cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Encapsulation of 8-azaguanine in single multiple compartment liposomes.

Incorporation of (2-/sup 14/C)-8-azaguanine into positively charged single and multiple component dipalmitoyl-DL-..cap alpha..-phosphatidylcholine and egg yolk phosphatidylcholine liposomes has been established. The extent of encapsulation in single compartment liposomes is 0.70-1.80 percent, and it depends on the concentration of the added 8-azaguanine and the sonication time. Utilizing dialysis, the leakage of the drug from the single compartment liposomes after 20 hours was determined to be 4-34 percent. At high concentration of the added drug it is possible to encapsulate 18 x 10/sup -9/ pmole of 8-azaguanine per liposome. Percentages of uptake into multicompartment liposomes are 3.6-5.4 percent. A preliminary study has been carried out on the effects of free and single and multiple compartment encapsulated 8-azaguanine on the survival and weight gains of leukemia L-1210 bearing mice.
Determination of Coating Deterioration with EIS: I. Basic Relationships

Abstract Various parameters that can be obtained from impedance data such as the break-point frequency fb, the magnitude of the phase angle minimum ϕmin at high frequencies, and the frequency fmin of ϕmin are useful to estimate the degree of deterioration of organic coatings on metals. Data obtained earlier by Kendig and Mansfeld for polybutadiene on steel have been reinterpreted using this concept. The delamination function defined in this paper based on impedance data agrees very well with the degree of delamination determined visually according to ASTM D 610.
Studies on the synnematous Fungi imperfecti. I.

Albosynnema with the type species,A. elegans, andSolheimia with the type species,S. costaspora, are described as new synnematous taxa. A species ofNegeriella, N. panamensis, is described as new. All of these new taxa produce phragmospores. In addition, new distribution records forCalostilbella Calostilbe, Stromatographium stromaticum, Vrikshopama swetasakha, andIsaria tenuipes are listed.
Cities and Wealth in the South Atlantic: Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro before 1860

Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, the leading cities of the South Atlantic, experienced substantial growth in wealth holding during the first half of the nineteenth century. In this article, we argue that this growth is best interpreted in a broad, comparative framework, which examines these cities in relation to their internal demographic and institutional arrangements and to their external links to the Atlantic World. Our research emphasizes three major comparative findings. First, according to our samples, both Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires experienced substantial growth in wealth holding from the 1820s through the 1850s, well before their participation in the better-known global economic expansion of the late nineteenth century. Second, residents of both South Atlantic cities held wealth broadly similar in scale with their counterparts in comparable cities in North America. And third, wealth inequality was probably no greater in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires than in contemporary cities in the United States. Moreover, we believe that these increases in average wealth holding, as well as changes in the allocation of wealth across sectors, suggests economies that were growing rapidly while becoming more complex.
Laboratory and Astronomical Identification of the Negative Molecular Ion C6H

The negative molecular ion C6H- has been detected in the radio band in the laboratory and has been identified in the molecular envelope of IRC +10216 and in the dense molecular cloud TMC-1. The spectroscopic constants derived from laboratory measurements of 17 rotational lines between 8 and 187 GHz are identical to those derived from the astronomical data, establishing unambiguously that C6H- is the carrier of the series of lines with rotational constant 1377 MHz first observed by K. Kawaguchi et al. in IRC +10216. The column density of C6H- toward both sources is 1%-5% that of neutral C6H. These surprisingly high abundances for a negative ion imply that if other molecular anions are similarly abundant with respect to their neutral counterparts, they may be detectable both in the laboratory at high resolution and in interstellar molecular clouds.
Adsorption of Catharanthus roseus cells on various support particles

Adsorption ofC. roseus cells producing indole alkaloids on various support particles were investigated in an attempt to find a suitable support material for surface culture of plant cells. Five different support particles namely gelatin, agar, alginate, polypropylene and glass beads were tested. Gelatin was found to be the most effective adsorbent resulting in nearly 30% adsorption of cells initially present in suspension. Adsorption isotherm of cells on gelatin beads was represented by a three parameter expression due to sigmoidal shape of the isotherm. The constants of the adsorption isotherm were determined using the experimental data.
The giant E1 resonance for deformed nuclei

Abstract The random-phase approximation has been applied in particular to treat the giant E1 resonance of the deformed nucleus Mg 24 . Two well separated peaks are predicted on the basis of reasonable force parameters. The backward-going graphs are found not to affect significantly the positions of the 1 − states or the relative distribution of the oscillator strength. On the other hand the Thomas-Kuhn-Reiche sum is diminished for the case of a Ferrell-Visscher force by a magnitude of up to 30% by the inclusion of ground state correlations. The violation of the TKR sum rule encountered in the shell-model calculations is thus reduced considerably.
Biological and chemical mineralization of pyridine

A comparison was made between biological and chemical mineralization of pyridine, an N-heterocyclic pollutant, in a liquid culture and a slurry of ground water and subsurface sediment. A bacterial culture of an Alcaligenes sp. that degrades pyridine was found to be more effective at oxidizing [2,6-[sup 14]C] pyridine to [sup 14]CO[sub 2] than Fenton's reagent. Alcaligenes sp. converted 73.1 % of the [sup 14]C-labeled pyridine to [sup 14]CO[sub 2], whereas the Fenton reagent converted 65.6% of the compound. In the case of bacteria, the remaining chemical was incorporated primarily into biomass (9.2%), whereas the remaining pyridine was converted to unidentified products (16.3%) by the Fenton reagent. However, based on chromatographic analysis, these compounds were not mono-hydroxylated pyridines. Mineralization of pyridine by Fenton's reagent was affected by the concentration of H[sub 2]O[sub 2] and by the concentration and oxidation state of available iron. Maximal mineralization occurred at a concentration of more than 0.15% H[sub 2]O[sub 2] (44 mM), 1 mM Fe[sup 3+], or 2 mM Fe[sup 2+]. Furthermore, the rates of both microbial and chemical mineralization were influenced by the initial pyridine concentration. Maximum specific rates of mineralization were 6.5 [mu]g/h/mg biomass for the bacteria and 2.7 [mu]g/h/mg Fe[sup 2+] formore » the Fenton reagent. The feasibility of using Fenton's reagent for treating ground water and subsurface sediments polluted with pyridine was found to be limited, because only 24.5% of the pyridine was converted in CO[sub 2]. In contrast, when cultures of the Alcaligenes sp. were used to treat ground water, as much as 54.4% of the labeled compound was mineralized to [sup 14]CO[sub 2].« less
Magnetic-field dependence of the low-temperature specific heat in PrInAg 2 : Support for a nonmagnetic heavy-fermion ground state

In order to elucidate the nature of the ground state in the heavy-electron system ${\mathrm{PrInAg}}_{2},$ we measured its specific heat for temperatures between 60 mK and 2 K in magnetic fields up to 9 T. The peak maximum of the low-temperature anomaly in the specific heat (interpreted as Kondo anomaly) shifts from 0.42 K at zero field to 0.45 K at 6 T, and to 0.5 K at 9 T. The data at 3 T (after subtracting the low-temperature tail due to a Schottky anomaly) are practically indistinguishable from the zero-field data. A low-temperature nuclear Schottky anomaly from a hyperfine enhancement of the Pr nuclei was observed in field. Both enhanced hyperfine interaction and the insensitivity of the specific-heat anomaly to fields support the hypothesis that the Kondo effect in this system has a nonmagnetic origin.
Determinants of Food Intake in Obesity

Obese human subjects who were offered three sandwiches ate more than normal subjects. When only one sandwich was offered and additional sandwiches were available but out of sight, the obese subjects ate less than normal subjects. This resuclt is discussed in terms of the types of cues that motivate eating for obese versus normal individuals.
EXTENDING THE SHELF LIFE OF FROZEN ARGENTINE HAKE

The development of oxidative rancidity in partially-cooked, breaded fish sticks (Argentine hake) during storage at -18°C was greatest in samples prepared from normally skinned fillets, intermediate in samples made from fillets that had been either deep-skinned (saberized) or treated with sodium erythorbate, and least in samples which received both treatments. The relative effect of these various treatments was similar in the frozen product stored as raw fillet blocks; however, the rate of flavor deterioration was less when stored in raw block form compared to fish sticks.
Age and oxygen toxicity related fluorescence in the honey bee thorax

Abstract The blue fluorescent material in thoraxes of honey bees of known adult age from eclosion to 28 days was measured. The amount was greater in older insects and exposure to ozone (ppm) augmented the rate of accumulation. The nearly constant daylight flying by the bees and the ozone effect suggest radical peroxidative origin of the fluorescence. The material was partially purified by chromatography. It is a relatively non-polar lipid.
Borehole deformation experiments, Barnes Ice Cap, Canada

Abstract Deformation measurements in four boreholes distributed along a flowplane on Barnes Ice Cap were evaluated using a Glen-type flow law with strain rate varying as stress cubed. The values obtained for the ice flow parameter, B, are broadly consistent with measurements on other natural ice masses. The ice through which one of the boreholes passes seems unusually stiff, however. This suggests that stresses in this location, near the equilibrium line, are lower than predicted theoretically or by finite-element modeling. Near the glacier surface the octahedral strain rate is dominated by the longitudinal and transverse strain rates. Despite this, the shear strain rate does not increase linearly with depth, as might be expected from Glen's flow law. This is a common problem in such analyses, and may reflect uncertainty either in the shear strain rates or in the estimate of the shear stress. Alternatively Glen's flow law may not be applicable in certain low-stress situations in which no single stress component is clearly dominant. Blue ice with a fabric having two maxima lying in a vertical plane normal to the flow direction appears to be slightly softer than blue ice with a broad single maximum fabric, and blue ice with a three or four maximum fabric is stiffer than that with a broad single maximum fabric, but the differences are not large. Bubbly white ice at the base of the glacier is appreciably softer than overlying blue ice; as discussed previously, this softness is attributed to the high bubble content.
Conditional cash transfers, schooling, and child labor : micro-simulating Brazil's bolsa escola program

A growing number of developing economies are providing cash transfers to poor people that require certain behaviors on their part, such as attending school or regularly visiting health care facilities. A simple ex ante methodology is proposed for evaluating such programs and used to assess the bolsa escola program in Brazil. The results suggest that about 60 percent of poor 10- to 15-year-olds not in school enroll in response to the program. The program reduces the incidence of poverty by only a little more than one percentage point, however, and the Gini coefficient falls just half a point. Results are better for measures more sensitive to the bottom of the distribution, but the effect is never large.
Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS): Current Measurement in an Integrated Ocean Observing System

The Gulf of Maine ocean observing system (GoMOOS) was established in the summer of 2001 as a prototype real-time observing system that now includes eleven solar- powered buoys with physical and optical sensors, four shore- based long-range HF radar surface current systems, circulation and wave models, satellite observations, and hourly web delivery of data. The Gulf of Maine (GoM) is a harsh operational environment. Its winter storms pose severe challenges that include waves exceeding 10 m in height, and the build up of sea ice on buoy superstructure, solar panels, and sensors. In summer the productive waters of the GoM present severe biofouling problems that can affect the optical sensors. These periods of most difficult operations correspond to the periods of greatest data value, in terms of marine safety, search and rescue, and monitoring biological productivity.
Regulation of Spine Calcium Dynamics by Rapid Spine Motility

Dendritic spines receive most excitatory inputs in the CNS and compartmentalize calcium. Spines also undergo rapid morphological changes, although the function of this motility is still unclear. We have investigated the effect of spine movement on spine calcium dynamics with two-photon photobleaching of enhanced green fluorescent protein and calcium imaging of action potential-elicited transients in spines from layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in mouse visual cortex slices. The elongation or retraction of the spine neck during spine motility alters the diffusional coupling between spine and dendrite and significantly changes calcium decay kinetics in spines. Our results demonstrate that the spine's ability to compartmentalize calcium is constantly changing.
Multiple Forms of Non-Associative Plasticity in Aplysia: A Behavioural, Cellular and Pharmacological Analysis

A complete understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying the formation of associations between stimuli, as occurs during classical conditioning, requires an understanding of the non-associative effects of the individual stimuli. The siphon withdrawal reflex of Aplysia exhibits both non-associative and associative learning when a tactile stimulus to the siphon serves as a conditioned stimulus, and tail shock serves as an unconditioned stimulus. In this chapter we describe experiments which examine the non-associative effects of tail shock at three different levels of analysis. At a behavioural level we found that the magnitude, and even the sign of reflex modulation induced by tail shock depended critically on three parameters: (i) the state of the reflex (habituated or non-habituated); (ii) the strength of the tail shock, and (iii) the time of testing after tail shock. Specifically, when non-habituated responses produced by water jet stimuli to the siphon were examined, tail shock produced transient inhibition 90 s later; facilitation of non-habituated responses (sensitization) only emerged after a considerable delay of 20-30 min. When habituated responses were examined, tail shock produced immediate facilitation (dishabituation); the amount of facilitation was inversely related to the strength of tail shock, with stronger shock producing no dishabituation. At a cellular level it was found that the complex excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in siphon motor neurons produced by water jet stimuli to the siphon provides a reliable cellular correlate of several of the non-associative effects of tail shock that we observe behaviourally. When non-decremented complex EPSPS were examined, strong tail shock produced transient inhibition at a test 90 s after shock.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Views on disclosing mistreatment: A focus group study of differences between people with MS and their caregivers

Both female and male persons with MS are at increased risk for various forms of physical, sexual, and disability-specific abuse. An ongoing study revealed a subset of respondents in which the caregiver acknowledged mistreatment of the person with MS, but that person either denied or minimized mistreatment Methods: In an effort to understand this phenomenon, we conducted 4 focus groups of male caregivers, female caregivers, male persons with MS, and female persons with MS (total n=15). Data were analyzed using qualitative methodology Results: Results included the surprising finding that, despite participants having been identified as recipients or perpetrators of mistreatment, all denied any form of abuse in the focus group setting. We concluded that attitudes toward mistreatment in these discrepant couples varied based on gender. Specifically, male caregivers may disclose abuse as a cry for help, whereas female caregivers may feel such behavior is justified because of the perceived provocations of the person with MS. Women with MS appeared reluctant to acknowledge abuse because they feared loss of their primary relationship; while men with MS calculated that putting up with a certain amount of mistreatment was worthwhile Conclusion: More attention should be paid in identifying and understanding this subset of persons with MS and their informal caregivers. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Heteroepitaxial growth of tungsten oxide films on silicon(100) using a BaF2 buffer layer

Multidomained heteroepitaxial WO3 films were grown on Si(100) substrates using a (111)-oriented BaF2 buffer layer at the WO3–Si interface. The 30-nm-thick BaF2 layer, grown by very low rate molecular-beam epitaxy, consisted of four equivalent crystalline domains oriented about the BaF2[111] axis, which provided templates for heteroepitaxial WO3 film growth. The WO3 films were grown by electron cyclotron resonance oxygen plasma-assisted electron beam evaporation of a WO3 source, and the temperature range was varied between 25°C and 600°C. At an optimal deposition temperature of approximately 450°C, monoclinic-phase WO3 films were produced, which consisted of coexisting (002), (020), and (200) in-plane orientations with respect to the BaF2(111)/Si(100) substrate. During growth, an interfacial barium tungstate (BaWO4) reaction product formed at the WO3–BaF2 interface. The {112} planes of this BaWO4 layer also have a multidomained heteroepitaxial orientation with respect to the BaF2(111) buffer layer. Postdeposition annealing experiments in air for 24 h at 400°C indicated that the heteroepitaxial BaWO4 and WO3 layers remain stable. A thermodynamic argument is used to explain the BaWO4 interfacial reaction during initial growth stages, and kinetically limited diffusion processes through the BaWO4layer coupled with lattice matching across the WO3–BaWO4 interface are proposed to be responsible for the formation of stable WO3 films at later growth stages.
A Reply to Halpern's Commentary: Theory-Driven Methods for Classifying Groups Can Reveal Individual Differences in Spatial Ability within Females☆

Abstract In Halpern's commentary, she strongly supports our theoretical and methodological framework for addressing the ways in which biological and environmental factors interact to influence spatial ability in females (see my review in this issue). I have reanalyzed a data set using two classification methods, to address Halpern's specific criticism that another researcher (McKeever, 1991) has found a pattern of results different from ours. The right-handed females from a suburban high school sample were given the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test, the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, and a family handedness questionnaire. When these females were divided into familial handedness subgroups based on the criteria used by McKeever, no significant differences were obtained. However, using a theory-driven classification system based on Annett's genetic theory, I found significantly reduced spatial ability among the predicted subgroup of right-handed females. In this reply: (1) I also address Halpern's main criticism regarding the genetic basis of handedness (which is the underlying assumption of Annett's theory), and (2) I have described a mechanism which may account for the impact of both genetic and environmental factors on individual differences in handedness and pattern of fetal brain development.
Distribution of WDR36 DNA sequence variants in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE. To determine the distribution of WDR36 sequence variants in a cohort of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the United States. METHODS. All of the 23 coding exons and flanking introns of the WDR36 gene were sequenced in 118 probands from families with at least two members affected by POAG, 6 probands from juvenile-onset POAG families, and 108 control individuals. RESULTS. Thirty-two WDR36 sequence variants were found in this population of patients with POAG. Nonsynonymous singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including those previously described as “disease-causing” and “disease susceptibility,” were found in 17% of POAG patients and 4% of control subjects. Although the distribution of WDR36 variants in the pedigrees did not show consistent segregation with the disease, the WDR36 sequence variants were found more frequently in patients with more severe disease. CONCLUSIONS. The results of this study suggest that abnormalities in WDR36 alone are not sufficient to cause POAG. The association of WDR36 sequence variants with more severe disease in affected individuals suggests that defects in the WDR36 gene can contribute to POAG and that WDR36 may be a glaucoma modifier gene. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006; 47:2542‐2546) DOI:10.1167/iovs.05-1476
Erythropoietin effects on fetal mouse erythroid cells. I. Cell population and hemoglobin synthesis

The effect of the hormone, erythropoietin, on cultures of erythroblasts derived from the livers of fetal C57BL/6J mice was examined. An increase both in the content and in the rate of synthesis of normal adult mouse globin chains was detected in hormone-treated cultures. The rate of protein synthesis by individual erythroblasts does not increase in response to the hormone, whereas the absolute number of hemoglobin-synthesizing cells does increase and accounts for the observed stimulation of hemoglobin synthesis. The principal effect of erythropoietin appears to be upon the population of immature erythroid precursor cells which persists in the presence of the hormone, the cells maintaining their ability to replicate, and their capacity to differentiate into hemoglobinizing erythroblasts. In the absence of hormone, already committed erythroblasts continue their development, but erythropoiesis is not sustained.
An application of system theory to stochastic models for first order chemical reactions

A new approach for the computation of probability distributions for coupled first order chemical reactions is introduced. The approach is based on system theory, where the system states are chemical species and the signals are probabilities. We derive the transfer functions of the so defined systems and show that they can be applied to various reaction environments. The use of block diagrams offers a clear, visual, and convenient way to decompose a complicated reaction system into simpler sub-systems and vice versa. Since the state of the system is defined as a molecule species instead of molecule population, with this method, one can study chemical reactions involving any number of molecules.
Optimization and performance analysis of handover process in micro-cell systems

In cell and micro-cell environmental for 3G mobile communications, the probability of the dropping of handover calls due to users' mobility and blocking of new calls is the main parameter, which determines the QoS of the system. Now although some policy can improve the performance of handovers, they all increase the blocking probability of new calls. In this paper we propose a new call admission policy, which based on the fractional guard channel scheme, but additionally considers the blocking of new calls. This proposed policy could improve the performance of the system, compared to the commonly used call admission policy.
Tri-band frequency selective surface with circular ring elements

Theoretical analysis, physical reasonings, and experimental verifications are presented for a frequency selective surface with circular ring elements. Both double-screen and single-screen designs are generated for a tri-band system that reflects the X-band signal while transmitting through the S- and Ku-band signals. In these designs, the dielectric loading effect is used to reduce ring size and element spacing and thus avoid the grating lobe problem. The circular ring element is very insensitive to a large variation of the RF incident angle. >
Microwave-powered, unmanned, high-altitude airplanes

Performance analysis and sizing studies have been conducted for unmanned, microwave powered, low speed airplanes that must fly with long endurance at high altitude The necessity of locating the receiving antenna in the vehicle wing couples both vehicle sizing and flight mechanics with power transmission This leads to un conventional performance equations for flight modes using either continuous power transmission or boost glide flight paths Vehicle size is a direct function of payload weight and power requirements Analytic results indicate that a variety of strategies can be employed to enhance vehicle performance for a range of mission requirements and wind conditions
Robotic sensory data fusion: a regularized color edge detection approach

Data fusion provides tools for solving problems which are characterized by distributed and diverse information sources. In this paper we focus on the problem of extracting features such as image discontinuities from both synthetic and real color images. Since edge detection is an ill-posed problem in the sense of Hadamard, Tikhonov's regularization paradigm is proposed as a tool for solving this inversion problem and restoring well-posedness. The proposed framework includes (1) a systematic view of one-dimensional as well as two-dimensional regularization, (2) extension of the standard Tikhonov regularization method by allowing space-variant regularization parameters, and (3) further extension of the regularization paradigm by adding multiple data sources to allow for data fusion. The theoretical approach is complemented by developing a series of algorithms and then solving the early vision problem of color edge detection. An evaluation of this method shows this new analytical data fusion technique output is consistently better than each of the individual RGB edge maps.
Hetero-bivalent GLP-1/Glibenclamide for Targeting Pancreatic β-Cells

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) cell signalling cascades are initiated upon binding of a specific agonist ligand to its cell surface receptor. Linking multiple heterologous ligands that simultaneously bind and potentially link different receptors on the cell surface is a unique approach to modulate cell responses. Moreover, if the target receptors are selected based on analysis of cell-specific expression of a receptor combination, then the linked binding elements might provide enhanced specificity of targeting the cell type of interest, that is, only to cells that express the complementary receptors. Two receptors whose expression is relatively specific (in combination) to insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells are the sulfonylurea-1 (SUR1) and the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors. A heterobivalent ligand was assembled from the active fragment of GLP-1 (7-36 GLP-1) and glibenclamide, a small organic ligand for SUR1. The synthetic construct was labelled with Cy5 or europium chelated in DTPA to evaluate binding to β-cells, by using fluorescence microscopy or time-resolved saturation and competition binding assays, respectively. Once the ligand binds to β-cells, it is rapidly capped and presumably removed from the cell surface by endocytosis. The bivalent ligand had an affinity approximately fivefold higher than monomeric europium-labelled GLP-1, likely a result of cooperative binding to the complementary receptors on the βTC3 cells. The high-affinity binding was lost in the presence of either unlabelled monomer, thus demonstrating that interaction with both receptors is required for the enhanced binding at low concentrations. Importantly, bivalent enhancement was accomplished in a cell system with physiological levels of expression of the complementary receptors, thus indicating that this approach might be applicable for β-cell targeting in vivo.
Developing and bounding ice particle mass- and area-dimension expressions for use in atmospheric models and remote sensing

Abstract. Ice particle mass- and projected area-dimension (m-D and A-D) power laws are commonly used in the treatment of ice cloud microphysical and optical properties and the remote sensing of ice cloud properties. Although there has long been evidence that a single m-D or A-D power law is often not valid over all ice particle sizes, few studies have addressed this fact. This study develops self-consistent m-D and A-D expressions that are not power laws but can easily be reduced to power laws for the ice particle size (maximum dimension or D) range of interest, and they are valid over a much larger D range than power laws. This was done by combining ground measurements of individual ice particle m and D formed at temperature T
Discussion of the Quality of Accruals and Earnings: The Role of Accrual Estimation Errors

Dechow and Dichev (2002) model earnings quality as the magnitude of estimation errors in accruals, and provide empirical estimates of this construct based on the relation between accruals and cash flows. I characterize the innovation and limitations in this approach, and provide empirical evidence of measurement error in their empirical specification. I also adapt their model to assess the specification of the Jones' (1991) model and document that this model provides estimates of discretionary accruals that are significantly associated with cash flows, which are likely to be substantially nondiscretionary. I conclude with suggestions for future research on earnings quality and earnings management.
Use of Creative Therapy with Adolescents in an Inpatient Setting

Abstract This paper discusses how creative therapy can be used with adolescents and their families in an inpatient psychiatric setting. This paper is meant to illustrate some examples of how art and play therapy can enhance the therapeutic exchange between patient and therapist or family. Traditional psychotherapy can be beneficial to some patients, however, for those who find it difficult to express themselves verbally, creative therapy may be a useful tool in facilitating expression of feelings without necessarily having to verbalize them. This is especially true of adolescents, whose need for peer acceptance may cause them to feel awkward talking in a group, or fear being called names or being made fun of for what they may disclose in a group.
Thirty Years of Solicitude: Antitrust Law and Physician Cartels

Over the last thirty years the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice have challenged dozens of physician cartels, networks, and other arrangements that they alleged constituted price fixing or other restraints of trade under the antitrust laws. In addition, the antitrust agencies have issued numerous advisory opinions, published detailed statements of enforcement policy, and made dozens of public statements on the issue of physician collaboration. The puzzle explored in this essay is why the government's deployment of unparalleled enforcement resources has not curtailed physician attempts to engage in collective bargaining and other attempts to restrain price competition. It first analyzes the hypothesis that overly cautious government enforcement policies created a mismatch between penalties and rewards that invited abuse. While finding merit in this explanation, the essay offers a more nuanced account. It suggests that a convergence of other factors including doctrinal shortcomings, political pressures, and institutional factors may have deterred the Agencies from seeking stronger remedies and emboldened parties who questioned the role of competition in health markets generally. A related claim of this essay is that the Agencies may have inadvertently precipitated some of this conduct by the regulatory efforts they have undertaken.
SNR tradeoffs in PET images derived from the sum of multiple short duration frames versus a single frame of equal duration

1748 Objectives: It was recently suggested that PET images generated from the sum of multiple short duration frames have superior SNR than those generated from a single acquisition over the same scan duration (JNM vol 47(5) 374P 2006, IEEE medical imaging conf. M04-5 2006). In this abstract we focus on the variation of SNR with respect to the number of frames used to generate the final PET image. Methods: A NEMA IEC phantom containing six spheres was scanned on a DISCOVERY STE PET/CT scanner. The phantom was scanned in 2D and 3D using List mode in a single filed of view (FOV). Three sphere to background ratios (SBR) were used (3.5:1, 5.34:1, 8:1) while keeping background activity concentration constant. In each case, the total scan duration was 3 minutes (similar to our clinical protocol/FOV). The List data was then segmented into 14 combinations of short-duration frames: 180*1, 90*2, 60*3, 36*5, 30*6, 20*9, 18*10, 12*15, 9*20, 6*30, 5*36, 3*60, 2*90, and 1*180 (frames*seconds). For each combination, the frames were reconstructed using OSEM (2 iterations 21 subsets), and summed to produce the 3-minute image. ROIs were drawn on all 6 spheres of the resulting images and the mean value was recorded. The standard deviation (STD) of 30 to 60 random pixels chosen from the background region was used to evaluate the noise in the background. The SNR for each sphere, acquisition mode, and SBR was then calculated by dividing the mean by the STD. The SNR was then plotted for the different frame combinations in each SBR. Results: Comparisons within each case revealed that as the number of frames decreased, the mean ROI intensity of all spheres increased slowly before reaching a plateau, while the noise first decreased and then increased. This resulted in a maximum SNR that ranged between 12*15 and 6*30 for 2D and 30*6 and 18*10 (frames*seconds) for 3D. Similar observations were found for different SBRs. In all cases, images generated from the combination with the largest number of frames had the worst SNR and were of lower quality than images generated for a single frame. Conclusions: This study showed that images generated from multiple frames would have better quality only if the proper combinations of frames and durations were used.
Sustainable Development in Rural Ghana

Since 2004, Columbia students have been partnering with Obodan, a rural farming village in western Ghana, to develop and implement engineering solutions to problems like water distribution and sanitation. The overarching organization, Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB), has been supervising both the technical details of the projects as well as the community development and adoption thereof, as it does for hundreds of similar projects around the world. Working in Obodan with my classmates and EWB has been the defining experience of my time as an undergraduate, as we learn the possibilities and limitations of engineering, the joys and pitfalls of development work, and how we can carry these lessons throughout our personal and professional lives. This photo essay aims to describe the activities of a typical EWB trip and reflect on the role our work plays in sustainable development.
Growth, water relations, and survival of drought-exposed seedlings from six maternal families of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa): responses to CO2 enrichment

Low water availability is a leading contributor to mortality of woody seedlings on grasslands, including those of the invasive shrub Prosopis. Increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentration could favor some genotypes of this species over others if there exists intraspecific variation in the responsiveness of survivorship to CO 2 . To investigate such variation, we studied effects of CO 2 enrichment on seedling survival in response to uniform rates of soil water depletion in six maternal families of honey mesquite (P. glandulosa Torr. var. glandulosa). Three families each from the arid and mesic extremes of the species' distribution in the southwestern United States were studied in environmentally controlled glasshouses. Relative water content at turgor loss and osmotic potential were not affected by CO 2 treatment. Increased atmospheric CO 2 concentration, however, increased growth, leaf production and area, and midday xylem pressure potential, and apparently reduced transpiration per unit leaf area of seedlings as soil dried. Consequently, CO 2 enrichment about doubled the fraction of seedlings that survived soil water depletion. Maternal families of honey mesquite differed in percentage survival of drought and in several other characteristics, but differences were of similar or of smaller magnitude compared with differences between CO 2 treatments. There was no evidence for genetic variation in the responsiveness of survivorship to CO 2 . By increasing seedling survival of drought, increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentration could increase the abundance of honey mesquite where establishment is limited by water availability. Genetic types with superior ability to survive drought today, however, apparently will maintain that advantage in the future.
Interviewing Working-Class Gay Men Over the Internet

SUMMARY Nine working-class gay men were interviewed over the Internet in relation to their life experience and their resilience in a homophobic, violent and AIDS infected world. The themes that emerged are consistent with the psychosocial focus of previous ethnographic research. These men appeared happy and content with their lives, adapting effectively to environments that are more accepting and supportive than previously assumed in the literature.
Einstellung during simple discrimination learning

Ss were given a simultaneous discrimination problem, in which the larger of two circles was correct, after 0, 3, of 6 problems with position sequence solutions. On all problems Ss were presented with a series of 100 cards, each with two circles of different sizes, and chose one of the circles. The O-condition Ss solved the problem in a mean of 3 trials; the Ss in the other two conditions required a mean of 63 trials, with almost half of the Ss not solving in 100 trials. There was no significant difference between Ss receiving 3 and 6 preliminary problems.
Successful therapy with Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir for hepatitis C reactivation in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common chronic bloodborne infection in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 2.7 million people in the United States hav...
24 Elder abuse

In many parts of the world elder abuse occurs with little recognition and is still considered mostly a private matter. Even today, elder abuse continues to be a taboo and mostly underestimated. This presentation will discuss the prevalence of abuse of older people as well as methods, instruments that are used in studies. Research about where, when and how often elder abuse occurs, is inadequate and inconsistent. Data in some cases are based on professionals’ reports rather than on information from older people themselves. Some EU countries have a rich history of prevalence research, whereas other countries have just begun to tackle this aspect of research on of elder abuse. Surveying elders about such a sensitive topic, however, implies the need for an adequate research instrument (questionnaire) and research design, and an adapted data collection method. Substantial attention has to be paid to outlining possible guidelines for future research. Information on elder abuse helps health and social services to identify and deal with the problem. Without awareness raising and approaches to define, detect and address elder abuse this important wellbeing and health issue of elderly population will continue to be underestimated and overlooked.
Biochemical Pharmacology of Alkaloids

The above quotation may appear preposterously inappropriate in view of the vast literature on pharmacological effects of alkaloids. However, there is indeed little to relate regarding the biochemistry of these effects. Ultimately, gross effects of alkaloids and other foreign molecules on the behavior of animals must have their explanations in terms of specific molecular interactions and chemical reactions. In the course of its development pharmacology has come from observations of total behavior to observations of gross physiological processes, observations on isolated organs and tissues, and elegant and detailed observations at the cellular level. In very few cases has it started to approach observations at the molecular level. At the present, though, it seems important to suggest some of the problems and difficulties that necessarily attend any such molecular approach and to point to a few areas that seem to show some glimmers of success. Essential aspects of pharmacology are doubtless overlooked in this chapter, and it should probably be regarded as a smattering of things that have been of interest to one biochemist rather than a balanced review. Where references to literature are not given, the reader is referred to the general sources [1–7].
Stem Cell Numbers and Quality in a Group of Patients Undergoing Hip Replacement Surgery: Increasing Marrow Fat and Plasma IL-6 Concentrations with Aging.

Diseases such as anemia which increase with age may be indicative of a decline in stem cell numbers and quality. Anemia in many elderly patients is thought to be mediated by inflammatory cytokines. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been reported to increase with age and to have negative effects on myelopoiesis. Another change which may correlate with age and a related decline in stem cell quality is an increase in marrow fat content. The present investigation was designed to evaluate stem cell numbers and quality in a group of patients undergoing hip replacement surgery and correlate stem cell characteristics with the percentage of fat in the marrow and plasma IL-6 concentrations. Marrow stem cells were obtained from the femoral head and trochanter at surgery. Quality was assessed by measuring the proportion of cells in the lower tip of the marrow side population compared to the upper side population by flow cytometry. Fat content in the marrow was measured as a percentage of total volume after sedimentation. A sandwiched-type ELISA was used to measure plasma IL-6 concentrations (R and D Systems). A total of 30 patients were analyzed (36–87 years of age). The number of side-population cells (stem cell numbers) declined with increasing fat content of the marrow. No difference was seen in the ratio between lower and upper side populations (stem cell quality) with age or fat content. Plasma IL-6 concentrations significantly increased with age confirming prior reports (r=0.37; p=0.03). IL-6 concentrations did not correlate with fat content of the marrow. This data suggests that marrow conversion from red (low fat) to yellow (high fat) increases with age along with plasma IL-6 concentrations but these are independent processes. Other inflammatory cytokines are currently under evaluation as potential mediators of the decline in the stem cell compartment with age with particular emphasis on various adipokines since the decline appears to correlate with increased marrow fat content.
Abstract 1022: DYRK1A kinase regulates mTOR signaling via modulating the TSC complex

The Dual specificity Tyrosine-phosphorylation-Regulated Kinase 1A (DYRK1A) kinase is encoded on chromosome 21 and is involved in the pathogenesis of Down syndrome. Earlier studies have shown that DYRK1A is essential for cells to undergo growth arrest following serum starvation, at least in part by promoting the assembly of the DREAM repressor complex. However, the function of this important kinase is not fully understood. Using MudPIT MS/MS proteomic analysis of DYRK1A-interacting proteins followed by immunoprecipitation-Western blotting, we characterized the binding between DYRK1A and the subunits of the TSC tumor suppressor protein complex, a major regulator of the mTORC1 pathway. This interaction was mapped to the kinase domain of DYRK1A, suggesting that the TSC could serve as a substrate for DYRK1A phosphorylation. Indeed, overexpression of DYRK1A increased phosphorylation of both TSC1 and TSC2; this effect was fully reversed by the DYRK1A inhibitor, harmine. Functional studies revealed that loss of DYRK1A in two different cancer cell lines resulted in increased phosphorylation of mTORC1 substrates S6K1 and 4E-BP1. This effect of DYRK1A knockdown was inhibited by rapamycin, confirming the involvement of mTORC1 signaling. Thus, our work revealed novel function of DYRK1A in the regulation of mTOR signaling that controls cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Citation Format: Vijay R. Menon, Larisa Litovchick. DYRK1A kinase regulates mTOR signaling via modulating the TSC complex. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1022. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1022
Anthropoid Origins: Postcranial Evidence from the Eocene of Asia

Paleontologists are interested in the “morphological origin” of anthropoids since virtually all other types of biological information are lost to us. We seek to document the series of anatomical transformations that begin with stem prosimians and end with extant higher primates. Thus, we peer into the fossil record and hope to identify transitional forms that have both prosimian and anthropoid characteristics. Primatologists have identified many postcranial features that distinguish prosimian from anthropoid primates (Table 1; e.g., Ciochon and Chiarelli, 1980; Dagosto, 1990; Fleagle, 1999; Fleagle and Kay, 1994; Kay et al., 1997; LeGros Clark, 1959). If only extant primates are considered, there is a large morphological gap between prosimian and anthropoid morphologies (Table 1). This situation begs two questions: (1) Where are the transitional forms that document the origin of anthropoids? (2) What types of primates will be considered “early,” “stem” or “basal” anthropoids? The first question is rather difficult since we need to actually find the transitional specimens while the second is simply a matter of definition. Table 1. Postcranial characteristics that distinguish living prosimians from living anthropoids Serial no. Prosimian characteristics Anthropoid characteristics 1. Limb proportions = longer hindlimbs (not lorisines) Limbs more equal in proportional lengths 2. Large zona conoidea between the capitulum and the trochlea of the humerus Small to absent 3. Prominent brachial flange Minimal or absent 4. High knees with a high lateral patellar rim (not lorisines) Low knee height 5. Third trochanter present (small in lorisines) Small to absent third trochanter 6. Large lesser trochanter Small lesser trochanter 7. Powerful grasping big toes (larger peroneal tubercle of the first metatarsal) Grasping big toes (reduced peroneal tubercle) 8. Full calcaneocuboid facet Reduced calcaneocuboid facet 9. Full talotibial facet Reduced talotibial facet absent 10. Posterior trochlear shelf (not Tarsius and lorisines) 11. Relatively longer toes Relatively shorter toes