned with T2-weighted MRI

Purposes: Analysis of the tumor boundary could play an important role in increasing the understanding of tumor relationships with normal structures for surgical resection planning and risk assessment for local recurrence in sarcoma. The objective of this paper is to present analytical methods that were developed to characterize the tumor boundary using the signal from T2-weighted MRI in a test set of images from patients with sarcomas. Patients and Methods: The study MRI parameters were compared to histopathological data from the resected tumors. T2-weighted scans were acquired from 20 subjects from patients diagnosed with sarcoma. Computer software was developed to characterize the MR intensity of the tumor boundary as function of distance along probing radii. Results: There were significant differences in the MRI tumor boundary parameters between tumors resected with positive or negative margins. The slope of the T2 signal change at the tumor/normal tissue boundary (p=0.007) and boundary distance (p=0.001) were significantly correlated with tumor margin status. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that this image analysis algorithm which characterizes the change in MR signal at the tumor boundary could be useful in the clinical evaluation of the tumor. The spatial position of this MR signal slope parameter that correlates with positive tumor margins can be identified precisely while the tumor is still in the body of the patient prior to tumor removal. This boundary analysis method which is different than simple edge detection reports on the tumor-normal tissue interface.
Compensation Incentives for Nonfamily Executives in Family Firms

We examine how the unique agency environment in founding family firms influences compensation incentives for executives that are not family members. Nonfamily executives receive weaker pay-for-performance incentives when family members serve as executives or board chair and weaker risk-taking incentives if there are family executives. Family firms do not structure compensation to include tournament incentives when there are family heirs. Family ownership exerts a greater influence on compensation incentives than nonfamily blockholders, which suggest that family ownership is different than other concentrated ownership. Altogether, the results suggest that compensation structure reflects a tradeoff between shareholder-manager conflicts and family-nonfamily shareholder conflicts.
What everyone needs to know about evolution

In 1980, when I set out to write a defense of evolution against creationism [1], I discovered that there existed no book for general readers that described the evidence for, and nature of, evolution. The closest approximation was George Gaylord Simpson's The Meaning of Evolution [2], which was really, as its subtitle stated, ‘a study of the history of life and its significance for man.’ In any case, it was then 31 years old and substantially out of date. Since then, the creationist movement, including its recent manifestation as so-called intelligent design (ID), has come to be recognized as a serious threat not only to evolution education, but also to science in general [3].
Memory Persistency: Semantics for Byte-Addressable Nonvolatile Memory Technologies

Emerging nonvolatile memory technologies (NVRAM) promise the performance of DRAM with the persistence of disk. However, constraining the NVRAM write order, necessary to ensure recovery correctness, limits the NVRAM write concurrency and degrades throughput. New memory interfaces are required to efficiently describe write constraints and allow high-performance and high-concurrency data structures. The authors introduce memory persistency, a new approach to designing persistent memory interfaces that builds on the familiar framework of memory consistency to provide an interface for constraining the order in which persistent writes can occur with respect to failure. Similar to memory consistency, memory persistency models may be relaxed to improve performance. The authors describe the design space of memory persistency, introduce several memory persistency models, and evaluate their ability to expose NVRAM write concurrency. Their results show that relaxed persistency models can accelerate system throughput 30 times by reducing NVRAM write constraints.
Airflow Characteristics of Commonly Used Temperature Radiation Shields

Abstract The air temperature radiation shield is a key component in air temperature measurement in weather station networks; however, it is widely recognized that significant errors in the measured air temperature exist due to insufficient airflow past the air temperature sensor housed inside the shield. During the last several decades, the U.S. National Weather Service has employed a number of different shields in air temperature measurements. This paper focuses on the airflow characteristics inside air temperature shields including the Maximum–Minimum Temperature System (MMTS), the Gill shields, and the Cotton Region Shelter (CRS). Average airspeed profiles and airflow efficiency inside the shields are investigated in this study under both windtable and field conditions using an omnidirectional hot-wire sensor. Results from the windtable measurements indicate that the average airspeeds inside the shields oscillated along the center line of the Gill and MMTS shields as the “windtable air” speed was chang...
Slavery and the Founding

One of the oldest but hottest debates over the U.S. Constitution has concerned its relationship to slavery, a dispute that goes right to the heart of the meaning of the founding of the republic. Some observers have portrayed slavery as a – even the – vital problem of the Founding, and denounced the Constitution as a proslavery document. Other scholars contend that this picture unduly elevates the importance of slavery in the contest over the Constitution and distorts the intent of the Founders. This essay reviews recent entries in this debate to frame its argument that slavery figured largely as a weapon that Federalists and Antifederalists wielded to press their more primary points. It examines the debates over – and using – the various slavery clauses in the document to conclude that slavery was a versatile tool in rather than a core concern of the Constitutional Convention and ratification debates.
A Parallel-Vector Algorithm for Solving Periodic Tridiagonal Linear Systems of Equations

Periodic tridiagonal linear systems of equations typi- cally arise from discretizing second order differential equations with periodic boundary conditions. In this paper a parallel-vector algorithm is introduced to solve such systems. Implementation of the new algorithm is carried out on an Intel iPSC/2 hypercube with vector processor boards attached to each node processor. It is to be noted that t his algorithm can be extended to solve other periodic banded linear systems.
The Tec kinase ITK regulates thymic expansion, emigration, and maturation of γδ NKT cells

The Tec family tyrosine kinase, Itk, regulates signaling downstream of the TCR. The absence of Itk in CD4(+) T cells results in impaired Th2 responses along with defects in maturation, cytokine production, and survival of iNKT cells. Paradoxically, Itk(-/-) mice have spontaneously elevated serum IgE levels, resulting from an expansion of the Vγ1.1(+)Vδ6.3(+) subset of γδ T cells, known as γδ NKT cells. Comparisons between γδ NKT cells and αβ iNKT cells showed convergence in the pattern of cell surface marker expression, cytokine profiles, and gene expression, suggesting that these two subsets of NKT cells undergo similar differentiation programs. Hepatic γδ NKT cells have an invariant TCR and are derived predominantly from fetal progenitors that expand in the thymus during the first weeks of life. The adult thymus contains these invariant γδ NKT cells plus a heterogeneous population of Vγ1.1(+)Vδ6.3(+) T cells with diverse CDR3 sequences. This latter population, normally excluded from the liver, escapes the thymus and homes to the liver when Itk is absent. In addition, Itk(-/-) γδ NKT cells persistently express high levels of Zbtb16 (PLZF) and Il4, genes that are normally downregulated in the most mature subsets of NKT cells. These data indicate that Itk signaling is required to prevent the expansion of γδ NKT cells in the adult thymus, to block their emigration, and to promote terminal NKT cell maturation.
On a Sturm-Liouville framework for continuous and discrete frequency modulation

It is well known that purely sinusoidal signals satisfy a linear second-order constant coefficient differential equation. It is also well known that a broad class of orthogonal special functions such as the Legendre and Hermite polynomials satisfy the second-order Sturm-Liouville differential equation. Both sinusoidal and AM-FM models have been used for analysis and synthesis of speech signals. In this paper, we present a Sturm-Liouville differential and difference equation approach to both continuous and discrete time frequency modulation. Orthogonal modes of frequency modulation that are not distorted by the Sturm-Liouville operator are described.
E-cadherin autoantibody profile in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

Summary Background Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune skin blistering disease. The main targets of autoantibodies are the desmosomal proteins desmoglein (Dsg)3 and Dsg1. Anti-E-cadherin antibody is the second most frequent antibody found in pemphigus foliaceus (fogo selvagem), but the frequency in PV is unknown. Objectives To determine the anti-E-cadherin antibody profile in the two major subtypes of PV: mucosal PV (mPV) and mucocutaneous PV (mcPV). Methods Sera from 80 patients with PV and 80 controls were tested. Patients with PV were subdivided into mPV (n = 18) and mcPV (n = 62). Samples were tested by E-cadherin, Dsg1 and Dsg3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), and immunoprecipitation coupled with Western blotting (IP-WB). Results Both mPV and mcPV sera have antibodies against E-cadherin as demonstrated by ELISA and IP-WB. Both subtypes of PV have low levels of anti-E-cadherin antibodies, but significantly higher levels than healthy controls by ELISA (P < 0·0001). No difference exists in antibody levels between subgroups (P = 0·82). By IP-WB, 78% of mcPV sera reacted to E-cadherin, vs. 33% of mPV sera tested. Correlation analysis suggests a moderate correlation between anti-E-cadherin antibodies and Dsg1antibodies (average r = 0·61), but no correlation with Dsg3 antibodies (average r = 0·19). Patients with mPV can have lower levels of Dsg1 antibodies compared with controls by ELISA (P < 0·0001). A few mPV sera also reacted to Dsg1 protein by IP-WB (17%). Conclusions Anti-E-cadherin antibodies are present in both major subtypes of PV. A moderate correlation exists between E-cadherin and Dsg1 antibodies. Patients with mPV can have low levels of both E-cadherin and Dsg1 antibodies.
Depression, acute stress and behavioral risk factors in violently injured adolescents

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to examine whether emergency department (ED) assessments of depressive and acute stress symptoms after an episode of interpersonal violence are associated with future risk behaviors, reinjury and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adolescents. Methods Three hundred ninety-four injured adolescents (age range, 12–17 years) were assessed for depressive symptoms, acute stress symptoms and self-reported risk behaviors either during or immediately after an ED visit (T1). One hundred fifty-eight adolescents completed the follow-up assessment between 6 and 18 months later (T2), during which they were assessed again for self-reported risk behaviors, PTSD symptoms and reinjury. Results Depression ratings at T1 predicted risk behaviors at T2, controlling for risk behaviors at T1. Ratings of depression and acute stress at T1 predicted PTSD symptoms at T2 but did not significantly predict the self-reported incidence of violent reinjury at T2. Conclusions Assessment of depressive symptoms in adolescents who present to the ED after a violent event can help identify those in need of further and more formal assessments as well as, possibly, interventions to prevent future risk behaviors. Identification of depressive and acute stress symptoms can also help identify those violently injured youth who report subsequent PTSD symptoms.
Application of an improved unified subsonic-supersonic potential flow method for the aerodynamic analysis of aircraft configurations

F. A. Woodward, under contract to the NASA Langley Research Center, has recently formulated a distributed vortex aerodynamic singularity and developed an improved unified subsonic-supersonic potential flow computer program employing this singularity. This improved program is applicable to the prediction of the local surface pressure distribution for a large class of essentially arbitrarily shaped aircraft configurations. Results are presented for two classes of aircraft configurations of current interest: a maneuvering fighter type and a supersonic transport type. Comparison of these results with experiment indicate the program has good prediction capability.