cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distinct Molecular Mechanisms for Agonist Peptide Binding to Types A and B Cholecystokinin Receptors Demonstrated Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Fluorescence spectroscopy provides a direct method for evaluating the environment of a fluorescent ligand bound to its receptor. We utilized this methodology to determine the environment of Alexa within a cholecystokinin (CCK)-like probe (Alexa488-Gly-[(Nle28,31)CCK-26–33]; CCK-8 probe) bound to the type A CCK receptor (Harikumar, K. G., Pinon, D. L., Wessels, W. S., Prendergast, F. G., and Miller, L. J. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 18552–18560). Here, we study this probe at the type B CCK receptor and develop another probe with its fluorophore closer to the carboxyl-terminal pharmacophore of type B receptor ligands (Alexa488-Trp-Nle-Asp-Phe-NH2; CCK-4 probe). Both probes bound to type B CCK receptors in a saturable and specific manner and represented full agonists. Similar to the type A receptor, at the type B receptor these probes exhibited shorter lifetimes and lower anisotropy when the receptor was in the active conformation than when it was shifted to its inactive, G protein-uncoupled state using guanosine 5′-[β,γ-imido]-triphosphate trisodium salt. Absolute values for lifetime and anisotropy were lower for the CCK-8 probe bound to the type B receptor than for this probe bound to the type A receptor, and Alexa fluorescence was more easily quenched by iodide at the type B receptor. This represents the first direct evidence that, despite having identical affinities for binding and potencies for activating type A and B receptors, CCK is docked via distinct mechanisms, with the amino terminus more exposed to the aqueous milieu when bound to the type B CCK receptor than to the type A CCK receptor. Of interest, despite this difference in binding, activation of both receptors results in analogous direction of movement of the fluorescent indicator probes.
Multi-level Factors Associated with Pregnancy among Urban Adolescent Women Seeking Psychological Services

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of pregnancy as well as multi-level factors (i.e., individual, family, and environment) associated with history of pregnancy among a sample of urban adolescent women seeking psychological services. Data were collected from a total of 264 sexually active, 13–18-year-old, adolescent women who participated in a larger HIV prevention study. Adolescents and one participating parent completed an audio computer-assisted self-interviewing survey. A total of 17.4 % of participants reported a history of pregnancy. A multivariable logistic regression model suggests that after controlling for empirically derived sociodemographic and behavioral covariates, absence of father in the home, family support and cohesion, and neighborhood risk were positively related to pregnancy. This study is among the first to examine multi-level factors associated with pregnancy among adolescent women diagnosed with psychological disorders. Consideration of such factors is crucial both in terms of clinical practice and in the design of pregnancy prevention programs. Collaboration between physicians and mental health providers working with adolescent women is crucial and represents an ideal opportunity to promote parental involvement and access to supportive community resources, including pregnancy prevention programs for this vulnerable population of adolescents.
Augmentation of the Gonadotropic Hormone from the Pregnant Mare.

SummaryThe action of the gonad-stimulating hormone obtained from the endometrium of the pregnant mare is augmented by pituitary extracts containing primarily the luteinizing hormone. This augmentation is not brought about by using inactivated pituitary material or extracts of muscle. Thus, augmentation obtained in this experiment is dependent on hormonal action and is not produced by the use of the inert materials tested.
The Gauss-Bonnet theorem and ζ(2)

Using a counting argument in hyperbolic geometry due to Siegel and the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, we compute that ζ(2)=π2/6.
Asymptotic Relative Efficiencies of the Rank-Transformation Procedure in Randomized Complete Block Designs

Abstract This article provides insight into the powers of alternative tests for experimental effects in the presence of a blocking factor. Three rank tests and the usual F test are compared using asymptotic relative efficiencies (ARE's). Rank tests provide a useful alternative method of analysis when the assumptions of the F test are not met. Further, rank tests are usually more powerful than the F test when outliers are present or when the distribution of the data possesses heavy tails. The rank tests studied are Friedman's test, the aligned-ranks test, and the rank-transformation procedure. The rank-transformation test consists of ranking all of the data as one sample and then applying the usual F test to the ranks. Two main themes form the body of the article. The first theme is the development of the limiting noncentrality parameter of the rank-transformation statistic. The development uses the methods popularized by Hajek and Sidak (1967). A lemma is given that establishes the joint limiting distribu...
Effect of cluster set configurations on power clean technique

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of cluster set configurations on power clean technique. Ten male, recreational weightlifters performed three sets of six repetitions at 80% of one repetition max with 0 (P0), 20 (P20) or 40 seconds (P40) inter-repetition rest. During the first and second set of P0, the catch and first pull were in a more forward position during repetition 6 as compared to repetition 1, respectively. During the second set of P40, differences in horizontal displacement were found between repetitions 1 and 6 for the second pull and the loop. During the third set of P40, differences in horizontal displacement were found between repetitions 1 and 6 for the first pull, transition, and beginning of the second pull. No differences in horizontal displacement were found between repetitions 1 and 6 during P20. During each set of P0, vertical displacement decreased between repetitions 1 and 6 (1.02 ± 0.07 m vs. 0.94 ± 0.06 m; Mean ± s). Cluster set configurations l...
On Measuring a Complex Attitude: The Construct Validity of an Attitude-Toward-Psychology Scale

Summary.-Responses to an attitude-toward-psychology scale became more favorable during a 1-yr. introductory course, with greater change for "fact" than "opinion" items. Thus, responses may reflect both "favorability toward psychology" and "critical thinking about psychology," but these constructs are confounded in the scale. An open-ended format may better depict the attitudinal complexity developed during the course. According to McKeachie, et a1. (1954) and Carrier (1966), important objectives of the introductory psychology course include the development of both more critical chinking and a more favorable attitude to psychology. This study explored the suitability of one of the scales in Carrier (1966) for measuring students' attainment of these objectives. Method.-At che beginning and the end of a two-semester introductory psychology course, 41 students anonymously answered a slightly modified Attitude-toward-Psychology scale.'.' The 22 items used were later divided into 11 "fact" and 11 "opinion," according to their ueaunent by the texts (Coopersmith, 1966; Morgan & King, 1966) and the professor as "generally accepted" or "debatable." The course is taught in sections of 20 to 30 students. There is thus considerable opporrunicy for discussion of problem areas in psychology, as well as for essay questions. The contents of these discussions and essays suggested growing awareness by many students of the complexity of the issnes involved. Results.-Between 17 and 40 of the 41 students answered each item favorably at the beginning of the course, with a median of 27.5. The number of students answering favorably was greater than this median for 7 of the "fact" and 4 of che "opinion" items
Comment on "Microwave absorption by dissolved DNA"

It is suggested that the viscoelastic coupling between a DNA molecule and its hydration shell, used by VanZandt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 2085 (1986)] and VanZandt and Davis [J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 3, 1045 (1986)] in their treatment of this problem, is an essential element of their work. Other interactions lead to results inconsistent with recent data by Tao, Lindsay, and Rupprecht [Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 518 (1987)].
Immunocytochemical analysis of the association of bovine oviduct-specific glycoproteins with early embryos.

The bovine oviductal epithelium synthesizes and secretes a class of oviduct-specific glycoproteins that is present in the luminal fluid when fertilization and early embryonic development occur. The objective of this study was to determine if these characterized glycoproteins become associated with oviductal embryos. Ovarian ova and oviductal embryos were recovered from super-ovulated cows at 72 h after onset of estrus. Eggs were fixed in 3% paraformaldehyde-1% gluteraldehyde and subsequently embedded in Lowicryl K4M. Sections (1 μm) were processed for peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunocytochemistry. Immunolabeling was not detected in any region of ovarian ova. Oviductal embryos, regardless of cleavage stage, exhibited immunoperoxidase staining localized within their zona pellucidae. Sections (100 nm) obtained from a 4- and an 8-cell embryo were also subjected to colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy to determine conclusively the subcellular distribution of the oviduct-specific glycoproteins. Gold particles were distributed uniformly throughout the width of the zona pellucida. Also, immunoreactivity was observed associated with flocculent material in the perivitelline space and with the vitelline membrane. These results indicate that the bovine oviduct-specific secretory glycoproteins become associated with oviductal embryos. This association may be biologically important to the developing embryo. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Kinetic equations for a quantum gas with bound states

The kinetic theory for dense gases is modified to take into account the existence of bound states. A molecular chaos condition is used which corresponds to the division of the two- and three-particle Hubert spaces into scattering and boundstate subspaces. A kinetic stage results from a long-time limit which converges to yield time-independent functionals for the two- and three-particle density matrices, as functionals of the density matrices for atoms and molecules. Coupled kinetic equations are obtained which describe the gas as a reacting mixture of atoms and diatomic molecules. These include the effects of scattering and rearrangement collisions between the atom and the molecule, and of molecular formation and dissociation.
Electron‐beam induced current characterization of back‐surface field solar cells using a chopped scanning electron microscope beam

A chopped electron beam induced current (EBIC) technique for the characterization of back‐surface field (BSF) solar cells is presented. It is shown that the effective recombination velocity of the low‐high junction forming the back‐surface field of BSF cells, in addition to the diffusion length and the surface recombination velocity of the surface perpendicular to both the p‐n and low‐high junctions, can be determined from the data provided by a single EBIC scan. The method for doing so is described and illustrated. Certain experimental considerations taken to enhance the quality of the EBIC data are also discussed.
Relaxation at the angle of repose.

We have investigated the distribution of avalanches which occur when the slope of a sandpile exceeds the metastable slope given by the angle of repose. In contradiction to recent models by Bak, Tang, and Wiesenfeld for the dynamics of granular systems, we do not observe power-law distributions. We also find that the slope of a sandpile decays as $log(t)$ when vibrations are introduced. We propose a simple model for this effect.
Refractive-index and element-spacing effects on the spectral behavior of infrared frequency-selective surfaces.

Transmission and reflection characteristics of inductive-mesh frequency-selective surfaces were measured in the 4–12-µm range. Specific issues investigated include the effect of interelement spacing on the location and width of the resonance and the influence of superstrate and substrate refractive indices on the spectral response of the structure.
Silicon (111) 2 x 1 surface states: K-edge transitions and surface-selective L2,3VV Auger line shape.

Transitions to unoccupied Si(111) 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 surface states have been observed at the silicon 1s absorption edge. The surface features are distinguished from bulk absorption by taking the difference between the absorption measured by monitoring the surface-sensitive LVV Auger decay (88 eV kinetic energy) and the bulk-sensitive KLL Auger decay (1610 eV kinetic energy). The difference curve reveals a surface peak which is centered 0.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15 eV above the conduction-band minimum and which disappears upon exposure of the clean surface to atomic hydrogen. By tuning the photon energy to the energy of this surface peak and selectively exciting the surface, we have extracted the contribution of the 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 surface to the total Si ${L}_{2}$,3VV Auger line shape. We find that the surface contribution to the Si ${L}_{2}$,3VV Auger line shape lies 0.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 eV kinetic energy above the total contribution due to the presence of the Si(111) 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 occupied dangling-bond surface states, and the intensity of the bulk plasmon loss at 70 eV kinetic energy is suppressed due to the presence of the 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 \ensuremath{\pi}-bonded surface. Formation of the Si(111)-(1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)H surface produces changes in the Auger spectra which are consistent with the removal of the occupied dangling-bond surface states from the band gap, the introduction of a Si-H bonding level 6.5 eV below the valence-band maximum, and the enhancement of the bulk-plasmon loss. We also find that the intensity of the high-energy Auger satellite at 103 eV kinetic energy is sensitive to the excitation photon energy within the vicinity of the silicon K edge and present a viable mechanism which accounts for this phenomenon.
Fibrous Monolithic Ceramics: IV, Mechanical Properties and Oxidation Behavior of the Alumina/Nickel Systein

Fibrous monolithic ceramics were fabricated in the alumina/nickel system. The microstructure consists of high-aspect-ratio polycrystalline cells of alumina separated by thin cell boundaries of nickel. The nickel content in the material is 3 to 8 vol%. The fibrous monolith with uniaxially aligned cells fails noncatastrophically in flexure. Bridging ligaments of nickel, crack deflection along cell boundaries, and crack branching in the axial direction are observed in flexure bars and notched beams. Strength values range from 246 to 375 MPa. Indentations cause controlled damage on the surface but do not introduce strength-degrading flaws. The alumina/nickel fibrous monoliths also show potential for use at high temperatures in oxidizing environments. Noncatastrophic fracture behavior is observed at room temperature after 10 h at 1200°C in air. The Ni cell boundary network is oxidized to a depth of 50 to 100 μm by this heat treatment. The NiO oxidation product in the cell boundaries reacts partly with alumina from the cells to form NiAI2O4, which would provide better protection.
Implementation of an Accelerated Physical Examination Course in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Objective. To describe the implementation of a 1-day accelerated physical examination course for a doctor of pharmacy program and to evaluate pharmacy students’ knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in performing physical examination.Design. Using a flipped teaching approach, course coordinators collaborated with a physician faculty member to design and develop the objectives of the course. Knowledge, attitude, and confidence survey questions were administered before and after the practical laboratory.Assessment. Following the practical laboratory, knowledge improved by 8.3% (p<0.0001). Students’ perceived ability and confidence to perform a physical examination significantly improved (p<0.0001). A majority of students responded that reviewing the training video (81.3%) and reading material (67.4%) prior to the practical laboratory was helpful in learning the physical examination.Conclusion. An accelerated physical examination course using a flipped teaching approach was successful in improving students’ k...
An advantage model of choice

A descriptive model of choice between simple lotteries is proposed. According to the model, people combine 'absolute' and 'comparative' strategies in choice situations. Three experimental tests of the model are reported. In its limited domain, the model appears superior to Prospect Theory on qualitative grounds, and to 1-parameter versions of Expected Utility Theory on both qualitative and quantitative grounds.
Tat-independent replication of human immunodeficiency viruses.

Abstract The replication of human immunodeficiency retroviruses involves a complex series of events that is regulated at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. The tat gene product is a potent trans-activator of viral transcription and therefore an attractive target for the development of antiviral drugs. Tat-defective HIV-1 proviral DNA clones have been shown previously to be replication defective. In this study, we report that tat-defective HIV-1 and HIV-2 viral DNA transfected into U937 cells can direct efficient viral replication in the presence of transcriptional stimulators such as TNF-alpha and PMA. In MT-4 cells, tat-defective HIV-1 can replicate without any stimulation. The viruses recovered from MT-4 cells remained tat defective defined by their inability to infect T cell lines (e.g., Molt 4/8) although replication could be rescued with cytokines. Limited replication was observed in primary mononuclear cells. Furthermore, we showed that Ro 24-7429, a potent tat antagonist and antiviral compound, failed to suppress HIV-1 replication in TNF-alpha-stimulated T cells. These results have important implications for targeting tat as a therapeutic strategy for AIDS.
Two Systems/One Client: Bringing Families and Schools Together

The existing literature that describes the application of family therapy in school settings is replete with inconsistencies in design and implementation. The first part of this article provides an overview of some of these approaches and addresses some of the problems that have been encountered. The second part of the article describes the development of a family/school pilot project that was implemented in a small university town in north Texas.
Effects of differential etching and masking resist preparation on the quality of the reactive-ion-etched aluminum and aluminum alloys

The conventional method used for aluminum (Al) and aluminum alloy (Al + Si, Al + Si + Cu) delineation in integrated circuits is mainly by wet chemical etching. Because of its isotropic characteristic, wet chemical etching becomes inadequate for patterning Al metal lines with linewidths narrower than about 4 Μm. In this work, Al and Al alloys (Al + 2% Si; Al + 1% Si + 1% Cu) were reactively etched in SiCl4 plasma using patterned photoresist as the etch-mask. Resist patterns were generated either by conventional processing methods or by tri-level resist techniques which included hard-baking (200°C, ≤ 30 min), and two consecutive reactive ion etchings in CF4 and 02 plasmas. Masking resists prepared by the tri-level resist technique retained their integrity during exposure to a SiCl4 plasma, and significantly improved resolution and fidelity of pattern transfer from resist to underlying Al or Al alloy film. The substrate surface of the reactively etched Al + Si + Cu sample was considerably rougher than that of the Al or Al + Si sample due to the high concentration of Cu accumulated at the metal/substrate region during RIE process.
Effect of ACTH on strength of intestinal anastomoses in dogs.

SummarySuture line leakage was not observed in a series of 10 dogs given large daily doses of ACTH following end to end anastomosis of the colon. The strength of the suture lines was not significantly altered by ACTH administration as compared with non-treated controls. No correlation was evident between the amount of ACTH given and the strength or gross appearance of the anastomoses.
Organophosphate Pesticides: Specific Level of Brain AChE Inhibition Related to Death in Sheepshead Minnows

Abstract Inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in sheepshead minnows, Cyprinodon variegatus, by static exposures to acute doses of Guthion, phorate, and parathion that killed 40 to 60% of the fish in 2, 24, 48, and 72 hours indicates that effect is a function of pesticide concentration and length of exposure. Inhibition to less than 87% of normal activity is necessary to indicate exposure. The greatest inhibition caused by sublethal exposures is not as great as that caused by lethal exposures. Death occurs when AChE activity falls below 17.7% of normal, and levels below this value indicate impending death from exposure even when pesticide concentration and exposure times are unknown. In single tests, phosphamidon, Cygon, malathion, EPN, Dursban, DDVP, Diazinon, Dibrom, and methyl parathion caused inbibition to less than 17.7% of normal activity when 40 to 60% of the fish were killed. These data indicate that brain AChE levels, when properly assayed, are dependable indicators of exposure and death.
Source of airborne sunflower dust generated during combine harvester operation

The sunflower harvest season presents challenges for many farmers when an abundance of airborne dust is carried by surrounding winds and allowed to relocate on equipment surfaces. Combine fires are a serious problem resulting from the ignition of biomass dust that settle and accumulate on the combine harvester. Farmers' anecdotal evidence indicates that harvesting sunflowers can produce more airborne dust than other commodity crops. The source of this airborne sunflower dust was investigated using various methods to analyse different parts of the sunflower: whole heads, outer stalk, and inner stalk pith. These samples were compared to a collected amount of bulk sunflower dust field sample taken directly from a horizontal surface on a combine harvester during the 2011 harvest season. All testing methods; proximate and ultimate analyses, biomass dust particle density analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy; suggest the sunflower bulk field sample is comprised of mostly inner stalk pith rather than dust particles from the outer stalk and whole sunflower heads. By confirming the source of the airborne sunflower dust field sample, the arrangement of combine harvester equipment could be modified to reduce the amount of sunflower dust generated during operation.
Abstract 2358: ERK1/2 regulation of CD44 modulates aggressiveness in a new mouse model of oral cancer

Carcinogen-induced oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) causes significant morbidity and mortality and constitutes a global health challenge. To gain further insight into this disease, six unique C57BL/6 mouse OSCC cell lines were generated from 7,12-dimethylbenz(≥)anthracene (DMBA) induced murine primary OSCCs. The cell lines were designated as mouse oral cancer (MOC1, 2, 7, 10, 22 and 23) and 5/6 (excluding MOC23) formed tumors when transplanted into immunocompetent wild-type (WT) mice. Analyses of tumor growth in mice showed that MOC2, MOC7 and MOC10 grew more rapidly and metastasized to regional lymph nodes, while MOC1 and MOC22 grew much slower and did not metastasize. This aggressive growth was correlated with ERK1/2 activation, which in addition, was found to induce CD44 expression- a molecule whose expression is associated with EMT and putative cancer stem cells. Inhibiting MEK, the upstream activator of ERK1/2, led to decreased CD44 expression and promoter activity and also decreased cellular migration and invasion. Conversely, enforced activation of MEK1 led to enhanced CD44 expression and promoter activity. CD44 was required for the aggressive growth since reduction of CD44 levels significantly attenuated in vitro migration and in vivo tumor formation of MOC2 and MOC10 cell lines. These results in the mouse model were extended to freshly resected human OSCC where a strict relationship between ERK1/2 phosphorylation and CD44 expression was also identified. Thus, using a novel immunocompetent mouse model, we identify CD44 as an essential mediator of the aggressive tumor-promoting effects of ERK1/2, which highlight the potential efficacy of targeting this molecular pathway in head and neck cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2358. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2358
EFFECTS OF D-LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE ON OPERANT BEHAVIOR IN THE RAT.

Twelve albino rats were used to determine the effects of LSD-25 on operant behavior. Half of the subjects were trained to press a bar for food on an aperiodic schedule and half were trained with a Sidman-type avoidance procedure to press a bar to avoid shock. A latin square design was employed in which each subject served as his own control and was injected intraperitoneally with a control saline solution, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.40, and 0.80 mg/kg. The following results were obtained: 1. In the food-reward situation injection with 0.05 mg/kg increased the number of bar presses emitted; doses of 0.20, 0.40, and 0.80 mg/kg decreased the number of responses. 2. In the shock-avoidance situation there was a decrease in the number of shocks received during the first 30 min. when the subjects were treated with 0.05 mg/kg but injections of 0.40 and 0.80 mg/kg resulted in more shocks during this time period. No significant differences in number of bar presses were found for any of the dosages. 3. The effects of the drug were found to persist for approximately 1 hr. and 30 min. following injection.
Thermal decomposition and chemical interactions observed by mass spectrometry of Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors

Abstract Thermal decomposition of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x has been studied using Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry with samples heated between room temperature and 1500 K. Desorption of oxygen occurred, and with increasing temperature desorption peaks for O 2 were noted at ca. 600 and 900 K. After oxygen was lost from the samples, evidence was found for loss of CuO(g) and BaO(g) beginning at ca. 1225 and 1415 K, respectively. Analyses of the gas phase and sample residues provided information regarding the interaction of the superconducting samples with the material of the Knudsen cell. Chemical interactions between superconductors and substrates at elevated temperatures may be studied in this way.
In vivo imaging using polymeric nanoparticles stained with near-infrared chemiluminescent and fluorescent squaraine catenane endoperoxide

Polystyrene nanoparticles stained with squaraine catenane endoperoxide exhibit remarkably high chemiluminescence and enable optical imaging of biodistribution in living mice. Whole-body chemiluminescence imaging was much more effective than fluorescence at identifying lung accumulation of the nanoparticles.
Influence of conduit network geometry on solute transport in karst aquifers with a permeable matrix

Abstract In karst aquifers with significant matrix permeability, water and solutes are exchanged between the conduits and carbonate matrix. Transport through the matrix increases the spread of solutes and increases travel times. This study numerically evaluates advective solute transport in synthetic karst systems that contain 3D branching conduit networks. Particle tracking is performed to analyze the spatial and temporal transport history of solute that arrives at the conduit outlet. Three measures of transport connectivity are used to quantify the solute migration behavior: the skewness of the particle arrival time distribution, the normalized fifth percentile of arrival times, and the fraction of the total travel time that occurs within conduits. All three of these metrics capture the influence of conduit network geometry on solute transport. A more tortuous network leads to enhanced conduit-matrix mixing, which reduces the transport connectivity and yields a broader distribution of solute arrival times. These results demonstrate that the conduit network geometry is an important control on solute transport in karst systems with a permeable matrix.
Nonrigid motion analysis based on dynamic refinement of finite element models

We propose new algorithms for accurate nonrigid motion tracking. Given an initial model representing general knowledge of the object, a set of sparse correspondences, and incomplete or missing information about geometry or material properties, we can recover dense motion vectors using finite element models. The method is based on the iterative analysis of the differences between the actual and predicted behaviors. Unknown parameters are recovered using an iterative descent search for the best nonlinear finite element model that approximates nonrigid motion of the given object. During this search process, we not only estimate material properties, but also infer dense point correspondences from our initial set of sparse correspondences. Thus, during tracking, the model is refined which, in turn, improves tracking quality. Experimental results demonstrate the success of the proposed algorithm. Our work demonstrates the possibility of accurate quantitative analysis of nonrigid motion in range image sequences with objects consisting of multiple materials and 3D volumes.
Fit Indices Versus Test Statistics

Model evaluation is one of the most important aspects of structural equation modeling (SEM). Many model fit indices have been developed. It is not an exaggeration to say that nearly every publication using the SEM methodology has reported at least one fit index. Most fit indices are defined through test statistics. Studies and interpretation of fit indices commonly assume that the test statistics follow either a central chi-square distribution or a noncentral chi-square distribution. Because few statistics in practice follow a chi-square distribution, we study properties of the commonly used fit indices when dropping the chi-square distribution assumptions. The study identifies two sensible statistics for evaluating fit indices involving degrees of freedom. We also propose linearly approximating the distribution of a fit index/statistic by a known distribution or the distribution of the same fit index/statistic under a set of different conditions. The conditions include the sample size, the distribution of the data as well as the base-statistic. Results indicate that, for commonly used fit indices evaluated at sensible statistics, both the slope and the intercept in the linear relationship change substantially when conditions change. A fit index that changes the least might be due to an artificial factor. Thus, the value of a fit index is not just a measure of model fit but also of other uncontrollable factors. A discussion with conclusions is given on how to properly use fit indices.
Unique biological function of cathepsin L in secretory vesicles for biosynthesis of neuropeptides

Neuropeptides are essential for cell-cell communication in the nervous and neuroendocrine systems. Production of active neuropeptides requires proteolytic processing of proneuropeptide precursors in secretory vesicles that produce, store, and release neuropeptides that regulate physiological functions. This review describes recent findings indicating the prominent role of cathepsin L in secretory vesicles for production of neuropeptides from their protein precursors. The role of cathepsin L in neuropeptide production was discovered using the strategy of activity-based probes for proenkephalin-cleaving activity for identification of the enzyme protein by mass spectrometry. The novel role of cathepsin L in secretory vesicles for neuropeptide production has been demonstrated in vivo by cathepsin L gene knockout studies, cathepsin L gene expression in neuroendocrine cells, and notably, cathepsin L localization in neuropeptide-containing secretory vesicles. Cathepsin L is involved in producing opioid neuropeptides consisting of enkephalin, β-endorphin, and dynorphin, as well as in generating the POMC-derived peptide hormones ACTH and α-MSH. In addition, NPY, CCK, and catestatin neuropeptides utilize cathepsin L for their biosynthesis. The neuropeptide-synthesizing functions of cathepsin L represent its unique activity in secretory vesicles, which contrasts with its role in lysosomes. Interesting evaluations of protease gene knockout studies in mice that lack cathepsin L compared to those lacking PC1/3 and PC2 (PC, prohormone convertase) indicate the key role of cathepsin L in neuropeptide production. Therefore, dual cathepsin L and prohormone convertase protease pathways participate in neuropeptide production. Significantly, the recent new findings indicate cathepsin L as a novel 'proprotein convertase' for production of neuropeptides that mediate cell-cell communication in health and disease.
Fatty acid synthesis in the developing brain.

Extract: Fatty acid biosynthesis in the developing brain was studied. During development, total fatty acid synthesis was maximal at 15–16 days of age—a time of rapid myelination for this species. Results were expressed as mμmoles of 14C-labeled acetyl-CoA incroported into fatty acids per milligram of brain mitochondrial of microsomal protein, and as 14C-labeled malony-CoA incorporated per milligram of microsmal protein.
Dasatinib Combined with Interferon-alfa Induces a Complete Cytogenetic Response and Major Molecular Response in a Patient with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Harboring the T315I BCR-ABL1 Mutation

Abstract Mutations of BCR-ABL1 are observed in 50% of patients with imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The T315I mutation is resistant to imatinib and second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We report the case of a 57-year-old man diagnosed with CML in 2003 in whom imatinib therapy failed after which he acquired the T315I mutation. He was treated sequentially with an anti-T315I–specific agent, KW-2449, that led to eradication of the mutation without any further improvement. Subsequent introduction of combination therapy that included dasatinib and pegylated interferon led to the achievement of a sustained complete cytogenetic and major molecular response (MMR). This case illustrates the benefit of combination therapy that includes a TKI and a second agent with a different mechanism of action, either sequentially (TKI followed by KW-2449) or concomitantly (TKI + interferon), in eradicating resistant disease with the T315I clone.
Health, Quality of Care and Quality of Life: A Case of Frail Older Adults

This study explores the relationship between health, quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life for the purpose of furthering the understanding of the relationship between quality of life and geriatric case management. Using survey data from a group of frail older adults, this study assesses the relative merit of two mediation hypotheses: one considering health as a mediator for quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life, and the other considering quality of care of geriatric case management as a mediator for health and quality of life. The study findings show that quality of care of geriatric case management, measured by client satisfaction, was not a mediator between health and quality of life (measured by life satisfaction). There was a significant positive association between quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life. Although the significant association between quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life could not be mediated by either self-rated health or self-reported physical activity levels, it was completely mediated by health satisfaction. These findings provided preliminary empirical evidence to support a significant relationship between quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life.
Nuclear chromatin proteins from rabbit cerebrum, cerebellum and liver: synthesis and phosphorylation.

— In order to investigate synthesis and phosphorylation of the various fractions of nuclear proteins. [3H]leucine and [32P] phosphate incorporation were studied with tissue slices in vitro. Cerebral cortex and cerebellum were used to delineate the similarity and dissimilarity within CNS, and liver was taken to compare the extraneural organ. There were significant differences in [3H]leucine incorporation into nuclear proteins among those tissue sources examined, while [32P]phosphate incorporation showed very similar results among them. Although the acidic chromatin protein demonstrated high activity in each tissue source for both synthesis and phosphorylation, 0.14M-NaCl soluble protein showed the activity as high as or even higher than the acidic chromatin protein. Both [3H]leucine incorporation and [32P]phosphate incorporation were relatively low in histone. When the acidic chromatin protein was further fractionated with SDS-acrylamide gel electrophoresis, significant difference was found between CNS tissue and liver for synthesis and phosphorylation. However, considerable difference was also observed even between cerebral cortex and cerebellum. The present investigation demonstrated complicity and diversity of nuclear chromatin proteins in different organs, not only for their protein constituents but also for their synthesis and phosphorylation.
Separating sparse and low-dimensional signal sequences from time-varying undersampled projections of their sums

The goal of this work is to recover a sequence of sparse vectors, st; and a sequence of dense vectors, lt, that lie in a “slowly changing” low dimensional subspace, from time-varying undersampled linear projections of their sum. This type of problem typically occurs when the quantity being imaged can be split into a sum of two layers, one of which is sparse and the other is low-dimensional. A key application where this problem occurs is in undersampled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to detect brain activation patterns in response to a stimulus. The brain image at time t can be modeled as being a sum of the active region image, st, (equal to the activation in the active region and zero everywhere else) and the background brain image, lt, which can be accurately modeled as lying in a slowly changing low dimensional subspace. We introduce a novel solution approach called matrix completion projected compressive sensing or MatComProCS. Significantly improved performance of MatComProCS over existing work is shown for the undersampled fMRI based brain active region detection problem.
New viruses for cancer therapy: meeting clinical needs

Early-stage clinical trials of oncolytic virotherapy have reported the safety of several virus platforms, and viruses from three families have progressed to advanced efficacy trials. In addition, preclinical studies have established proof-of-principle for many new genetic engineering strategies. Thus, the virotherapy field now has available a diverse collection of viruses that are equipped to address unmet clinical needs owing to improved systemic administration, greater tumour specificity and enhanced oncolytic efficacy. The current key challenge for the field is to develop viruses that replicate with greater efficiency within tumours while achieving therapeutic synergy with currently available treatments.
ANALYSIS OF HOMEOBOX GENE HOXA10 MUTATIONS IN CRYPTORCHIDISM

AbstractPurpose: Cryptorchidism is the most common congenital abnormality of the genitalia. However, its exact etiology remains to be defined. Homeobox (HOX) containing genes have a key role in the morphogenesis of segmental structures along the primary body axis, including the urogenital mesenchyma. In male mice with a targeted deletion of the HOXA10 gene cryptorchidism manifests in the absence of other major defects. Because to our knowledge this gene has never been examined for alterations in humans, we evaluated whether mutations of HOXA10 are associated with cryptorchidism in humans.Materials and Methods: Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from human blood or tissue samples from 16 noncryptorchid control subjects and 45 cryptorchid boys. To screen for mutations exons 1 and 2 of the HOXA10 gene were amplified individually by polymerase chain reaction using 6 overlapping oligonucleotide primer pairs. Single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the amplified radiolabeled ...
Two-mode squeezing in a four-wave-mixing oscillator.

It is shown that a four-wave-mixing oscillator [R. Ghosh and G. S. Agarwal, Phys. Rev. A 39, 1582 (1989)] operating above threshold exhibits nonclassical effects in the average phase and the amplitude difference of two radiation fields and shows two-mode squeezing. A maximum of 50% intracavity squeezing is found in the fluctuations of two Hermitian operators corresponding to the average phase and the relative amplitude, which becomes 75% squeezing outside the cavity. The variance in the intensity difference between the two fields is half the shot-noise limit inside the cavity but is perfectly suppressed outside the cavity, and both variances inside and outside the cavity are independent of how far above threshold the oscillator is.
Transport of charge in DNA heterostructures

We study the transmission and conductance in poly{G}(T) N poly{G} strand, where G refers to Guanine and T refers to Thymine. We show that T plays a role as a barrier and the transmission decreases exponentially with the increasing number of Ts. We also investigate the transmission and conductance through superlattices poly{GGTT} and poly{GT}. Minibands are observed in these structures. The effect of coupling between DNA molecule and metal contacts is also explored.
Concerning the development of scales of solvent ionizing power based on solvolyses of benzylic substrates

Based on analysis of recently reported measurements, it is suggested that, provided a sufficiently large set of specific rate measurements in a wide variety of solvent types is available, the negligible to moderate improvements in the correlations of other types of benzylic chlorides, which are gained by use of a benzylic chloride (in place of 1-adamantyl chloride) as the standard substrate, do not justify the development of new specialized scales of solvent ionizing power. A similar conclusion is reached concerning solvent ionizing power scales developed for use with benzylic p-nitrobenzoates. However, such scales could be helpful when specific rates of solvolysis in only a limited variety of solvents are available, e.g. when a change in mechanism severely limits the range of operation of one of the pathways. Contrary to a previous claim, variations in ion-pair return could be the cause of deviations from Grunwald-Winstein plots for solvolyses of benzhydryl chloride in fluorinated alcohol solvents; such effects could be coupled, at least in part, with variations in aromatic ring solvation.
Glycosaminoglycans in the basal lamina and extracellular matrix of the developing mouse mammary duct

Abstract Mammary ductal elongation in the subadult virgin mouse takes place as the enlarged epithelial tip, or “end bud,” grows into the surrounding fatty stroma. By means of histochemical and autoradiographic techniques used in conjunction with enzyme susceptibility studies, we demonstrated that the basal lamina (BL) at the end bud tip is rich in hyaluronate, which is produced by a distinct outermost layer of epithelium, the “cap cells.” The posterior regions of the end bud are associated with ductal morphogenesis and tissue stabilization, and here both the epithelia and the stroma are sites of intense sulfated glycosaminoglycan (S-GAG) synthesis. Synthesis of S-GAGs was also found to extend beyond the region of collagen fibrillogenesis, and into the connective tissue between the advancing ducts, leading us to speculate that these S-GAGs play a role in the establishment of interductal spacing.
Friendship and epistemic norms

Simon Keller and Sarah Stroud have both argued that the demands of being a good friend can conflict with the demands of standard epistemic norms. Intuitively, good friends will tend to seek favorable interpretations of their friends’ behaviors, interpretations that they would not apply to strangers; as such they seem prone to form unjustified beliefs. I argue that there is no such clash of norms. In particular, I argue that friendship does not require us to form beliefs about our friends in the biased fashion suggested by Stroud and Keller. I further argue that while some slight bias in belief-formation might be permitted by friendship, any such bias would fall within the bounds of epistemic propriety.
Ion selectivity of colicin E1: II. Permeability to organic cations

Channels formed by colicin E1 in planar lipid bilayers have large diameters and conduct both cations and anions. The rates at which ions are transported, however, are relatively slow, and the relative anion-to-cation selectivity is modulated over a wide range by the pH of the bathing solutions. We have examined the permeability of these channels to cationic probes having a variety of sizes, shapes, and charge distributions. All of the monovalent probes were found to be permeant, establishing a minimum diameter at the narrowest part of the pore of approximately 9 A. In contrast to this behavior, all of the polyvalent organic cations were shown to be impermeant. This simple exclusionary rule is interpreted as evidence that, when steric restrictions require partial dehydration of an ion, the structure of the channel is able to provide a substitute electrostatic environment for only one charged group at time.
Using holography to measure extinction.

This work presents a new concept to measure the extinction cross section for a single particle in situ. The concept involves recording the hologram produced by the interference of a particle’s forward-scattered light with the incident light. This interference pattern is fundamentally connected to the energy flow that gives rise to extinction, and, by integrating this measured pattern, one obtains an approximation for the cross section. Mie theory is used to show that this approximation can be as little as 1% in error of the true value for many cases of practical interest. Moreover, since an image of the particle can be computationally reconstructed from a measured hologram using the Fresnel–Kirchhoff diffraction theory, one can obtain the cross section simultaneously with the particle shape and size.
Print Newspapers: Are They Still Being Used in Academic and Research Libraries?

A six-month print newspaper usage study at the University of Michigan's Hatcher Graduate Library showed a marked decrease in use from a more limited study done four years previously. In general, patrons used only the major national, international, and regional newspapers. Communications with other academic and research libraries confirm these findings.
Coordinated hydrazone ligands as nucleophiles: reactions of Fe(papy)2.

The diamagnetic iron(II) complexes of the hydrazone ligand pyridinecarboxaldehyde-2‘-pyridylhydrazone (papyH) have been characterized by NMR, IR, UV−vis, and electrochemistry. The dication Fe(papyH...