cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical activity and femoral neck bone strength during childhood: The Iowa Bone Development Study

Structural adaptations of bone to changing mechanical loads have recently been documented during adolescence. However, little is known about how bone adapts structurally during the earlier years. Using a longitudinal observational design spanning 6 years of growth (age range 4 to 12 years), we investigated associations between everyday physical activity and hip geometry in a cohort of healthy Midwestern children (n=468). Femoral neck (FN) cross sectional area (CSA, cm(2)) and FN section modulus (Z, cm(3)) were used to describe hip geometry. CSA and Z, indices of axial and bending strength, were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans and the hip structure analysis (HSA) program. Moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed using accelerometry-based activity monitors and calculated as the number of minutes > or =3000 accelerometry movement counts. Data were analyzed using multilevel (random- and fixed-effects) regression models with adjustment for age (year), height (cm), and weight (kg) or lean mass (kg). For boys and girls, MVPA was a positive independent predictor of CSA and Z (p<0.05). On average, children who participated in 40 min of MVPA per day would be expected to have 3% to 5% greater CSA and Z than peers participating in 10 min of MVPA per day. Ten-minute increases in daily MVPA had similar effects on CSA in girls and Z in boys as did each additional 1 kg of body weight. When lean mass was substituted for weight, MVPA continued to be a positive independent predictor of CSA and Z for boys, but not girls. This study demonstrates that everyday amounts of physical activity in children are associated with indices of FN bone strength during childhood. Differences in lean mass mediate associations between physical activity and hip geometry in girls, but only somewhat in boys. These results suggest that physical activity is an important contributor to bone strength prior to adolescence and that increasing levels of physical activity during childhood are likely to enhance optimal bone strength.
The Cecilia Legend as Chaucer Inherited It and Retold It: The Disappearance of an Augustinian Ideal

By comparing successive versions of an early saint's legend, one can trace the progress of religious ideas across the Middle Ages. The procedure is always illuminating, but there is particular interest in applying it to the Cecilia legend, for this is the only actual saint's legend retold by Chaucer. The implications of Chaucer's version, the narrative he assigns to the Second Nun in the Canterbury Tales, cannot be seen clearly unless one knows the tradition behind it. The Cecilia legend survives in a series of alternative versions that comprise an ideal context for defining the salient features of Chaucer's narrative. The oldest of these versions, and the ultimate source for all the rest, is the longer Passio S. Caeciliae. A derivative historical romance dating from the early Middle Ages,1 the Passio is noteworthy for its intellectual seriousness and its avoidance of the excesses, both in plotting and in theology, that characterize some of the more popular legends. In fact, the central meaning of the Passio resides in a complex ideal of perfection that is close to Augustine's teachings, not only in specific details but also in its balance between affirmation and transcendence of the created order. Of the descendants of the Passio in later centuries, all but a few can be ignored here. Three of the English ones the drastic abridgment by iElfric at the end of the tenth century, the popular adaptation in the Northern Homily Cycle at the end of the fourteenth, and the more detailed account by Osbern Bokenham in the mid-fifteenth, which draws both on the Passio itself and on the Legenda aurea of Jacobus de Voragine2 will serve to illustrate
The colorimetric determination of lactic acid in submicrogram quantities.

Abstract 1. 1. A method is described for the colorimetric determination of 0.025–0.25 μg. of lactic acid in 25-μl. samples with a standard deviation of 0.0051 μg. The method is an ultramicro adaptation of the Barker-Summerson method and is suitable for routine use. 2. 2. Factors that are important in reducing contamination by lactic acid from various sources are discussed. 3. 3. The treatment of the samples, necessary to remove interfering substances, has been investigated in some detail. The copper-calcium treatment is suitable for complete removal of protein, and at the same time for partial or complete removal of a few interfering substances. 4. 4. The optimum conditions for a number of experimental variables have been established. An analysis of the variabilities involved in the various steps of the method has been made.
Substrate and Current Velocity Preferences of Spotfin Shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera) and Sand Shiner (Notropis stramineus) in Artificial Streams

ABSTRACT We used artificial streams to quantify substrate choice for spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera) and sand shiner (Notropis stramineus). In Wabash River field surveys, spotfin shiner abundance did not vary with substrate variation, but sand shiner occurred in higher abundance at sites with increased sand substrate. Single and mixed species groups in artificial streams were presented with substrate (sand or hardpan) and flow choices (high flow/no flow). Neither species had substrate preferences in single species experiments. In single species experiments, sand shiner preferred no flow, and spotfin shiner selected high flow. In mixed species groups, sand shiner preferred high flow and sand substrate. However, spotfin shiner preferences for flow and substrate did not change when in mixed species groups. These results demonstrate that species-specific habitat selection behaviors are influenced by interactions within a fish assemblage.
Examining Gender Differences in Ability Group Placement at the Onset of Schooling: The Role of Skills, Behaviors, and Teacher Evaluations.

ABSTRACT The authors analyzed the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) national data set to investigate gender differences in ability group placement in American kindergartens. They found that in kindergarten, within-class ability grouping was widely used for reading instruction, with boys being underrepresented in high-achieving reading groups and overrepresented in low-achieving ones. Gender differences in reading group placement were consistent across classrooms and were explained by student-level characteristics. Boys’ underrepresentation in high reading groups was explained by their lower reading skills at kindergarten entry, as measured by the reading test scores available in the ECLS-K. By contrast, boys’ overrepresentation in low reading groups was only partially explained by their lower test scores. Compared with girls of similar social background and reading test scores, boys continued to have higher chances of placement into a low reading group. This remaining gender ...
A Plasma Wave Accelerator - Surfatron II

Particles may be accelerated to arbitrarily high energy as they ride across the wave fronts. This paper describes this phenomenon for the Surfatron 1. The limitation on the total energy gain possible with recent plasma accelerator schemes such as the beat-wave accelerator of Tajima and Dawson is overcome by the Surfatron. By introducing a perpendicular magnetic field it is possible to keep particles in phase with the laser-induced plasma waves and hence accelerate them to arbitrarily high energy. The beat-wave accelerator is one scheme proposed by Dawson and Tajima to excite large amplitude electrostatic plasma waves which can accelerate particles. The authors have shown that classical particles trapped by a perpendicularly propagating electrostatic wave are accelerated until they de-trap near the E x B. (cE/B). In this paper it is considered that the relativistic effects introduced when the E x B velocity is greater than the speed of light and when the wave's phase velocity is not small compared to c. The authors treat the trapped particle motion analytically and numerically, followed by application of these results to the beat wave example. Considered is a plane wave electric field and uniform magnetic field.
Overcoming clinical inertia in the management of postoperative patients with diabetes.

Objective: To assess the impact of an intervention designed to increase basal-bolus insulin therapy administration in postoperative patients with diabetes mellitus.Methods: Educational sessions and direct support for surgical services were provided by a nurse practitioner (NP). Outcome data from the intervention were compared to data from a historical (control) period. Changes in basal-bolus insulin use were assessed according to hyperglycemia severity as defined by the percentage of glucose measurements >180 mg/dL.Results: Patient characteristics were comparable for the control and intervention periods (all P≥.15). Overall, administration of basal-bolus insulin occurred in 9% (8/93) of control and in 32% (94/293) of intervention cases (P<.01). During the control period, administration of basal-bolus insulin did not increase with more frequent hyperglycemia (P = .22). During the intervention period, administration increased from 8% (8/96) in patients with the fewest number of hyperglycemic measurements to...
Calcium/calmodulin kinase II in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus modulates the initiation and maintenance of wakefulness.

The pedunculopontine tegmentum nucleus (PPT) is critically involved in the regulation of wakefulness (W) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but our understanding of the mechanisms of this regulation remains incomplete. The present study was designed to determine the role of PPT intracellular calcium/calmodulin kinase (CaMKII) signaling in the regulation of W and sleep. To achieve this aim, three different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 nmol) of the CaMKII activation inhibitor, KN-93, were microinjected bilaterally (100 nl/site) into the PPT of freely moving rats, and the effects on W, slow-wave sleep (SWS), REM sleep, and levels of phosphorylated CaMKII (pCaMKII) expression in the PPT were quantified. These effects, which were concentration-dependent and affected wake–sleep variables for 3 h, resulted in decreased W, due to reductions in the number and duration of W episodes; increased SWS and REM sleep, due to increases in episode duration; and decreased levels of pCaMKII expression in the PPT. Regression analyses revealed that PPT levels of pCaMKII were positively related with the total percentage of time spent in W ( R 2 = 0.864; n = 28 rats; p < 0.001) and negatively related with the total percentage of time spent in sleep ( R 2 = 0.863; p < 0.001). These data provide the first direct evidence that activation of intracellular CaMKII signaling in the PPT promotes W and suppresses sleep. These findings are relevant for designing a drug that could treat excessive sleepiness by promoting alertness.
Paleomagnetism of the Hog Heaven Volcanic Field, Montana: Difficulties in averaging paleosecular variation in volcanic fields

Twelve virtual geomagnetic poles from 25 paleomagnetic sites in the Oligocene Hog Heaven volcanic field of northwestern Montana yield a mean pole at 74.4°N, 71.5°E (alpha 95 = 5.9°). This pole indicates clockwise rotation of 10.5° ± 7.4° and flattening of 13.2° ± 4.6° at the 95% confidence level. Assuming the axial geocentric dipole hypothesis criteria have been satisfied, at 95% confidence rotation and flattening are statistically different from zero. These results indicate clockwise rotation of the Hog Heaven volcanic field as expected for the Sanpoil block farther west. However under these assumptions this farsided pole requires northward transport of nearly 1400 km, about 100 times too much given the geologic constraints. Thus, although radiometric dates indicate 5 million years of volcanism, several igneous rock types are present, there are interbedded sediments and erosional intervals during volcanism, and both stable states of the geomagnetic field are recorded, this pole is not a reliable estimate of the Oligocene rotation axis. Perhaps the volcanic events were not distributed independently with respect to paleosecular variation, or a long-term nondipole field component persisted during much of the evolution of the Hog Heaven volcanic field. These results and previous studies indicate paleomagnetic data from one volcanic field may not be sufficient to estimate tilt, translation, or rotation of a tectonic block.
Computer applications in mechanics

Abstract This paper reviews the various ways in which the computer can be used within the mechanics section of a typical beginning physics course. While the authors are concerned primarily with the introductory college level course, many of the details would also be applicable to high school physics courses.
Neuronal Control of Locomotion in C. elegans Is Modified by a Dominant Mutation in the GLR-1 Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor

Abstract How simple neuronal circuits control behavior is not well understood at the molecular or genetic level. In Caenorhabditis elegans , foraging behavior consists of long, forward movements interrupted by brief reversals. To determine how this pattern is generated and regulated, we have developed novel perturbation techniques that allow us to depolarize selected neurons in vivo using the dominant glutamate receptor mutation identified in the Lurcher mouse. Transgenic worms that expressed a mutated C. elegans glutamate receptor in interneurons that control locomotion displayed a remarkable and unexpected change in their behavior—they rapidly alternated between forward and backward coordinated movement. Our findings suggest that the gating of movement reversals is controlled in a partially distributed fashion by a small subset of interneurons and that this gating is modified by sensory input.
An Algorithm for Solving Linear Recurrence Systems on Parallel and Pipelined Machines

A new algorithm for the solution of linear recurrence systems on parallel or pipelined computers is described. Time bounds, speed-up and efficiency for SIMD and MIMD computers with fixed number of arithmetic elements (AE's), as well as for pipelined computers with fixed number of stages per operation, are obtained. The model of each computer is discussed in detail to explain better performance of the pipelined model. A simple modification in the design of AE's for parallel computers makes parallel model superior.
Laparoscopic surgery in the management of inflammatory bowel disease

Background The role of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of various upper and lower gastrointestinal disorders is still under investigation. However, a variety of laparoscopic procedures may be applied in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patients and methods We present our initial results of laparoscopic and laparoscopic-assisted management of IBD in 72 consecutive patients (37 women and 35 men; mean age 36 years, range 20 to 79). The indications for surgery included: terminal ileitis in 29 patients, mucosal ulcerative colitis in 23 patients, Crohn's colitis in 11 patients, severe perianal Crohn's disease in 4 patients, duodenal Crohn's disease in 3 patients, Crohn's rectovaginal fistula in 1 patient, and rectourethral fistula in 1 patient. The procedures performed included: total abdominal colectomy (TAC) in 30 patients (22 with total proctocolectomy with ileoanal reservoir, 6 with TAC with ileorectal anastomosis, and 2 with TAC with end ileostomy), ileocolic resection in 30 patients, diverting loop ileostomy in 6 patients, closure of an end ileostomy as an ileorectal anastomosis in 3 patients who already underwent a TAC with end Ileostomy, and duodenal bypass gastrojejunostomy in 3 patients. Results There were 16 complications in 13 (18%) patients: 3 enterotomies, 4 episodes of bleeding, 3 pelvic abscesses, 2 intestinal obstructions, 2 prolonged ileus, 1 anastomotic leak, and 1 efferent loop obstruction after gastrojejunostomy. However, only 3 patients required laparotomy for morbidity, and there was no mortality. In 7 (10%) patients, the laparoscopic procedure was converted to a laparotomy due to a large inflammatory mass with fistula in 4 patients, bleeding in 2 patients, and an enterotomy in 1 patient. The mean operating time was 2.9 hours (range 0.7 to 6) and the mean length of hospital stay was 6.5 days (range 3 to 19). When compared with ileocolic resection, total colectomy was associated with higher morbidity (30% versus 10%, P Conclusions According to this initial experience, laparoscopic surgery is a versatile and effective modality in the surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease in selected patients. However, laparoscopic total colectomy is associated with higher morbidity when compared with ileocolic resection.
A general purpose graphic system for computer aided design

The experimental Advanced Integrated Designer's Activity Support (A-IDAS) system is intended to be a base for a total engineering system rather than a pure graphic system. The system provides a database in which graphic data, geometric data and engineering data are stored in a relational data model. It also provides a graphic management facility which can manipulate not only pictures drawn with lines, but those drawn as areas. Areas are represented by crosshatched lines or colors. In more complicated ways, they can be represented as texture or scenery. The system controls two kinds of graphic display devices: a vector display and a raster display. These devices are supported through a device independent user interface when pictures are drawn with lines. With this experimental system, it has been found out that one can develop an engineering system having fairly general purpose capabilities.
Polyimide core 3D rectangular micro coaxial transmission lines

This article introduces a 20-μm tall, 75-μm wide rectangular polyimide core micro coaxial transmission line that can be realized using a simplified fabrication procedure. Measurements of a 4-bend, meandered micro coaxial line demonstrate an 8% increase in the insertion loss and a 2% variation in the phase compared with a straight line of equivalent length. Cross-coupling below 30 dB up to 65 GHz has been measured between two micro coaxial lines separated by 175 μm. These properties make the structures as useful building blocks for highly miniaturized and integrated microwave circuitry. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1291–1293, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25212
The WISC-R as a predictor of achievement

This study investigated the validity of the WISC-R IQs as predictors of achievement as measured by the PIAT. Both tests were administered to 188 children referred to the author because of learning problems. Regression analyses were run with each of the PIAT subtests and the total score as criteria and the WISC-R IQs as predictors. Each of the IQs was a significant predictor of each of the PIAT subtests, but the Verbal IQ predicted best. Regression equations were provided and several indications of the importance of the results were presented.
Effects of nicotine on novelty detection and memory recognition performance: double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of smokers and nonsmokers.

Dependent smokers exhibit deficits in attentional and memory processes when smoking abstinent as compared to when satiated. While nicotine replacement therapy improves attention during abstinence, it is unclear whether this is due to the alleviation of withdrawal-related deficits or inherent beneficial effects of nicotine. The primary aim of these studies was to test whether nicotine exerts a beneficial effect on novelty detection and whether such effects occur in nonsmokers as well as habitual smokers. In two parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, 24 smokers (study 1) and 24 nonsmokers (study 2) were tested in two counterbalanced sessions: once while wearing a nicotine patch (smokers = 14 mg; nonsmokers = 7 mg) and once while wearing a placebo patch. On each day, participants performed three content-specific oddball tasks (perceptual, semantic, and emotional) that required them to press a button whenever they saw a novel target (20% of stimuli) embedded in a stream of common nontarget stimuli (80% of stimuli). Recognition memory for targets was subsequently tested. Reports of mood, smoking withdrawal, patch side effects, and blind success were collected in each session. Among smokers, compared to placebo, nicotine decreased target reaction time during all oddball tasks. Among nonsmokers, nicotine increased target detection accuracy and subsequent memory recognition. Nicotine’s enhancement on each respective measure was not task-content specific in either sample. These data suggest that acute nicotine administration may exert direct beneficial effects on novelty detection and subsequent memory recognition in both smokers and nonsmokers. Moreover, these effects are not content-specific.
Phytoplankton and iron limitation of photosynthetic efficiency in the Southern Ocean during late summer

Abstract As part of two USJGOFS cruises, we investigated spatial variability in phytoplankton properties across the strong environmental gradient associated with the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone during late austral summers of 1997 and 1998. Cell properties, including size and an index of pigment content as well as photosynthetic efficiency (as indicated by relative variable fluorescence), changed dramatically across this frontal region. A general trend toward reduced photosynthetic efficiency south of the Polar Front was correlated with low dissolved iron concentration and is consistent with physiological iron limitation in the phytoplankton. We detected no significant differences in photosynthetic efficiency among different size classes of the dominant pico- to nanophytoplankton, despite a systematic community level shift toward larger sized cells south of the Polar Front. In contrast to other cells, those classified as cryptophyte algae showed relatively high photosynthetic efficiency in low iron waters; however, this group was never found in high abundance. One group, all cells ⩽2 μm, showed an unexpected increase in intracellular pigment content (based on single cell chlorophyll fluorescence measurements) south of the Polar Front where dissolved iron concentration and the cells’ relative abundance were low. Overall, these results suggest that group- or size-specific differences in physiological status were not directly regulating community structure in the pico- to nanophytoplankton during the late summer season; other processes, such as differential grazing or sinking losses, must be important.
Optical studies of spin precession in magnetic two-dimensional electron gases

Abstract Magnetic two-dimensional electron gases are studied using time-resolved Kerr and Faraday rotation spectroscopy in the Voigt geometry. The data directly reveal both electron and Mn spin precession in modest transverse fields. Scattering by Mn ions dominates the electron spin relaxation processes in these materials, and prevents the electron gas from acquiring a long-lived spin polarization as observed in non-magnetic structures. Nonetheless, a persistent Mn spin polarization occurs which creates a oscillating magnetic field within the electron gas for hundreds of picoseconds.
A reconstruction of the recent vegetational history of a prairie marsh, Eagle Lake, Iowa, from its seed bank

Abstract Substrate samples were collected at four depths (0–5, 10–15, 20–25, and 30–35 cm) from six vegetation types at Eagle Lake, Iowa. The number of viable seeds in a sample was estimated by placing samples in environments appropriate for seed germination and counting the number of seedlings. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the composition of the seed bank at different depths and locations revealed that the marsh has two distinct vegetation areas. In the northern area, the vegetation changes cyclically. These cycles involve a rotation of three vegetation types: submerged, mudflat, and emergent ( Scirpus validus Vahl./ Typha glauca Godr.). In the southern (shallower) area, the composition of the seed bank indicated that there have been no cyclical changes in vegetation. The presence, however, of Typha seed in 0–5 cm samples and in some 10–15 cm samples (in numbers exceeding those normally found in contemporary Typha communities) in vegetation types presently dominated by Sparganium eurycarpum Engelm., Scirpus fluviatilis (Torr.) Gray, and Carex atherodes Spreng. suggest that, in recent years, Typha has declined significantly in the southern area. Because of the failure of their seeds to germinate under assay conditions or because the dominant species annually produces very little seed, most shallow-water emergent community types could not be detected in the seed bank.
Anticonvulsant doses of carbamazepine increase hippocampal extracellular serotonin in genetically epilepsy-prone rats: dose response relationships

Abstract The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine produces dose related anticonvulsant effects in genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPRs) and most other animal seizure models. Carbamazepine releases serotonin as part of the pharmacodynamic action by which it suppresses convulsions in GEPRs and it releases serotonin in non-epileptic Sprague–Dawley rats. The two strains which make up the GEPR seizure model (moderate seizure GEPR-3s and severe seizure GEPR-9s) experience anticonvulsant effects in response to different doses of carbamazepine (GEPR-3 ED50=25 mg/kg; GEPR-9 ED50=3 mg/kg). The present study determined that carbamazepine produces a dose related increase in extracellular serotonin in each of the two GEPR strains. The doses of carbamazepine required to increase extracellular serotonin are similar to the doses required for an anticonvulsant effect in each of the strains. This result provides further support for the hypothesis that release of serotonin by carbamazepine is an important part of the pharmacodynamic action by which this drug suppresses seizures.
Plurality, maximality and scalar inferences: A case study of Mandarin Dou

The Mandarin functional morpheme dou appears to have been interpreted, among other things, as a distributor, focus marker even, or already. This paper aims at providing a unified semantic account for these different uses. I argue that the semantic core of these different usages is the same: dou is simply a maximality operator. It gives rise to different meanings by applying maximality to a contextually determined plural set. This could be a set of covers, a set of focus-induced alternatives, or a set of degrees ordered on a scale. This analysis also connects dou in these contexts with dou in environments that license polarity items, as discussed in Giannakidou and Cheng (J Semant 23: 135–183, 2006).
Short-term and long-term effects of repeated social defeat during adolescence or adulthood in female rats.

Accumulating evidence suggests that adolescence represents a sensitive period during which social stressors influence adult behavior and stress reactivity. However, relatively little is known about the impact of social stress in adolescence on behaviors or stress reactivity in females. In this study, we exposed adolescent or adult female rats to the repeated social stress of defeat for seven consecutive days. Repeated defeat resulted in distinctly different behavioral repertoires during defeat in adolescent compared to adult female rats. Adolescent females exhibited more play and avoidant behaviors and adult females exhibited more active and aggressive behaviors toward the resident female. Examination of the short-term effects of social defeat using the Porsolt forced swim test (FST) indicated that adolescents, regardless of their exposure to social defeat, showed increased time immobile and decreased time swimming compared to adults. Adolescent rats exposed to defeat also exhibited increased climbing compared to their age-matched naive counterparts. These effects dissipated with age. Interestingly, no effects of defeat were observed in adult females, however, when these females were re-assessed in the FST 30 days after the end of defeat, we observed increased swimming at the expense of climbing. Using exposure to a novel restraint to assess stress reactivity, we found that stress during adolescence and adulthood led to lower basal adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations and that both stressed and control adolescent groups exhibited a delay in recovery in adulthood compared to stressed and control adult groups. Fos protein analysis further suggested that cortical/thalamic structures serve as potential substrates that mediate these long-term impacts of stress during adolescence. Thus, repeated social stress during adolescence produces different patterns of effects as compared with repeated social stress during adulthood.
Effects of maternal separation on behavioural sensitization produced by repeated cocaine administration in adulthood.

We examined whether early maternal separation influenced the susceptibility to behavioural sensitization produced by repeated intravenous (i.v.) injections of cocaine in adult female rats. For the first 21 days of life litters were separated from their mother for either 15 min (MS-15) or 180 min/day (MS-180). Control animals were subjected only to regular cage changes (animal facility reared; AFR). In adulthood, these three groups did not differ in their locomotor response to placement in a novel environment or to an acute i.v. injection of cocaine. After six additional daily injections of either saline or cocaine and following a 7-day drug-free interval, sensitization was assessed by giving all rats a challenge i.v. injection of cocaine. Rats exposed to either period of maternal separation (MS-15 or MS-180) showed significantly less robust sensitization than AFR rats. Therefore, early maternal separation decreased susceptibility to behavioural sensitization produced by cocaine in adulthood and the specific duration of maternal separation had no effect on this outcome.
NLCQ-1 and NLCQ-2, two new agents with activity against dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

4-[3-(2-Nitro-1-imidazolyl)-propylamino]-7-chloroquinoline hydrochloride (NLCQ-1; NSC 709257) and 4-[4-(2-nitro-1-imidazolyl)-butylamino]-7-chloroquinoline hydrochloride (NLCQ-2), two weak DNA-intercalating nitroimidazole-based bioreductive prodrugs, have been tested against dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and demonstrated a significant activity comparable with that of the nitroimidazopyran PA-824. Minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of 3.1-18.4 and 4.9-9.8 microg/mL were obtained for NLCQ-1 and NLCQ-2, respectively. In the same test setting; the corresponding MBC range for PA-824 was 6.4-12.8 microg/mL. For rifampicin, isoniazid, minocycline, streptomycin, clarithromycin and capreomycin, the corresponding MBC values were 2.5, >100, >156.25, >12.5, >312.5 and 37.5 microg/mL, respectively. Toxicity against Vero cells provided 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) of 146.7, >640 and >640 microg/mL for NLCQ-1, NLCQ-2 and PA-824, respectively. Therefore, the selectivity index (SI) was 8-47.3, >65.3-130.6 and >50-100 for NLCQ-1, NLCQ-2 and PA-824, respectively. These results suggest the potential usefulness of these compounds in the therapy of the latent form of tuberculosis.
Tobacco-specific Nitrosamine 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone Induces Phosphorylation of μ- and m-Calpain in Association with Increased Secretion, Cell Migration, and Invasion

Mounting evidence indicates that cigarette smoking not only promotes tumorigenesis but also may increase the spread of cancer cells in the body. However, the intracellular mechanism(s) by which cigarette smoking promotes metastasis of human lung cancer remains enigmatic. Nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is an important component in cigarette smoke and is formed by nitrosation of nicotine. μ- and m-calpain (calpain I and calpain II) are major members of the calpain family, which are ubiquitously expressed in both small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer cells. Our findings indicated that NNK potently induces phosphorylation of both μ- and m-calpain in association with their activation and increased migration as well as invasion of lung cancer cells. Treatment of cells with PD98059 blocked phosphorylation of m- and μ-calpain and resulted in suppression of NNK-induced cell migration and invasion. p44 MAPK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) and p42 MAPK/ERK2 were activated by NNK, co-localized with μ- and m-calpain in cytoplasm, and directly phosphorylated μ- and m-calpain in vitro. These findings suggest a role for the ERK1/2 kinases as NNK-activated physiological calpain kinases. Specific knock-down of μ- and/or m-calpain expression by RNA interference blocked NNK-stimulated migration and invasion, suggesting that μ- and m-calpain may act as required targets in a NNK-induced metastatic signaling pathway. Furthermore, NNK promotes secretion of active μ- and m-calpain from lung cancer cells through vesicles, which may have the potential to cleave substrates in the extracellular matrix. Thus, NNK-induced cell migration and invasion may occur, at least in part, through a novel mechanism involving phosphorylation of calpains that leads to their activation and secretion, which may contribute to metastasis and/or progression of lung cancer.
Molecular Targets of β-Lactam-Based Antimicrobials: Beyond the Usual Suspects.

The common practice in antibacterial drug development has been to rapidly make an attempt to find ever-more stable and broad-spectrum variants for a particular antibiotic, once a drug resistance for that antibiotic is detected. We are now facing bacterial resistance toward our clinically relevant antibiotics of such a magnitude that the conversation for antimicrobial drug development ought to include effective new antibiotics with alternative mechanisms of action. The electrophilic β-lactam ring is amenable for the inhibition of different enzyme classes by a suitable decoration of the core scaffold. Monocyclic β-lactams lacking an ionizable group at the lactam nitrogen exhibit target preferences toward bacterial enzymes important for resistance and virulence. The present review intends to draw attention to the versatility of the β-lactams as antimicrobials with “unusual” molecular targets.
8-9 and 14-15 meu Two-Color 640x486 GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) Focal Plane Array Camera

An optimized long-wavelength two-color Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) device structure has been designed. This device structure was grown on a three inch semi-insulating GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). This wafer was processed into several 640x486 format monolithically integrated 8-9 and 14-15 micron two color (or dual wavelength) QWIP focal plane arrays (FPAs). These FPAs were then hybridized to 640x486 silicon CMOS readout multiplexers. A thinned (i.e., substrate removed) FPA hybrid was integrated into a liquid helium cooled dewar to perform electrical and optical characterization and to demonstrate simultaneous two-color imagery. The 8-9 micron detectors in the FPA have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 70 K operating temperature, at 300 K background with f/2 cold stop. The 14-15 micron detectors of the FPA have reached BLIP at 40 K operating temperature at the same background conditions. In this presentation we discuss the performance of this long-wavelength dualband QWIP FPA in quantum efficiency, detectivity, noise equivalent temperature difference (NEAT), uniformity, and operability.
Optimizing surgical and imatinib therapy for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Introduction The discovery of activating KITand PDGFRα mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represented a milestone as it allowed clinicians to use tyrosine kinase inhibitors, like imatinib, to treat this sarcoma. Although surgery remains the only potentially curative treatment, patients who undergo complete resection may still experience local recurrence or distant metastases. Therapeutic strategies that combine surgical resection and adjuvant imatinib may represent the best treatment to maximize patient outcomes. In addition to the use of imatinib in the adjuvant and metastatic settings, neoadjuvant imatinib, employed as a cytoreductive therapy, can decrease tumor volume, increase the probability of complete resection, and may reduce surgery-related morbidities. Thus, selected patients with metastatic disease may be treated with a combination of preoperative imatinib and metastasectomy. However, it is critical that patients with GIST be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team to coordinate surgery and targeted therapy in order to maximize clinical outcomes. Discussion Following a systematic literature review, we describe the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of GIST, with a discussion of the risk assessment for imatinib therapy. The application of surgical options, combined with adjuvant/neoadjuvant or perioperative imatinib, and their potential impact on survival for patients with primary, recurrent, or metastatic GISTare discussed.
Should concomitant and adjuvant treatment with temozolomide be used as standard therapy in patients with anaplastic glioma

Malignant gliomas are devastating tumors associated with poor prognosis. Standard treatment has been surgery followed by radiotherapy while the role of chemotherapy has remained controversial. Concomitant and adjuvant treatment with temozolomide has recently been shown to improve survival in patients with glioblastoma. While it seems intuitive to apply this regimen to patients with anaplastic gliomas which have traditionally been considered more chemosensitive, chemotherapy has not been shown to prolong life in patients with anaplastic gliomas. Despite promising preclinical and early clinical results, there is currently not enough level 1 evidence to justify concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide as standard therapy for patients with newly diagnosed anaplastic gliomas. Further investigation is needed to better define the role of chemotherapy in patients with anaplastic gliomas. Trials evaluating chemoradiotherapy as well as targeted therapeutic agents are the subject of further research.
GROUP POLARIZATION (RISKY SHIFT) IN LED AND LEADERLESS GROUP DISCUSSIONS

The group polarization effect (risky shift) has often been identified in ad hoc leaderless discussion groups but never tested in a group with a leader. The present experiment extended the research by examining the effect on decision making of discussion in groups with and without a leader. Ninety-four college students' decisions on Choice Dilemma Questionnaire items (Kogan & Wallach. 1964) were examined three times: (1) individually prior to discussion, (2) as members of a group, and (3) individually after group discussion. In leaderless groups, members discussed the problems and came to a consensus decision. In led groups, the leader discussed the problems with advisors before making a decision. Instructions to the led groups stressed that the task of the members was to advise the leader whose choice was final. It is current belief that exchange of information alone and not group decision is what influences people's decisions (Myers & Lamm, 1976). If assigning the role of making a final decision to one person in a group does not significantly alter the information flow during discussion, then the decision of a leader should be equally polarized as the decisions of his advisors and the decisions of members in leaderless groups. Thus, it was hypothesized that post-discussion decision, using either a group or individual measure, would be more polarized than individual decision made prior to discussion for all people: members of leaderless discussion groups, leaders of discussion groups, and members (advisors) of led discussion groups.
Mortality trends in a southern Appalachian red spruce population

Abstract Mortality of red spruce ( Picea rubens Sarg.) was assessed in an old-growth spruce-fir forest before and after adelgid-induced mortality of canopy fir at about 1985. Mortality rates of red spruce canopy trees remained low (less than 2% year −1 ) following the loss of fir from the canopy. However, the proportion of mortality attributable to wind increased from less than 60 to 90%. Transects placed in areas of concentrated wind damage revealed that uprooting or snapping accounted for 94% of the mortality of spruce canopy trees in the winter of 1987–1988. The transect data were biased toward wind-damaged areas and revealed the potential impact of wind-related mortality on spruce. There was no evidence of atypically high wind velocities in the general area, or of a decline in the radial growth of spruce trees prior to death. It was concluded that the loss of Fraser fir ( Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.) from adelgid infestation has increased wind exposure to the remaining canopy trees. The increased exposure of southern Appalachian red spruce to wind must be considered in studies of its health.
Solar Activity and Cosmic Radiation

Observations on the correlation of solar activity and cosmic radiation are reported. The relation of these results to models involving solar corpuscular streams is briefly conidered.
A Quantum Adiabatic Evolution Algorithm Applied to Random Instances of an NP-Complete Problem

A quantum system will stay near its instantaneous ground state if the Hamiltonian that governs its evolution varies slowly enough. This quantum adiabatic behavior is the basis of a new class of algorithms for quantum computing. We tested one such algorithm by applying it to randomly generated hard instances of an NP-complete problem. For the small examples that we could simulate, the quantum adiabatic algorithm worked well, providing evidence that quantum computers (if large ones can be built) may be able to outperform ordinary computers on hard sets of instances of NP-complete problems.
Multiple timescale calculations of sawteeth and other global macroscopic dynamics of tokamak plasmas

The M3D-C1 (Breslau et al 2009 Phys. Plasmas 16 092503) code is designed for performing three-dimensional nonlinear magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) calculations of a tokamak plasma that span the timescales associated with ideal and resistive stability as well as parallel and perpendicular transport. This requires a scalable fully implicit time advance where the time step is not limited by a Courant condition based on the MHD wave velocities or plasma flow but is chosen instead to accurately and efficiently resolve the physics. In order to accomplish this, we make use of several techniques to improve the effective condition number of the implicit matrix equation that is solved every time step. The split time advance known as the differential approximation (Caramana 1991 J. Comput. Phys. 96 484) reduces the size of the matrix and improves its diagonal structure. A particular choice of velocity variables and annihilation operators approximately splits the large matrix into three sub-matrices, each with a much improved condition number. A final block-Jacobi preconditioner further dramatically improves the condition number of the final matrix, allowing it to converge in a Krylov solver (GMRES) with a small number of iterations. As an example, we have performed transport timescale simulations of a tokamak plasma that periodically undergoes sawtooth oscillations (Von Goeler et al 1974 Phys. Rev. Lett. 33 1201). We specify the transport coefficients and apply a 'current controller' that adjusts the boundary loop-voltage to keep the total plasma current fixed. The short-time plasma response depends on the initial conditions, but the long-time behavior depends only on the transport coefficients and the boundary conditions applied.
Robot-assisted wayfinding for the visually impaired in structured indoor environments

We present a robot-assisted wayfinding system for the visually impaired in structured indoor environments. The system consists of a mobile robotic guide and small passive RFID sensors embedded in the environment. The system is intended for use in indoor environments, such as office buildings, supermarkets and airports. We describe how the system was deployed in two indoor environments and evaluated by visually impaired participants in a series of pilot experiments. We analyze the system's successes and failures and outline our plans for future research and development.
Hypomagnesemia in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Hypomagnesemia has been reported to occur at an increased frequency among patients with type 2 diabetes compared with their counterparts without diabetes. Despite numerous reports linking hypomagnesemia to chronic diabetic complications, attention to this issue is poor among clinicians. This article reviews the literature on the metabolism of magnesium, incidence of hypomagnesemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, implicated contributing factors, and associated complications. Hypomagnesemia occurs at an incidence of 13.5 to 47.7% among patients with type 2 diabetes. Poor dietary intake, autonomic dysfunction, altered insulin metabolism, glomerular hyperfiltration, osmotic diuresis, recurrent metabolic acidosis, hypophosphatemia, and hypokalemia may be contributory. Hypomagnesemia has been linked to poor glycemic control, coronary artery diseases, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and foot ulcerations. The increased incidence of hypomagnesemia among patients with type 2 diabetes presumably is multifactorial. Because current data suggest adverse outcomes in association with hypomagnesemia, it is prudent to monitor magnesium routinely in this patient population and treat the condition whenever possible.
Multiple criteria decision making in manufacturing system using the schema model

Multiple criteria decision making problems in manufacturing systems are discussed. The schema model, one of the parallel distributed processing models, is presented. In this model, correlations between each unit in the system are represented by weights while the degree of satisfaction is expressed by the value of goodness to fit. As they are updated iteratively, the activation value of each unit and the connections among them reach a stable state. Then, a near-optimal solution of the system can be obtained. Considering all the processes in a manufacturing system, many variables can be taken into account. Sample results that show the capabilities of the model are presented. >
Effects of hypertension and its reversal on the thoracic aorta of male and female rats. Morphological and chemical studies.

Effects of hypertension and its reversal on the wall of the thoracic aorta of male and female rats were studied. Hypertension for 10 weeks caused increased diameter, wall thickness, tangential tension, wall stress, and medial area in both sexes. In addition, absolute amounts of elastin, collagen, and noncollagenous, alkali-soluble protein were significantly increased in the walls of all hypertensive vessels. Associated with the decrease of calculated tension and wall stress to normotensive levels after reversal of hypertension, wall thickness and medial area in males remained significantly greater than in controls and similar to the values found in hypertensive vessels, whereas in females these parameters returned fully to control levels. Absolute amounts of noncollagenous, alkali-soluble proteins did return to control levels after hypertension reversal, but elastin and collagen remained elevated in amounts similar to those in vessels with sustained hypertension; in females, this resulted in an above-normal concentration of these fibrous elements in the vessel wall. Compositional changes of the female vessel wall after reversal of hypertension were thus similar to but more clearcut and complete than those found in the male aorta. Recognition of irreversible changes in vessels subjected to hypertension may have implications for the benefits to be gained from blood pressure reduction on the progression of cardiovascular disease.