cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attitudinal Ambivalence, Rumination, and Forgiveness of Partner Transgressions in Marriage

Although positive and negative attitudes toward a transgressor are related to increased and decreased forgiveness, respectively, prior research has failed to investigate forgiveness among those who feel both positively and negatively toward a transgressor. Therefore, the authors examined such ambivalence and its relationship to forgiveness. It was hypothesized that spouses with ambivalent attitudes toward their partner will be less forgiving of a partner transgression because such an event is likely to prime the negative component of their ambivalence. Because ruminating about a transgression also has the potential to prime the negative component of one's ambivalence, an interaction between rumination and ambivalence was predicted. Data from 87 married couples showed that greater attitudinal ambivalence toward the partner was associated with decreased forgiveness only when husbands and wives thought about the transgression frequently; ambivalence was not related to forgiveness in the absence of rumination. The implications of these findings for understanding forgiveness in marriage and for increasing forgiveness among married couples are discussed.
Approximate closed solutions for detonation parameters in condensed explosives.

The virial equation of state is used to derive approximate closed solutions for the detonation velocity and pressure of condensed explosives. The detonation parameters are defined by the energy of detonation, loading density, the average number of atoms per gaseous product molecule, the weight fraction solids in the detonation products, and the second virial coefficient of the product gases. The equations for pressure and velocity are applicable to gaseous as well as condensed systems. Product distribution rules are presented for explosives containing the elements C, Cl, F, H, N, and O. When the approximate closed solutions are used in conjunction with the product distribution rules to predict the detonation parameters of a series of high explosives, predicted pressures are about 10% low and velocities are 10% high, but the ordering of computed parameters agrees with experiment.
The dipole moment of water. II. Analysis of the vibrational dependence of the dipole moment in terms of a dipole moment function

The electric dipole moment measurements on H2O, presented in the previous paper, are analyzed here. First, centrifugal distortion effects were removed from the observed moments. The rotationless moments were then considered in terms of a dipole moment function for water. The moments were combined with first dipole derivatives to determine second derivatives of the moment with respect to normal coordinates. This procedure indicated inconsistencies between existing first derivatives and the permanent moments, which were attributed to approximations made when the first derivatives were obtained from the infrared intensity data. A combined analysis of the original transition moment data and the permanent moments yielded consistent first and second derivatives, but with less accuracy than the input data. The overall results include: the first accurate determination of the equilibrium value, and vibrational energy dependence, of the dipole moment; new second derivative values; and an increased awareness of the ...
L‐aspartic acid and urea supplementation of low‐protein layer diets1

1. Urea supplementation of low‐protein (125 g/kg) conventional‐type diets for layers, whether containing fish meal or not, did not appear advantageous. 2. Supplementation of the low‐protein diet with aspartic acid did not affect egg production rate or efficiency. 3. Soyabean meal supplementation of the low‐protein diet increased egg weight significantly whereas aspartic acid did not.
Not Just Jello and Hot Dishes: Representative Foods of Minnesota

This paper explores representative foods of Minnesota through 130 menus offered by residents as typical regional meals to serve to out-of-state guests. The data come from an extensive mailed survey of people targeted because of their knowledge of the local area: extension agents, newspaper editors, professional geographers, and directors of public libraries and historical societies. These Minnesotans revealed their affiliation with the larger Midwest through high survey counts for beef, potatoes, corn, and apple pie. Walleye and wild rice plus the seasonal fruits blueberries and strawberries are more particular to the state. The analysis also identifies several traditional foods that may be about to disappear and other dishes that seem to be establishing themselves as symbolic foods of the state. Unexpectedly, only a very selective food presence exists in the sample from ethnic groups.
A randomized controlled trial of second- versus third-generation oral contraceptives in the treatment of acne vulgaris☆☆☆

Objective: This study was undertaken to compare the clinical efficacy of second- versus third-generation oral contraceptives in the treatment of acne. Study Design: Thirty-four women with acne were randomly selected to receive an oral contraceptive containing 0.3 mg of ethinyl estradiol (EE)/0.15 mg of desogestrel or 0.3 mg of EE/0.15 mg of levonorgestrel for 9 months. Acne was scored by lesion counting by a single examiner, and serum was analyzed for sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and free and total testosterone at baseline and 3-month intervals. Results: At baseline, the two treatment groups did not differ in the mean age, body mass index, acne lesion counts, SHBG, DHEAS, or free and total testosterone. Mean acne lesion counts decreased significantly in both groups from baseline (P <.02). In subjects completing 9 months of therapy, acne decreased by 52.8% in the EE/levonorgestrel group (n = 9) and by 58.5% in the EE/desogestrel group (n = 7) (between groups: P not significant). Mean SHBG increased by 46.3 nmol/L in the EE/desogestrel group (P not significant), and 20.0 nmol/L in the EE/levonorgestrel group (P <.05). Decreases in free testosterone from baseline occurred in each group, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Oral contraceptives containing EE/desogestrel and EE/levonorgestrel were both effective in treating acne. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:1158-60.)
An Analytical Study of Laminar Film Condensation: Part 2—Single and Multiple Horizontal Tubes

The boundary-layer equations for laminar film condensation are solved for (a) a single horizontal tube, and (b) a vertical bank of horizontal tubes. For the single-tube case, the inertia effects are included and the vapor is assumed to be stationary outside the vapor boundary layer. Velocity and temperature profiles are obtained for the case μv ρv /μρ ≪ 1 and similarity is found to exist exactly near the top stagnation point, and approximately for the most part of the tube. Heat-transfer results computed with these similar profiles are presented and discussed. For the multiple-tube case, the analysis includes the effect of condensation between tubes, which is shown to be partly responsible for the high observed heat-transfer rate for vertical tube banks. The inertia effects are neglected due to the insufficiency of boundary-layer theory in this case. Heat-transfer coefficients are presented and compared with experiments. The theoretical results for both cases are also presented in approximate formulas for ease of application.
Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid suppresses acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity independent of type I interferons and toll-like receptor 3.

Viral infections are often linked to altered drug metabolism in patients; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we describe a mechanism by which activation of antiviral responses by the synthetic double-stranded RNA ligand, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C), leads to decreased acetaminophen (APAP) metabolism and hepatotoxicity. PolyI:C administration down-regulates expression of retinoic X receptor-α (RXRα) as well as its heterodimeric partner pregnane X receptor (PXR) in mice. This down-regulation results in suppression of downstream cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in conversion of APAP to its toxic metabolite. Although the effects of polyI:C on drug metabolism are often attributed to interferon production, we report that polyI:C can decrease APAP metabolism in the absence of the type I interferon receptor. Furthermore, we demonstrate that polyI:C can attenuate APAP metabolism through both its membrane-bound receptor, Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), as well as cytoplasmic receptors. Conclusion: This is the first study to illustrate that in vivo administration of polyI:C affects drug metabolism independent of type I interferon production or in the absence of TLR3 through crosstalk between nuclear receptors and antiviral responses. (HEPATOLOGY 2011;)
Inflow-outflow boundary conditions for two-dimensional acoustic waves in channels with flow

An analysis of the number and form of the required inflow-outflow boundary conditions for the full two-dimensional time-dependent nonlinear acoustic system in subsonic mean flow is performed. The analysis is performed in a rectangular channel with rigid walls and is extendable to more complicated geometries and wall conditions. The explicit predictor-corrector method of MacCormack is used to integrate the acoustic system coupled with the derived boundary conditions. The methodology is tested on both uniform and sheared mean flows with plane and nonplanar sources
Teaching beliefs of non‐formal environmental educators: a perspective from state and local parks in the United States

The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching beliefs of non‐formal environmental educators who work in state and local parks. Findings reveal that teaching beliefs are much more complex than purported in the literature. Three broad insights are offered: including roles and responsibilities of the non‐formal environmental educator, various approaches, and conceptions and characteristics of non‐formal environmental education. The implications are important for training future non‐formal environmental educators in local and state parks.
Low-energy electron capture by free C60 and the importance of polarization interaction

Abstract Cross-sections for slow electron capture by neutral C 60 have been measured by beam-depletion spectroscopy in the 0–3 eV energy range. The data confirm the existence of a very strong low-energy attachment peak. The general trend of the cross-section curve follows that of the Langevin mechanism of electron capture by the long-range polarization field of the fullerene. The sticking probability of an attracted electron is less than unity and displays an energy-dependent structure, reflecting an interplay between the effects of particle symmetry, size, and polarization.
Dying for a Cup of Coffee? Migrant Deaths in the US-Mexico Border Region in a Neoliberal Age

Well over 4,000 unauthorised migrants have lost their lives in the U.S.-Mexico border region since 1995. These deaths have occurred at the intersection of a dramatically strengthened U.S. boundary policing enforcement apparatus and persistent and arguably growing out-migratory pressures in Mexico and beyond. A number of the deceased have come from coffee-growing and -harvesting households and regions in Mexico and Central America, areas devastated by unstable commodity prices that reached their lowest point in a century in 2000–2001. This article explores the discursive and empirical interrelationship between a neoliberalised international coffee market, an increasingly policed U.S.-Mexico boundary, and migrant deaths. In doing so, it finds evidence to suggest that there is a causal link between the international crisis in prices received by coffee bean producers, out-migration by individuals in households and communities dependent on the coffee sector for their livelihoods, and migrant fatalities. It thu...
A decomposable algorithm for contour surface display generation

We present a study of a highly decomposable algorithm useful for the parallel generation of a contour surface display. The core component of this algorithm is a two-dimensional contouring algorithm that operates on a single 2 x 2 subgrid of a larger grid. An intuitive procedure for the operations used to generate the contour lines for a subgrid is developed. A data structure, the contouring tree, is introduced as the basis of a new algorithm for generating the contour lines for the subgrid. The construction of the contouring tree is detailed. Space requirements for the contouring tree algorithm are described for particular implementations.
Acute psychiatric evaluation of self-injuring patients.

Abstract Nonlethal self-injurious acts may be a symptom of a number of acute and chronic psychiatric disorders. Emergency room, surgical, primary care, and psychiatric physicians should be particularly alert for self-injury, especially if an unlikely explanation is given for trauma, an unusual type of trauma is present, or a history of multiple traumas is obtained. If self-damaging behavior is suspected, an immediate and thorough psychiatric evaluation should begin. A systematic approach to the psychiatric evaluation of patients suspected of self-injury is presented.
The crystallization kinetics of polymer-diluent mixtures: The temperature coefficient of the process

Abstract The overall crystallization kinetics of polyethylene-α-chloronaphthalene mixtures have been studied over a concentration range extending from pure polymer to 0.01 per cent polymer mixture. Major attention has been given in the analyses to the temperature coefficient of the process and to the dependence of the crystallization rate on concentration. It is concluded that even for the very dilute solutions studied crystallization is not a unimolecular process, a plurality of molecules being involved. The temperature coefficient of the crystallization process can be interpreted in terms of nucleation acts which are continuous with decreasing polymer concentration. However, it must be realized that for dilute systems the effective polymer concentration needs to be considered rather than the nominal composition of the mixture.
Quantum Images of Hamiltonian Chaos

Abstract A novel way of demonstrating and visualizing quantum manifestations of Hamiltonian chaos is presented. The method is based on the calculation of invariants in the form of time averages of dynamical variables in microscopic states. The observed quantum nonintegrability effects are unmistakable images of well-understood phenomena of classical Hamiltonian chaos.
The effect of rifampin on theophylline kinetics.

The effect of rifampin on the pharmacokinetics of theophylline was studied in ten healthy nonsmoking men (age, 23-42 years). Each subject received 5.9-6.8 mg/kg of aminophylline intravenously over 20 minutes before and at the end of two weeks of oral rifampin therapy (600 mg/d). Theophylline serum concentrations were measured serially over the 24 hours following each aminophylline infusion. In every subject, rifampin caused an increase in total clearance (from 0.88 +/- 0.21 to 1.21 +/- 0.29 mL/min/kg) and terminal elimination rate constant (from 0.104 +/- 0.023 to 0.148 +/- 0.030 hr-1) and a decrease in the area under the theophylline concentration-time curve (from 104 +/- 29 to 76 +/- 19 hr-mg/L) and half-life of theophylline (from 7.0 +/- 1.7 to 4.8 +/- 0.9 hr). All of these changes were significant (P less than .02, Wilcoxon matched-pair, signed-rank, two-tailed test). The apparent volume of distribution of theophylline did not consistently change following rifampin administration (mean change, -4%; range, -18(-)+20%, P greater than .20). Patients should be monitored for signs of decreased theophylline efficacy when rifampin is added, or of increased theophylline toxicity when rifampin is discontinued from maintainance therapy.
Late Miocene to Early Pliocene paleohydrology and landscape evolution of Northern Chile, 19° to 20° S

Abstract Northern Chile's forearc lies in the hyperarid Atacama Desert. The northern portion (~ 150 km) of the forearc basin, known as the Central Depression, contains perennial streams that drain to the Pacific Ocean through canyons that are deeply incised within a pediplain. However, during the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene a lake existed in the western part of the Central Depression between 19.3°S and 19.7°S, indicating a forearc geomorphic landscape and paleohydrologic regime distinct from the present one. For approximately 2 Ma, this lake was large (~ 375 km2) and deep (up to ~ 120 m). The catchment area sourcing the lake covered an area of 2900–5200 km2. New 40Ar/39Ar ages of volcanic ashes intercalated with the lake deposits and the overlying fluvial deposits indicate that lacustrine diatomite-rich deposition had begun by 10.86 ± 0.04 Ma, and the final stage of incision of a canyon through the lake deposits is younger than 3.04 ± 0.03 Ma. Additional published age constraints demonstrate that the expanse of the lake shrunk shortly after 9 Ma, yet the water balance in the western sector of the basin permitted lacustrine diatomite deposition until more recently than ~ 6.4 Ma. Even after the sediment–hydrology balance shifted from balanced-fill to overfilled, a near-surface groundwater table led to accumulation of salt pan (salar) evaporites until more recently than ~ 3.5 Ma. The existence of a large deep lake is consistent with, but not conclusive evidence for, a wetter than modern climate in the catchment region during the Late Miocene. The ultimate demise of the paleolake system is attributed to a kilometer-scale decline of the base level of drainages downstream of the paleolake. This study takes advantage of the unique characteristic of the drainage profiles in the study region, a spatial separation between areas of deep incision east and west of a prominent knickzone, to evaluate three end member scenarios of landscape evolution that could explain the base level fall event(s). The sedimentological, stratigraphic, and geomorphological data best fit the interpretation that forearc tectonic uplift and tectonically driven coastal retreat both contributed to base level fall.
Infant Mortality Decline in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries: the role of market milk

Starting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a precipitous decline in infant mortality was observed in the United States. Economic growth, improved nutrition, new sanitary measures, and advances in knowledge about infant care all contributed to this decline in infant mortality. Little is known, however, about how these individual factors affected disease-specific components of infant mortality over time. Systematic review of historical data suggests that cleaning the market milk supply was the single most important contributor to this decline in both diarrheal and overall infant mortality, and that this development played a far more important role than family income, other sanitary measures, or medical intervention.
Modeling the Crushing Response of PMC Tubes Under Quasi-Static and Dynamic Loading Conditions

Non-linear finite element technique was used to predict the crushing response and energy absorption of fiberglass/polyester tubes under quasi-static and dynamic conditions. The major failure modes including axial splitting of the tube wall and delamination were modeled using the available features in LSDYNA and ABAQUS codes for dynamic and quasi-static analysis, respectively. The results show that the finite element models were able to predict the average and peak load levels for the tubes with and without using an external constraint. Finally, it was concluded that modeling the major failure modes in the crushing process in addition to using an appropriate material failure model is essential to capture the load levels and specific energy absorption of the crushed tubes.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
An Introduction to Mass Spectrometry Ionization: An Excerpt from The Expanding Role of Mass Spectrometry in Biotechnology, 2nd ed.; MCC Press: San Diego, 2005

ril Mass spectrometry has been described as the smallest scale in the world, not because of the mass spectrometer’s size but because of the size of what it weighs—molecules. Over the past decade, mass spectrometry has undergone tremendous technological improvements, allowing for its application to proteins, peptides, carbohydrates, DNA, drugs, and many other biologically relevant molecules. Due to ionization sources such as electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), mass spectrometry has become an irreplaceable tool in the biological sciences. This chapter provides an overview of mass spectrometry, focusing on ionization sources and their significance in the development of mass spectrometry in biomolecular analysis. A mass spectrometer determines the mass of a molecule by measuring its mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). Ions are generated by inducing either the loss or gain of a charge from a neutral species. Once formed, ions are electrostatically directed into amass
The late Neandertal supraorbital fossils from Vindija Cave, Croatia: a biased sample?

Abstract The late Neandertal sample from Vindija (Croatia) has been described as transitional between the earlier Central European Neandertals from Krapina (Croatia) and modern humans. However, the morphological differences indicating this transition may rather be the result of different sex and/or age compositions between the samples. This study tests the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija supraorbital samples are due to sampling bias. We focus upon the supraorbital region because past studies have posited this region as particularly indicative of the Vindija sample's transitional nature. Furthermore, the supraorbital region varies significantly with both age and sex. We analyzed four chords and two derived indices of supraorbital torus form as defined by Smith & Ranyard (1980, Am. J. phys. Anthrop.93, pp. 589–610). For each variable, we analyzed relative sample bias of the Krapina and Vindija samples using three sampling methods. In order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample contains an over-representation of females and/or young while the Krapina sample is normal or also female/young biased, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal to or less than Vindija's from a Krapina-based population. In order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample is female/young biased while the Krapina sample is male/old biased, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal or less than Vindija's from a generated population whose mean is halfway between Krapina's and Vindija's. Finally, in order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample is normal while the Krapina sample contains an over-representation of males and/or old, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal to or greater than Krapina's from a Vindija-based population. Unless we assume that the Vindija sample is female/young and the Krapina sample is male/old biased, our results falsify the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija samples are due to sample bias.
MK2 Regulates Ras Oncogenesis through Stimulating ROS Production

Ras signals through both mitogenic and stress pathways and studies of Ras regulatory effects of stress pathways hold great promise to control Ras-dependent malignancies. Our previous work showed Ras activation of a stress kinase (MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 [MK2]), and here, we examine regulatory effects of MK2 on Ras oncogenesis. MK2 knockout was shown to increase Ras transformation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) in vitro and to enhance the resultant tumor growth in mice, indicating a tumor suppressor activity. In Ras-dependent and -independent human colon cancer, however, MK2-forced expression increases and MK2 depletion decreases the malignant growth, suggesting its oncogenic activity. The oncogenic activity of MK2 couples with its activation by both stress and mitogenic signals through extracellular signal–regulated kinase and p38α pathways, whereas its tumor-suppressing effect links to its stimulation only by stress downstream of p38α. Of interest, MK2 was shown to decrease intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MEFs but increase its production in human colon cancer cells, and experiments with antioxidants revealed that ROS is required for Ras oncogenesis in both systems. These results indicate that MK2 can increase or decrease Ras oncogenesis dependent of its ROS regulatory activities.
Re-estimating the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in a nationally representative sample of persons receiving care for HIV: results from the HIV cost and services utilization study

The objective of this study was to obtain accurate estimates of the prevalence of psychiatric disorder in the population represented by the HIV Costs and Services Utilization Study cohort. We constructed logistic regression models to predict DSM-IV diagnoses of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic, and dysthymia among a subsample of the HCSUS cohort who in separate interviews completed the CIDI-SF and the full CIDI diagnostic interview. Diagnoses were predicted using responses to the CIDI-SF as well as other variables contained in the baseline and first follow-up interviews. Resulting regression equations were applied to the entire baseline and first follow-up samples to obtain new estimates of the prevalence of disorder. Compared to estimates based on the CIDI-SF alone, estimates obtained from this procedure provide a more accurate representation of the prevalence of the presence of any one of these four psychiatric disorders in this population, yielding more correct classifications and a lower false-positive rate. Prevalence rates reported in this study are as much as 16% lower than rates estimated using the CIDI-SF alone, but are still considerably higher than estimates for the general community population.
A modular strategy for automation and CIM

A concept has been developed that takes advantage of automation even when all the conditions for automation are not present.
Studies of the development of congenital anomalies in embryos of riboflavin-deficient, galactoflavin fed rats. I. Growth and embryologic pathology.

Embryos from maternal rats maintained on a riboflavin-deficient, galactoflavin-augmented diet were compared by gross and histologic examinations with normal controls. On day 11 of gestation no differences were noted between control and treated embryos; on days 12 and 13 the treated embryos were smaller in overall size; and on day 14 the rate of differentiation of tissues of the treated embryos was delayed. The embryonic mortality occurred between day 11 and day 15. Serial sections of day-14 treated embryos consistently contained extensive areas of necrosis in the mesoblast of the extremities and first branchial arch. A less frequent but similar lesion was found in the central nervous systems in two of four treated embryos examined on day 14. The pathologic lesion resembles the normal cell death which is part of the sculpturing process of developing extremities, but was of much greater magnitude. In addition, studies of sections of the extremities of the treated day-14 embryos demonstrated a reduction in the number of cellular mitoses. By day 15 the necrosis had disappeared, the mode of clearing presumably being due to macrophage action as evidenced by photographs and by the presence of acid phosphatase-containing cells in the areas of phagocytosis. In the early stages of mesenchymal condensation the treated specimens evidenced digital fusion but measurements of the relative total volume of mesenchyme were similar in treated and control specimens. Histochemical studies of the treated embryos but not the placentas or maternal tissues demonstrated an overall decrease in the reactions for succinic dehydrogenase from day 12 to day 17. Levels of malic and lactic dehydrogenases and alkaline and acid phosphatases were not decreased in the treated embryos when measured histochemically.
Unraveling the Web of Personality Judgments: The Influence of Social Networks on Personality Assessment

Contemporary assessment models have focused on the degree to which self- and other reports of personality description agree in an effort to define consensus and agreement about personality attributes. In general, we believe that analyses of this type of data have been limited in that they tend to focus on both simple models (usually dyad-based) and simple aggregations of data (usually correlations between self- and other ratings). In addition, the behaviors used as stimuli in experimental settings lack the richness of behaviors in natural social settings. Here, we present some ideas from social network models in an effort to influence broader conceptualizations of agreement and consensus in assessment. Social network models provide a more complete description of interpersonal behavior beyond the dyadic level in both laboratory and natural settings. After defining some basic social network concepts, we go on to suggest the applicability of these concepts to personality assessment and, more specifically, to how these models might be used to study self-other agreement and consensus about personality judgments. Empirical data are used to illustrate social network concepts in the domain of personality assessment.
Comprehensive interrogation of CpG island methylation in the gene encoding COMT, a key estrogen and catecholamine regulator

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme has been widely studied due to its multiple roles in neurological functioning, estrogen biology, and methylation metabolic pathways. Numerous studies have investigated variation in the large COMT gene, with the majority focusing on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This body of work has linked COMT genetic variation with a vast array of conditions, including several neurobehavioral disorders, pain sensitivity, and multiple human cancers. Based on COMT’s numerous biological roles and recent studies suggesting that methylation of the COMT gene impacts COMT gene expression, we comprehensively interrogated methylation in over 200 CpG dinucleotide sequences spanning the length of the COMT gene. Using saliva-derived DNA from a non-clinical sample of human subjects, we tested for associations between COMT CpG methylation and factors reported to interact with COMT genetic effects, including demographic factors and alcohol use. Finally, we tested associations between COMT CpG methylation state and COMT gene expression in breast cancer cell lines. We interrogated >200 CpGs in 13 amplicons spanning the 5’ UTR to the last exon of the CpG dinucleotide-rich COMT gene in n = 48 subjects, n = 11 cell lines and 1 endogenous 18S rRNA control. With the exception of the CpG island in the 5’UTR and 1st exon, all other CpG islands were strongly methylated with typical dynamic ranges between 50-90%. In the saliva samples, methylation of multiple COMT loci was associated with socioeconomic status or ethnicity. We found associations between methylation at numerous loci and genotype at the functional Val 158 Met SNP (rs4680), and most of the correlations between methylation and demographic and alcohol use factors were Val 158 Met allele-specific. Methylation at several of these loci also associated with COMT gene expression in breast cancer cell lines. We report the first comprehensive interrogation of COMT methylation. We corroborate previous findings of variation in COMT methylation with gene expression and the Val 158 Met genotype, and also report novel associations with socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnicity at several methylated loci. These results point to novel mechanisms for COMT regulation, which may have broad therapeutic implications.
A Method to Form Bonded Micromagnets Embedded in Silicon

In this work, samarium cobalt (SmCo) powder is utilized for the fabrication of micromagnetic structures embedded in silicon wafers. The fabrication process involves the dry packing of raw, magnetic powder (mean particle diameter of 5-10 mum) into etched cavities within the wafer. After the wafer is loaded with the powder, a 6 mum layer of polyimide is spun over the wafer's surface to seal the magnetic powder in place and permit the development of additional structures around the embedded magnets. The feature sizes achieved during the investigation range in thickness from 15 mum to the entire depth of the wafer (~ 500 mum), and in lateral dimensions from 150 mum to 600 mum. One set of processed micromagnets demonstrated a coercivity, Hc = 141 kA/m (1.8 kOe), remanence, Br = 0.52 T (5.2 kG), and maximum energy product, (BH)max = 23 kJ/m3 (2.9 MGOe).
Compiler-managed partitioned data caches for low power

Set-associative caches are traditionally managed using hardware-based lookup and replacement schemes that have high energy overheads. Ideally, the caching strategy should be tailored to the application's memory needs, thus enabling optimal use of this on-chip storage to maximize performance while minimizing power consumption. However, doing this in hardware alone is difficult due to hardware complexity, high power dissipation, overheads of dynamic discovery of application characteristics, and increased likelihood of making locally optimal decisions. The compiler can instead determine the caching strategy by analyzing the application code and providing hints to the hardware. We propose a hardware/software co-managed partitioned cache architecture in which enhanced load/store instructions are used to control fine-grain data placement within a set of cache partitions. In comparison to traditional partitioning techniques, load and store instructions can individually specify the set of partitions for lookup and replacement. This fine grain control can avoid conflicts, thus providing the performance benefits of highly associative caches, while saving energy by eliminating redundant tag and data array accesses. Using four direct-mapped partitions, we eliminated 25% of the tag checks and recorded an average 15% reduction in the energy-delay product compared to a hardware-managed 4-way set-associative cache.
Hair in health and disease: an introduction

The hair follicle is a sensing, reactive, dynamic and complex skin appendage that offers many essential functions and requires a specific molecular environment to remain fully functional. Apart from providing an insulating layer in animals, hair serves as an aid in camouflage for survival and provides sensory, tactile information about the environment. Hair may also be of importance in attracting mates by offering insight into an individual’s health and vitality through its color, distribution, or quality. Hair follicles are formed from epidermal-dermal interactions and modeling during the first trimester in humans. Hair growth is a unique and complex process that involves continuous cycles of growth, resorption, rest and renewal. The hair follicle is constantly exposed to the environment and suffers direct damage from the sun, the air, and water. Exposure to foreign chemicals may also cause damage to the hair shaft and follicle. There are numerous hair diseases and the hair follicle is involved in over a thousand systemic diseases including genetic disorders. The social function of hair is the foundation for a multibillion dollar industry focused on presenting, augmenting, preserving, or removing hair.
Biochemical and physical characterization of an unmodified yeast phenylalanine transfer RNA transcribed in vitro.

Abstract A recombinant plasmid was constructed with six synthetic DNA oligomers such that the DNA sequence corresponding to yeast tRNA(Phe) is flanked by a T7 promoter and a BstNI restriction site. Runoff transcription of the BstNI-digested plasmid with T7 RNA polymerase gives an unmodified tRNA of the expected sequence having correct 5' and 3' termini. This tRNA(Phe) transcript can be specifically aminoacylated by yeast phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase and has a Km only 4-fold higher than that of the native yeast tRNA(Phe). The Km is independent of Mg2+ concentration, whereas the Vmax is very dependent on Mg2+ concentration. Comparison of the melting profiles of the native and the unmodified tRNA(Phe) at different Mg2+ concentrations suggests that the unmodified tRNA(Phe) has a less stable tertiary structure. Using one additional DNA oligomer, a mutant plasmid was constructed having a guanosine to thymidine change at position 20 in the tRNA gene. A decrease in Vmax/Km by a factor of 14 for aminoacylation of the mutant tRNA(Phe) transcript is observed.
The C-terminal domain of the bacteriophage T4 terminase docks on the prohead portal clip region during DNA packaging

Bacteriophage ATP-based packaging motors translocate DNA into a pre-formed prohead through a dodecameric portal ring channel to high density. We investigated portal–terminase docking interactions at specifically localized residues within a terminase-interaction region (aa279–316) in the phage T4 portal protein gp20 equated to the clip domain of the SPP1 portal crystal structure by 3D modeling. Within this region, three residues allowed A to C mutations whereas three others did not, consistent with informatics analyses showing the tolerated residues are not strongly conserved evolutionarily. About 7.5 nm was calculated by FCS-FRET studies employing maleimide Alexa488 dye labeled A316C proheads and gp17 CT-ReAsH supporting previous work docking the C-terminal end of the T4 terminase (gp17) closer to the N-terminal GFP-labeled portal (gp20) than the N-terminal end of the terminase. Such a terminase–portal orientation fits better to a proposed “DNA crunching” compression packaging motor and to portal determined DNA headful cutting.
Electrospray ionization/collision-induced dissociation of protonated substance P ions—effect of charge on the fragmentation patterns

Abstract Low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) of singly charged [ M + H] + and doubly charged [ M + 2H] 2+ substance P (SP) ions generated by electrospray ionization (ESI) was studied using a Micromass Q-TOF2 MS instrument. SP (RPKPQQFFGLM-NH 2 ) is a naturally occurring 11 amino acid residue C-terminally amidated peptide, a potent modulator of neuroimmunoregulation. Its N-terminal is the most basic amino acid residue—arginine. Upon CID, both the singly charged and doubly charged SP ions produced primarily N-terminal fragment ions ( a and b ions, and their neutral loss a -17 and b -17 ions). However, the relative abundance of these ions showed significant difference: Singly charged SP showed dominant b , a -17 and b -17 ions, while doubly charged SP dominant a and b ions. The complete sequence of substance P can be obtained by a combination of the CID data of the two SP ions. The singly charged and doubly charged SP ions also yielded several prominent internal fragment ions, the relative abundance of which also depended on the charge status. These results provide insights into the CID fragmentation mechanisms of the two SP ions.
Improved three-dimensional 1H-13C-1H correlation spectroscopy of a 13C-labeled protein using constant-time evolution.

An improved version of the three-dimensional HCCH-COSY NMR experiment is described that correlates the resonances of geminal and vicinal proton pairs with the chemical shift of the13C nucleus attached to one of the protons. The experiment uses constant-time evolution of transverse13C magnetization which optimizes transfer of magnetization and thus improves the sensitivity of the experiment over the original scheme. The experiment is demonstrated for calmodulin complexed with a 26-residue peptide comprising the binding site of skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase.
Bacteriology of Urinary Tract Infections in Emergency Patients Aged 0–36 Months

Abstract Background Because urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most frequent source of serious bacterial infections in young children, we studied the bacteriology of such infections in our institution. Objectives Pediatric urine cultures were reviewed for age- and sex-specific differences in testing, prevalence, causative organisms, and antibiotic sensitivities. Methods A retrospective 5-year observational study of all urine cultures from Emergency Department patients aged 0–36 months found 4403 cultures. Primary outcomes were numbers of cultures obtained, infections found, the organisms isolated, and their antibiotic sensitivities. Results Boys were cultured much less frequently (overall 4.7% vs. 19.4% of girls, p p = 0.01), with more Gram-positive organisms (52.3%; vs. 18.6% Gram-positives in girls; p Conclusions Age- and sex-based assumptions guiding evaluation for and treatment of UTIs in young children should be reevaluated. We may not be culturing enough young boys, risking missed UTIs with potential for renal injury in this vulnerable group. Based on their significant rate of Gram-positive infections, those boys we treat empirically might benefit more from trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid than from third-generation cephalosporins. The persistence of positive cultures in 2-year-olds suggests we should be culturing beyond 24 months in both sexes. Urine Gram stains should be more frequently considered.
Extended program invariants: applications in testing and fault localization

Invariants are powerful tools for program analysis and reasoning.Several tools and techniques have been developed to infer invariants of a program. Given a test suite for a program, an invariant detection tool (IDT) extracts (potential) invariants from the program execution on test cases of the test suite. The resultant invariants contain relations only over variables and constants that are visible to the IDT. IDTs are usually unable to extract invariants about execution features like taken branches, since programs usually do not have state variables for such features. Thus, the IDT has no information about such features in order to infer relations between them. We speculate that invariants about execution features are useful for understanding test suites; we call these invariants, extended invariants. In this paper, we discuss potential applications of extended invariants in understanding of test suites, and fault localization. We illustrate the usefulness of extended invariants with some small examples that use basic block count as the execution feature in extended invariants. We believe extended invariants provide useful information about execution of programs that can be utilized in program analysis and testing.
Oriented Surfaces in Digital Spaces

Abstract We define a digital space to be a pair consisting of an arbitrary nonempty set V and a symmetric binary relation π on V with respect to which V is connected. Our intent is to investigate the notion of an oriented surface in this general environment. Our terminology reflects this: we refer to elements of V as spels (short for "spatial elements"), to artibrary nonempty subsets of π as surfaces , and we define the notions of the interior and the exterior of a surface. We introduce the notion of a near-Jordan surface, its interior and exterior partition V . We call a symmetric binary relation on V that contains π a spel-adjacency . For spel-adjacencies κ and λ, we call a surface κλ- Jordan if it is near-Jordan, its interior is κ-connected, and its exterior is λ-connected. We prove a number of results which characterize κλ- Jordan surfaces in general digital spaces and in binary pictures (in which there is an assignment of a 1 or a 0 to elements of V ).
DIAMOND: Correlation-Based Anomaly Monitoring Daemon for DIME

Distributed Interactive Multimedia Environments (DIMEs) show important dependency constraints between application and underlying system components over time. For example, the video frame rate and the underlying bandwidth usage have a strong performance dependency. Performance dependencies must also be considered among distributed components. These dependencies over a time-span form correlation relationships. Violations of such correlation relationships represent collective anomalies. Users and most specifically DIME application developers face problems of finding (detecting), localizing such anomalies, and adapting against them in real-time. Current practices are to collect joint application-system metadata characterizing behaviors of application and system components while a DIME session is running, and then analyze them offline. Our goal is to provide a framework, called DIAMOND, that allows for real-time and unobtrusive collection and organization of joint application-system metadata in order to assist in finding such correlation violations in the system. DIAMOND works in four steps: (a) real-time metadata collection, (b) metadata processing to allow efficient computation of correlation constraints, (c) metadata distribution for efficient clustering of distributed metadata, and (d) anomaly detection, localization, and evolution monitoring based on violations of correlation relationships. Our results from real implementations and simulations with Planet Lab traces show the effectiveness of DIAMOND in terms of network overhead and anomaly detection time.
Parenting the Intellectually Gifted Preschool Child.

Parents of gifted preschoolers play an important role in their children's cognitive, affective, and social development and motivation for achievement. While effective parenting of all children is assumed to involve responsiveness to the individual child, it is suggested that the parents of gifted preschoolers are faced with developmental characteristics unique to the gifted child. Also discussed are the difficulties that parents may experience in dealing with individuals outside the family who criticize the parents' abilities to raise their child effectively.
Successful Aging and Its Discontents: A Systematic Review of the Social Gerontology Literature

Purpose of the study The purpose of this study was to analyze the range of critiques of successful aging models and the suggestions for improvement as expressed in the social gerontology literature. Design and methods We conducted a systematic literature review using the following criteria: journal articles retrieved in the Abstracts in Social Gerontology, published 1987-2013, successful aging/ageing in the title or text (n = 453), a critique of successful aging models as a key component of the article. Sixty-seven articles met the criteria. Qualitative methods were used to identify key themes and inductively configure meanings across the range of critiques. Results The critiques and remedies fell into 4 categories. The Add and Stir group suggested a multidimensional expansion of successful aging criteria and offered an array of additions. The Missing Voices group advocated for adding older adults' subjective meanings of successful aging to established objective measures. The Hard Hitting Critiques group called for more just and inclusive frameworks that embrace diversity, avoid stigma and discrimination, and intervene at structural contexts of aging. The New Frames and Names group presented alternative ideal models often grounded in Eastern philosophies. Implications The vast array of criteria that gerontologists collectively offered to expand Rowe and Kahn's original successful model is symptomatic of the problem that a normative model is by definition exclusionary. Greater reflexivity about gerontology's use of "successful aging" and other normative models is needed.