cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The combination of soy and green tea bioactive components synergistically prevents mammary carcinogenesis and inhibits angiogenesis in vivo.

A216 Breast cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed carcinoma in the world. Epidemiological investigation has suggested that lifestyle change, such as diet and nutrition, plays an important role in breast cancer development and progression. Dietary modification has been considered to be an effective regimen for breast cancer prevention. It has been realized that the effective cancer prevention activity of dietary components may result from interactions among several components that potentiate the activities of any single constituent. Our previous studies have suggested that the combination of soy and green tea significantly inhibited the growth of estrogen-dependent breast tumors in a synergistic manner in clinically relevant orthotopic tumor models. The objectives of our ongoing studies were to further evaluate the effects of soy and green tea combination on the prevention of mammary carcinogenesis in a transgenic mouse model and to evaluate the anti-angiogenesis activity of active soy and green tea components in vitro and in vivo. The 5-week-old female C3(1)/SV40 Tag transgenic mice were randomly assigned into experimental groups (n=12/group) and consumed one of the following experimental diets: (i) AIN-93 as the control, (ii) AIN-93 with addition of soy phytochemical concentrate (SPC) at 0.5% of the diet, (iii) AIN-93 with 1.0% green tea infusion in place of drinking water, or (iv) AIN-93 with SPC and green tea infusion. Food intake and body weight were measured weekly, and tumor appearance was monitored weekly. Twenty weeks after dietary treatments, the tumor incidences in mice treated with the control, SPC, green tea, and SPC and green tea combination are 58%, 58%, 33% and 25%, respectively. The results suggest that the SPC and green tea combination may also prevent mammary carcinogenesis in a synergistic manner. In vitro studies showed that soy isoflavone genistein and green tea polyphenols epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) significantly inhibited endothelial cell proliferation, migration and tube formation, and the combination of genistein and EGCG had synergistic anti-angiogenesis activity. The Matrigel plug assay also showed that SPC and green tea, alone and in combination, inhibited angiogenesis in vivo. Our results suggest that the soy and green tea combination may prevent mammary carcinogenesis in a synergistic manner in part via combined effects on angiogenesis inhibition. Supported in part by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCTR0202014, BCTR0402749) and the NIH/NCCAM (RO1AT00863).
Men who kill their mates: A profile

The population of 46 men arrested in Detroit, Michigan, for killing their current or former spouse (legal or common law) or girlfriend during 1982 and 1983 is analyzed in the context of their killings. Analyses include demographic and social characteristics of offenders and victims, circumstances of offense, and arrest disposition. Where feasible, comparisons are made with general populations of homicide offenders.
Genetic and activity-dependent mechanisms underlying interneuron diversity

The proper construction of neural circuits requires the generation of diverse cell types, their distribution to defined regions, and their specific and appropriate wiring. A major objective in neurobiology has been to understand the molecular determinants that link neural birth to terminal specification and functional connectivity, a task that is especially daunting in the case of cortical interneurons. Considerable evidence supports the idea that an interplay of intrinsic and environmental signalling is crucial to the sequential steps of interneuron specification, including migration, selection of a settling position, morphogenesis and synaptogenesis. However, when and how these influences merge to support the appropriate terminal differentiation of different classes of interneurons remains uncertain. In this Review, we discuss a wealth of recent findings that have advanced our understanding of the developmental mechanisms that contribute to the diversification of interneurons and suggest areas of particular promise for further investigation.
Infant allocare in traditional societies.

Abstract Across human societies infants receive care from both their mothers and others. Reproductive cooperation raises two important questions: how does allocare benefit mothers and infants, and why do caretakers help mothers when they could spend their time in other, perhaps more valuable ways? We use behavioral and biological data from three small-scale societies to evaluate 1) how allocare affects a nursing mother's time, 2) whether a mother's birth interval length, surviving fertility and infant weight vary as a function of the childcare help that she receives, and 3) the opportunity cost for helpers to spend time caring for children. Across our hunter-gatherer and agricultural samples we find that on average mothers provide 57% of the direct care that an infant receives and allocaretakers 43% (±20%). Model results show that for every 10% increase in allocare the probability that a mother engages in direct care diminishes by 25%, a potential savings of an estimated 165 kcals per day. While allocare has a significant immediate impact on mother's time, no detectable effect on delayed fitness measures (birth interval and surviving fertility) or on infant weight status was evident. Cross culturally we find that other than mothers, siblings spend the most time caretaking infants, and they do so without compromising the time that they might otherwise spend in play, economic activities or education. The low opportunity cost for children to help offers an alternative explanation why juveniles are common caretakers in many societies, even in the absence of delayed indirect fitness benefits. While we expect specific patterns to vary cross culturally, these results point to the importance of infant allocare and its immediate time benefits for mothers to maintain flexibility in balancing the competing demands to support both older and younger children.
Hormonal Control of Adrenocortical Cell Proliferation: DESENSITIZATION TO ACTH AND INTERACTION BETWEEN ACTH AND FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR IN BOVINE ADRENOCORTICAL CELL CULTURES

Abstract A primary bovine adrenocortical cell culture system responsive to physiological concentrations of ACTH has been established. When added to cultures, ACTH inhibited DNA synthesis and cell division over the same concentration range required for stimulation of fluorogenic steroid production (0.01-10 nM). With chronic exposure to ACTH, cells became desensitized to the growth inhibitory effects of ACTH. Though cell growth was initially completely inhibited by ACTH, cells ultimately began to grow in its continued presence. The lag time to initiation of cell growth, the rate of growth, and the final density achieved depended on the ACTH concentration. Desensitization to ACTH1-39 was not induced by monobutyryl cyclic AMP nor by ACTH11-24. Specificity of desensitization was apparent because cells which had become desensitized to ACTH1-39 remained fully responsive to monobutyryl cyclic AMP, prostaglandin E1, and cholera toxin. Though the effects of ACTH on cell growth were readily reversible upon hormone removal, the desensitized response to readdition of ACTH persisted for at least 8 h. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) stimulated both the growth rate and saturation density achieved. FGF did not alter the growth inhibitory effects of ACTH nor the reduced growth rate observed in desensitized cells maintained in ACTH. However, FGF greatly increased the saturation density achieved by cultures maintained with ACTH. Through the process of desensitization, adrenocortical cells are able to grow in the presence of high concentrations of ACTH and to respond to the effects of a growth factor by increasing the cell density achieved. This pattern of response may be a general one for growth control under the combined effects of antimitotic and mitotic factors.
Development of a Compact Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Hierarchical Multi-Agent Cooperation

We present the design of a compact autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) as part of a testbed for hierarchical, multi-agent cooperation experiments. The new vehicle design, dubbed the daughter AUV, represents economy agents within a cooperative sensor network facilitated by a small number of well-equipped agents, called the mother AUVs, in missions including cooperative localization, distributed sensing, and multi-agent networking. In this article, we focus on a system-level description of the daughter AUV, design updates on both the mechanical structure and the embedded system based on preliminary testing results with the daughter AUV prototype, and the integration with the mother AUV and our indoor testing facilities. Tailored for a multi-vehicle testing setup in a confined water tank, the daughter AUV features novel, bio-inspired jet thrusters for agile vehicle maneuvers, a bio-inspired, semi-active buoyancy control system for depth adjustment, and a compact embedded system for thruster control, state estimation, and efficient information fusion with another vehicle or a base station. Particularly, we provide an in-depth discussion on the performance of an underwater optical communication system designed for fast transmission of large data sets within short distances to supplement the acoustic communication system.
Genetic transformation and live-cell nuclear and actin dynamics during the life cycle of a chytrid

Chytrids are early-diverging fungi that share ancestral features of animals, including cells that crawl and swim. At later stages, chytrid cells resemble fungi with a chitin-based cell wall and hyphal-like structures known as rhizoids. Chytrids are important evolutionary transitional forms, but much remains unknown about their cell biology because we lack genetic tools for the live-cell imaging of their nuclear and cytoskeletal dynamics. Here, we generated stable transgenic lines of the soil chytrid Spizellomyces punctatus, and coupled live-cell microscopy and fluorescent tagging to measure the timing and coordination of growth, the cell cycle, and the actin cytoskeleton. We show that Spizellomyces zoospores rapidly encyst, develop rhizoids, and undergo multiple rounds of synchronous nuclear division in a sporangium, followed by cellularization, to create and release hundreds of zoospores. The life cycle is complete in less than 30 hours. We further demonstrate that crawling zoospores, akin to animal cells, display polymerized actin at the leading edge of amoeboid fronts. After encystment, polymerized actin reorganizes into fungal-like cortical patches and cables that extend into the rhizoid. Actin remains highly dynamic during sporo-genesis with the formation of actin perinuclear shells each cell cycle and the emergence of polygonal territories during cellularization. Spizellomyces is a fast-growing and genetically-tractable organism that should be useful for comparative cell biology and understanding the evolution of fungi and early eukaryotes.
A hierarchical energy management strategy for hybrid energy storage via vehicle-to-cloud connectivity

Abstract In order to enhance energy efficiency and improve system performance, the road mobility system requires more preview information and advanced methods. This paper proposes a novel hierarchical optimal energy management strategy for electric buses with a battery/ultracapacitor hybrid energy storage system, to optimal split the power and reduce the battery life degradation. This method is based on vehicle-to-cloud connectivity. In the cloud platform, an optimal energy management strategy is developed using dynamic programming, where the battery degradation cost and the electric cost are taken into consideration. In the vehicle level, a model predictive control is developed to deal with the uncertainties, reduce the energy losses, and handle the system constraints. The cost function of the model predictive control includes the ultracapacitor state of charge planning and energy losses. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a rule-based energy management strategy is developed as the baseline approach. The China bus driving cycle and other six real bus driving cycles recorded in China are used to validate the robustness of the proposed method. To be more realistic, the random uncertainties up to 20% are included in all driving cycles. Furthermore, the time delay and packet losses in communication are also considered. Simulation results show that the proposed method significantly outperforms the rule-based method, and the average improvement could be over 40% in the studied driving cycles.
A Method to Optimize Peak Load Regulation in Power Grid Considering HVDC

Peak load regulation problems may be aroused when the HVDC link is connected to the power system. In this paper, the evaluation method of multi-objective segmentation is proposed based on the HVDC operation modes. And the comprehensive evaluation model is established by considering membership functions of peak load regulated surplus quantity in the peak load condition and the abandoned electric quantity in the low load condition. The model utilizes the comprehensive membership functions to evaluate the effect of HVDC link on the power grid and optimize the peak load regulation. The proposed approach is applied to the Yunnan power grid in 2017, with the access to the HVDC link from Yongren to Funing to analyze the peak load regulation.
Implications of real-gas behavior on refractive index calculations for optical diagnostics of fuel–air mixing at high pressures

Abstract Three models to compute the refractive index of gaseous mixtures at real gas conditions are presented with the purpose to improve the accuracy of state relationships between refractive index and thermodynamic properties. Models are compared with experimental data to determine one that is applicable to high pressure mixtures with non-ideal thermodynamic behavior near or above a fluids’ critical point. The optimal model is applied to analyze adiabatic thermal mixing of fuel and air at typical diesel engine conditions. Results show that the ideal gas mixture law is appropriate in the vapor region, assuming it is known, for example, from experimental measurements. Finally, the model is applied for binary fuel-air mixing at supercritical conditions to demonstrate its full potential.
Chapter Ten – Immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a powerful experimental and diagnostic test useful for histomorphologic detection and localization of antigens, including rabies virus antigens. Optimization and interpretation of immunohistochemical assays are essential to provide accurate and reliable results, but pose significant challenges to scientists and technologists unfamiliar with the assay. Interpretation of IHC assays should always take place in the context of clinical, gross, and histopathological findings to insure correlation and eliminate false-positive results. This chapter briefly outlines the materials and methods, optimization, and interpretation of the test.
Early evidence of the impact of legal responses to COVID-19

This short presentation will consider how rights and equity challenges may be addressed in responding to epidemic diseases
Rural representation of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database.

SEER data are widely used to study rural–urban disparities in cancer. However, no studies have directly assessed how well the rural areas covered by SEER represent the broader rural United States. Public data sources were used to calculate county level measures of sociodemographics, health behaviors, health access and all cause cancer incidence. Driving time from each census tract to nearest Commission on Cancer certified facility was calculated and analyzed in rural SEER and non-SEER areas. Rural SEER and non-SEER counties were similar with respect to the distribution of age, race, sex, poverty, health behaviors, provider density, and cancer screening. Overall cancer incidence was similar in rural SEER vs non-SEER counties. However, incidence for White, Hispanic, and Asian patients was higher in rural SEER vs non-SEER counties. Unadjusted median travel time was 53 min (IQR 34–82) in rural SEER tracts and 54 min (IQR 35–82) in rural non-SEER census tracts. Linear modeling showed shorter travel times across all levels of rurality in SEER vs non-SEER census tracts when controlling for region (Large Rural: 13.4 min shorter in SEER areas 95% CI 9.1;17.6; Small Rural: 16.3 min shorter 95% CI 9.1;23.6; Isolated Rural: 15.7 min shorter 95% CI 9.9;21.6). The rural population covered by SEER data is comparable to the rural population in non-SEER areas. However, patients in rural SEER regions have shorter travel times to care than rural patients in non-SEER regions. This needs to be considered when using SEER-Medicare to study access to cancer care.
Renewable Energy Sourcing

An effective way to reduce carbon emissions is to increase sourcing of renewable electricity. Traditionally, while the majority of the renewable electricity is sourced by utility firms in the USA, consumers are also increasingly sourcing renewable electricity by investing in rooftop solar panels. An emerging trend is corporate sourcing of renewable energy: Several corporations, including Apple, Google, IKEA, and Walmart, have committed to source 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2050. In this chapter, we survey the extant academic literature on sourcing of renewable energy by utility firms and consumers. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different mechanisms used by corporations to source renewable energy.
Screening for Barrett’s Esophagus in the primary care setting using tethered capsule endomicroscopy

The Tearney Lab at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has conducted a study using Tethered Capsule Endomicroscopy (TCE), a technique that involves swallowing a tethered capsule device that circumferentially scans an optical coherence technology (OCT) beam inside the body as it traverses the gastrointestinal tract. Throughout the procedure, microscopic images of the esophagus are acquired in real time in an unsedated subject. OCT TCE was used to screen for Barrett’s Esophagus in a setting of 2 primary care practices at MGH.The OCT TCE show promising results identifying BE in a primary care population.
Source Coding Based Millimeter-Wave Channel Estimation With Deep Learning Based Decoding

The speed at which millimeter-Wave (mmWave) channel estimation can be carried out is critical for the adoption of mmWave technologies. This is particularly crucial because mmWave transceivers are equipped with large antenna arrays to combat severe path losses, which consequently creates large channel matrices, whose estimation may incur significant overhead. This paper focuses on the mmWave channel estimation problem. Our objective is to reduce the number of measurements required to reliably estimate the channel. Specifically, channel estimation is posed as a “ source compression ” problem in which measurements mimic an encoded (compressed) version of the channel. Decoding the observed measurements, a task which is traditionally computationally intensive, is performed using a deep-learning-based approach, facilitating a high-performance channel discovery. Our solution not only outperforms state-of-the-art compressed sensing methods, but it also determines the lower bound on the number of measurements required for reliable channel discovery.
Comparison of fibula strut and calcium phosphate cement augmentation of the medial buttress in 2-part proximal humerus fractures reconstruction: a biomechanical study.

PURPOSE Augmentation strategies for surgical fixation of proximal humerus fractures (PHF) are available to address their relatively high failure rate. The purpose of this study was to compare two medial-buttress augmentation strategies for PHF fixation. METHODS A two-part PHF model with loss of medial buttress was created in 16 synthetic bones. The PHFs were fixed with locking plates and either calcium phosphate cement (CPC) or fibula strut (FS) augmentation. After cadaveric validations, the fixation constructs were subjected to nondestructive axial compression tests, followed by a cyclic test. Construct stiffness and angular displacement of the humerus head were recorded. RESULTS Humeral head angular displacement was statistically greater in the CPC group than in the FS group at the applied force of 300 N and higher (p < 0.05). Axial stiffness was statistically greater in the FS fixation group than in the CPC group at initial and final phases of cyclic loading protocol (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In an osteoporotic cadaveric model of a 2-part PHF with loss of a medial buttress, locked plate constructs augmented with FS have a higher resistance to varus collapse compared to those augmented with CPC.
Towards Abstraction and Control for Large Groups of Robots

This paper addresses the problem of controlling a large number of robots required to accomplish a task as a group. We propose an abstraction based on the definition of a map from the configuration space of the robots to a lower dimensional manifold, whose dimension does not scale with the number of robots. The task to be accomplished by the team suggests a natural feedback control system on the group manifold. We show that, if mean and covariance matrix are chosen as group variables for fully actuated robots, it is possible to design decoupling control laws, i.e., the feedback control for a robot is only dependent on the state of the robot and the state of the group, therefore the communication necessary to accomplish the task is kept to a minimum.
Schizophrenia and the Family

(1958). Schizophrenia and the Family. Psychiatry: Vol. 21, Dedicated to the Memory of Frieda Fromm-Reichmann, pp. 21-27.
Teaching Object Oriented Programming and Design with Eiffel

The Object Oriented Paradigm is touted as a software development methodology that promotes reuse, models the problem space, facilitates maintenance, incorporates changes easily, shortens the development lifecycle, encourages good software engineering techniques, and cures the common cold. A course in Object Oriented Programming and Design should address these claims. One way (perhaps the only way) for students of the paradigm to test such claims is to build a small but high quality product as part of the course. The Eiffel language provides an ideal platform for such a course due to its simplicity, straightforward support for 00 concepts, and its assertion mechanism.
Introduction and Terminology

This book deals with correspondence rules or rules of association. The fundamental idea is to associate a function of ordinary variables with an operator.
'Always Crashing in the Same Car': A Head-On Collision with the Technosphere

In this article, the author considers aspects of psychology and psychoanalytic theory within car culture, discussing size, technological intelligence, and other enhancements to the automobile. The author discusses a number of questions to start an inquiry into the cyberpsychology of car and driver: do other drivers subconsciously perceive our grilles and headlights as our faces? Are fender-benders assaults on our metallized bodies? And, most important, what is the precise psychological mechanism that enables use to "feel" the boundaries of our cars when negotiating tricky maneuvers such as parallel parking?
Diagenetic Processes Near the Sediment-Water Interface of Long Island Sound. II. Fe and Mn

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes diagenetic processes for Fe and Mn near the sediment–water interface of Long Island Sound (LIS). The results obtained in this study show that pore-water profiles of Fe2+ and Mn2+ from three stations in LIS have general depth-dependent concentration distributions similar to those reported from other sedimentary basins: concentrations rise above seawater values to a maximum below the interface and then decrease again or remain constant deeper in the deposit. It is found that the production of Mn2+ in pore waters is directly related to the rate of reduction of Mn oxides during the decomposition of organic matter, both as a function of depth in the sediment as well as seasonally. Fe2+ is produced both by the reduction of Fe oxides and by abiogenic or biogenic oxidation of Fe sulfides. The temporal changes in both Mn2+ and Fe2+ profiles are repeatable from year to year. During the summer, pore-water Mn2+ in the top few centimeters reaches the highest concentration of the year. In the fall, Mn2+ concentrations are lowered in magnitude throughout the sediment column as a result of both decreased production.
Concise Total Synthesis of Trichodermamides A, B, and C Enabled by an Efficient Construction of the 1,2-Oxazadecaline Core

We report herein a facile and efficient method of the construction of the cis-1,2-oxazadecaline system, distinctive of (pre)trichodermamides, aspergillazine A, gliovirin, and FA-2097. The formation of the 1,2-oxazadecaline core was accomplished by a 1,2-addition of an αC-lithiated O-silyl ethyl pyruvate oxime to benzoquinone, which is followed by an oxa-Michael ring-closure. The method was successfully applied to the concise total synthesis of trichodermamide A (in gram quantities) and trichodermamide B, as well as the first synthesis of trichodermamide C.
Cornering stiffness estimation based on vehicle lateral dynamics

In this article, the cornering stiffness estimation problem based on the vehicle bicycle (one-track) model is studied. Both time-domain and frequency-domain-based methods are analyzed, aiming to estimate the effective cornering stiffness, defined as the ratio between the lateral force and the slip angle at the two axles. Several methods based on the bicycle model were developed, each having specific pros/cons related to practical implementations. The developed algorithms were evaluated on the basis of the simulation data from the bicycle model and the CarSimTM software. Finally, selected algorithms were evaluated using experimental data.
Sustainability to support end-to-end value chains: the role of supply chain management

Many firms are increasing their focus on sustainability. However, this focus has primarily emphasized environmentalism and ethics. Enterprise value chains must develop and support a broader sustainability perspective to ensure that its consumer, business, supply chain, community and environmental relationships and interactions remain viable. Using public documents and Internet sites of major global firms, this article suggests a framework to define the dimensions of sustainability and the categories of initiatives within each dimension. The article then offers examples regarding how major firms are implementing each sustainability dimension to enhance their competitiveness. Building on the framework, the article illustrates the sustainability initiatives applied by different categories of sustainability leaders.
The ergo support system: an integrated set of tools for prototyping integrated environments

The Ergo Support System (ESS) is an engineering framework for experimentation and prototyping to support the application of formal methods to program development, ranging from program analysis and derivation to proof-theoretic approaches. The ESS is a growing suite of tools that are linked together by means of a set of abstract interfaces. The principal engineering challenge is the design of abstract interfaces that are semantically rich and yet flexible enough to permit experimentation with a wide variety of formally-based program and proof development paradigms and associated languages. As part of the design of ESS, several abstract interface designs have been developed that provide for more effective component integration while preserving flexibility and the potential for scaling. A benefit of the open architecture approach of ESS is the ability to mix formal and informal approaches in the same environment architecture. The ESS has already been applied in a number of formal methods experiments.
Allelopathic effects of black walnut on european black alder coplanted as a nurse species

Black alder trees were interplanted with black walnut on a 2.4 × 3.7-m spacing at four locations in Illinois and Missouri. In every plantation, the alders suddenly declined and died after 8–13 years. Alternative causes for the mortality were investigated–competition from walnut, adverse soil properties, frost, insects, disease, unsuitable seed source, and allelopathy—but only allelopathy could be substantiated. The decline in alder survival and diameter growth was strongly related to walnut above-ground dry biomass and walnut crown competition factor. We propose that the black walnut allelopathy most likely results from a combination of (1) sufficient walnut biomass to contribute substantial amounts of juglone to the environment, and (2) wet soil that greatly restricts aerobic metabolism by soil microorganisms, allowing juglone to build up to toxic levels.
Freedom from bondage at a price: Women and redemption from slavery in the French Caribbean in the nineteenth century

In the nineteenth century, more so than in previous times, enslaved women in the French Caribbean freed themselves through rachat (redemption), by buying back their freedom from slave owners for a ...
How advertising slogans can prime evaluations of brand extensions

Different versions of a brand slogan were presented to each of three treatment groups before they evaluated six potential extensions of a fictitious brand. One slogan primed “nutrition,” one primed “spiciness,” and the third primed “high quality” as product attributes. All other product and brand information was held constant. The slogans had a significant effect both on the perceived similarity and on the evaluations of potential brand extensions. The results suggest that there is considerable flexibility in the category of products that a brand represents. Advertising slogans can play an important role in supporting or undermining a brand extension strategy by drawing attention to attributes that the new product either has in common with existing products or that conflict with existing products. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Employee Retirement Decisions: Perceptions of American Personnel Administrators — A Note

Retirement is a complex and important transition in an employee's life. The merits of retirement policies have been discussed from both the individual and the organisational perspectives. Shaw and Grubbs, for example, have emphasised the need for additional research as a guide to managing the retirement process effectively. Clearly, this need is critical in light of the extension of the mandatory retirement age to 70 (Age Discrimination in Employment Act — ADEA) and the rapid increase in the number of age discrimination lawsuits.
Interaction between the socio-demographic variables of physicians and their patients: Its impact upon patient satisfaction

An investigation of resident physician socio-demographic characteristics and how they may interact with patient socio-demographic characteristics to influence satisfaction was done. Physician characteristics of gender, age, marital and parental status, ethnic background, level of training and demonstrated cognitive skills, was compared with similar patient socio-demographics, to ascertain if a patient's preconceived images of who a physician is, rather than what a physician does will impact significantly upon patient satisfaction outcome. Results suggest that patients make these judgments separately from physician socio-demographic variables and support the belief that communication skills are a major determinant of patient satisfaction.
Bubble nucleation rate in fourth-order gravity.

We calculate the bubble nucleation rate in a fourth-order gravity theory whose action contains an ${\mathit{R}}^{2}$ term, under the thin-wall approximation, by two different methods. First the bounce solution is found for the Euclidean version of the original action. Next, we use a conformal transformation to transform the theory into general relativity with an additional scalar field and then proceed to find the bounce solution. The same results are obtained from both calculations.
Low Physical Function in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients Is Independent of Muscle Mass and Comorbidity.

Objectives It is unknown whether muscle wasting accounts for impaired physical function in adults on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Design Observational study. Setting Outpatient dialysis units and a fall clinic. Subjects One hundred eight MHD and 122 elderly nonhemodialysis (non-HD) participants. Exposure Variable Mid-thigh muscle area was measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Main Outcome Measure Physical function was measured by distance walked in 6 minutes. Results Compared with non-HD elderly participants, MHD participants were younger (49.2 ± 15.8 vs. 75.3 ± 7.1 years; P 2 ; P = .002). However, the distance walked in 6 minutes was lower in MHD participants (322.9 ± 110.4 vs. 409.0 ± 128.3 m; P P Conclusions Even when compared with elderly non-HD participants, younger MHD participants have poorer physical function that was not explained by muscle mass or comorbid conditions. We speculate that the uremic milieu may impair muscle function independent of muscle mass. The mechanism of impaired muscle function in uremia needs to be established in future studies.
The 6 h climatology of thunderstorms and rainfalls in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Plain

Abstract Friuli Venezia Giulia is a region located in the North-Eastern part of Italy. It has the Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste) on the South and the Julian and Carnic Alps surrounding it on the North. For these geographical properties thunderstorms and precipitations are common events in the plain of this region. The climatology of thunderstorms and rainfalls, considering 6 h interval periods, is studied in this work. It is shown how the thunderstorm frequency, based on the recording of at least three lightning strikes during the 6 h period, is 16%. The occurrence frequency of at least 1 mm of rain accumulated in 6 h is 24%, while that of at least 5 mm in 6 h is 14%. The daily and monthly distributions of these events are then stratified in three classes, based on their “intensity” (weak, medium and strong), and the different behaviors are analysed. Finally, an explanation for the main monthly rain frequency is sought by looking at only two sounding-derived indices and in particular at their annual cycles. The two indices (related to the potential instability and to the water vapour flux) attempt to summarize the “convective” and “flux” mechanisms for producing rain. It is found that in some particular periods of the year the rain-originating process seems well identifiable, while in many others the two processes seem to be concomitant.
Hierarchies of complete problems

An attempt is made to present a framework for the diverse complete problems that have been found. A new concept--a Hierarchy of Complete Problems is defined. Several hierarchies in various domains such as graph theory, automata theory, theorem proving and games are established.
Differential effects of serum on lipopolysaccharide receptor-directed macrophage activation for nitric oxide production

In this manuscript, the effects of fetal bovine serum (FBS) on activation of mouse macrophages through the p73 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor have been evaluated. In confirmation of earlier published studies, FBS will significantly potentiate the ability of LPS to activate macrophages to produce nitric oxide (NO). Evidence that this potentiating effect of FBS is mediated primarily by an interaction with LPS is provided by data showing that the stimulating effects of a hamster IgM monoclonal antibody to the p73 LPS receptor are significantly suppressed under identical conditions of FBS addition. The presence of FBS enhances both the kinetics of LPS-induced NO production and delays the induction of MAb5D3-induced NO production. The data establish that the ability of FBS to reduce MAb5D3-initiated NO production can only be manifest during the first 4-6 h following activation with antibody. Similarly, the ability of polymyxin B (which does not affect MAb5D3 activity) to inhibit LPS-dependent macrophage activation is also only effective during the first 4-6 h of stimulation, suggesting a parallel kinetic profile in the activation of the inducible NO synthase by these related activators. These studies provide data which suggest a dual role for serum factors in LPS-dependent macrophage activation, a direct effect of FBS on LPS which potentiates its immunostimulatory activity, and a secondary down-regulation effect which is manifest at the level of the macrophage.
Reduced regional and global cerebral blood flow during fenoldopam-induced hypotension in volunteers.

Dopamine has a wide spectrum of receptor and pharmacologic actions that may affect cerebral blood flow (CBF). A new, selective dopamine-1 agonist, fenoldopam, is a potent systemic vasodilator with moderate a2-receptor affinity. However, the effects of fenoldopam on the cerebral circulation are undefined. We therefore hypothesized that infusion of fenoldopam would decrease mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and might concurrently decrease CBF via vascular a2-adrenoreceptor activation in awake volunteers. We studied nine healthy normotensive subjects, using positron emission tomography to measure CBF in multiple cortical and subcortical regions of interest. In addition, bioimpedance cardiac output and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity were determined during fenoldopam-induced hypotension. Three men and four women, aged 25‐ 43 yr, completed the study. Fenoldopam infused at 1.3 6 0.4 m g·k g 21 · min 21 (mean 6 sd) reduced MAP 16% from baseline: from 94 (89 ‐100) mm Hg (mean [95% confidence interval]) to 79 [74 ‐ 85] mm Hg (P , 0.0001). During the fenoldopam infusion, both cardiac output (139%), and heart rate (145%) increased significantly, whereas global CBF decreased from baseline, 45.6 [35.6 ‐58.5] mL · 100 g 21 · min 21 , to 37.7 [33.9 ‐ 42.0] mL · 100 g 21 · min 21 (P , 0.0001). Despite restoration of baseline MAP with a concurrent infusion of phenylephrine, global CBF remained decreased relative to baseline values at 37.9 [34.0 ‐ 42.3] mL · 100 gm 21 · min 21 (P , 0.0001). Changes in middle cerebral artery velocity did not correlate with positron emission tomography-measured changes of CBF induced by fenoldopam, with or without concurrent phenylephrine. (Anesth Analg 2001;93:45‐52)
A review of creatine supplementation in age-related diseases: more than a supplement for athletes.

Creatine is an endogenous compound synthesized from arginine, glycine and methionine. This dietary supplement can be acquired from food sources such as meat and fish, along with athlete supplement powders. Since the majority of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, dietary creatine supplementation has traditionally been important for athletes and bodybuilders to increase the power, strength, and mass of the skeletal muscle. However, new uses for creatine have emerged suggesting that it may be important in preventing or delaying the onset of neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging. On average, 30% of muscle mass is lost by age 80, while muscular weakness remains a vital cause for loss of independence in the elderly population. In light of these new roles of creatine, the dietary supplement’s usage has been studied to determine its efficacy in treating congestive heart failure, gyrate atrophy, insulin insensitivity, cancer, and high cholesterol. In relation to the brain, creatine has been shown to have antioxidant properties, reduce mental fatigue, protect the brain from neurotoxicity, and improve facets/components of neurological disorders like depression and bipolar disorder. The combination of these benefits has made creatine a leading candidate in the fight against age-related diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, long-term memory impairments associated with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. In this review, we explore the normal mechanisms by which creatine is produced and its necessary physiology, while paying special attention to the importance of creatine supplementation in improving diseases and disorders associated with brain aging and outlining the clinical trials involving creatine to treat these diseases.
Development and characterization of seventeen polymorphic microsatellite loci in the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus

We isolated and characterized 17 microsatellite loci from the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus. Loci were screened in 24 individuals of S. undulatus. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 22, observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.174 to 0.913, and the probability of identity values ranged from 0.008 to 0.1. These new loci provide tools for examining the population genetics of eastern fence lizards and for assessing the evolutionary impacts the invasive red imported fire ant has on the lizard.
A dense cell culture system for microorganisms using a stirred ceramic membrane reactor incorporating asymmetric porous ceramic filters

Abstract A stirred ceramic membrane reactor (SCMR) incorporating asymmetric porous ceramic tubes was found to be effective for maintaining high filtrate flux over a long period of filtering culture. Alumina ceramic filters with mean pore diameters of 0.5 μm at the surface and 25 μm in the inner rough phase were fitted inside a jarfermentor. Filtering performance was enhanced by stirring the culture broth at a higher rate. Membrane fouling was also prevented by stirring. Using this bioreactor system, a dense cell culture of Lactococcus lactis, which is damaged by metabolites produced in the culture supernatant, was attempted by the filtering culture method with the aid of an automatic feeding and filtering system. Preliminary tests on the medium composition in batch cultures showed that the cell growth was severely impaired by excessive consumption of substrates such as glucose, Polypepton, and yeast extract. Even in a fed-filtering culture, the cell concentration was as low as 38 g/l with 56% viability after a 220-h cultivation period with the feeding of a substrate solution containing 12 g/l glucose and 4 g/l yeast extract powder. A high cell concentration of 141 g/l with 94% viability after 238-h cultivation was achieved by fed-filtering massive amounts of a diluted substrate solution containing 6 g/l glucose and 2 g/l yeast extract. Both the yield and productivity of cells were also increased by controlling the feeding of the diluted fresh medium and filtering the supernatant of the dense cell culture. The filtrate volume reached sixty-four times that of the original working volume in the fermentor. The average dilution rate was 0.3 h−1 through the filtering culture. These results showed that the long-lasting and high permeability capacity of the SCMR system fitted with an asymmetric membrane enabled facilitated increases in the concentration and productivity of the cells by continuously removing inhibitory by-products at a high dilution rate.
A robust and efficient method to recover neural events from noisy and corrupted data

In a variety of neural data analysis problems, “neural events” such as action potentials (APs) or post-synaptic potentials (PSPs), must be recovered from noisy and possibly corrupted measurements. For instance, in calcium imaging, an AP or group of APs generate a stereotyped calcium signal with a quick rise time and slow decay. In this work, we develop a general-purpose method for: (i) learning a template waveform that signifies the presence of a neural event and (ii) neural event recovery to determine the times at which such events occur. Our approach is based upon solving a sparse signal separation problem to separate the neural signal of interest from any noise and other corruptions that arise due to baseline drift, measurement noise, and breathing/motion artifacts. For both synthetic and real measured data, we demonstrate that our approach accurately learns the underlying template waveform and detects neural events, even in the presence of strong amounts of noise and corruption. The method's robustness, simplicity, and computational efficiency makes it amenable for use in the analysis of data arising in large-scale studies of both time-varying calcium imaging and whole-cell electrophysiology.
How the Patient's Plan Relates to the Concept of Transference

Inconsistent findings in previous studies of interpretations have resulted from the confounding of categories of interpretations with accuracy of interpretations. This study adds two new patient process measures (Insight and Referential Activity) to our original study (Fretter, 1984; Silberschatz, Fretter, & Curtis, 1986) and consistently demonstrates that accuracy (as measured by Plan Compatibility) is a significant predictor of three patients' immediate progress in brief dynamic psychotherapy, whereas category (transference versus nontransference) is not. The theoretical concept of transference is translated into the concept of the Plan. Finally, a clinical case taken from the empirical study is presented to illustrate our theoretical point that the power of the Plan lies in its case-specific ability to address multiple aspects of the patient's many transferences whether or not they are directed explicitly toward the therapist.
The anatomy of neurons projecting to the corpus cardiacum from the larval brain of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.).

Retrograde cobalt filling followed by silver intensification revealed new features of the anatomy of neurons which project from the brain to the corpus cardiacum (CC) of the fifth instar larva of Manduca sexta. Filling via the fused nervi corporis cardiaci (NCC) I+II demonstrated four groups of cell bodies (Ia, Ib, II, and III) previously described by Nijhout (1975), plus three major axonal tracts (A, B, and C), and four previously unobserved areas of dendritic branching, dendritic fields (DF) 1, 2, 3, and 4. Tract C is unusual in that it originates from cell bodies on the side contralateral to the filled nerve, travels ventrally and crosses over to the ipsilateral side where it turns dorsally, forming a hook in the center of the brain. It then turns ventrally again to join with tract A. DF 1 and 2 are located ventrally on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides of the brain respectively. DF 3 and 4 are situated in the dorsal protocerebrum, on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides respectively.
Seeing Beyond the Scars: A Testament to "Anna"

The client, Anna, was an 18 year-old young woman who had a six-year history of self-injury, panic attacks, anxiety, disordered eating, and depression. She presented with a unique pattern of cutting in which she would cut when she felt too much and when she did not feel enough. In a sense, Anna existed in a perpetual cycle of emotional regulation through the induction of physical pain. Her thousands of scars are a testament to her deep emotional pain, which are associated with her relationship with her parents. From a psychodynamic perspective, Anna presented as very defended as she often suppressed her emotions, idealized her father, and dissociated during cutting episodes. The therapy primarily focused on maintaining and fostering the therapeutic relationship while using transference and counter-transference issues in order to promote the growth and understanding of her deeply rooted pain. Anna was self-referred and we met weekly for one hour in a college counseling center. Our work together was ongoing and included a total of 25 sessions at the time the case was written. I received individual supervision one hour per week from Andrea Kelly, a licensed Masters level psychologist, and group supervision two hours per week with Andrea and four other Master’s level interns from various colleges and theoretical backgrounds. Andrea, the client Anna, and I were primarily responsible for treatment planning; however, I did receive some guidance from the other graduate interns.