cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional Activation of MYC-Induced Genes by GCN5 Promotes B-cell Lymphomagenesis.

Overexpression of the MYC oncoprotein is an initiating step in the formation of several cancers. MYC frequently recruits chromatin-modifying complexes to DNA to amplify the expression of cancer-promoting genes, including those regulating cell cycle, proliferation, and metabolism, yet the roles of specific modifiers in different cancer types are not well defined. Here, we show that GCN5 is an essential coactivator of cell-cycle gene expression driven by MYC overexpression and that deletion of Gcn5 delays or abrogates tumorigenesis in the Eμ-Myc mouse model of B-cell lymphoma. Our results demonstrate that Gcn5 loss impacts both expression and downstream functions of Myc. Significance: Our results provide important proof of principle for Gcn5 functions in formation and progression of Myc-driven cancers, suggesting that GCN5 may be a viable target for development of new cancer therapies.
Associations of Objective and Perceived Neighborhood Ethnic Density on Hazardous Alcohol Use among Latinx Emerging Adults.

Background/Purpose: Emerging adulthood is an important time where substance use often peaks. Neighborhood Latinx ethnic density could be protective against negative health behaviors. Most studies o...
Social Change and Bygone Utopias: Refiguring What Has Been Lost

This chapter summarizes the main argument of the book. Understanding when utopias are derived from challenges how we understand movements regarding progressivism, conservativism, or reactionary politics. Many movements championed by progressive activists are conservative or reactionary in nature; protest temporality is complex. This is particularly problematic for critical scholars who push for progressive change, as concepts like false consciousness, often associated with conservative tendencies, can be politically problematic if progressive causes can be linked to desires to slow change. Activists and scholars interested in resurrecting the bygone are suggested to do so in a nuanced way to avoid negative externalities of their choices, lest their bygones become associated with catastrophe and injustice, as illustrated by brief comments on contemporary events.
Comparing surgical thoroughness and recurrence in thyroid cancer patients across race/ethnicity

Abstract Background For patients with differentiated thyroid cancer who will receive postoperative radioactive iodine, thyroid remnant uptake can be calculated and may point to the thoroughness of the surgical resection. In the United States, outcome disparities exist among ethnic/racial minorities with differentiated thyroid cancer. Data about surgical thoroughness and recurrence rates across races/ethnicities do not exist. This study compared the amount of thyroid remnant uptake and cancer recurrence rates across race/ethnicity. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of adult patients with differentiated thyroid cancer who had postoperative radioactive iodine in 2017 and 2018 and were followed to 2020. We collected thyroid bed remnant uptake from postoperative radioactive iodine scans and analyzed it as a ratio of percent of uptake to dose of radioactive iodine received to control for varying radioactive iodine doses. Thyroid remnant, uptake to dose of radioactive iodine received, and recurrence were evaluated across race/ethnicity. Results Of 218 patients: 61% were White, 21% Black, 11% Asian, and 7% Hispanic; 72% were female. Seventy-one percent of patients had their surgery done by a high-volume surgeon, although volume data were not available for all. In White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic patients, median uptake was 0.68%, 0.44%, 1.5%, and 0.8%, respectively (P = .13). We did not observe differences in median uptake to dose of radioactive iodine received across groups (P = .41). Recurrence rate was 17.0% among White patients, 16.7% among Black patients, 17.6% among Asian patients, and 16.7% among Hispanic patients (P = 1.00). Conclusion We did not observe differences across race/ethnicity in surgical thoroughness or rate of recurrence. These findings suggest that disparities may be mitigated when ethnic/racial minorities have similar access to quality surgical care.
Active Factor Investing: Hedge Funds vs. the Rest of Us

We argue that only hedge funds whose returns are driven by beta management of exposures to latent risk factors could be successfully replicated. We develop a methodology for creating a portfolio of ETFs that replicates risk factor exposures taken by successful beta active cloneable hedge funds. The methodology allows any investor to access active factor strategies employed by hedge funds. It could be interpreted as cloning beta exposures of the best beta active hedge funds, delivering outstanding long-term risk-adjusted performance. The active factor ETF portfolio only requires annual rebalancing, and is constructed with a transparent algorithmic approach, which conforms to a definition of a smart beta strategy.
Kinetics and Equilibria of Octopus Hemocyanin Association

Molluscan hemocyanins are constructed from decamers of large polypeptide chains (see van Holde and Miller, 1982, Ellerton et al., 1983). Although complete dissociation of these molecules is readily effected, quantitative reassociation has not been possible in most cases where it has been tried (see, for example, van Holde and Cohen, 1964; Siezen, 1974; Brouwer et al., 1978). However, as shown by Miller and van Holde (1982), dissociation of the hemocyanin of Octopus dofleini is completely reversible. Addition of sufficient quantities of a divalent cation (Ca2+, Mg2+) results in the quantitative reassociation of subunits into functional decameric molecules, indistinguishable from the native hemocyanin by physical techniques (van Holde and Miller, 1985). Because of this behavior, we felt that this system would be an excellent candidate for studies of the kinetics of reassociation of a molluscan hemocyanin. Virtually nothing is known of such processes.
Premature Coating Disbonding On Ships And Offshore Structure

Epoxy/urethane coating systems are widely used for ships and offshore structures because of their excellent resistance to ultraviolet radiation and protection against corrosion. Recently, some of these coating systems used in Korea experienced premature failure. This work investigated the root cause of the failures using pH tests and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
Bounded Rationality and the Network Economist's Dilemma

The economic literatures on bounded rationality and on social networks stand to benefit from a closer relationship. Despite concerns about the cognitive demands of rational choice, models which explicitly account for the cognitive costs of decision making have yet to gain significant traction. I argue that the theory of social networks is an ideal domain for these models to showcase novel insights that other approaches cannot replicate. The complexity of behavior in social networks creates what I call the "network economist's dilemma." Economists must either simplify the environment in their models or simplify the decision rules agents use, and so far approaches on the two extremes have dominated the literature. Simplifying the environment while retaining fully rational behavior poses issues of tractability and realism, while modeling agents following heuristic decision rules prevents the study of core economic concepts. This dilemma has hindered the study of many important questions, but insights from the bounded rationality literature could offer a middle path.
Robust Decompositions of Polyhedra

We present a simple and robust algorithm to compute a convex decomposition of a non-convex polyhedron of arbitrary genus. The algorithm takes a topologically correct representation of a non-convex polyhedron S and produces a worst-case optimal O(N2) number of topologically correct representations of convex polyhedra S i , with ∪ i S i = S, in O(nN2 + N4) time and O(n N + N3) space, where n is the number of edges of S, N is the total number of notches or reflex edges. Our algorithm can be made to run in O((nN + N3) logN) time if robustness is not desired. The robustness of the algorithm stems from its ability to handle all degenerate configurations as well as to maintain topological consistency, while doing floating-point numerical computations. The convex decomposition algorithm is independent of the precision used in the numerical calculations. With slight modifications it also yields a triangulation of the polyhedra into a set of tetrahedra.
Abstract 619: Selective estrogen mimics for the treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer

Endocrine-resistant breast cancer, whether de novo or acquired, is a major clinical obstacle. Although recent clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of 17β-estradiol (E2) or diethylstilbestrol (DES) following exhaustive use of antiestrogens, E2 treatment is associated with major side effects such as an increased risk of other gynecological cancers, deterring the clinical community from adopting it as a treatment strategy. Our lab has previously shown that Protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) overexpression predicts tamoxifen (TAM) resistance in the clinic (Tonetti DA et al., Br J Cancer. 2003) and may also predict a positive response to an estrogenic therapy (Chisamore MJ et al., Clinical Cancer Research. 2001). Further, the ectopic overexpression of PKCα in T47D breast cancer cells, led to a TAM-resistant, E2-inhibited phenotype in vivo which was accompanied by the translocation of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) to extranuclear sites (Perez White B et al., Molecular Cancer. 2013). The purpose of this study was to identify novel selective estrogen mimics (SEMs), which could achieve the positive therapeutic effects of E2 treatment in TAM-resistant breast cancers, while minimizing the side effects. In vitro screening identified two SEMs, BTC and TTC-352, which displayed estrogenic activity in breast cancer cell lines. BTC and TTC-352 treatment resulted in significant tumor regression in two xenograft models of TAM-resistant, PKCα-overexpressing breast cancer. Similar to E2, T47D:A18/PKCα tumor regression was accompanied by translocation of ERα to extranuclear sites, possibly defining a mechanism through which these SEMs initiate tumor regression. SEM treatment, however, did not result in growth of parental, TAM-sensitive xenograft tumors. Endometrial thickening, caused by both E2 and TAM, is directly associated with gynecological carcinogenesis and uterine cancer. Interestingly, SEM treatment did not increase uterine weight in mice suggesting negligible hormonal stimulation in gynecological tissues. Both BTC and TTC-352 resulted in regression of two TAM-resistant breast cancer models, while displaying enhanced safety compared to E2 and TAM. These data suggest that further development of SEMs targeted to TAM-resistant breast cancer is a feasible therapeutic strategy. Citation Format: Mary Ellen Molloy, Bethany Perez White, Huiping Zhao, Bradley T. Michalsen, Hitisha K. Patel, Jiong Zhao, Rui Xiong, Marton I. Siklos, Gregory R.J. Thatcher, Debra A. Tonetti. Selective estrogen mimics for the treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 619. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-619
Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivity and Proxy Quality Thresholds

We revisit the problem of error-laden proxies being used for 'q' in regressions of investment on cash flow and q. We give a menu of different prior information sets that can identify the sign of the coefficient on cash flow or the sign of the difference in cash-flow coefficients between groups of firms. The prior informations sets are arguably weaker than those necessary to identify the precise values of the coefficients. An element of each set is a prior lower bound on a correlation between the proxy and q. Like most researchers, we obtain positive OLS estimates of the coefficient on cash flow. We show, however, that the partial correlation between observed and true q must be believed to very large (from an objective viewpoint, unrealistically large) before one can legitimately infer that there is a positive coefficient on cash flow in the regression of investment on cash flow and true q.
Overexpression of Pbx1-d, a novel splice isoform of Pbx1, changes the portion of follicular CD4 T cell populations and impairs regulatory T cell homeostasis (BA14P.201)

We have previously shown that the differential expression of a novel splice isoform, Pbx1-d, of the Pbx1 gene was associated with the production of autoreactive CD4+ T cells in the Sle1a1 lupus susceptibility locus and lupus susceptibility in the B6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 mouse model. Pbx1 regulates the transcription of a large number of genes by controlling chromatin accessibility. Pbx1-d is the only known Pbx1 isoform lacking the DNA binding domain, which suggests a dominant negative function, and its expression is more frequently in the CD4+ T cells from lupus patients than in healthy controls. With the hypothesis that Pbx1-d contributes to lupus development by regulating CD4+ T cell effector functions through novel mechanisms, we have generated B6.CD4-Pbx1-d Tg (Pbx1-d Tg) mice, which specifically express Pbx1-d in CD4+ T cells. These Tg mice reproduce the phenotypes of B6.Sle1a1 mice, with increased inflammatory functions of CD4+ T cells and impaired Treg cell homeostasis. Interestingly, the composition of follicular helper and regulatory T cell (Tfh and Tfr) populations, is different in the Pbx1-d Tg mice as well as the B6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 mice as compared with wild-type mice. Currently, we are investigating the mechanisms by which Pbx1 regulates Treg homeostasis and follicular T cell differentiation in the Pbx1-d Tg mice, as well as its role in autoimmune pathology in the B6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 mice.
Science Education and Student Diversity: Synthesis and Research Agenda

In today's increasingly diverse world, the challenges of providing education that is both equitable and excellent is a central concern of educational research. The authors of this volume, Ohkee Lee...
The mutagenic activity of irradiated C2H4/NOx mixtures in the presence of diethylhydroxylamine

Abstract Mixtures of ethylene and oxides of nitrogen were irradiated in the absence and presence of diethylhydroxylamine. As previously reported, the presence of diethylhydroxylamine inhibited the photo-oxidation of the hydrocarbon and nitric oxide and the onset of ozone formation. Once the diethylhydroxylamine completely reacted, the ozone rose more rapidly, but to a lower level than in the absence of diethylhydroxylamine. Peroxyacetyl nitrate was also produced with the addition of diethylhydroxylamine. The reaction mixtures were tested for total mutagenic activity by gas phase exposure to Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100. A significantly greater mutagenic activity was observed in the irradiated ethylene/diethylhydroxylamine/oxides of nitrogen mixture relative to the irradiated ethylene/oxides of nitrogen mixture. At most, 30% of the observed response could be accounted for by known reaction products.
Harnessing RNA interference to prevent or treat HSV-2 and HIV

Harnessing RNAi presents an opportunity for treating or preventing viral disease. The main obstacle is delivering siRNAs into the cytosol of target cells in vivo. Topical delivery at mucosal surfaces may be especially effective. Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection causes significant morbidity and is an important cofactor for transmission of HIV infection. We investigated whether intravaginal application of siRNAs could protect mice from lethal herpes simple virus type 2 (HSV-2) vaginal infection. siRNAs mixed with lipid are efficiently taken up by epithelial and lamina propria cells and silence gene expression in the mouse vagina and ectocervix for at least 9 days. Intravaginal application of siRNAs targeting the HSV-2 UL27 and UL29 genes, encoding an envelope glycoprotein and a DNA binding protein, respectively, was well tolerated, did not induce interferon responsive genes or cause inflammation, and protected mice when administered before and/or following lethal HSV-2 challenge. These results suggest that siRNAs are attractive candidates for the active component of an antiviral microbicide. We are currently working to see if we can use this approach to prevent HIV transmission. We have also developed a method using antibody-protamine fragment fusion proteins to deliver siRNAs systemically and specifically to achieve silencing in primary cells bearing a targeted receptor. Potential applications of this strategy for treating HIV infection will be discussed.
Techniques and applications of two-photon spectroscopy of inorganic solids

Recent work on two-photon spectroscopy of transition metal ions and rare earth ions in crystals is reviewed. The technology of two-photon spectroscopy changes significantly from ultraviolet to visible to infrared, and thedifferent methods for these regions are discussed with examples from the writer's laboratory.
Just give them grants.

The interdependent gold standards of a successful career in academic research are publication in prestigious journals and securing funding for one9s independent research. There has been much discussion among scientists and funders about how best to launch such a career and how to fill the pipeline of young scientists to sustain the momentum of science (see also discussions at www.sciencecareers.org).
Postexplosion hydrodynamics of supernovae in red supergiants

Shock propagation, mixing, and clumping are studied in the explosion of red supergiants as Type II supernovae using a two-dimensional smooth particle hydrodynamic (SPH) code. We show that extensive Rayleigh-Talor instabilities develop in the ejecta in the wake of the reverse shock wave. In all cases, the shell structure of the progenitor is obliterated to leave a clumpy, well-mixed supernova remnant. However, the occurrence of mass loss during the lifetime of the progenitor can significantly reduce the amount of mixing. These results are independent of the Type II supernova explosion mechanism.
Orbits Close to Asteroid 4769 Castalia

We use a radar-derived physical model of 4769 Castalia (1989 PB) to investigate close orbit dynamics around that kilometer- sized, uniformly rotating asteroid. Our methods of analysis provide a basis for systematic studies of particle dynamics close to any uniformly rotating asteroid. We establish that a Jacobi integral exists for particles orbiting this asteroid, examine the attendant zero-velocity surfaces, find families of periodic orbits, and determine their stability. All synchronous orbits and direct orbits within approx. 3 mean radii of Castalia are unstable and are subject to impact or escape from Castalia. Retrograde orbits are mostly stable and allow particles to orbit close to the asteroid surface. We derive a model which allows us to predict the escape conditions of a particle in orbit about Castalia and the (temporary) capture conditions for a hyperbolic interloper. Orbits within 1.5 km of Castalia are subject to immediate ejection from the system. Hyperbolic orbits with a V(sub infinity) less than 0.4 m/sec can potentially be captured by Castalia if their periapsis radius Is within approx. 2 km. For Castalia this capture region is small, but the results also apply to larger asteroids whose capture regions would also be larger. We determine bounds on ejecta speeds which either ensure ejecta escape or re-impact as functions of location on Castalia's surface. The speeds that ensure escape range from 0.28 to 0.84 m/sec and the speeds that ensure re-impact range from 0 to 0.18 m/sec. Speeds between these two bounds lead either to escape, re-impact, or potentially finite-time stable orbits. We develop a simple criterion which can establish whether a particle could have been ejected from the asteroid in the past and if it will impact the surface in the future.
Acoustic tracking of ground vehicles with ESPRIT

In this paper, the use of ESPRIT is explored with relatively small baseline acoustic sensor arrays for passive direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation and tracking of ground vehicles in the battlefield environment. Classical delay-sum beamformers do not provide high-resolution DOA estimates and their ability to resolve closely-spaced targets is limited. This deficiency is due to the geometric constraint of the sensor array; the baseline cannot be expanded beyond a few meters due to the lack of spatial coherence. ESPRIT is attractive for acoustic array processing, operating at a lower computational rate and less sensitive to sensor array imperfections than comparable high-resolution DOA algorithms. Preliminary experimental results obtained from the application of narrowband ESPRIT for a single tracked vehicle, which is a wideband acoustic source, look promising.
Further studies on alterations in magnesium binding during cold storage of erythrocytes.

Abstract Free intracellular Mg2+ concentration ([Mg2+]i) was measured in cold-stored human erythrocytes by the method of null-point titration with ionophore A23187. [Mg2+]i was 311 ± 41 μ ( mean ± S.D. ) for cells stored 0–10 days, increasing to 458 ± 64 μ M for cells stored 22–48 days. The values for stored cells were higher than those previously determined by a 31P-NMR method (Bock et al. (1985) Blood 65, 1526–1503); however, the null-point method requires extensive washing of the cells, which we have found to increase NMR-measured [Mg2+]i. The null-point values still represent a small fraction of total Cell Mg2+, and confirm that binding of Mg2+ to ligands other than ATP and 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate must increase during storage. As an initial test of whether this may imply suboptimal availability of Mg2+ for cell preservation, we used A23187 to prepare erythrocytes with altered Mg2+ content, then removed ionophore and stored the cells in plasma-free medium for up to 2 weeks. Higher Mg2+ content had a very significant positive correlation ( P ) with higher cell ATP concentrations. Storage did not significantly affect basal or Na2+-stimulated efflux of Mg2+ from Mg2+-loaded red cells.
Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Abstract Background: To assess physicians’ attitudes regarding the legitimacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in medical practice, as well as factors that affect referral or prescription of a complementary therapy. Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to 380 physicians on staff at a local hospital in a mid-sized southeastern city in the United States; 138 were completed, for a 38% response rate. Results: Physicians in practice for less than 10 years were significantly more likely to accept most CAM therapies as legitimate than those in practice greater than 10 years. Nearly two-thirds of the physicians surveyed 65%, n = 88 had prescribed or referred for at least one complementary therapy. More than one-third of the physicians 34.8%, n = 48 had personally utilized at least one of these therapies, and personal experience resulted in a higher level of acceptance of CAM as legitimate medical therapy. Conclusions: It is likely that more positive attitudes regarding complementary therapies among more recently trained physicians is related to increased exposure during training and an increased awareness within the medical community of patient utilization of CAM. Despite a relatively positive attitude toward some CAM therapies, patients continue to use alternative medicine without notifying their primary care physicians. Unsupervised use of these therapies is potentially harmful and reflects a deficiency in the doctor–patient relationship. Open communication between physicians and their patients will continue to be hindered until physicians become knowledgeable in this area.
Parental psychopathology and childhood atopic disorders in the community.

Objective:To examine the association of parental psychopathology and childhood atopic disorders in the general population.Methods:In a sample of 9,240 parent–child dyads drawn from the 1999 US National Health Interview Survey, the association of childhood atopic disorders with parental major depress
Induction of Estrus After Thyroidectomy in Nonlactating Holstein Cows

Abstract Hypothyroidism reportedly decreased sexual behavior in several species. To confirm the role of hypothyroidism in the expression of estrus in cattle, our objective was to determine whether estrus could be induced in ovariectomized cows without intact thyroid glands using estradiol benzoate and progesterone. Eight nonlactating, nonpregnant Holstein cows were thyroidectomized and ovariectomized, and another four cows were ovariectomized only. All cows were given either estradiol benzoate or progesterone plus estradiol benzoate in a crossover design with two replicates during 4 consecutive wk. Cows were observed continuously for estrus from 9 to 45 h after treatment with gonadal steroids. Intensity of estrus was assessed by quantitative measurement of the frequencies of mounting activity and standing behavior. The percentage of cows showing estrus was influenced by thyroidectomy-ovariectomy (78.1%) compared with ovariectomy (31.1%) but was unaffected by hormonal treatment. In contrast, other measures of estrous behavior (duration of standing estrus and frequencies of mounting and standing activities) were unaffected by thyroid status or by hormonal treatments. We concluded that ovariectomized cows without intact thyroid glands exhibit estrus and that the exhibited behavior is similar in intensity and duration to that in ovariectomized cows treated with gonadal steroids. Hypothyroidism may not cause failure to express estrus.
Anion modulation of the negative Bohr effect of haemoglobin from a primitive amphibian.

THE Congo eel (Amphiuma means) is a primitive salamander that respires through its lungs, gills and integument. It lives in swamps, ditches and rice fields in the south-eastern USA. When pools and swamps become stagnant and water levels drop, Amphiuma will burrow and hibernate in the mud. In this letter we report that when organic phosphate cofactors are low or absent, as might be true during hibernation, the haemoglobin of this amphibian has unusual properties which may help the animal to extract oxygen from a low pH environment. The molecular adaptation exhibited by Amphiuma haemoglobin is a pH dependence of oxygen binding that is reversed relative to that of most haemoglobins. Low pH brings about a large increase in the oxygen affinity of stripped Amphiuma haemoglobin. This negative Bohr effect indicates that protons are bound as oxygen is bound. This is in contrast to the release of protons that usually accompanies oxygenation. New Bohr groups must be present in this amphibian haemoglobin, or the normal Bohr groups must be drastically modified. From a physiological viewpoint it is of interest that the Bohr effect in vitro is subject to regulation by organic phosphate cofactors.
Cortical Resection for Children With Epilepsy: Perspectives in Pediatrics

The potential of cortical resection for epilepsy was first demonstrated by Penfield and Jasper 1 at the Montreal Neurologic Institute (Montreal, Quebec) in the 1940s and 1950s. The application of this technique in children was emphasized in the 1960s and 1970s 2-8 ; since then, it has become apparent that early surgery in selected cases may enable children to become seizure free for a normal transition into adulthood. This may prevent some of the difficult psychosocial problems that occur in adults with longstanding epilepsy, including dependency, poor selfesteem, and long-term vocational disability. 9 In addition, if epilepsy surgery enables a child to discontinue antiepileptic medication, years of exposure to these drugs can be avoided. As pediatricians become better acquainted with surgical options, patients are benefiting from earlier referral for surgery. The purpose of this review is to inform children's physicians about the indications for referral
Integrating Theories in AMJ Articles

In this article the authors discuss the integration of theories in " Academy of Management Journal" articles. They note the importance that theories play in management research, adding that as management scholars themselves, they engage in research to better understand the different aspects of management. They argue that a single theory is not sufficient for answering management research questions and discuss four approaches for integrating theory including the incorporation of two theoretical perspectives to address a single phenomena, the incorporation of one phenomenon with two seemingly disparate theoretical perspectives, and the application of one theory to the domain of another theory.
The Hypotensive Action of 1-Phenyl-2-Dimethylaminoethoxymethyl Tetrazole Hydrochloride (TT-209)*

Abstract l-Phenyl-2-dimethylaminoethoxymethyl tetrazole hydrochloride (TT-209) in doses of 5-10 mg./Kg.i.v.in dogs anesthetized with chloralose or pentobarbital produced falls in blood pressure of 60-80% which returned to pre-injection levels only after one-half to two hours. Tachyphylaxis was observed on repeated administration. Epinephrine, acetylcholine, histamine and carotid occlusion responses were not affected. The hypotensive action of TT-209 was unaffected by atropine, diphenhydramine, hexamethonium, vagal section, or decapitation by means of a head clamp. Increased femoral arterial flow rates in both innervated and denervated dog hind- limbs following intra-arterial TT-209 indicated a direct vasodilator effect. In isolated rabbit heart and dog strain-gage-arch preparations, TT-209 depressed the contractile force of the heart. It is concluded that TT-209 is a direct depressant of cardiac and vascular smooth muscle.
Spectral tuning of site-selected single InAs/InP quantum dots via intermixing

In this paper, we present experimental results from site-selected single quantum dots that have undergone a number of intermixing process steps via rapid thermal annealing. We show that the intermixing process blueshifts the dot's emission spectrum without affecting the linewidth as well as decreasing its biexciton binding energy and s-p shell spacing. The anisotropic exchange splitting is shown to have undergone a sign inversion implying that the splitting had gone through zero. Intermixing provides another nanoengineering tool for the design of scalable solid-state photon and entangled photon pair sources.
Body consciousness, illness-related impairment, and patient adherence in hemodialysis.

Recent theory and evidence suggests that bodily self-focusing tendencies (e.g., private body consciousness) may be associated with medical regimen adherence among chronically ill patients. The present study examined the joint effects of private body consciousness and degree of illnessrelated physical impairment on treatment regimen adherence in a sample of 52 hemodialysis patients. It was predicted that the effect of PBC on adherence would vary as a function of patients' level of illness-related physical impairment. For patients experiencing more severe impairment, higher PBC scores were associated with poorer adherence to the prescribed medication and dietary regimen. In contrast, for patients experiencing a relatively low degree of disease-related physical impairment, higher private body consciousness was associated with more favorable adherence. Results are discussed in terms of self-focused attention and behavioral self-regulation theories. Implications for future research and clinical intervention are also discussed. The tendency to focus attention on internal stimuli has been associated with a variety of emotional and behavioral processes (Carver & Scheier, 1981; Ingram, 1990). Dispositional differences in self-focusing are most often operationalized in one of two ways. The Private Self-Consciousness (PSC) Scale provides an assessment of one's tendency to attend to inner psychological or emotional processes (Fenigstein, Scheier, & Buss, 1975). Considerable evidence exists linking tendencies defined by the PSC Scale to a range of emotional and behavioral disorders including depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse (Ingram, 1990). A second conceptualization of the self-focused attention construct has been proposed by Miller, Murphy, and Buss ( 1981 ). The Private Body Consciousness (PBC) Scale was designed to assess one's tendency to attend to internal, physical sensations and bodily processes. In the initial validation study of the PBC scale, high scores on the measure were associated with the more accurate detection of physical changes specific to the ingestion of caffeine. In subsequent research, higher PBC Scale scores have been associated with increased physical symptom reports in both clinical (Martin, Ahles, & Jeffery, 1991 ) and nonclinical populations (Ahles, Cassens, & Stalling, 1987). The influence of dispositional body consciousness on decision-making processes has also been examined. Baradell and Klein (1993) reported that higher PBC Scale scores were associated with the use of less effective decision making strategies (i.e., "hypervigilance") for individuals experiencing a high degree of life stress. Several interpretations of this pattern were offered, including the notion that high PBC-high life stress in
Imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazines, novel nucleus with potent and broad spectrum activity against human picornaviruses: design, synthesis, and biological evaluation.

A novel structural class of picornavirus inhibitors comprising an imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine nucleus was discovered. 2-Aminoimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazines (6d, (E/Z)-7b, (E)-7d, (Z)-7d, (E/Z)-8b, (E)-10b, (E)-13a, (Z)-13a, (E)-13b, (Z)-13b, (E)-13c, and (Z)-13c) were designed and synthesized in an effort to identify potent broad spectrum antirhinoviral agents. A practical synthetic route to this chemical scaffold has been developed. The target compounds were evaluated in a plaque reduction assay and in a cytopathic effect assay. Our preliminary SAR studies highlight the minimum structural features required for antirhinovirus activity. Our data suggest that the nature of the linker between the phenyl and the imidazopyridazine moieties has a significant influence on the activity of these compounds. Oximes are slightly better than vinyl carboxamides at this position. The oximes are the most potent analogues against human rhinovirus 14 (HRV-14), and at the concentrations evaluated, no apparent cellular toxicity is n...
Multimodal fusion of polynomial classifiers for automatic person recgonition

With the prevalence of the information age, privacy and personalization are forefront in today's society. As such, biometrics are viewed as essential components of current evolving technological systems. Consumers demand unobtrusive and non-invasive approaches. In our previous work, we have demonstrated a speaker verification system that meets these criteria. However, there are additional constraints for fielded systems. The required recognition transactions are often performed in adverse environments and across diverse populations, necessitating robust solutions. There are two significant problem areas in current generation speaker verification systems. The first is the difficulty in acquiring clean audio signals in all environments without encumbering the user with a head- mounted close-talking microphone. Second, unimodal biometric systems do not work with a significant percentage of the population. To combat these issues, multimodal techniques are being investigated to improve system robustness to environmental conditions, as well as improve overall accuracy across the population. We propose a multi modal approach that builds on our current state-of-the-art speaker verification technology. In order to maintain the transparent nature of the speech interface, we focus on optical sensing technology to provide the additional modality-giving us an audio-visual person recognition system. For the audio domain, we use our existing speaker verification system. For the visual domain, we focus on lip motion. This is chosen, rather than static face or iris recognition, because it provides dynamic information about the individual. In addition, the lip dynamics can aid speech recognition to provide liveness testing. The visual processing method makes use of both color and edge information, combined within Markov random field MRF framework, to localize the lips. Geometric features are extracted and input to a polynomial classifier for the person recognition process. A late integration approach, based on a probabilistic model, is employed to combine the two modalities. The system is tested on the XM2VTS database combined with AWGN in the audio domain over a range of signal-to-noise ratios.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Mixer: Introducing the Concept of Factor Analysis

This study entailed the development and implementation of a classroom activity designed to introduce students to the concept of factor analysis. We implemented the activity in both a personality theories course and a tests and measurements course. Data suggest that students learned about factor analysis from this activity, while enjoying it. Professors can easily modify this activity to meet the needs of a variety of psychology courses in which factor analysis is relevant or discussed.
The diverse functions of CD1d-restricted NKT cells and their potential for immunotherapy

CD1d-restricted NKT cells have been identified as an important component of the immune system that have the capacity both to augment beneficial host immunity and to prevent harmful autoimmunity. These cells have the ability to produce a wide variety of cytokines, including both proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines that can have multiple different effects on the outcome of immune reactions. The discovery that these T cells are activated by specific recognition of glycolipids in the glycosylceramide family has led to new approaches to manipulate the pleiotropic functions of these cells. Here, we review the multiple activities that have been attributed to NKT cells in a variety of different disease models, and the current state of our understanding of the mechanisms that control the functional outcome of NKT cell activation.
Left-definite theory with applications to orthogonal polynomials

In the past several years, there has been considerable progress made on a general left-definite theory associated with a self-adjoint operator A that is bounded below in a Hilbert space H; the term 'left-definite' has its origins in differential equations but Littlejohn and Wellman [L. L. Littlejohn, R. Wellman, A general left-definite theory for certain self-adjoint operators with applications to differential equations, J. Differential Equations, 181 (2) (2002) 280-339] generalized the main ideas to a general abstract setting. In particular, it is known that such an operator A generates a continuum {H"r}"r">"0 of Hilbert spaces and a continuum of {A"r}"r">"0 of self-adjoint operators. In this paper, we review the main theoretical results in [L. L. Littlejohn, R. Wellman, A general left-definite theory for certain self-adjoint operators with applications to differential equations, J. Differential Equations, 181 (2) (2002) 280-339]; moreover, we apply these results to several specific examples, including the classical orthogonal polynomials of Laguerre, Hermite, and Jacobi.
Seasonal changes in juvenile hormone titers and rates of biosynthesis in honey bees

Honey bee colonies can respond to changing environmental conditions by showing plasticity in age related division of labor, and these responses are associated with changes in juvenile hormone. The shift from nest taks to foraging has been especially well characterized; foraging is associated with high juvenile hormone titers and high rates of juvenile hormone biosynthesis, and can be induced prematurely in young bees by juvenile hormone treatment or by a shortage of foragers. However, very few studies have been conducted that study plasticity in division of labor under naturally occurring changes in the environment. To gain further insight into how the environment and juvenile hormone influence foraging behavior, we measured juvenile hormone titers and rates of biosynthesis in workers during times of the year when colony activity in temperate climates is reduced: late fall, winter, and early spring. Juvenile hormone titers and rates of biosynthesis decreased in foragers in the fall as foraging diminished and bees became less active. This demonstration of a natural drop in juvenile hormone confirms and extends previous findings when bees were experimentally induced to revert from foraging to within-hive tasks. In addition, endocrine changes in foragers in the fall are part of a larger seasonally related phenomenon in which juvenile hormone levels in younger, pre-foraging bees also decline in the fall and then increase the following spring as colony activity increases. The seasonal decline in juvenile hormone in foragers was mimicked in summer by placing a honey bee colony in a cold room for 8 days. This suggests that seasonal changes in juvenile hormone are not related to photoperiod changes, but rather to changes in temperature and/or colony social structure that in turn influence endocrine and behavioral development. We also found that active foragers in the late winter and early spring had lower juvenile hormone levels than active foragers in late spring. In light of recent findings of a possible link between juvenile hormone and neuroanatomical plasticity in the bee brain, these results suggest that bees can forage with low juvenile hormone, after previous exposure to some threshold level of juvenile hormone leads to changes in brain structure.
Comparative Outcome of VLBW Infants of Multiple VS Single Gestation. † 1259

In 1960's & 70's, the perinatal mortality rate for twins was 4 to 11 times higher than that of singletons. This study attempted to find out if advances in perinatal care over the years had improved the outcome. We retrospectively reviewed the rates of mortality & morbidity (IVH III & IV, PVL, ROP III &IV & BPD) in VLBW singletons, twins & triplets born between 1994 to 1996. Table
Active bone marrow distribution in the monkey.

Rhesus monkey active bone marrow distribution and volume studied by radioactive tracing techniques
Rosiglitazone Improves Survival and Hastens Recovery from Pancreatic Inflammation in Obese Mice

Obesity increases severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) by unclear mechanisms. We investigated the effect of the PPAR-gamma agonist rosiglitazone (RGZ, 0.01% in the diet) on severity of AP induced by administration of IL-12+ IL-18 in male C57BL6 mice fed a low fat (LFD) or high fat diet (HFD), under the hypothesis that RGZ would reduce disease severity in HFD-fed obese animals. In both LFD and HFD mice without AP, RGZ significantly increased body weight and % fat mass, with significant upregulation of adiponectin and suppression of erythropoiesis. In HFD mice with AP, RGZ significantly increased survival and hastened recovery from pancreatic inflammation, as evaluated by significantly improved pancreatic histology, reduced saponification of visceral adipose tissue and less severe suppression of erythropoiesis at Day 7 post-AP. This was associated with significantly lower circulating and pancreas-associated levels of IL-6, Galectin-3, osteopontin and TIMP-1 in HFD + RGZ mice, particularly at Day 7 post-AP. In LFD mice with AP, RGZ significantly worsened the degree of intrapancreatic acinar and fat necrosis as well as visceral fat saponification, without affecting other parameters of disease severity or inflammation. Induction of AP lead to major suppression of adiponectin levels at Day 7 in both HFD and HFD + RGZ mice. In conclusion, RGZ prevents development of severe AP in obese mice even though it significantly increases adiposity, indicating that obesity can be dissociated from AP severity by improving the metabolic and inflammatory milieu. However, RGZ worsens selective parameters of AP severity in LFD mice.
Odor space and olfactory processing: Collective algorithms and neural implementation

Several basic olfactory tasks must be solved by highly olfactory animals, including background suppression, multiple object separation, mixture separation, and source identification. The large number N of classes of olfactory receptor cells—hundreds or thousands—permits the use of computational strategies and algorithms that would not be effective in a stimulus space of low dimension. A model of the patterns of olfactory receptor responses, based on the broad distribution of olfactory thresholds, is constructed. Representing one odor from the viewpoint of another then allows a common description of the most important basic problems and shows how to solve them when N is large. One possible biological implementation of these algorithms uses action potential timing and adaptation as the “hardware” features that are responsible for effective neural computation.
Adult beliefs about pragmatic development

Abstract Little is known about the beliefs adults hold that might help explain the ways they teach pragmatic skills. In Experiment 1, 55 adults with different experiences with children completed a questionnaire about their beliefs. There was strong agreement, despite variations in experience, that parents have the greatest degree of influence over pragmatic acquisition and that appropriate pragmatic usage is more stable than inappropriate usage. Adults who were neither parents nor teachers held views most discrepant from other subjects. In Experiment 2, the beliefs of 50 mothers and 50 fathers were compared as a function of their own and their preschoolers' sex. Mothers believed that they had greater influence over pragmatic skills than did fathers and reported ignoring their children's errors less than did fathers, although both parents tended to prompt the correct behavior most frequently. Both mothers and fathers also believed that they had significant influence over skills rated as important. There were no significant effects of children's sex. These beliefs are described as being culturally “pre-packaged,” modified by motivational factors such as “developmental optimism” in those responsible for the acquisition of pragmatic skills.
Turning the Tables on Your Files

Does the information in your dBASE II or dBASE III files sometimes seem to resist your best efforts to display it in a concise and easy‐to‐understand form? The problem may be in the sequential manner mat dBASE handles your records. Essentially, each row (horizontal line) in a dBASE listing represents a record, (or an entity); the columns present attributes of these records.
The effect of school closings on student achievement

Abstract Many school districts across the country are shutting schools, but school closing policies remain a very controversial issue. The current study investigates the effects of school closing policies on student achievement by examining over 200 school closings in Michigan. Relative to the previous literature, the analysis uses a broader set of school closings to thoroughly investigate heterogeneity in treatment effects based on the performance level of the closed school. The results indicate that, on average, school closings in Michigan did no persistent harm to the achievement of displaced students. Moreover, students displaced from relatively low-performing schools experience achievement gains. The displacement of students and teachers creates modest negative spillover effects on the receiving schools, however. Hence, the closing of low-performing schools may generate some achievement gains for displaced students, but not without imposing spillover effects on a large number of students in receiving schools.