cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elf-1 and PU.1 induce expression of gp91(phox) via a promoter element mutated in a subset of chronic granulomatous disease patients.

The cytochrome b heavy chain (gp91 phox ) is the redox center of the NADPH-oxidase and is highly expressed in mature myeloid cells. Point mutations at −57, −55, −53, and −52 bp of the gp91 phox promoter have been detected in patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD; Newburger et al, J Clin Invest 94:1205, 1994; and Suzuki et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:6085, 1998). We report that Elf-1 and PU.1, ets family members highly expressed in myeloid cells, bind to this promoter element. Either factor trans-activates the −102 to +12 bp gp91 phox promoter when overexpressed in nonhematopoietic HeLa cells or the PLB985 myeloid cell line. However, no synergy of gp91 phox promoter activation occurs when both Elf-1 and PU.1 are overexpressed. Introduction of the −57 bp or −55 bp CGD mutations into the gp91 phox promoter significantly reduces the binding affinity of Elf-1 and PU.1 and also reduces the ability of these factors to trans-activate the promoter. These results indicate that Elf-1 and PU.1 contribute to directing the lineage-restricted expression of the gp91 phox gene in phagocytes and that failure of these factors to effectively interact with this promoter results in CGD.
Network Modeling of the U.S. Petrochemical Industry under Raw Material and Hurricane Harvey Disruptions

A geographically resolved network model of the U.S. chemical industry in 2017 is constructed, and optimal chemical flows between units are calculated using linear programming. A baseline solution a...
How and Why Interviews Work: Ethnographic Interviews and Meso-level Public Culture:

Recent debates about qualitative methods have discussed the relative limitations and contributions of interviews in comparison to surveys and participant observation. These discussions have rarely ...
Why Wideband Gap Needs Techno-economics

The wideband gap community when discussing projects antidotally refers to the cost of the technology, frequently noting the higher wideband gap upfront cost in comparison to the incumbent state of art. Other technologies such as photovoltaics have embraced techno-economics analysis (TEA) as a method of analytically articulating the impacts of research advancements on system performance and lifetime costs. Our TEA shows the potential impact of research advancements on Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) wafer manufacturing cost, the impact on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) when using a SiC based solar inverter, and lastly how the high cost of devices (SiC in this case) can be offset by other system cuts, such as the footprint and cooling reductions in a 1MW variable frequency motor drive. The specific goal is to show analytically the lifetime cost and performance benefits of adopting wideband gap technology whether it is at the device level or it is cumulative benefit though a simplified balance of system.
chapter 1 – affine geometry

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the study of affine geometry. Affine geometry is what remains after practically all ability to measure length, area, and angles, has been removed from Euclidean geometry. The whole theory of homothetic figures lies within affine geometry. The notions of translation and magnification—these are the dilations—are in the domain of affine geometry and, more generally, affine transformations—one-to-one, onto functions which preserve parallelism—constitute an affine notion. The chapter discusses axioms for affine geometry. A division ring for which multiplication is commutative is called a field. A model for n-dimensional affine space is reviewed. The affine sub-spaces of dimension n -1 are called hyperplanes. As the intersection of two affine subspaces can be empty and an affine subspace is never empty, the intersection of two affine subspaces is not always an affine subspace. With the exception of the empty intersection, the intersection of affine subspaces is an affine subspace.
Radiographic evaluation of vascularity in scaphoid nonunions: A review

Scaphoid fractures, particularly those that occur more proximally, are unreliable in achieving union due to the retrograde blood supply of the scaphoid bone. Vascular compromise is associated with the development of nonunions and avascular necrosis of the proximal pole. Due to the tenuous blood supply of the scaphoid, it is imperative that the vascularity be assessed when creating diagnostic and treatment strategies. Early detection of vascular compromise via imaging may signal impending nonunion and allow clinicians to perform interventions that aid in restoring perfusion to the scaphoid. Vascular compromise in the scaphoid presents a diagnostic challenge, in part due to the non-specific findings on plain radiographs and computed tomography. Magnetic resonance imaging techniques have dramatically improved our ability to assess the blood supply to the scaphoid and improve time to intervention. This review aims to summarize these advances and highlights the importance of imaging in assessing vascular compromise in scaphoid nonunion and in reperfusion following surgical intervention.
The impact of cation and anion pairing in ionic salts on surface defect passivation in cesium lead bromide nanocrystals

Imperfect passivation of surface charge traps on metal halide perovskite (MHP) nanocrystals remains a key obstacle to achieving higher performance in optoelectronic devices. Due to the strong ionic nature of MHPs, ionic salts have been identified as effective surface charge trap passivating ligands. In this study, based on photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements on cesium lead bromide nanocrystals (CsPbBr3 NCs), we find that the pairing between cation and anion of an ionic salt results in a significant impact on trap passivation. Using density of functional theory (DFT) calculations, we identify the binding interaction between the cation and anion of the ionic pair to be a major factor in determining the trap passviation efficacy.
Structured Bifunctional Catalysts for CO2 Activation and Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane

The direct ink writing of metal oxide/ZSM-5 inks has been developed and is used to structure bifunctional catalysts for CO2 reduction in tandem with propane dehydrogenation. The structured catalyst...
Summary Disposition: The Only Way Out Is Through?

879 I. GROUNDWORK: SUMMARY DIsPosrIoN DEFINED 880 II. THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION: LAW APPLICABLE IN INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION 880 III. BENEFITS OF SUMMARY DISPOSITION 882 IV. WHAT GOES UP: DISADVANTAGES 882 V. AUTHORITY FOR SUMMARY DISPOSITION 884 a. Institutional Rules 884 b. National Law 888 VI. FEAR TO APPLY: WHY AVOID SUMMARY DISPOSITION WHEN THERE IS EVIDENT AUTHORITY? . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 890 a. Fair Play: Law Requiring Procedural Fairness 890 b. Procedural Fairness Defined 891 1. FAIRNESS IN ORAL HEARINGS 892 2. FAIRNESS IN WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS ALONE 892 3. THE UNCERTAINTY IS CLEAR 893 c. Other Underlying Reasons for Hesitation 894 VII. CONCLUSIONS 896
Examining Jail Isolation What We Don’t Know Can Be Profoundly Harmful

This article addresses the problematic lack of available data on jail isolation. It discusses the potential significance of the practice of isolating jail inmates and the basis for believing that p...
Root Counting, the DFT and the Linear Complexity of Nonlinear Filtering

The method of root counting is a well established technique in the study of the linear complexity of sequences. Recently, Massey and Serconek [11] have introduced a Discrete Fourier Transform approach to the study of linear complexity. In this paper, we establish the equivalence of these two approaches. The power of the DFT methods are then harnessed to re-derive Rueppel‘s Root Presence Test, a key result in the theory of filtering of m-sequences, in an elegant and concise way. The application of Rueppel‘s Test is then extended to give lower bounds on linear complexity for new classes of filtering functions.
Liver histology as predictor of outcome in patients with acute liver failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a clinical syndrome associated with significant morbidity and mortality with a highly unpredictable outcome. We retrospectively analyzed 71 ALF patients (53 males; mean age = 27.5 ± 15.6 years) that underwent transjugular liver biopsy (TJLB) at our institution. The aims of this study are (i) to report our experience with TJLB in these patients, and (ii) to examine the role of liver histology in predicting their outcome. We also compared the histopathological findings between TJLB and explanted liver specimens in 31 patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT). Biopsy specimens were satisfactory for histopathological analyses in 69 (97.1%) patients, confirmed the clinical diagnosis in 56 (81.2%) patients, and altered the diagnosis in 13 (18.8%) patients. Minor complications were encountered in four (5.6%) patients. Percentage of hepatocyte necrosis was the only histological parameter that has significant discriminatory prognostic value, with no survivors having >75% necrosis without LT. In conclusions, TJLB is a safe technique for obtaining liver tissue in both adult and pediatric patients with ALF. Histological characteristics, mainly etiological diagnosis and degree of hepatocyte necrosis may assist in clinical decision-making for need of LT in these patients.
Nonlinear optical characterization of organic materials

The focus of this chapter is on the measurement techniques for characterizing nonlinear optical properties of organic materials. Techniques for estimating both second and thirdorder nonlinear optical properties will be presented. An introduction to the NLO phenomena along with some representative examples of organic materials exhibiting second and third-order effects will be briefly described. Current research efforts and anticipated future directions in the field of organic NLO materials, their characterization and potential applications will be discussed.
Testing gene × environment moderation of tobacco and marijuana use trajectories in adolescence and young adulthood

OBJECTIVE This study examines the main and interaction effects of known social risk factors for substance use (inadequate parental monitoring and substance using friends) in adolescence and a polygenic score in predicting marijuana and tobacco use in adolescence and young adulthood. METHOD Phenotypic and genetic data were derived from a longitudinal study of a cohort of urban, predominately African American youth. Last year substance-use measures were collected annually from 8th grade through age 22. Participant self-reports of substance-using friends and parent monitoring were obtained yearly from Grades 8 to 12. Using longitudinal latent class analysis, the authors identified parallel developmental trajectories of tobacco and marijuana use and parent monitoring and the proportion of substance-using friends. RESULTS Two trajectories were identified for tobacco and marijuana use, characterized by moderate versus little-to-no use. Additionally, 2 latent profiles were found for the social environment profiles: those characterized by higher parent monitoring and a lower proportion of substance-using friends versus lower parent monitoring and a higher proportion of substance-using friends. CONCLUSIONS We found main and interaction effects for the polygenic score and social environment profile in predicting the longitudinal classes of marijuana and tobacco use. With respect to the interaction effect, membership in the moderate-use classes of marijuana and tobacco use was highest among those in the social environment profile characterized by lower parent monitoring and a higher proportion of substance-using friends.
T Cells Contribute to Disease Severity during Coxsackievirus B4 Infection

By using a model of coxsackievirus B4-induced disease, the question of whether tissue damage is due to the virus or to immune-mediated mechanisms was addressed. Both viral replication and T-cell function were implicated in contributing to the severity of disease. Three stages (I to III) of disease, which correspond to periods of high viral titers, low viral titers, and no infectious virus, have been identified. Stage I disease is considered to be primarily the result of viral replication. Immunopathological mechanisms appear to contribute to the severity of stage II and III disease. To investigate the role of T cells in contributing to the severity of disease, viral infection in CD8 knockout (ko) mice and CD4 ko mice was analyzed. CD8 T-cell responses appear to be beneficial during early, viral disease but detrimental in later disease when viral titers are diminishing. CD4 ko mice, unlike the parental strain, survived infection. Viral replication was lower in the CD4 ko mice. Was survival due to decreased viral replication or to the lack of T-helper-cell function? To investigate further the role of T helper cells in contributing to tissue damage, viral infection in two additional ko strains (interleukin-4 [IL-4] ko and gamma interferon ko strains) was examined. A clear correlation between viral replication and the outcome of infection was not observed. The absence of IL-4, which may influence T-helper-cell subset development, was advantageous during early viral disease but deleterious in later disease. The results suggest that T-cell-mediated immunity is both beneficial and detrimental during coxsackievirus B4 infection.
Incubation of cocaine-craving relates to glutamate over-flow within ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Craving elicited by drug-associated cues intensifies across protracted drug abstinence - a phenomenon termed "incubation of craving" - and drug-craving in human addicts correlates with frontal cortical hyperactivity. Herein, we employed a rat model of cue-elicited cocaine-craving to test the hypothesis that the time-dependent incubation of cue-elicited cocaine-craving is associated with adaptations in dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Rats were trained to self-administer intravenous cocaine (6 h/day × 10 days) and underwent in vivo microdialysis procedures during 2 h-tests for cue-elicited cocaine-craving at either 3 or 30 days withdrawal. Controls rats were trained to either self-administer sucrose pellets or received no primary reinforcer. Cocaine-seeking rats exhibited a withdrawal-dependent increase and decrease, respectively, in cue-elicited glutamate and dopamine release. These patterns of neurochemical change were not observed in either control condition. Thus, cue-hypersensitivity of vmPFC glutamate terminals is a biochemical correlate of incubated cocaine-craving that may stem from dopamine dysregulation in this region.
Crime, Politics, and Punishment: Criminological Research for Political Sociologists

As a sociologist studying the intersection of crime, punishment, and politics, it is often surprising to me how many aspects of political sociology and the study of crime and punishment overlap, and yet, there is often limited cross-fertilization of the two fields. For the sake of brevity in this discussion, I refer to those who study crime, deviance, law, criminal justice, and punishment as criminologists. My goal is to provide an extremely brief “primer” on criminology for political sociologists, in the hopes that a short reading of some issues and research in criminology may stimulate additional theorizing and research, as has so often happened when I have read political sociological work. To do this, I begin with a brief discussion of overlaps in political sociological and criminological perspectives. Following this, I highlight some examples of criminological research which incorporates politics, and would likely interest political sociologists, Then, I highlight a hot button issue in criminology – sex offenses – and suggest some ways that political sociologists could examine recent legislation on sex offenders and conclude with brief discussions of a few additional areas of overlap for the two disciplines.
A double-blind placebo controlled trial of oral midazolam as premedication before flexible sigmoidoscopy.

A double-blind placebo controlled trial of oral midazolam as premedication before flexible sigmoidoscopy
Biophysics as a point of view in plant physiology

This year is the 300th anniversary of the appearance of Francis Bacon's "Novum Organum, or true suggestions for the interpretation of Nature." It is appropriate and perhaps not presumptuous to take as a text one of Bacon's remarks and as a subject a point of view with respect to our science, for Bacon's work was essentially the presentation of a point of view: " Francis of Verulam thought thus," he said. This text and this subject are contained in his 36th Aphorism:
Glutamate receptor pathology is present in the hippocampus following repeated sub-lethal soman exposure in the absence of spatial memory deficits.

Much is still unknown about the long-term effects of repeated, sub-lethal exposure to organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents, such as soman (GD), on learning and memory tasks and related protein expression in the hippocampus. In the present study, guinea pigs were exposed to sub-lethal doses of GD for 10 days and cognitive performance assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM) up to 88 days post-exposure to investigate spatial learning. Additionally, hippocampal lysates were probed for cytoskeletal, synaptic and glutamate receptor proteins using Western blot analyses. No significant difference in MWM performance was observed between repeated sub-lethal GD exposed and saline control groups. However, Western blot analyses revealed significant changes in glutamate receptor protein immunoreactivity for subunits GluR2, NMDAR1, NMDAR2a and NMDAR2b in the hippocampi of GD-exposed guinea pigs. Levels of GluR2, NMDAR2a and NMDAR2b increased by 3 months post-initial exposure and returned to control levels by 6 months while NMDAR1 decreased by 6 months. No significant differences in neurofilament medium (NFM), neurofilament light (NFL) or synaptophysin densitometry were detected and α-II-spectrin proteolytic breakdown was also absent. These results reveal that repeated, sub-lethal exposure to GD affects glutamate receptor subunit expression but does not affect cytoskeletal protein immunoreactivity or the proteolytic state in the hippocampus. Though these changes do not affect spatial memory, they may contribute to other cognitive deficits previously observed following sub-lethal OP exposure.
Free space communication link using a grating light modulator

Abstract This paper presents the design and operation of a free space communication link based on a grating light modulator (GLM) in a corner cube reflector configuration. A GLM is a micromachined optical phase grating whose grating efficiency can be controlled electrostatically. Combining the GLM with a corner cube to create a grating corner cube (GCC) modulator reduces the alignment requirements of the device. Our device has a measured acceptance angle of ≈6° in the plane of incidence of the GLM, limited by angle dependence of the grating. Significant improvement of the acceptance angle can be achieved by optimizing the layer thickness of the grating structure. The resonance frequency of our GLMs is 290 kHz. Their low damping leads to ringing that increases the switching time to 35 us. The ringing has been reduced using a pre-shaped actuation signal yielding switching times of 10 μs. Low misalignment sensitivity, low power consumption, and low switching times make the GCC ideal for use in free space optical communication links.
Differential epitope mapping of antibodies to PDC-E2 in patients with hematologic malignancies after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and primary biliary cirrhosis

A unique characteristic of the autoimmune liver disease primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is the presence of high-titer and extremely specific autoantibodies to the E2 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC-E2). Autoantibodies to PDC-E2 antigen have only been detected in patients with disease or in those who subsequently develop PBC. One exception has been a subgroup of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and received donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) after transplantation. These patients developed high-titer antibodies to a variety of myeloma-associated antigens, including PDC-E2, coincident with rejection of myeloma cells in vivo. To examine the specificity of autoantibodies to PDC in these patients, we screened sera from patients with MM, chronic leukemias, monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS), PBC, and healthy donors. Three of 11 patients with MM (27%) and 2 of 6 patients with chronic leukemias (33%) developed anti–PDC-E2 antibodies in association with DLI response; 2 of 12 (17%) patients in the MGUS pretreatment control population also had detectable anti-PDC responses. Interestingly, the epitope specificity of these PDC-E2 autoantibodies was distinctive, suggesting that the mechanisms leading to loss of tolerance in the transplantation patients are distinct from PBC.
Predictors of initiation and persistence of unhealthy weight control behaviours in adolescents

Unhealthy weight control behaviours (UWCB) among adolescents have significant health and weight consequences. The current longitudinal study aimed to identify personal and socio-environmental predictors of initiation or persistence of adolescent UWCB, in order to inform development of programs aimed at both preventing and stopping UWCB. A diverse sample included 1106 boys and 1362 girls from 31 middle schools and high schools in the United States who were enrolled in Project EAT (Eating Among Teens). Project EAT explored personal, behavioural, and socio-environmental factors associated with dietary intake and body weight in adolescence. Participants completed questionnaires to assess demographics, UWCB (including several methods of food restriction, purging by vomiting or medications, smoking to control weight, or food substitutions) and personal and socio-environmental variables at two time points, five years apart, between 1998 and 2004. Logistic regression models examined personal and socio-environmental predictors of initiation and persistence of UWCB among Project EAT participants. Results indicate that 15.5% of boys and 19.7% of girls initiated UWCB by Time 2, and 15.9% of boys and 43.3% of girls persisted with these behaviours from Time 1 to Time 2. After controlling for race/ethnicity and weight status changes between assessments, logistic regression models indicated that similar factors and patterns of factors were associated significantly with initiation and persistence of UWCB. For both boys and girls, personal factors had more predictive value than socio-environmental factors (Initiation models: for boys: R2 = 0.35 for personal vs. 0.27 for socio-environmental factors; for girls, R2 = 0.46 for personal vs. 0.26 for socio-environmental factors. Persistence models: for boys: R2 = 0.53 for personal vs. 0.33 for socio-environmental factors; for girls, R2 = 0.41 for personal vs. 0.19 for socio-environmental factors). The weight concerns model was the strongest predictor among all individual models [Initiation odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.84 (3.32-7.01) for boys and 5.09 (3.55-7.30) for girls; persistence OR (CI): 4.55 (2.86-7.14) for boys and 3.45 (2.50-4.76) for girls]. In general, predictors of initiation and persistence of UWCB were similar, suggesting that universal and selective prevention programs can target similar risk factors.
Microtubule polarity and the direction of pigment transport reverse simultaneously in surgically severed melanophore arms

The transport of pigment through the long cytoplasmic extensions (arms) of teleost melanophores is a microtubule-dependent event. We have severed the arms from melanophores to test whether microtubules isolated from the centrosome maintain their original polarity and disposition. In addition, we have tested whether arms containing microtubules of mixed polarities alter the direction of pigment transport. We find that microtubules within severed arms eventually change their polarity and reorganize from the arm center as if to form a new minicell. Concomitant with this change is a reversal in the direction of pigment transport.
Military veteran perpetrators of intimate partner violence: challenges and barriers to coordinated intervention

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant concern among recently returning Veterans. In this paper, we discuss the etiology of IPV in this population and the intersections between Veteran healthcare and criminal justice system policies regarding Veteran IPV. We describe the current socio-political context in which clinical interventions and criminal justice diversion policies and pilot programs are emerging. Challenges to coordinating prevention and intervention across Veteran healthcare and criminal justice systems are discussed and highlighted via material on a Veteran-specific IPV intervention, and we discuss strategies for overcoming coordination challenges as well as areas for further innovation.
Dilemmas in sharing care: maternal provision of professionally driven therapy for children with disabilities

This paper explores some of the dilemmas that result when mothers and professionals collaborate in providing care to young children with disabilities within a US public program called Early Intervention. Successful collaboration between professionals and activist parents resulted in the program having a "family centered" approach, but the implementation of that approach is problematic. Professionals transmit therapeutic knowledge and skills to mothers of young children with special needs, urging them to perform therapeutic care work with their children. Through these efforts, professionals create a "therapeutic imperative" for mothers, expecting them to do therapeutic work that usually exceeds the amount of work that professionals do with their children. This paper explores the dilemmas mothers and professionals face when implementing family centered care and the ways in which mothers and professionals negotiate contested understandings of the optimal mixture of public (professional) and private (maternal) provision of therapeutic care to young children with disabilities.
A flattened face for membranes.

The solution of the crystal structure of a phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase has shown it to have a tertiary structure much like protein kinases, but with a flattened face that likely allows it to dock onto membranes.
Risk of malignancy in Filipinos with thyroid nodules--a matched pair analysis.

Background. Ethnicity is an infrequently cited risk factor for thyroid cancer. This study aims to determine whether patients of Filipino origin assessed at a tertiary referral center are at increased risk of thyroid cancer and to quantify that risk. Methods. This is a retrospective analysis of 72 Filipino patients with thyroid nodules undergoing thyroidectomy individ- ually matched to 72 controls according to demographics, risk factors, and pre-referral investigations. Results. Thyroid cancer was found in 50 (69.4%) Filipino patients compared with 28 (38.9%) controls. Odds ratio for malignancy in Filipinos was 3.57 (95% confidence interval, 1.79- 7.12). Pathologic characteristics of thyroid cancer were not significantly different in the two groups. The median follow-up for Filipino patients was 14.1 months (range, 1.4 months-19.7 years). Recurrence occurred in four Filipino patients, and one patient with anaplastic thyroid cancer died of the disease. Conclusions. Filipino patients with thyroid nodules are at sig- nificantly increased risk of thyroid cancer compared with matched controls, and hence the index of suspicion for malig- nancy should be high when evaluating these patients. V V C 2005 Analysis of risk factors for thyroid cancer is useful when evaluating patients with thyroid nodules, because it allows the extent of the investigation to be based on current evidence. Numerous risk factors, such as radiation expo- sure, age, and sex, are well documented 1,2 ; how- ever ethnicity is not commonly considered to be of major significance. 3 Despite this perception, epi- demiologic studies have demonstrated a signifi- cant variance in the incidence of thyroid cancer between ethnic groups in certain geographic regions. 4,5 In Hawaii, the highest rate of thyroid malignancy is found in Filipino women, with an age-adjusted incidence of 18.2 per 100,000. 6,7
Extrapolation of Earth-Based Solar Irradiance Measurements to Exoatmospheric Levels for Broad-Band and Selected Absorption-Band Observations

This paper describes techniques and presents results for extrapolating earth-based spectral-band measurements of directly transmitted solar irradiance to equivalent exoatmospheric signal levels. These techniques have been used to aid in determining system gain settings of the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) sunsensor system being developed for the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) and for the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas (SAGE) II instrument launched in October 1984, on the NASA Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS). A band transmittance approach was employed for the HALOE sunsensor, which has a broad-band channel determined bythe spectral responsivity of a silicon detector. A modified Langley plot approach, assuming a square-root law behavior for the water-vapor transmittance, was used for the SAGE II 940-nm water-vapor channel.
Noninformative Priors for Multivariate Linear Calibration

This paper derives a class of first order probability matching priors and a complete catalog of the reference priors for the general multivariate linear calibration problem. In an important special case, a complete characterization of first order probability matching priors is given, and a fairly general class of second order probability matching priors is also provided. Orthogonal transformations (1987, D. R. Cox and N. Reid, J. Roy. Statist. Soc. Ser. B49, 1?18) are found to facilitate the derivations. It turns out that under orthogonal parameterization, reference priors (including Jeffreys' prior) are first order probability matching priors for unidimensional multivariate linear calibration. Also, in univariate linear calibration, the prior of W. G. Hunter and W. F. Lamboy (1981, Technometrics23, 323?350) is a second order probability matching prior.
Dispersal of Adults of the Black Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in an Urban Area

The technique of mark, release, and recapture was employed to investigate the movement of adults of the black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.), in a residential area in Connecticut. Weevils recaptured either 21, 35, or 57 days after release traveled mean distances of 6.8, 17.2, and 31.2 m, respectively. Most were recovered 70 m. Movement usually occurred between plants located around the same building or in the same bed. At the time of recapture, most weevils were on or under shrubs planted near the comers of buildings or near the ends of hedges. About 68% of the weevils recovered were associated with the same plant species on which they were released. Possible reasons for dispersal and thus host changes are briefly discussed. Only 5.7% of the total weevils released (n=2323) were recaptured. One factor reducing the % of recovery was predation by the pavement ant, Tetramorium caespitum (L.).
Is prolonged catheterization a risk factor for artificial urinary sphincter cuff erosion

Objective To evaluate the relative risk of prolonged urethral catheterization (PC), >48 hours, on artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) cuff erosion in a tertiary referral population. Methods All men who had undergone AUS implantation or revision by multiple surgeons at our institution from 2000 to 2010 with ≥6 months of follow-up were reviewed for urethral erosion, catheterization after AUS placement, and comorbid conditions. Results Of the 258 AUS patients reviewed, 200 met the inclusion criteria, with an average follow-up of 24 months. AUS cuff erosions were noted in 24 men (12%) and were diagnosed at a mean of 16.9 months (range 0.8-87.1). PC was identified in 44 of the 200 men (22%)—of these men, erosions occurred in 17 (39%, P P P Conclusion PC is an independent risk factor for AUS cuff erosion.
Randomized trial of modafinil for treating subjective daytime sleepiness in patients with Parkinson's disease

We assessed the safety and efficacy of modafinil for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This was a single-site, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of 21 PD patients having an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score > or =10. They received either placebo or modafinil 200 mg/day for 3 weeks, followed by a washout week, then the alternate treatment for 3 weeks. The ESS data demonstrated a carryover effect, so the changes from baseline ESS scores were compared between the two treatments for period 1 only. The ESS scores for the placebo group went from 16.0 +/- 4.2 (mean +/- SD) to 17.0 +/- 5.1 and for the modafinil group went from 17.8 +/- 4.2 to 14.4 +/- 5.7 (P = 0.039). There was no significant carryover effect for any other measure. The patient Clinical Global Impression of Change (+3 to -3) improved by 0.75 on modafinil compared with 0.15 for placebo (P = 0.07). A total of 7 of 20 (35%) of the patients reported some improvement on modafinil but not placebo. There was no significant improvement or worsening of the UPDRS subscores I-III, Timed Tap test, or time on. Vital signs, electrocardiograms, and lab tests were unchanged. Modafinil was very well tolerated. Our data demonstrate that, in a small sample size, administration of 200 mg/day of modafinil was associated with few side effects and was modestly effective for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with PD.
The gap function of a convex program

The gap function expresses the duality gap of a convex program as a function of the primal variables only. Differentiability and convexity properties are derived, and a convergent minimization algorithm is given. An example gives a simple one-variable interpretation of weak and strong duality. Application to user-equilibrium traffic assignment yields an appealing alternative optimization problem.
The stage-conversion time of Toxoplasma gondii: interpretation of chemical-biologic data out of parasitologic or host context

Several published biologic times for the stage conversion of Toxoplasma gondii from tachyzoite to bradyzoite in mice are critically examined. There are several reports of 3 days and many of longer times. Possible errors, related to delay from dissemination of the infection, are pointed out. The time to the appearance of the 36-kDa surface antigen, sometimes used for the diagnosis of bradyzoites, should be compared with the biologic attribute of bradyzoites, inducing the short prepatent period in cats. It is recalled that the development of acid pepsin resistance is not exclusively correlated with the biologic definition of bradyzoites. Reactivation of toxoplasmosis in mice does not necessarily follow the administration of a corticosteroid. The daily dose, the type of corticosteroid, its solubility, whether alcohol or ester, the route of administration, the host, and, probably, other factors are important in giving rise to sufficient immunosuppression for reactivation to occur. The plea is made to examine biologic measurements in the context of parasitologic and host factors.
Neurologic findings in children with ear malformations

Abstract Cephalic neural crest cells contribute to the formation of the external and middle ears, the supporting cells of the statoacoustic ganglion, other cranial nerve components, and the face. The anlage of otic sensory structures receive inductive stimuli from adjacent rhombencephalic tissue. The complex series of interactions that guide organogenesis of the outer, middle, and inner ear structures may explain why neurologic dysfunction is likely to be associated with malformations of the ear. We reviewed the records of 100 patients with complex ear anomalies with or without hearing loss. Mean age was 4.2 years (range 1 day–27 years). Malformations, either bilateral (70) or unilateral (30), involved the external ear (94), middle ear (16), and/or inner ear (12). Eighty-five patients had neurologic dysfunction. Cranial nerve dysfunction was found in 56 patients and involved nerves VIII (39 auditory and/or vestibular), VII (22), II (11), VI (8), V (4), III (3), X (3), XII (1), and IX (1). Sixty-four patients had evidence of central nervous system dysfunction such as mental deficiency/developmental delay (44), non-paretic gait disorders (17), hypotonia (16), microcephaly (13), seizures (8), motor deficits (8), autistic features (7), and radiographically confirmed intracranial abnormalities (5). Eleven of 19 children with hypoactive vestibules had delayed motor development or poor balance. Seventy-four patients had anomalies in other organ systems: 56 craniofacial, 28 osseous, 19 cardiac, 16 genito-urinary, 14 ocular, 11 gastrointestinal, and 7 cutaneous. Sixty-one patients had syndromic conditions, 32 of them branchial arch syndromes. The level of cognitive competence was not related to severity of craniofacial ear, or cranial nerve abnormality Children with ear malformation ederve neurologic and peddiatric evaluations in addition toan otologic work-up.
Demo: indoor localization without infrastructure using the acoustic background spectrum

We introduce a new technique for determining a mobile phone's indoor location even when Wi-Fi infrastructure is unavailable or sparse. Our technique is based on a new ambient sound fingerprint called the Acoustic Background Spectrum (ABS). An ABS serves well as a room fingerprint because it is compact, easily computed, robust to transient sounds, and surprisingly distinctive. As with other fingerprint-based localization techniques, location is determined by measuring the current fingerprint and then choosing the "closest" fingerprint from a database. An experiment involving 33 rooms yielded 69% correct fingerprint matches meaning that, in the majority of observations, the fingerprint was closer to a previous visit's fingerprint than to any fingerprints from the other 32 rooms. An implementation of ABS-localization called Batphone is publicly available for Apple iPhones. We used Batphone to show the benefit of using ABS-localization together with a commercial Wi-Fi-based localization method. In this second experiment, adding ABS improved room-level localization accuracy from 30% (Wi-Fi only) to 69% (Wi-Fi and ABS). While Wi-Fi-based localization has difficulty distinguishing nearby rooms, Batphone performs just as well with nearby rooms; it can distinguish pairs of adjacent rooms with 92% accuracy.
Sodium dependency of γ-aminobutyric acid binding to particulate fractions of mouse brain

Abstract The Na+-dependency of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) binding to particulate fractions of mouse brain was studied, by increasing the concentration of Na+ in the homogenizing fluid the retention of both [3H] GABA and [14C] sucrose was increased in the crude nuclear fractions. But, at Na+ concentrations greater than 10 meq/l, the retention of both substances was decreased in the synaptosomal-mitochondrial fractions. Although the total [3H] GABA bound to all fractions was increased by increasing the Na+ concentration of the homogenizing medium, the total [14C] sucrose entrapped in these fractions remained rather constant. The changes in GABA binding caused by Na+ thus could not be accounted for by the presence of entrapped homogenizing fluid in pellets. The decreased binding of GABA to synaptosome fractions found in the presence of 40 to 100 meq/l Na+ was due to “clumping” effects caused by the excess salt. With high salt concentrations many of the particles which bind GABA and which are normally associated with the synaptosome fraction were sedimented in the crude nuclear fraction. In sum, these results indicated that the binding of GABA occurs maximally at a Na+ concentration of about 40 meq/l.
Interview with Robert A.M. Stern

In 1965, Robert AM. Stem, newly graduated from the Yale School of Architecture, went to work for the Architectural League of New York and began organizing a series of events, the most important of which was the exhibition "40 under 40: Young Talent in Architecture. " Working under the close tutelage of Philip Johnson, and continuing a tradition in which key publications and exhibitions shaped the terrain of twentieth-century architectural discourse, Mr. Stern's choice of architects invited to exhibit in "40 under 40" proved prescient Virtually all those in the 1966 show became central
Improved protocol to purify untagged amelogenin – Application to murine amelogenin containing the equivalent P70 → T point mutation observed in human amelogenesis imperfecta

Amelogenin is the predominant extracellular protein responsible for converting carbonated hydroxyapatite into dental enamel, the hardest and most heavily mineralized tissue in vertebrates. Despite much effort, the precise mechanism by which amelogenin regulates enamel formation is not fully understood. To assist efforts aimed at understanding the biochemical mechanism of enamel formation, more facile protocols to purify recombinantly expressed amelogenin, ideally without any tag to assist affinity purification, are advantageous. Here we describe an improved method to purify milligram quantities of amelogenin that exploits its high solubility in 2% glacial acetic acid under conditions of low ionic strength. The method involves heating the frozen cell pellet for two 15min periods at ∼70°C with 2min of sonication in between, dialysis twice in 2% acetic acid (1:250 v/v), and reverse phase chromatography. A further improvement in yield is obtained by resuspending the frozen cell pellet in 6M guanidine hydrochloride in the first step. The acetic acid heating method is illustrated with a murine amelogenin containing the corresponding P70→T point mutation observed in an human amelogenin associated with amelogenesis imperfecta (P71T), while the guanidine hydrochloride heating method is illustrated with wild type murine amelogenin (M180). The self-assembly properties of P71T were probed by NMR chemical shift perturbation studies as a function of protein (0.1-1.8mM) and NaCl (0-367mM) concentration. Relative to similar studies with wild type murine amelogenin, P71T self-associates at lower protein or salt concentrations with the interactions initiated near the N-terminus.
Use of calcium hydroxylapatite for management of recalcitrant otorrhea due to a patulous eustachian tube

We describe a medically complex 4-year-old child with a history of chronic unilateral myringotomy tube otorrhea and laryngopharyngeal reflux who was diagnosed with a patulous eustachian tube. The diagnosis was confirmed by nasopharyngoscopy, retrieval of food from the affected ear after oral challenges with green dye, and computed tomography. The child was effectively treated with an endoscopic transoral injection of calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse Voice) in the lateral pharyngeal wall and torus tubarius. She initially received a test injection with a temporary gel of synthetic polymers (Radiesse Voice Gel) with benefit lasting several months; she subsequently underwent a longer term injection with the hydroxylapatite and tube removal. She had complete resolution of otorrhea for 18 months with no subsequent ear infections or food matter in the ear despite persistent significant gastroesophageal reflux. The patulous eustachian tube is rarely identified in children and, when found, is a challenging condition to manage. Many current surgical treatments involve permanent occlusion of the eustachian tube. Our endoscopic transoral technique is a shorter-term alternative for management of complications related to this anatomic variation, and it allows time for eustachian tube growth.
Why Do Immigrant Youths Who Never Enroll in U.S. Schools Matter? School Enrollment Among Mexicans and Non-Hispanic Whites

Using data from the 2000 Public Use Sample of the U.S. census, this research examined how estimates of school enrollment and school-work patterns among Mexican-origin adolescents are affected by including or excluding young immigrants who never enrolled in U.S. schools. The analysis demonstrates that a nontrivial share of adolescents who were born in Mexico almost certainly never enrolled in U.S. schools; these youths most likely migrated to the United States for work. Excluding these adolescents from analyses substantially reduces gaps in school enrollment between Mexicans and whites and between native and foreign-born Mexicans. Excluding never-enrolled immigrant youths also changes the relationship between the duration of U.S. residence and idleness among Mexican immigrant youths, revealing that additional years of residence in the United States increase the likelihood of being out of school and not working compared to being in school and not working. Overall, inferences about the level of school enrollment and intraethnic differences in school enrollment by duration of residence depend on how those who are likely to have never enrolled in U.S. schools are treated. Inferences about interethnic differences are also affected, although they are somewhat less sensitive to this issue.
Application of reactor pulsing to neutron activation analysis

The TRIGA research reactor operated by the Nuclear Science Center (NSCR) for Texas A&M University has the capability of producing fast transient power pulses by pneumatic ejection of the transient control rod upward out of the core to a preset distance corresponding to the desired input reactivity. The NSCR has been recently relicensed to operate in this mode. An evaluation of linearity of radioactivation to reactivity insertion and integrated pulse energy is presented. Pulse/irradiation timing considerations have proven to be of paramount importance. Pulse shape variations have been shown to significantly effect specific activation, especially at low reactivity insertions. The design and construction of a rapid transfer system for pulsed irradiation activation analysis is discussed.