cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimated Values for Selected Water Hyacinth By-Products

By-products which can be made from water hyacinths as suggested by the literature were considered and attempts were made to measure the demand for selected by-products—compost, soil amendment, and feed ingredient in beef cattle diets. Using data from a firm in Florida, an upper limit on the value of water hyacinths was determined to be $6.42 per wet ton when used in a compost blend. There was no basis for determining if the actual value was near this bound or how many hyacinths would be demanded at this price. However, one would suspect that only a very limited quantity could be used in this way. An estimate of the value of water hyacinth as a soil amendment was made. It is doubtful that the value as a soil amendment would cover the costs of transporting and spreading hyacinths on the land. Chopped and ensiled water hyacinths were treated as different feed ingredients for cows weighing 400 kilograms and nursing calves and for finishing steer calves weighing 300 kilograms. A least-cost diet model was used to determine a value for water hyacinths in these diets. The diets were run for three time periods to show how the demand for water hyacinths as a feed ingredient has changed in the last two years as other feed prices have increased. The results agree with theoretical expectations that there has been an increased potential demand for water hyacinths as a feed ingredient due to the increased prices of other feed ingredients. But even with the increased potential demand for water hyacinths the quantity demanded is not very significant. For example, if all the cattle in Florida were fed year around with a diet including water hyacinths at the highest rate estimated in the least-cost diets, then all of the demand could be taken care of by a small percentage (less than 3) of the total infested area in the state in any month during the growing season.
The MicroRNA Biology of the Mammalian Nucleus

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of genome-encoded small RNAs that are primarily considered to be post-transcriptional negative regulators of gene expression acting in the cytoplasm. Over a decade of research has focused on this canonical paradigm of miRNA function, with many success stories. Indeed, miRNAs have been identified that act as master regulators of a myriad of cellular processes, and many miRNAs are promising therapeutic targets or disease biomarkers. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the canonical view of miRNA function is incomplete. Several lines of evidence now point to additional functions for miRNAs in the nucleus of the mammalian cell. The majority of cellular miRNAs are present in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and certain miRNAs show specific nuclear enrichment. Additionally, some miRNAs colocalize with sub-nuclear structures such as the nucleolus and chromatin. Multiple components of the miRNA processing machinery are present in the nuclear compartment and are shuttled back and forth across the nuclear envelope. In the nucleus, miRNAs act to regulate the stability of nuclear transcripts, induce epigenetic alterations that either silence or activate transcription at specific gene promoters, and modulate cotranscriptional alternative splicing events. Nuclear miRNA-directed gene regulation constitutes a departure from the prevailing view of miRNA function and as such, warrants detailed further investigation.
Designing for spatial competence

Child-computer interaction designers are increasingly concerned with developing technologies that support and encourage physical activity in children in everyday indoor and outdoor settings. This trend mirrors commercial developments towards so-called exertion interfaces like the Nintendo®Wii™ that require full-body engagement. Physical health benefits aside, these types of interfaces present an important and underexplored design opportunity because they also engage children's spatial cognitive abilities. Can we harness this potential and design interfaces that support the development of spatial competence in children? To explore this question, the paper describes some of the cognitive and neural underpinnings of spatial competence as they relate to interaction design for children. With this background, I explore five interaction design examples: taking multiple perspectives on the environment, zooming in and out, estimating distances, experiencing motion, and encountering rich visual cues. These examples provide a starting point for new directions in designing exertion interfaces and ubiquitous computing interfaces for children that support different aspects of spatial cognitive development.
Targeting Sphingosine Kinase Induces Apoptosis and Tumor Regression for KSHV-Associated Primary Effusion Lymphoma

Sphingosine kinase (SPHK) is overexpressed by a variety of cancers, and its phosphorylation of sphingosine results in accumulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and activation of antiapoptotic signal transduction. Existing data indicate a role for S1P in viral pathogenesis, but roles for SPHK and S1P in virus-associated cancer progression have not been defined. Rare pathologic variants of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma arise preferentially in the setting of HIV infection, including primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a highly mortal tumor etiologically linked to the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). We have found that ABC294640, a novel clinical-grade small molecule selectively targeting SPHK (SPHK2 >> SPHK1), induces dose-dependent caspase cleavage and apoptosis for KSHV(+) patient-derived PEL cells, in part through inhibition of constitutive signal transduction associated with PEL cell proliferation and survival. These results were validated with induction of PEL cell apoptosis using SPHK2-specific siRNA, as well as confirmation of drug-induced SPHK inhibition in PEL cells with dose-dependent accumulation of proapoptotic ceramides and reduction of intracellular S1P. Furthermore, we demonstrate that systemic administration of ABC294640 induces tumor regression in an established human PEL xenograft model. Complimentary ex vivo analyses revealed suppression of signal transduction and increased KSHV lytic gene expression within drug-treated tumors, with the latter validated in vitro through demonstration of dose-dependent viral lytic gene expression within PEL cells exposed to ABC294640. Collectively, these results implicate interrelated mechanisms and SPHK2 inhibition in the induction of PEL cell death by ABC294640 and rationalize evaluation of ABC294640 in clinical trials for the treatment of KSHV-associated lymphoma.
Is Toso an antiapoptotic protein or an Fc receptor for IgM

To the editor: We have read with great interest the publication by Nguyen et al entitled “Toso regulates the balance between apoptotic and nonapoptotic death receptor signaling by facilitating RIP1 ubiquitination.”[1][1] Because there are important discrepancies between their results[1][1] and
Temporal Variability of Soil Carbon Dioxide Flux

It is well known that soil CO 2 flux can exhibit pronounced day-to-day variations; however, measurements of soil CO 2 flux with soil chambers typically are done only at discrete points in time. This study evaluated the impact of sampling frequency on the precision of cumulative CO 2 flux estimates calculated from field measurements. Automated chambers were deployed at two sites in a no-till corn/ soybean field and operated in open system mode to measure soil CO 2 fluxes every hour from 4 March 2000 through 6 June 2000. Sampling frequency effects on cumulative CO 2 -C flux estimation were assessed with a jackknife technique whereby the populations of measured hourly fluxes were numerically sampled at regular time intervals ranging from 1 d to 20 d, and the resulting sets of jackknife fluxes were used to calculate estimates of cumulative CO 2 -C flux. We observed that as sampling interval increased from 1 d to 12 d, the variance associated with cumulative flux estimates increased. However, at sampling intervals of 12 to 20 d, variances were relatively constant. Sampling once every 3 d, estimates of cumulative C loss were within ±20% of the expected value at both sites. As the time interval between sampling was increased, the potential deviation in estimated cumulative CO 2 flux increased such that sampling once every 20 d yielded potential estimates within +60% and -40% of the actual cumulative CO 2 flux. A stratified sampling scheme around rainfall events was also evaluated and was found to provide more precise estimates at lower sampling intensities. These results should aid investigators to develop sampling designs to minimize the effects of temporal variability on cumulative CO 2 -C estimation.
CP-78,545, a new monocarboxylic acid ionophore antibiotic related to zincophorin and produced by a Streptomyces.

A new monocarboxylic acid ionophore antibiotic related to zincophorin, CP-78, 545 (1). was found in the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. N731-45. CP-78, 545 was extracted with organic solvents and purified by column chromatography. The metabolite, which is active in vitro against certain Gram-positive bacteria, as well as the anaerobe Treponema hyodysenteriae, and a coccidium Eimeria tenella, was isolated as a water insoluble magnesium salt (2) in 2:1 (ligand/metal) stoichiometry. The structure of CP-78, 545 was elucidated by spectroscopic (NMR and MS) methods, and the relative stereochemistry was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis of the cadmium salt (3). CP-78, 545, i.e., 24-dehydrozincophorin, is unique since its molecular backbone contains a terminal double bond previously not found in other polyether ionophores.
Geochemically alkaline snowpack in northern Utah mountains in spring of 1982

Abstract Cores from the 1982 spring snowpack in the Wasatch Mountains exhibited low concentrations of NO 3 − -N ( x = 100 μg 1 −1 ) , thus tending to discount the impact of West Coast NOx sources on the Rocky Mountains. SO4= concentrations, presumably originating from the Salt Lake City/Provo metropolitan area, were higher (420 to 2340 μg 1−1), but the associated acid was effectively titrated by alkaline dust, resulting in pH's ranging from 5.89 to 6.77.
Quantitation of organ symmetry by diagnostic ultrasonic imaging: a group theoretical approach.

A method based on group theory is proposed to quantify the shape of an organ. It is proposed that a complex shape is characterized by a basic set of symmetry operations involving rotation about the center axis. Based on this concept, partial symmetry elements (PSE) were determined by stepwise rotation of the images and measurement of overlap area between the original and rotated images. These measurements were used to define a symmetry index (SI) and to ‘‘decompose’’ the complex shape into simpler shapes with regular geometry such as a circle, an ellipse, an equilateral triangle, a square, etc. Computer simulations and two‐dimensional (2‐D) ultrasonicimages of the prostate were used to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. The method was also applied to a series of clinical ultrasoniccardiacimages to determine the dynamic shape changes in left ventricle (LV) of a normal heart and an heart with infarction. The results of this study show that SI increased with an increase in the symmetry of the simulation models and the prostate. Cross‐sectional images of prostate with triangular and ellipsoidal shapes exhibited larger proportion of three‐fold and two‐fold symmetries, respectively. Symmetry index of the LV changed during the cardiac cycle and exhibited a loop‐like structure when plotted as a function of size. Quantitative measurements of SI indicated that the left ventricular chamber is rounder during the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle. The loop‐like structure was considerably reduced in the heart with infarction. Also, larger distortions in cardiac shape were observed over cardiac cycle in the heart with infarction, as compared to the normal heart. In conclusion, it is feasible to quantitatively characterize 2‐D shapes of the organs by symmetry operations based on group theoretical analysis.
The Respiratory Chain of Plant Mitochondria: V. Reaction of Reduced Cytochromes a and a3 in Mung Bean Mitochondria with Oxygen in the Presence of Cyanide

The half-times of oxidation by oxygen pulses of reduced cytochromes a and a3 in mung bean mitochondria made anaerobic with succinate have been measured by means of a rapid mixing flow apparatus coupled to a dual wave length spectrophotometer in the presence and absence of cyanide. The absorbance changes at 438 to 455 millimicrons and 603 to 620 millimicrons are suitable for recording the time course of cytochrome a oxidation; the half-time is 2.0 milliseconds at 24 Celsius. This half-time does not change over the range 0 to 300 μm KCN, but the fraction of cytochrome a oxidized falls to a limiting value of 0.3 at the higher cyanide concentrations. The absorbance changes at 445 to 455 millimicrons record the time course of both cytochrome a and cytochrome a3 oxidation; the former contributes 60% of the absorbance change and the latter 40%. The half-time for a3 oxidation is calculated as 0.9 milliseconds at 24 Celsius. This half-time increases slightly to 1.3 milliseconds at 300 μm KCN. Reduced cytochrome a3, whether uncomplexed or complexed with cyanide, becomes fully oxidized. The dissociation constant for the reduced cytochrome a3-cyanide complex is estimated to be 30 μm, whereas that for the oxidized a3-cyanide complex which inhibits electron transport is estimated to be 2 μm. This suggests two different binding sites for cyanide on the reduced and oxidized forms of cytochrome a3. The fact that a limiting fraction of reduced cytochrome a can be oxidized at high cyanide concentrations implies that there is no interference by cyanide with electron transport from a to a3, if cyanide remains bound to the site it occupies on reduced a3 after this carrier becomes oxidized on reaction with molecular oxygen. Rearrangement of cyanide from this noninhibitory site to the inhibitory site occurs rapidly enough to compete with cytochrome a oxidation. The half-time for the rearrangement is calculated to be 0.9 milliseconds.
Putative ryanodine receptors in the sarcolemma of ventricular myocytes.

The activity of caffeine-activated large conductance channels was recorded in whole-cell, patch-clamped, isolated ventricular myocytes from rabbit heart. The channels were permeable to monovalent and divalent cations and had a unitary monovalent cation conductance of 300–400 pS. Extracellular ruthenium red reduced the unitary conductance of the caffeine-activated channel in a concentration- and voltage-dependent manner. Ryanodine locked the caffeine-activated channels into a subconductance state. Elevating intracellular Ca2+ by photolysis of "caged calcium" increased the number of channel openings. The properties of this caffeine-activated channel were remarkably similar to those of cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR) and support the novel finding that these channels may also be found on the sarcolemmal membrane.
The molecular biology of serotonin receptors: therapeutic implications for the interface of mood and psychosis

This review summarizes the molecular biology of serotonin (5-HT; 5-hydroxytryptamine) receptors and indicates the potential relevance of this information for the treatment of mood and psychotic disorders. At least 15 separate subtypes of 5-HT receptors have been identified by molecular cloning techniques to be distinct genetic entities. Subtle differences in the primary amino acid sequences of these receptors can yield large differences in ligand selectivity. Additionally, it has recently been discovered that drugs such as atypical antipsychotic drugs and serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors may interact with a large number of heretofore unknown 5-HT receptors. Thus clozapine, for instance, has high affinity for at least four separate 5-HT receptors, and it is unknown which of these receptors is essential for its unique therapeutic efficacy. One way to approach these questions is to test subtype-selective agents, although there are few of these currently available. Approaches to the design of subtype-selective ligands are described, including structure-based drug design and combinatorial approaches. Modes of regulation of 5-HT receptors are also summarized, and it is emphasized that antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants likely exert their effects via nontranscriptional and posttranslational means. Understanding the cellular mechanisms by which 5-HT receptors are regulated by psychopharmacologic agents is likely to yield novel insights into drug action.
p53 protein accumulation in tumors of the ampulla of Vater

Background. Accurate preoperative diagnosis of tumors of the ampulla of Vater is difficult because ampullary biopsies have a high false-negative rate. Recently, it has been suggested that p53 mutations in tumors of the ampulla of Vater are associated with the transformation of adenomas and low grade carcinomas to high grade carcinomas. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of p53 protein accumulation in tumors of the ampulla of Vater, and to determine whether p53 accumulation can be detected in false-negative biopsies. Methods. Using a monoclonal anti-p53 antibody, sections of 4 normal ampullas, 5 adenomas, 17 carcinomas, and 9 initial biopsies of 9 of the tumors of the ampulla of Vater that had no morphologic evidence of carcinoma were immunostained. Results. None of the 4 normal ampullas (0%), 2 of 5 adenomas (40%), and 16 of 17 carcinomas (94%) were positive for p53. This p53 positivity was present through all stages of ampullary carcinoma. Of the nine initial biopsies negative for carcinoma, seven were positive for p53 and, of these, six (86%) were found to be carcinomas upon resection. Conclusions. 1) The molecular events leading to p53 accumulation in tumors of the ampulla of Vater occur early in the neoplastic process. 2) Tumors of the ampulla of Vater with biopsies negative for malignancy but positive for p53 are very likely to be carcinomas.
Substance use and social, health and safety-related factors among fatally injured drivers

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine different socio-demographic, health and safety-related factors, and psychoactive substance use among fatally injured drivers in road traffic accidents in Finland during 2006-2008. METHODS: An accident information register maintained by the Traffic Safety Committee of Insurance Companies (VALT) of the Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre was used as basic data, and the basic data were complemented with further toxicological analytical information retrieved from autopsy reports from the Department of Forensic Medicine, Helsinki University. The data included all the drivers (n=556) who were driving a motor vehicle and who died in a road traffic accident in Finland during 2006-2008. RESULTS: Of all the 556 fatally injured drivers 43% (n=238) had psychoactive substance findings. 51% (n=121) of substance positive drivers had a finding for alcohol only, the rest had a finding for one or more illicit/medicinal drugs impairing driving ability, and possibly also alcohol. Fatally injured drivers with alcohol findings were significantly younger (mean age 34 years) than sober drivers (mean age 44 years) or drivers with findings for drugs (mean age 45 years). Socio-demographic background did not differ substantially among drunken/drugged and sober drivers, although drivers with alcohol findings had a slightly lower education and socioeconomic position. Previous substance abuse problems were highly prevalent among drivers with substance findings and mental or both mental and physical health problems were more common among drivers with drug findings. The non-use of safety equipment and driving at a high speed were more common among fatally injured drivers with substance findings. CONCLUSIONS: Substance abuse and mental health problems, as well as reckless driving behavior were more pronounced among fatally injured drivers with substance findings when compared to sober drivers. Thus, prevention and early intervention concerning substance abuse, mental health problems and DUI are essential. Improved traffic safety cannot be achieved by means of traffic policy only, but integration with other policies, such as health and social policy should be strengthened. Language: en
Relationship between dilution of precision for point positioning and for relative positioning with GPS

It is shown that dilution of precision terms for relative positioning, using double-difference processing of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signals, are bounded by the corresponding dilution of precision terns for point positioning. This result is valid for the case of four satellites, with a common reference satellite.
Solubility of grossular, Ca3Al2Si3O12, in H2O–NaCl solutions at 800 °C and 10 kbar, and the stability of garnet in the system CaSiO3–Al2O3–H2O–NaCl

Abstract The solubility and stability of synthetic grossular were determined at 800 °C and 10 kbar in NaCl–H 2 O solutions over a large range of salinity. The measurements were made by evaluating the weight losses of grossular, corundum, and wollastonite crystals equilibrated with fluid for up to one week in Pt capsules and a piston-cylinder apparatus. Grossular dissolves congruently over the entire salinity range and displays a large solubility increase of 0.0053 to 0.132 molal Ca 3 Al 2 Si 3 O 12 with increasing NaCl mole fraction ( X NaCl ) from 0 to 0.4. There is thus a solubility enhancement 25 times the pure H 2 O value over the investigated range, indicating strong solute interaction with NaCl. The Ca 3 Al 2 Si 3 O 12 mole fraction versus NaCl mole fraction curve has a broad plateau between X NaCl = 0.2 and 0.4, indicating that the solute products are hydrous; the enhancement effect of NaCl interaction is eventually overtaken by the destabilizing effect of lowering H 2 O activity. In this respect, the solubility behavior of grossular in NaCl solutions is similar to that of corundum and wollastonite. There is a substantial field of stability of grossular at 800 °C and 10 kbar in the system CaSiO 3 –Al 2 O 3 –H 2 O–NaCl. At high Al 2 O 3 /CaSiO 3 bulk compositions the grossular + fluid field is limited by the appearance of corundum. Zoisite appears metastably with corundum in initially pure H 2 O, but disappears once grossular is nucleated. At X NaCl = 0.3, however, zoisite is stable with corundum and fluid; this is the only departure from the quaternary system encountered in this study. Corundum solubility is very high in solutions containing both NaCl and CaSiO 3 : Al 2 O 3 molality increases from 0.0013 in initially pure H 2 O to near 0.15 at X NaCl = 0.4 in CaSiO 3 -saturated solutions, a >100-fold enhancement. In contrast, addition of Al 2 O 3 to wollastonite-saturated NaCl solutions increases CaSiO 3 molality by only 12%. This suggests that at high pH (quench pH is 11–12), the stability of solute Ca chloride and Na–Al ± Si complexes account for high Al 2 O 3 solubility, and that Ca–Al ± Si complexes are minor. The high solubility and basic dissolution reaction of grossular suggest that Al may be a very mobile component in calcareous rocks in the deep crust and upper mantle when migrating saline solutions are present.
Ultrasound-triggered, flight-gated evasive maneuvers in the praying mantis Parasphendale agrionina. I. Free flight.

In tethered flight, Parasphendale agrionina (Gerst.) males respond to ultrasonic stimuli with a unique suite of behaviors that includes full extension of the forelegs, strong dorsiflexion of the abdomen, a head roll, a 5% decrease in wingbeat frequency and a 33% increase in forewing excursion. Latency for the foreleg extension averages 66 ms while the latency to onset of yaw is 174 ms. The direction of the turn is unrelated to the location of the speaker. Yaw magnitude and latency are only weakly related to sound pressure level, and variability in these and other parameters is high. The behavior shows moderately sharp tuning to 40–60 kHz with a lowest mean threshold of 60 dB SPL. A male will not respond to ultrasound unless in flight, and the context-gating is independent of sensory input from the tarsi. Several components of the in-flight evasive behavior resemble defensive displays on the ground, and we suggest that this mantis has responded to predation pressure from bats with both flight-derived maneuvers and an aerial deimatic display.
A publications department's role in marketing

It is shown how the staff of a publications department can contribute to the efforts of experienced, as well as new, marketing specialists. The activities of the publications staff are summarized, with suggestions on how to hold down costs and meet publishing schedules for marketing materials. Types of marketing publications are reviewed, with suggestions on how to make them more effective. This discussion is designed for marketing and publications professionals, who might find in it some useful suggestions about how to develop marketing materials more effectively, and for students of marketing and technical and business communication. >
Adaptive methods for multi‐material ALE hydrodynamics

Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) methods are commonly used for challenging problems in hydrodynamics. Among the most challenging matters are the approximations in the presence of multiple materials. The ALE code ALEGRA has used a constant volume method for computing the impact of multiple materials on both the Lagrangian step and the remap step of the method. Here, we describe modifications to these methods that provide greater modeling fidelity and better numerical and computational performance. In the Lagrangian step, the effects of differences in material response were not included in the constant volume method, but have been included in the new method. The new methodology can produce unstable results unless the changes in the variable states are carefully controlled. Both the stability analysis and the control of the instability are described. In the standard (Van Leer) method for the remap, the numerical approximation did not account for the presence of a material interface directly. The new methodology uses different, more stable and more dissipative numerical approximations in and near material interfaces. In addition, the standard numerical method, which is second-order accurate, has been replaced by a more accurate method, which is third-order accurate in one dimension. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Wearing the Letter Jacket: Legitimate Participation in a Collaborative Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Reform Project

This study examines one NSF-funded Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation and describes the complexities of such a science education reform effort. A theoretical model based in community, culture, and identity is used to address key questions: How did institutional ideologies, structures, policies, and practices influence the Collaborative's success? What unique problems were associated with the university and school partnership? How did K-12 teachers' participation affect their development and the success of the Collaborative? Findings indicate that though K-12 participants were deemed as “pedagogy experts” and shared the inquiry-based culture espoused in the Collaborative, they felt both as project insiders and outsiders. This was due to issues of status between university faculty and K-12 teachers; teachers' less-than-active role in the Collaborative; and the constraints and narrow focus that resulted from long-established institutional, social, and political structures and that marginalized, delegitimized, excluded, and proved unattractive to teachers.
Growth hormone significantly increases the adult height of children with idiopathic short stature: comparison of subgroups and benefit

Children with Idiopathic Short Stature do not attain a normal adult height. The improvement of adult height with treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), at doses of 0.16 to 0.28 mg/kg/week is modest, usually less that 4 cm, and they remain short as adults. The benefit obtained seems dose dependent and benefits of 7.0 to 8.0 cm have been reported with higher doses of 0.32 to 0.4 mg/kg/week, but the number of studies is limited. The topic has remained controversial. The objective was to conduct a retrospective analysis of our experience with 123 children with ISS treated with 0.32 ± 0.03 mg/kg/week of rhGH, with the aim of comparing the different subgroups of non-familial short stature, familial short stature, normal puberty, and delayed puberty and to assess the benefit by comparison with 305 untreated historical controls, from nine different randomized and nonrandomized controlled studies. Eighty eight of our children (68 males and 20 females) attained an adult height or near adult height of -0.71 SDS (0.74 SD) (95% CI, -0.87 to -0.55) with a benefit over untreated controls of 9.5 cm (7.4 to 11.6 cm) for males and 8.6 cm (6.7 to 10.5 cm) for females. In the analysis of the subgroups, the adult height and adult height gain of children with non-familial short stature were significantly higher than of familial short stature. No difference was found in the cohorts with normal or delayed puberty in any of the subgroups, except between the non-familial short stature and familial short stature puberty cohorts. This has implications for the interpretation of the benefit of treatment in studies where the number of children with familial short stature in the controls or treated subjects is not known. The treatment was safe. There were no significant adverse events. The IGF-1 values were essentially within the levels expected for the stages of puberty. Our experience was quite positive with normalization of the heights and growth of the children during childhood and the attainment of normal adult heights, the main two aims of treatment.
Characterization of Axial and Proximal Histidine Mutations of the Decaheme Cytochrome MtrA from Shewanella sp. Strain ANA-3 and Implications for the Electron Transport System

Extracellular respiration of solid-phase electron acceptors in some microorganisms requires a complex chain of multiheme c-type cytochromes that span the inner and outer membranes. In Shewanella species, MtrA, an ∼35-kDa periplasmic decaheme c-type cytochrome, is an essential component for extracellular respiration of iron(III). The exact mechanism of electron transport has not yet been resolved, but the arrangement of the polypeptide chain may have a strong influence on the capability of the MtrA cytochrome to transport electrons. The iron hemes of MtrA are bound to its polypeptide chain via proximal (CXXCH) and distal histidine residues. In this study, we show the effects of mutating histidine residues of MtrA to arginine on protein expression and extracellular respiration using Shewanella sp. strain ANA-3 as a model organism. Individual mutations to six out of nine proximal histidines in CXXCH of MtrA led to decreased protein expression. However, distal histidine mutations resulted in various degrees of protein expression. In addition, the effects of histidine mutations on extracellular respiration were tested using ferrihydrite and current production in microbial fuel cells. These results show that proximal histidine mutants were unable to reduce ferrihydrite. Mutations to the distal histidine residues resulted in various degrees of ferrihydrite reduction. These findings indicate that mutations to the proximal histidine residues affect MtrA expression, leading to loss of extracellular respiration ability. In contrast, mutations to the distal histidine residues are less detrimental to protein expression, and extracellular respiration can proceed.
MiRrored Regulation of KLF2 and KLF4

A healthy organism demands much from its endothelium; constance in homeostatic control of blood fluidity, vascular tone, interaction with circulating blood cells, maintenance of barrier functions, and, when appropriate, creation of new blood vessels. Breakdown in any of these functions, anywhere in the 60,000 miles of vessels in the human body, leads to or exacerbates a vast array of diseases including those plaguing modern man: atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and clotting disorders. In recent years, 2 endothelial transcription factors, Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) and Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), have garnered attention as guardians of endothelial health. Both Kruppel-like factors confer vascular protection via regulation of gene programs resulting in an antiinflammatory, anticoagulant, antiadhesive, antioxidant state of the endothelium.1–4 Thus, increased knowledge of the regulation of these regulators is of great interest. In this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , Fang and Davies demonstrate that a single microRNA, miR92, regulates both KLF2 and KLF4—a finding that has exciting scientific and potentially therapeutic implications. See accompanying …
A Comparison of a Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire and the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale

Background and Purpose. The quality of a disability scale should dictate when it is used. The purposes of this study were to examine the validity of a global rating of change as a reflection of meaningful change in patient status and to compare the measurement properties of a modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (OSW) and the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QUE). Subjects. Sixty-seven patients with acute, work-related low back pain referred for physical therapy participated in the study. Methods. The 2 scales were administered initially and after 4 weeks of physical therapy. The Physical Impairment Index, a measure of physical impairment due to low back pain, was measured initially and after 2 and 4 weeks. A global rating of change survey instrument was completed by each subject after 4 weeks. Results. An interaction existed between patients defined as improved or stable based on the global rating using a 2-way analysis of variance for repeated measures on the impairment index. The modified OSW showed higher levels of test-retest reliability and responsiveness compared with the QUE. The minimum clinically important difference, defined as the amount of change that best distinguishes between patients who have improved and those remaining stable, was approximately 6 points for the modified OSW and approximately 15 points for the QUE. Conclusion and Discussion. The construct validity of the global rating of change was supported by the stability of the Physical Impairment Index across the study period in patients defined as stable by the global rating and by the decrease in physical impairment across the study period in patients defined as improved by the global rating. The modified OSW demonstrated superior measurement properties compared with the QUE.
Survey Research and Social Policy

This article reviews the historical linkages between the evolution of the survey research method and applied social research, arguing that most or all of the elements of the modern survey were devoloped in response to immediate, practical (as opposed to academic or disciplinary) concerns. In contrast, the utility of survey data and methods in advancing the more basic social science disciplines was a rather late recognition. Although surveys similar to those of the modern day were being conducted in the nineteenth century, academic scholars referred to the method as 'a new research technigue' as late as 1961.
Terrorist attack and target diversity: Changepoints and their drivers

Terrorists choose from a wide variety of targets and attack methods. Unlike past literature, this article investigates how diversity in target choice and attack modes among domestic and transnation...
Performance analysis for a subspace decomposition point-source image restoration algorithm

This paper addresses the problem of resolving and localizing blurred point sources in intensity images, such as atmospherically blurred star images. It is shown that this problem can be modeled in a form similar to that used for sensor array data in direction of arrival (DOA) estimation. A new superresolving restoration algorithm is described as a generalization of eigenstructure decomposition methods popular in DOA estimation. The algorithm includes a signal subspace rank enhancement technique that works in the presence of non-uniform element weighting due to blur. A theoretical analysis of source localization error is presented, and an expression predicting error performance is derived. Restoration examples are presented illustrating the accuracy of the error analysis and demonstrating algorithm performance. >
Code-Aided Adaptive Decorrelator for IQ Imbalance Compensation in Iterative Receivers for Flat Fading Channels

Long convergence times associated with adaptive algorithms are not practical in burst mode communications for synchronization and channel estimation tasks including IQ imbalance parameters. This motivates one to find techniques to increase the rate of convergence of the learning algorithm. We propose a novel acquisition aid that is also low in complexity to the adaptive decorrelator for IQ imbalance compensation. The acquisition aid is an estimator that is embedded in the iterative detector and passes the estimated IQ imbalance parameters back to the compensation filter controlled by the adaptive decorrelator. The resulting adaptive decorrelator with acquisition aid can converge on the first packet and resumes in the tracking mode and offers steady-state performance superior to that offered by the estimator. The proposed adaptive decorrelator aided by the embedded estimator is blind in the sense that it does not require any training symbols nor tones. The performance is simulated for 64QAM under flat fading channel conditions.
Hypophosphatemia secondary to oral refeeding in anorexia nervosa.

Objective Hypophosphatemia is a well-known complication of the refeeding syndrome in severe cases of anorexia nervosa, described mostly as a result of refeeding with total parenteral nutrition. Few cases have been reported secondary to either nasogastric or oral refeeding. Method The authors present three cases in which hypophosphatemia developed secondary to oral refeeding in severe anorexia nervosa. Results All 3 patients developed significant hypophosphatemia, to a low of 0.9 mg/dl in two cases and a low of 1.7 mg/dl in the third. The first patient received close to 3,000 calories per day, along with intravenous fluids, in the hospital; the other 2 patients ate large amounts for several days at home. Caloric restriction and replenishment with phosphorous resulted in a rapid return of phosphorous values to normal levels. Discussion Those who treat severely malnourished patients with eating disorders, whether as inpatients or outpatients, need to be vigilant for the development of the refeeding syndrome, even in patients receiving oral refeeding alone. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 181–187, 2000.
An object-oriented query language interface to relational databases in a multidatabase database environment

Presents an approach to query processing in a multidatabase system that uses an object-oriented model to capture the semantics of other data models. The object-oriented model is used to construct a global schema, defining an integrated view of the different schemas in the environment. The model is also used as a self-describing model to build a meta-database for storing information about the global schema. A unique aspect of this work is that the object-oriented model is used to describe the different data models of the multidatabase environment, thereby extending the meta-database with semantic information about the local schemas. Structural mappings between the global schema and each local schema are then easily supported. An object algebra provides a query language for expressing global queries, using the structural mappings to translate object algebra queries into SQL queries over local relational schema The object algebra can be used to directly retrieve temporarily-stored data from the object-oriented database or to transparently retrieve data from local sources using the translation process described in this paper. >
Windows into teaching and learning: professional growth of classroom teachers in an online environment

The Windows into Teaching and Learning (WiTL) project was developed by researchers at one large urban institution in the southeast region of the United States as a way to facilitate online clinical experiences for content area methods students during summer coursework. Utilising both synchronous and asynchronous elements, WiTL addressed the issue of students gaining meaningful clinical experiences in coursework offered during the summer. Though the purpose of WiTL was initially for methods students to engage in observations of and conversations with practising classroom teachers, an unanticipated outcome occurred. In this paper, the authors describe the WiTL process and discuss the impact it had on the professional growth of the practising classroom teachers. The results indicate that WiTL encouraged teachers to utilise reflective practice in rethinking their pedagogy and used technology to facilitate professional learning community among classroom teachers.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Clinical Update

Recent epidemiologic studies have indicated that obsessive compulsive disorder is a fairly common psychiatric condition. In this article, obsessive compulsive disorder, its subtypes, and epidemiologic features are described. The common obsessions and compulsions are discussed, as are the comorbid conditions. Currently, etiologic hypotheses revolve around serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems. Management of patients with obsessive compulsive disorder involves education, pharmacotherapy, and behavior therapy, and recent advances in such treatments offer patients hope. Psychotherapy has not proved useful. In refractory cases, psychosurgical intervention remains an option.
Genetic Heuristic Development: Feature selection for author identification

Author identification is the process of recognizing an author based on a sample of text. Feature selection is the process of selecting the most salient features required for recognition. In many cases, this results in an increase in recognition accuracy. In this paper, we apply Genetic and Evolutionary Feature Selection with Machine Learning (GEFeSML) to author identification. We then introduce Genetic Heuristic Development (GHD), a process to improve the matching process. GHD uses subsets of features found by GEFeSML to create a high performing heuristic for feature selection. This technique successfully increases recognition accuracy while significantly reducing the number of features required for recognition.
Role of A2A adenosine receptors in inflammation

A 2A adenosine receptors are expressed on immune cells including neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes/macrophages, and mast cells. Activation of A 2A receptors on these cells stimulates an increase in [cyclic AMP] i and causes a diminution of inflammatory responses. In mast cells, degranulation is inhibited; in neutrophils, adherence is reduced and the release of reactive oxygen species is inhibited; in monocytes, differentiation to macrophages is inhibited and the release of tumor necrosis factor-α is inhibited; and in lymphocytes, TCR-triggered interleukin-2 α chain (CD25) up-regulation is reduced. In vivo, selective adenosine A 2A agonists decrease inflammation in both infectious and noninfectious models. High concentrations (micromolar) of the A 3 selective agonist, IB-MECA, produce anti-inflammatory responses that are mediated by A 2A receptors. Selective activation of A 2A adenosine receptors with pharmaceutical agents may be a useful strategy for ameliorating an inappropriate and/or an extensive inflammatory response.
Rodent Model of the Effect of beta-Adrenergic Agents on Creative Problem Solving (IN4-1.008)

Objective: Our purpose is to develop a rodent model of creative problem solving and examine the effect of propranolol on performance. Background Previous research revealed benefit from β adrenergic antagonists in creative problem solving. However, animal model pharmacological studies have exclusively explored constrained problem solving (set shifting) tasks, where α-1 adrenergic and dopaminergic, but not β adrenergic effects have been found. To address this gap, we developed a novel unconstrained problem solving task in rodents, analogous to tasks recently utilized to examine creative problem solving in larger mammals, and examined the effect of propranolol. Design/Methods: Rats were food restricted, and then trained to dig for food in the three reward pots. They were then trained in odor discrimination and medium discrimination. Then, after administration of 1mg/kg propranolol or placebo, the rats were tested on simple discrimination, compound discrimination, reversal learning, and set shifting, using the 2 side reward pots. During these tasks, the digging chamber in the middle was blocked off. Then, the digging chamber was filled with sawdust, the entrance to the digging chamber was unblocked, and the reward was moved from the side pots to the pot at the end of the digging chamber, such that the rats were required to generate the novel solution to this problem by digging through the sawdust to access the reward pot. Results: Preliminary data revealed no effect of propranolol on any of the reversal learning or set shifting tasks. However, performance on propranolol was found to be better as compared to placebo for the novel digging task as assessed by time to completion (maximum 20 minutes allowed). Conclusions: This is, to our knowledge, the first rodent model of creative problem solving, allowing for the possibility of examination of the mechanism of action of this process in a way not possible with most other organisms. Supported by: Funded by Department of Radiology Mission Enhancement, University of Missouri School of Medicine (Beversdorf) and National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Neuroscience grant DBI-1062667 (University of Missouri). Disclosure: Dr. Beversdorf has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hecht has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hampton has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schachtman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Will has nothing to disclose.