cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The UCLA loneliness scale: Invariance of social structural characteristics

Abstract This study examines the structure and external validity of a reduced form of the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. With a random sample of adults from a large metropolitan area ( N = 619), we used structural equation modeling to test the adequacy of a seven-item version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale assessing feelings of friendship and to analyze a hierarchy of factorial invariance hypotheses across a range of population groups. Our findings indicated that the abbreviated loneliness scale represents a good global fit and that the component fit measures are also highly satisfactory. Further, there were no differences in the conception of loneliness represented by the scale across the different population groups defined by gender, race, marital status, employment status, income, age and education. There were mean differences for some variables, indicating generally that those of lower social economic status (blacks, women and those with lower income) and those who were married were more likely to feel lonely. We conclude that the causes and consequences of differential loneliness based on social structural situation needs to be more cohesively analyzed, and that the seven-item univariate loneliness scale invariant across gender, race, marital status, employment status, income, age and education, as presented in this research merits further use.
Novel Nanoscale Patch-Clamp Arrays for Probing Neuronal Electrical Activities

Intracellular electrophysiological measurements form the foundation for understanding ion channel behavior, neural signaling and pharmaceutical activity. However, intra-cellular patch clamps lead to cell death in less than 2 hrs and are not amenable to fabrication into large arrays, significantly limiting their applicability. Extra-cellular electrodes traditionally have many electrodes in parallel, yet suffer from poor data quality and limited electrical stimulation. Here we report that metallic electrodes that mimic transmembrane protein hydrophobicity spontaneously fuse into cell membranes during cell culture, providing direct, robust electrical access into cells without damage. These ‘Stealth electrodes’ are fully functional intracellular patch-clamps, providing current-clamp, voltage-clamp, stimulation and recording capabilities for more than 3 days continuously on primary rat hippocampal neurons. These devices can be fabricated using standard semiconductor processing techniques.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Retrograde transport of NGF by early chick embryo spinal cord motoneurons

Neuronal retrograde transport of nerve growth factor (NGF) was examined in chick embryos at 5, 6, and 7 days of incubation. Radiolabeled NGF was injected in the target limb muscle and the retrograde transport was viewed following processing for autoradiography. Silver grains were localized in the peripheral nerve, in the ventral root, in neuronal cell bodies within the dorsal root ganglion, and in motoneurons of the lateral motor column. Comparable injections of 125I-cytochrome c resulted in the presence of label at the peripheral injection site only. The possible developmental significance of these observations is discussed.
Complexity, organization and uncertainty

Abstract We discuss a strategy for understanding some of the observed relationships between complexity, organization, and uncertainty. The approach is phenomenological and emphasizes the basically discontinuous, irregular, and uncertain aspects of sociobiological systems. Much of the discussion is motivated by the observed inverse power-laws that arise in a great many data sets, e.g. Lotka's law in sociology, Pareto's law in economics, and Zipf's law in linguistics, and concludes that even the simplest of sociobiological systems elude the deterministic description of the physical sciences. It is conjectured that the clustering property implicit in such power-law behaviour may capture a ‘deep’ property of sociobiological systems, including perhaps the observed intermittency in speciation.
Raman spectroscopic investigation of H2, HD, and D2 physisorption on ropes of single-walled, carbon nanotubes.

We have observed the $S$- and $Q$-branch Raman spectra of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, HD, and ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ adsorbed at $85\mathrm{K}$ and pressures up to 8 atm on single-walled, carbon nanotubes (SWNT). Comparative data for ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ on graphite and ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ were also collected. Frequency-downshifted and upshifted features were observed in the $Q$-branch spectra of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ on ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and SWNT. These shifts are small and are therefore inconsistent with charge transfer. An ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$-surface potential with van der Waals and electrostatic terms was developed and used to estimate the shifts in the frequency of the $Q(0)$ transition of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ adsorbed in two types of sites. These calculations corroborate the experimental findings and indicate physisorption in multiple sites of the SWNT ropes.
Trigger Factor Associates with GroEL in Vivo and Promotes Its Binding to Certain Polypeptides

Trigger factor (TF) is a putative molecular chaperone recently found to function together with GroEL in the degradation of the fusion protein, CRAG. TF overproduction enhanced the ability of GroEL to form complexes with CRAG, as well as fetuin or histone. To define further this effect on GroEL binding, affinity columns containing a variety of denatured proteins were used. When cell extracts were applied onto a fetuin column, both TF and GroEL bound but not GroES. Upon ATP addition, TF and GroEL were eluted together and remained tightly associated (even in presence of GroES) in complexes containing one TF per GroEL 14-mer. Overproduction of TF enhanced the capacity of GroEL to bind to many denatured proteins. Moreover, GroEL-TF complexes isolated from such cells showed much greater binding capacity than GroEL from TF-deficient cells. Furthermore, the addition of pure TF to pure GroEL also enhanced markedly its binding capacity. The affinity of GroEL for CRAG also rises during heat shock due to GroEL phosphorylation. TF expression, however, did not promote GroEL phosphorylation. Moreover, heat shock and TF overproduction affected GroEL binding to other denatured polypeptides in distinct ways; only TF promoted binding to certain polypeptides, whereas only phosphorylation increased binding to others. Thus, association with TF and phosphorylation are independent regulators of GroEL function. This enhanced affinity of TF-GroEL complexes for unfolded proteins may also be important in protein folding, because TF has prolyl isomerase activity and associates with nascent polypeptides.
Time-dependent density functional theory study of the spectroscopic properties related to aggregation in the platinum(II) biphenyl dicarbonyl complex.

Singlet ground-state geometry optimization of the monomer, four dimers, and the trimer of [Pt(bph)(CO)2], where bph = biphenyl dianion, was performed at the B3LYP level of density functional theory (DFT) with a mixed basis set (6-311G** on C, O, and H atoms; the Stuttgart/Dresden (SDD) effective core potential (ECP) on the Pt core; [6s5p3d] on the Pt valence shell). The aggregation was based on Pt−Pt binding as well as on π−π and electrostatic interactions. The lowest-lying triplet-state geometries of the monomer, one dimer, and the trimer of the complex were also optimized using the above theory. Significant shortening of the Pt−Pt bond was recorded in the triplet state compared to the singlet one. A number of low-energy singlet and triplet allowed excited states were calculated using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) and analyzed with respect to absorption, excitation, and emission spectra collected under various conditions. Simulated spectra of the monomer and dimer based on the singlet ...
Quantitative modeling of electron spectroscopy intensities for supported nanoparticles: The hemispherical cap model for non-normal detection

Abstract Nanoparticles of one element or compound dispersed across the surface of another substrate element or compound form the basis for many materials of great technological importance, such as heterogeneous catalysts, fuel cells and other electrocatalysts, photocatalysts, chemical sensors and biomaterials. They also form during film growth by deposition in many fabrication processes. The average size and number density of such nanoparticles are often very important, and these can be estimated with electron microscopy or scanning tunneling microscopy. However, this is very time consuming and often unavailable with sufficient resolution when the particle size is ~ 1 nm. Because the probe depth of electron spectroscopies like X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) or Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) is ~ 1 nm, these provide quantitative information on both the total amount of adsorbed material when it is in the form of such small nanoparticles, and the particle thickness. For electron spectroscopy conducted with electron detection normal to the surface, Diebold et al. (1993) derived analytical relationships between the signal intensities for the adsorbate and substrate and the particles' average size and number density, under the assumption that all the particles have hemispherical shape and the same radius. In this paper, we report a simple angle- and particle-size-dependent correction factor that can be applied to these analytical expressions so that they can also be extended to measurements made at other detection angles away from the surface normal. This correction factor is computed using numerical integration and presented for use in future modeling. This correction factor is large (> 2) for angles beyond 60°, so comparing model predictions to measurements at both 0° and ≥ 60° will also provide a new means for testing the model's assumptions (hemispherical shape and fixed size particles). The ability to compare the hemispherical cap model at several angles simultaneously also should enable more accurate estimates of surface structural parameters when elastic diffraction effects cause strong peaks in the angular distributions of emitted electrons.
Many-body theory for charge transfer in atom-surface collisions.

A theory for the effect of a strong intra-atomic Coulomb repulsion U on the nonadiabatic transfer of charge between a metallic surface and a moving atomic species is presented. Using slave bosons and a nonequilibrium Green's-function technique, we solve the equations appropriate for the U=\ensuremath{\infty} problem in the case when either the atom-surface hopping matrix element is small, or the number of degenerate atomic states is large. We generalize the earlier treatment of Langreth and Nordlander (LN) to include off-diagonal self-energies and present a general numerical scheme for the exact solution of the Dyson equations. We verify that our scheme gives the correct answer in several limiting cases where an exact solution is known, and give quantitative predictions of when deviations from these limits become important. These limits include (1) the simple master equation limit for low velocities and weak coupling, (2) the generalized master equation of LN for larger velocities and atom-surface coupling, (3) the approach to thermal equilibrium when the time dependence is removed, and (4) the maintenance of local thermal equilibrium when the energy parameters vary sufficiently slowly. From a calculation of the instantaneous (nonequilibrium) spectral function of the level on the scattering atom, we are able to study the rate of formation of the Kondo and mixed valent resonances near the Fermi level. We find a slow formation rate for such resonances relative to that of the broader parts of the spectral density centered near the bare atom level positions.
Diagnostic advances in inflammatory bowel disease (imaging and laboratory)

Autoimmune and antimicrobial antibodies currently play only an adjunctive role in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Their sensitivity and specificity are not high enough to be relied upon alone to secure a diagnosis; however, their most promising role seems to be in identifying Crohn's disease patients at a higher risk of progression to intestinal complications. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) correlates well with other measures of biologic activity but not as well with clinical activity. CRP can help predict IBD relapses, and in patients with severely active ulcerative colitis may indicate which patients are most likely to progress to colectomy. Similarly, fecal lactoferrin and calprotectin are reasonably accurate and noninvasive measures of disease activity, can predict relapse, and identify a high-risk group among acute severe colitis patients. Capsule endoscopy is a highly sensitive tool that can be used in patients with suspected Crohn's disease with a negative traditional workup, but lower specificity and the risk of capsule retention preclude first-line use. CT enterography can delineate the extent and severity of bowel inflammation and detect extraluminal findings. Magnetic resonance enterography is a radiation-free cross-sectional imaging alternative that is comparable to CT enterography in diagnostic accuracy.
Self-Assembled Nanostructured Materials

The “wet” colloid chemical construction of nanosized or nanostructured materials (i.e., those in the 1−100 nm range) has been inspired by biomineralization (the in vivo formation of inorganic crystals and/or amorphous particles in biological systems) and hierarchically organized self-assembly (spontaneous stepwise assembly of functional units). Subsequent to a summary of the molecular level organization of surfactant monolayers, Langmuir−Blodgett and self-assembled films emphasis is placed on the colloid chemistry underlying the self-assembly of nanostructured materials. Specifically, details are provided on (i) the preparation and stabilization of nanoparticle dispersions, (ii) the adsorption and desorption of nanoparticles onto solid surfaces, and (iii) the nanoreactors provided by polar liquids selectively adsorbed onto solid surfaces from binary polar−apolar liquid mixtures. The “wet” colloid chemical preparation of nanostructured materials in our laboratories is illustrated by the layer-by-layer self...
Functional evaluation and analysis of predicted miRNA-mRNA regulatory network

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play important roles in the way their target genes behave. By causing translational repression or degradation of their targets, miRNAs affect many biological functions and in turn are linked to many diseases. One way of understanding the functions of miRNAs is by identifying and analyzing their target genes through lab experiments. However, due to the inefficiency of this method, alternative ways had to be explored, one of which is the use of computational and bioinformatics approaches. Even though these approaches can save a lot of experimental time and chemical cost, their results can be questionable. In this study, we evaluated three commonly used target prediction tools by analyzing their predicted targets through miRNA-mRNA network. Our approach combines the use of gene function similarity and gene expression data in determining the most probable true targets. Our results show wide outspread of predicted targets with less overlap among the tools. Overall, TargetScan seems to perform better compared to the other two.
Numerical modeling of the dispersion of ceramic nanoparticles during ultrasonic processing of aluminum-based nanocomposites

Abstract The metal–matrix-nano-composites (MMNCs) in this study consist of a 6061 alloy matrix reinforced with 1.0 wt.% SiC nanoparticles that are dispersed within the matrix using an ultrasonic cavitation dispersion technique available in the Solidification Laboratory at the University of Alabama. The required ultrasonic parameters to achieve (i) the required stirring and cavitation for suitable degassing and refining of the aluminum alloy and (ii) the adequate fluid flow characteristics for uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles into the 6061 matrix are being investigated in this study by using an in-house developed CFD ultrasonic cavitation model. The multiphase CFD model accounts for turbulent fluid flow, heat transfer, and the complex interaction between the molten alloy and nanoparticles by using the ANSYS's Fluent DDPM. The modeling parametric study includes the effects of the fluid flow, the ultrasonic probe location, nanoparticle size distribution, and initial location where the nanoparticles are released into the molten alloy. It was determined that the nanoparticles can be distributed quickly and uniformly into the molten 6061 alloy.
Conditional-mean initialization using neighboring objects in deformable model segmentation

Most model-based segmentation methods find a target object in a new image by constructing an objective function and optimizing it using a standard minimization algorithm. In general, the objective function has two penalty terms: 1) for deforming a template model and 2) for mismatch between the trained image intensities relative to the template model and the observed image intensities relative to the deformed template model in the target image. While it is difficult to establish an objective function with a global minimum at the desired segmentation result, even such an objective function is typically non-convex due to the complexity of the intensity patterns and the many structures surrounding the target object. Thus, it is critical that the optimization starts at a point close to the global minimum of the objective function in deformable model-based segmentation framework. For a segmentation method in maximum a posteriori framework a good objective function can be obtained by learning the probability distributions of the population shape deformations and their associated image intensities because each penalty term can be simplified to a squared function of some distance metric defined in the shape space. The mean shape and intensities of the learned probability distributions also provide a good initialization for segmentation. However, a major concern in estimating the shape prior is the stability of the estimated shape distributions from given training samples because the feature space of a shape model is usually very high dimensional while the number of training samples is limited. A lot of effort in that regard have been made to attain a stable estimation of shape probability distribution. In this paper, we describe our approach to stably estimate a shape probability distribution when good segmentations of objects adjacent to the target object are available. Our approach is to use a conditional shape probability distribution (CSPD) to take into account in the shape distribution the relation of the target object to neighboring objects. In particular, we propose a new method based on principal component regression (PCR) in reflecting in the conditional term of the CSPD the effect of neighboring objects on the target object. The resulting approach is able to give a better and robust initialization with training samples of a few cases. To demonstrate the potential of our approach, we apply it first to training of a simulated data of known deformations and second to male pelvic organs, using the CSPD in m-rep segmentations of the prostate in CT images. Our results show a clear improvement in initializing the prostate by its conditional mean given the bladder and the rectum as neighboring objects, as measured both by volume overlap and average surface distance.
MUTANTS AND LINKAGE GROUPS OF THE SCREW-WORM FLY.

Fifteen visible mutations in the screw-worm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were studied. Two are dominant mutations lethal in the homozgyous condition; the remaining 13 are recessive (10 autosomal mutations and 3 involving the X chromosome). Studies of the differential viability of the stocks and a preliminary linkage map for the mutant genes are presented.
X‐Ray Characterization of Melanins—I

The intrinsic local structure characterization of natural sepia melanin and L-dopa and tyrosine synthetic melanin powder has been carried out by X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The derived structure factor, S(q), shows six significant diffuse peaks within the q-range from 0.3 A-1 to 16 A-1 in the reciprocal space (q = (4 pi sin theta)/lambda, 2 theta is the scattering angle). The Fourier transform of S(q), which yields the radial distribution function (RDF), gives us information in real space of a 1.42 A distance averaged over the C-C, C-O and C-N bond lengths as well as peaks at 2.40-2.41 A, 3.67-3.71 A and 4.67-4.70 A discrete neighbor distances. There is a great similarity in the scattering intensity profiles of the natural and synthetic melanins indicating that the synthetically prepared material may be essentially similar to "real" melanin in its local atomic arrangements. An evidence of a prepeak at q congruent to 0.45 A-1 has been confirmed which indicates a preferred length scale of approximately 13-20 A that corresponds to the initial particle size in colloidal melanin solutions.
Doppler angler and flow velocity estimation using conventional single-probing-beam optical Doppler tomography

Accurate flow velocity estimation requires measurement of the Doppler angle, which is not available in general clinical applications. We introduce a simple method of estimating Doppler angle and average flow velocity by using conventional single-probing-beam optical Doppler tomography. Both Doppler angle and flow velocity are estimated by combining Doppler shift and Doppler bandwidth measurements. Using two sets of intralipid experiments corresponding to fixed Doppler angle and fixed flow speed, we demonstrate that the estimated values of the Doppler angle and flow velocity are in good agreement with true values. The principle is further validated by in vivo measurements. Keywords : optical Doppler tomography, Doppler angle, flow velocity
Rational selection of oral 5-aminosalicylate formulations and prodrugs for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Rational selection of oral 5-aminosalicylate formulations and prodrugs for the treatment of ulcerative colitis
A new test of the weak equivalence principle

The Eotvos, Dicke, and Braginski experiments do not rule out the recent suggestion that the weak equivalence principle (WEP) might be violated at intermediate ranges (10−1 m ≲r ≲ 104 m). I briefly discuss the problems inherent in Eotvos-type apparatus in searches for WEP-violating forces (“hyperforces”) between laboratory masses and suggest an alternative detector free of such problems. The proposed detector is driven by a “hyperforce” torque at the rotational frequency. If the detector is tuned to this frequency, the signal, enhanced by resonance, may be detected synchronously. I derive the response equations for the detector and discuss how spurious responses due to gravity torques may be suppressed.
Cocaine effects on behavioral responding to a novel object placed in a familiar environment

It is well established that cocaine stimulant effects are potentiated in a novel environment. The relationship between cocaine and novel stimuli, however, remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined the effects of different dose levels of cocaine (5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg/kg) administered to separate groups of rats (N=10) on attentional behavior to a small novel object stimulus placed within a central zone (CZ) of a familiar open-field environment. This method has been used to assess attentional function in young animals, brain damaged animals and drug treated animals. In previous studies, we have shown that attention to a novel object stimulus can be quantified by an animal's contact time with the object. Following a series of pre-exposures to the test environment without the novel object, we found that cocaine in a brief 10 min test session with the novel object present produced a dose related decrease in mean contact time with the novel object. In contrast caffeine (5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg/kg), which induced a locomotor stimulant effect equivalent to cocaine, did not impair novel object contact time. Correlational analyses indicated absence of significant negative correlation coefficients of locomotor activity and contact time with the novel object. These considerations indicate that the observed cocaine impairment of attention to the novel stimulus is not attributable to hyperactivity per-se. Furthermore, cocaine, but not caffeine, induced a dose related decrease in the duration of spontaneous grooming. Thus, cocaine appears to diminish an animal's overall capability to maintain a behavioral process (i.e., investigate a novel object stimulus and/or engage in spontaneous bodily directed activity such as grooming). Altogether, the findings obtained in the present study indicate that cocaine impairs an animal's ability to sustain attention to stimuli and suggest a behavioral state analogous to an attention deficit disorder.
Language, culture and dissonance: a study course for globally minded teachers with possibilities for catalytic transformation

The study explores the impact of a course taught abroad, with the objective of preparing globally minded intercultural educators proficient in second language and culture pedagogy for English learners. The findings suggest that the course content is more powerful when teacher candidates experience cultural and linguistic immersion simultaneously.
Acute life-threatening intraoperative atelectasis

A case is presented of acute intraoperative atelectasis causing profound hypoxaemia in a patient undergoing a combined epidural-general anaesthetic for hip surgery in the lateral position. The pathophysiology of the resultant ventilation-perfusion mis-match and the effects of applied positive end-expiratory pressure in the lateral position are explored. The emergency management is assessed, with emphasis on the role of bronchoscopy in diagnosis and treatment of this rare cause of life-threatening hypoxaemia in the operating room. This patient with risk factors for respiratory complications may have benefited from preoperative bronchoscopy to assist in lung expansion.
Fischer‐tropsch synthesis in a stirred tank slurry reactorndashreaction rates

The effect of process variables (temperature, pressure, space velocity, and H2/CO feed ratio) on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on a promoted fused iron catalyst was studied in a slurry phase stirred tank reactor (STR). Operating conditions were chosen such that some of the data could be compared with previously reported results, but experiments were also performed at more extreme conditions (temperatures up to 280°C and pressures up to 2.86 MPa) than previously studied in a slurry phase STR. The catalyst activity compares well with previous studies at an H2/CO feed ratio of 1.0 and 1.8, but the activity is lower than previously reported values in the 0.64-0.72 range of H2/CO feed ratios. Spacetime-yield increases with pressure, and reactor productivity is best increased by increasing pressure at a constant pressure to space velocity ratio. The water-gas-shift reaction is near equilibrium at high conversions, and always proceeds at a slower rate than the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a STR. On a etudie l'effet des variables (temperature, pression, vitesse spatiale et rapport d'alimentation H2/CO sur la synthese Fischer-Tropsch sur un catalyseur au fer fondu active, dans un reacteur a suspension agite (STR). Les conditions de fonctionnement ont ete choisies pour que certaines donnees puissent etre comparees a des resultats existants, mais des experiences ont egalement ete menees dans des conditions plus extremes (temperatures superieures a 280°C et pressions superieures a 2,86 MPa) que celles des dernieres etudes sur un reacteur a suspension. L'activite du catalyseur se compare bien aux etudes anterieures pour un rapport d'alimentation de H2/CO de 1,0 a 1,8, mais l'activite est inferieure aux valeurs de la literature pour des rapports d'alimentation H2/CO compris entre 0,64 et 0,72. Le rendement par unite de temps de sejour augmente avec la pression, et la productivite du reacteur est mieux augmentee en augmentant la pression, le rapport pression sur debit etant garde constant. La reaction de la conversion du gaz a l'eau se situe pres de l'equilibre pour des conversions elevees, et a toujours lieu a une vitesse inferieure de celle de la synthese de Fischer-Tropsch dans un STR.
Acromegaly in 14 cats.

Acromegaly was diagnosed in 14 middle-aged to old cats of mixed breeding. Thirteen (93%) of the cats were male and one was female. The earliest clinical signs in the 14 cats included polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, all of which were associated with untreated diabetes mellitus. All developed severe insulin resistance within a few months; peak insulin dosages required to control severe hyperglycemia ranged from 20 to 130 U per day. Other clinical findings weeks to months after diagnosis included enlargement of one or more organs (e.g., liver, heart, kidneys, and tongue) (n = 14), cardiomyopathy (n = 13), increase in body size and weight gain (n = 8), nephropathy associated with azotemia and clinical signs of renal failure (n = 7), degenerative arthropathy (n = 6), and central nervous system signs (i.e., circling and seizures) caused by enlargement of the pituitary tumor (n = 2). The diagnosis of acromegaly was confirmed by demonstration of extremely high basal serum growth hormone concentrations (22 to 131 micrograms/l) in all cats. Computerized tomography disclosed a mass in the region of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in five of the six cats in which it was performed. Two cats were treated by cobalt radiotherapy followed by administration of a somatostatin analogue (octreotide), whereas two cats were treated with octreotide alone. Treatment had little to no effect in decreasing serum GH concentrations in any of the cats. Eleven of the 14 cats were euthanized or died four to 42 months (median survival time, 20.5 months) after the onset of acromegaly because of renal failure (n = 2), congestive heart failure (n = 1), concomitant renal failure and congestive heart failure (n = 3), progressive neurologic signs (n = 2), persistent anorexia and lethargy of unknown cause (n = 1), the owner's unwillingness to treat the diabetes mellitus (n = 1), or unknown causes (n = 1). Results of necropsy examination in ten cats revealed a large pituitary acidophil adenoma (n = 10), marked left ventricular and septal hypertrophy (n = 7), dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 1), arthropathy affecting the shoulder, elbow, or stifle (n = 5), and glomerulopathy characterized by expansion of the mesangial matrix and variable periglomerular fibrosis (n = 10).
Proteolysis is a critical step in the physiological stop pathway: mechanisms involved in the blockade of axonal regeneration by mammalian astrocytes

Abstract Regenerating axons of adult dorsal roots are stopped by reactive astrocytes at the PNS-CNS junction. While it has been suggested that the astrocytes might pose a physical barrier to axonal growth, based on ultrastructural comparisons of physically blocked and axo-glial endings, it was proposed that astrocytes in the root transitional zone block axonal growth by activating the physiological stop pathway within the growing axon tips. Part of the stop pathway involves the proteolytic breakdown and removal of neurofilaments as they enter the axon endings. Another component involves the establishment of anterograde-to-retrograde conversion or the removal of membranous elements from the axonal endings. Both of these components appear to be dependent upon the activation of proteases within the axon tips. Therefore, to further test our hypothesis we infused, by intrathecal catherization, the region of the dorsal root transitional zone with the protease inhibitor leupeptin at a time when the majority of regenerating axons have terminated in the region. Ultrastructural analyses after leupeptin treatment revealed axo-glial endings distended by accumulations of neurofilaments and organelles, particularly tubulovesicular profiles. These observations further support the idea that astrocytes, like normal target cells, can activate the physiological stop pathway.
Rectilinear oscillatory viscoelastic flow in rectangular ducts

Abstract Rectilinear oscillatory pressure-driven motion of Oldroyd fluids with complex dynamic viscosity within straight rectangular ducts is described. The linear viscoelastic flow solutions are given as functions of a Stokes number, the ratio of cross-section side lenghts and two Oldroyd time constants. Exact analysis and numerical approximate solutions via finite difference methods are shown, as well as suggestions for applying the theory to measure viscoelastic material properties.
Spectroscopic and computational studies on iron and manganese superoxide dismutases: nature of the chemical events associated with active-site pKs.

A combined spectroscopic/computational approach has been utilized to explore the chemical origins of the active-site pKs of the structurally homologous Fe- and Mn-dependent superoxide dismutases (SODs). Absorption, circular dichroism, magnetic circular dichroism, and variable-temperature, variable-field magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopic experiments have permitted us to determine electronic transition energies and polarizations, as well as ground-state spin Hamiltonian parameters. These experimental data have been used in conjunction with semiempirical intermediate neglect of differential overlap/spectroscopic parametrization configuration interaction (INDO/S-CI) computations for evaluating hypothetical active-site models for the high-pH species generated by density functional theory (DFT) geometry optimizations. Our experimental and computational data indicate that both reduced FeSOD and oxidized MnSOD do not bind hydroxide at high pH; rather, the active-site pK for these two species is attributed...
Mucosal bridge of the distal esophagus after esophageal variceal sclerotherapy

1. Kaplan EL, Anthony BF, Bisno A. Prevention of bacterial endocarditis, AHA Committee Report. Circulation 1977;56:139A. 2. Yin TP, Dellipiani AW. Bacterial endocarditis after Hurst bougienage in patient with a benign esophageal stricture. Endoscopy 1983;15:27. 3. Everett ED, Herschman JV. Transient bacteremia and endocarditis prophylaxis, a review. Medicine 1977;56:61. 4. Shull HJ, Greene BM, Allen SO, Dunn GD, Schenker S. Bacteremia with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Ann Intern Med 1975;83:212. 5. O'Connor HJ, Hamilton I, Lincoln C, Maxwell S, Axon ATR. Bacteremia with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy-a reappraisal. Endoscopy 1983;15:21. 6. Linneman C, Weisman E, Wegner J. Blood cultures following endoscopy of the esophagus and stomach. South Med J 1971;64:1055. 7. Mellow MJ, Lewis RJ. Endoscopy-related bacteremia. Arch Intern Med 1976;136:667. 8. Liebermann TR. Bacteremia and fiberoptic endoscopy. Gastrointest Endosc 1976;23:36. 9. Stephenson PM, Dorrington L, Harris OD, Rao A. Bacteremia following esophageal dilatation and esophago-gastroscopy. Aust NZ J Med 1977;7:32. 10. Raines DR, Branche WC, Anderson DL, Boyce HW. The oc-
Modeling LSH for performance tuning

Although Locality-Sensitive Hashing (LSH) is a promising approach to similarity search in high-dimensional spaces, it has not been considered practical partly because its search quality is sensitive to several parameters that are quite data dependent. Previous research on LSH, though obtained interesting asymptotic results, provides little guidance on how these parameters should be chosen, and tuning parameters for a given dataset remains a tedious process.To address this problem, we present a statistical performance model of Multi-probe LSH, a state-of-the-art variance of LSH. Our model can accurately predict the average search quality and latency given a small sample dataset. Apart from automatic parameter tuning with the performance model, we also use the model to devise an adaptive LSH search algorithm to determine the probing parameter dynamically for each query. The adaptive probing method addresses the problem that even though the average performance is tuned for optimal, the variance of the performance is extremely high. We experimented with three different datasets including audio, images and 3D shapes to evaluate our methods. The results show the accuracy of the proposed model: the recall errors predicted are within 5% from the real values for most cases; the adaptive search method reduces the standard deviation of recall by about 50% over the existing method.
Model checking with bounded context switching

We discuss the implementation of a bounded context switching algorithm in the Spin model checker. The algorithm allows us to find counter-examples that are often simpler to understand, and that may be more likely to occur in practice. We discuss extensions of the algorithm that allow us to use this new algorithm in combination with most other search modes supported in Spin, including partial order reduction and bitstate hashing. We show that, other than often assumed, the enforcement of a bounded context switching discipline does not decrease but increases the complexity of the model checking procedure. We discuss the performance of the algorithm on a range of applications.
Characterization of the Bis(azido)(meso-tetraphenylporphinato)ferrate(III) Anion. An Unusual Spin-Equilibrium System.

The complex anion bis(azido)(tetraphenylporphinato)ferrate(III) has been synthesized and characterized by variable-temperature X-ray structure determinations, powder and single-crystal EPR, IR, and...
Collective Impact through Public Health and Academic Partnerships: A Kentucky Public Health Accreditation Readiness Example

In the ever-changing, resource limited public health environment, the use of partners can provide training, consultation and technical assistance needed to increase local health department workforce capacity to meet new public health demands including national public heath accreditation. This manuscript describes the provision of the backbone support activities of facilitation, data management and project management by UKCPH to Kentucky’s local health departments seeking national public health accreditation.
The {Wess-Zumino} Term and the Hamiltonian Formulation for Anomalies

Abstract The phase change of a state vector of fermions after gauge transformations along a loop in G (3) , the space of three-dimensional gauge transformations, is calculated. It is given by the Wess-Zumino term. This simple formula enables us to compute the SU(2) anomaly of Witten. The U(1) gauge anomaly appears as a breakdown of unitarity.
Incidence and potential etiologies of dysphonia in patients with allergies and/or asthma☆

Abstract Rationale The incidence of dysphonia in patients with allergies and/or asthma is unknown. We evaluated the incidence of dysphonia and potential etiologies in our patients. Methods Subjects were recruited at University of Michigan allergy clinics. After obtaining informed consent, a branching survey was given to evaluate the effect of medications, lifestyle, comorbidities and oral hygiene techniques on the incidence of dysphonia. Results 78/178 patients surveyed (44%) listed dysphonia as a concern when defined as hoarseness of voice or reduced voice power. The incidence of dysphonia was unrelated to diagnosis: only allergic rhinitis 44% (35/83), only asthma 44% (4/9), both allergic rhinitis and asthma 46% (39/84). Significant positively associated factors included inhaled corticosteroids (OR 3.13, p Conclusions Dysphonia in our population is common and associated with multiple factors. The two most significant and independent positively associated factors are voice overuse and use of corticosteroid inhalers. Interestingly, steroid inhaler demonstration was found to be negatively associated. Factors such as daily heartburn, use of DPI's, and yogurt consumption may reach statistical significance with larger numbers.
Pulmonary embolism in an infant

A case of fatal pulmonary embolism in a 13-month-old infant is reported. Severe dehydration associated with diarrhea had been treated with intravenous fluids through an indwelling polyethylene catheter placed in the right greater saphenous vein. The embolus is believed to have arisen at the site of the resultant thrombophlebitis of this vessel. The rarity of pulmonary embolism in infancy is stressed and a summary of its incidence in 10,000 autopsies from the Department of Pathology of the University of Chicago is presented and compared with other reported series.
Comprehensive residential education: A promising model for emerging adults in foster care

Abstract A comprehensive residential education program for high school foster youth (the Academy) is examined as a potential model for emerging adults transitioning from foster care. Analyses of secondary data were conducted on outcomes for 478 alumni who attended the Academy over the past 10 years. Outcome indicators for safety, significant relationships with adults, and well-being exceeded national and state standards and were predicted by Academy programs and the amount of time spent at the Academy. The Academy provides a model of stable, comprehensive care that may help foster youth successfully emerge into adulthood. Study limitations are also discussed.
Structure of the reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26: protein-cofactor (quinones and Fe2+) interactions

Abstract The three-dimensional structure of the reaction center (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been determined by x-ray diffraction to a resolution of 2.8 A with an R value of 24%. The interactions of the protein with the primary quinone, QA, secondary quinone, QB, and the nonheme iron are described and compared to those of RCs from Rhodopseudomonas viridis. Structural differences between the QA and QB environments that contribute to the function of the quinones (the electron transfer from QA- to QB and the charge recombination of QA-, QB- with the primary donor) are delineated. The protein residues that may be involved in the protonation of QB are identified. A pathway for the doubly reduced QB to dissociate from the RC is proposed. The interactions between QB and the residues that have been changed in herbicide-resistant mutants are described. The environment of the nonheme iron is compared to the environments of metal ions in other proteins.
Continuous pyruvate carbon flux to newly synthesized cholesterol and the suppressed evolution of pyruvate-generated CO2 in tumors: further evidence for a persistent truncated Krebs cycle in hepatomas.

Abstract Viable tissue slices from rat liver and Morris hepatoma 3924A were compared as to their ability to incorporate carbons from [U-14C]pyruvate into newly synthesized cholesterol versus CO2. By 4 h, the tumor slice incubation had incorporated over 6-fold more pyruvate carbons into the sterol than into CO2, relative to the normal liver slice incubation, per g tissue protein. However, the presence of the mitochondrial citrate exchange carrier inhibitor 1,2,3-benzenetricarboxylate in the incubation inhibited the formation of [14C]cholesterol, while simultaneously leading to an increase in the rate of 14CO2 production in the tumor. In the normal liver system by contrast, benzenetricarboxylate also inhibited [14C]cholesterol formation, but had hardly any effect on the already high rate of 14CO2 production. The ability of benzenetricarboxylate to inhibit the rapid carbon flux from pyruvate to cholesterol, and to steer the metabolic flow of carbons toward oxidative decarboxylation via the Krebs cycle in whole, viable tumor tissue, indirectly emphasizes the importance of the mitochondrial citrate exchange carrier in supporting the decontrol of cholesterogenesis de novo in tumors by accelerating the supply of lipogenic precursor carbons to the tumor cytosol. These studies may be therefore interpreted as extensions, to the level of whole-cell metabolism, of the concept of a persistent ‘truncated’ Krebs cycle in the mitochondria of metastatic cancer tissue. This concept states, in part, that a rapid efflux of mitochondrially generated citrate would operate preferentially in tumors, and thus provide carbons continuously to the cytoplasmic compartment where the well-established deregulated pathway of cholesterogenesis occurs (Parlo, R.A. and Coleman, P.S. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 9997–10003; Coleman, P.S. and Lavietes, B.B. (1981) CRC Crit. Rev. Biochem. 11, 341–393).
Achieving ego integrity: Personality development in late midlife ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Using data from two longitudinal studies of educated white women, we explored precursors and correlates of ego integrity versus despair, which is the last developmental stage in Erikson’s theory of adult development. The women comprising Study 1 graduated from Smith College in 1964 ( N = 42); the women comprising Study 2 graduated from Radcliffe College also in 1964 ( N = 50). In both studies, hierarchical regressions indicated that women who had resolved their regrets at age 53 achieved higher levels of ego integrity at age 62, and those who had resolved their regrets at age 62 also had higher concurrent levels of ego integrity. Further, in study 2, generativity at age 53 was found to predict ego integrity at age 62.
Failure of Streptococcal Antibodies to Influence Chemotaxis of Leukocytes.

SummarySensitization of a strain of hemolytic streptococcus with rabbit antiserum did not increase the chemotactic attraction of these bacteria for rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vitro. Also the chemotactic response to hemolytic streptococci was no greater when leukocytes and plasma were obtained from immunized rabbits than when they were obtained from normal animals. Under these conditions, chemotaxis, unlike phagocytosis and agglutination, is not increased by specific antibodies, but appears to be rather a nonspecific response of leukocytes toward microorganisms.
Optimization of CMP from the Viewpoint of Consumable Effects

Systematic methods for the optimization of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) from the viewpoint of consumable effects are discussed. Two methods, one, the precision control and design of the pad topography, and the second, the precision control and design of the abrasive size distribution are proposed to optimize the material removal rate and nonuniformity in CMP based on a material removal model.
Arthropod Abundance and Diversity in Bt and Non-Bt Cotton Fields

The widespread planting of crops genetically modified to produce Bacillus thuringeinsis Berliner (Bt) toxins for pest control may affect nontarget arthropods. To address this issue, we compared the abundance and diversity of arthropods on plants in field plots of Bt cotton, non-Bt cotton, and a row mixture of 75% Bt cotton and 25% non-Bt cotton at two sites in Arizona. Over three sampling dates during 2 yr, we recorded all of the arthropods found on 120 cotton plants per treatment. This yielded 3,309 individual arthropods from 69 families. Excluding pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella Saunders, the pest targeted by Bt cotton, we compared the abundance and diversity of all arthropods, chewing herbivores, sucking herbivores, rasping-sucking arthropods, and natural enemies. Arthropod abundance was significantly affected by site, plant height, and cotton type. More arthropods were collected from row mixture plots than Bt plots, but arthropod abundance did not differ significantly between Bt plots and non-Bt plots. The number of families collected was 57 for row mixture plots, 55 for non-Bt plots, and 47 for Bt plots. The number of families increased as arthropod abundance increased, suggesting that the differences in diversity among treatments were caused by differences in abundance. Within row mixture plots, arthropod abundance and diversity did not differ significantly between Bt plants and non-Bt plants. We conclude that the differences between Bt and non-Bt cultivars had relatively minor effects on the arthropod community on cotton plants.