cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ferrotoxic Disease: The Next Great Public Health Challenge

In this issue of Clinical Chemistry , Ellervik et al. (1) report relationships between baseline ferritin concentrations and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in 8988 individuals enrolled in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Median follow-up was 23 years, during which 6364 individuals died. Multifactorially adjusted hazard ratios for total mortality in individuals with ferritin values below vs above 200 μg/L showed significantly lower mortality overall ( P = 0.0008) and separately for men ( P = 0.02) and women ( P = 0.03) with lower ferritin concentrations. Cause-specific mortality below vs above the 200 μg/L threshold was significantly lower for cancer ( P = 0.005), metabolic disease ( P = 0.002) and cardiovascular disease ( P = 0.00006). A highly significant progressive decrease in median survival occurred with increasing ferritin concentrations. The hazard ratio for total mortality increased by 13% for each 100 μg/L increase in ferritin concentration. The median survival was 79 years with concentrations <200 μg/L, 76 years with ferritin concentrations between 200 and 399 μg/L, 72 years with ferritin concentrations between 400 and 599 μg/L, and 55 years with ferritin concentrations in excess of 600 μg/L. A stepwise increase in mortality with increasing ferritin concentrations was found for each disease category. Adjusted hazard ratios for increased disease-specific mortality for ferritin concentrations above 600 μg/L vs below 200 μg/L were significant for malignant ( P = 0.01), endocrine ( P = 0.0001), and cardiovascular ( P = 0.01) disease. The conclusion was that “increased ferritin concentrations represent a biological biomarker predictive of early death in a dose-dependent linear manner in the general population.” Increased ferritin concentrations were interpreted by the authors “as a biological marker of pathogenic processes that reflects severity and presence of a variety of disease states leading to premature death.” They stated that “causality may be …
On the topology of spacelike hypersurfaces, singularities, and black holes

Sufficient topological conditions and some reasonable geometric properties near infinity are given on a partial Cauchy surface to study the occurrence of singularities and the topological structure of smooth event horizons. Conditions are given on electrovac space-times to show the horizon is a sphere without assuming the solution is stationary.
A Biochemical Measure of Stress in Patients with Myofascial Pain-Dysfunction Syndrome

Measurement of urinary catecholamine and 17-hydroxy steroid levels showed that patients with myofascial pain-dysfunction syndrome are under greater emotional stress than control individuals. These findings support the psychophysiologic theory of the etiology of this syndrome.
Hydrothermal dehydration of precipitates: convenient synthesis method for solids.

By using a hydrothermal dehydration technique, the usefulness of simple precipitation reactions can be extended to the low-temperature production of anhydrous, crystalline oxides. Preparation of the materials Zn2SiO4 and SnSiO3 exemplifies the utility of the method.
Programmable laser frequency stabilization at 1523 nm by use of persistent spectral hole burning.

Diode laser frequency stability of 2 kHz to 680 Hz over 20 ms to 500 s has been demonstrated at 1523 nm in the technologically important communication band by use of persistent spectral holes in the inhomogeneously broadened I415/2→I413/2 optical absorption of Er3+:D-:CaF2. Laser frequency stabilization was realized without vibrational or acoustical isolation of either the laser or spectral hole frequency reference, providing the means for implementing a versatile, compact, stable source.
Technetium‐99m‐iminodiacetic acid organic anions: Review of biokinetics and clinical application in hepatology

Technetium-99m-labeled iminodiacetic acid analogs are a new class of organic anions, taken up and secreted by hepatocyte into hepatic bile by a carrier-mediated organic anion pathway. They provide a new dimension in the assessment of pathophysiology and morphology of the hepatobiliary system. The amount of uptake and the rapidity of its elimination from the liver is dependent upon the structural configuration of the agent as well as the functional integrity of the hepatocyte and the patency of the biliary system. The clinical areas for application are wide and include most of the hepatobiliary diseases. Technetium-99m-iminodiacetic acid, an agent well suited for both planar and single photon tomographic scintigraphy, is ideal for early diagnosis prior to anatomical changes in the hepatobiliary system. The data collection directly from the liver provides quantitation of both regional and global liver diseases. The count-based method for measuring gallbladder emptying overcomes the theoretical disadvantages of geometric tests. Biokinetics and current clinical application of six of the 99mTc-iminodiacetic acid agents are reviewed, and the potential future clinical and research areas of application are indicated.
Detection of rubidide anion (Rb-) in crystalline rubidides by rubidium-87 nuclear magnetic resonance

The rubidide anion, Rb/sup -/, was detected in crystalline alkalides by /sup 87/Rb magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. The compounds Rb/sup +/ (15-crown-5)/sub 2/Rb/sup -/, Cs/sup +/(15-crown-5)/sub 2/Rb/sup -/, and Cs/sup +/(18-crown-6)/sub 2/Rb/sup -/ were found to be pure rubidides with the same isotropic chemical shift of -186 +/- 2 ppm relative to Rb/sup +/(aq). The frequency dependence of the chemical shift and line width correspond to a quadrupole coupling constant of 1.2 +/- 0.2 MHz for Rb/sup -/. The systems RbK(15-crown-5)/sub 2/, RbK(18-crown-6), and Rb(18-crown-6) are mixtures. Samples of Rb/sub 2/(cryptand 2.2.2) and Rb/sub 2/(18-crown-6) that were expected to contain Rb/sup -/ showed no signal. Although the signal of Rb/sup +/ could be detected in the simple salts RbCl, RbI, and RbSCN, the complexed rubidium cation could not be detected in the solid state. Signals from both Rb/sup +/(15-crown-5)/sub 2/ (..delta.. nu/sub 1/2/ approx. = 5000 Hz) and Rb/sup -/ (..delta.. nu/sub 1/2/ = 150 Hz) were detected in solutions of Rb/sup +/(15-crown-5)/sub 2/Rb/sup -/ in dimethyl ether in the presence of excess 15-crown-5. This work represents the first observation of the NMR spectrum of Rb/sup -/ in solids and of complexed Rb/sup +/ in solution. 32 references, 3 figures,more » 1 table.« less
Structure and reactivity of Cp2Zr(η2-Me2SiNtBu)(CO): An unusual silanimine carbonyl complex with extensive σ-π∗ back-bonding

Abstract The carbonyl silanimine complex Cp2Zr(η2-Me2SiNtBu)(CO) (2) has been prepared by ligand substitution on the phosphine derivative, Cp2Zr(η2-Me2SiNtBu) (PMe3) (1) and by generation of the alkyl derivative Cp2Zr(CH2SiMe3) (NtBuSiMe2H) under a carbon monoxide atmosphere. Most aspects of the spectroscopic properties and structural parameters are consistent with the formulation of 2 as a zirconium (IV) metallacycle, containing a ZrSiN three-membered ring and a linear, terminal carbonyl ligand. However, the carbonyl stretching frequency for 2 is observed at 1797 cm−1 in the infrared, much lower than expected for a zirconium (IV) complex, and indeed, lower than any other zirconocene carbonyl. ZINDO molecular orbital calculations indicate that the origin of this anomalously low stretching band is donation of electron density into the CO π ∗ orbital directly from an orbital on the adjacent silicon center, i.e. σ-π∗ back-bonding. Consistent with this picture, the formally non-bonding Si/3.C distance in 2 (2.347(7) A) is much longer than a typical single bond (ca 1.87 A), but in the range observed for delocalized organic π-ligands bonded to silicon. Although the bond between the silicon and carbonyl ligand is not fully formed in the ground state of 2, thermolysis in the presence of PMe3 yields the five-membered metallacycle cyclo-Cp2Zr[OC(PMe3)SiMe2NtBu] (3), resulting from CO insertion into the ZrSi bond and formation of a cyclic silaacyl, followed by attack of phosphine at the electrophilic acyl carbon.
Quantitative Behavioral Assessment Methods for the Analysis of Graft-Induced Motor and Cognitive Function in the MPTP-Treated Parkinsonian Monkey

Although the MPTP-treated monkey is the best available model of Parkinson’s disease in terms of neuropathophysiology, the usefulness of the model for the functional analysis of neural grafts requires methods that can determine the severity and persistence of the symptoms. Wide variation in response to MPTP and reports of "spontaneous" recovery may warrant a variety of assessment methods to determine the severity of parkinsonism and this requires large numbers of subjects and groups. It is critical that the severity of the MPTP deficit be known in order to compare MPTP-treated subjects with fetal substantia nigra (SN) implanted into the caudate nucleus (CN) with similarly affected subjects given sham surgery, "inappropriate" surgery (cerebellar tissue into the CN or SN tissue into the cortex), or no surgery. If subjects in these groups are not compared by severity it will not be possible to differentiate between graftinduced and spontaneously-induced improvements. We have aimed to establish a variety of behavioral assessment methods that can identify the severity of the MPTP-induced behavioral deficit. With these methods we can more accurately study the restorative effects of grafts in MPTP-treated monkeys with which the biochemical and morphological effects can be compared. We have used the following methodologies in our studies: 1) spontaneous behavioral ratings; 2) cognitive and subtle motor skill task performance, and 3) eye-blink rate measure
Range and contrast imaging improvements using circularly polarized light in scattering environments

We find for infrared wavelengths there are clear particle size ranges and indices representative of fog and rain where the use of circular polarization imaging can penetrate to larger optical depths than linear polarization. Using polarization tracking Monte Carlo simulations for varying particle size, wavelength, and index systematically, we show that for specific scene parameters circular polarization vastly outperforms linear polarization in maintaining degree of polarization for large optical depths in transmission and reflection. This enhancement in circular polarization can be exploited to improve imaging in obscurant environments that are important in many critical imaging applications. Specifically, circular polarization performs better than linear for radiation fog in the SWIR and MWIR regime, advection fog in the LWIR regime, and small sized particles of Sahara dust in the MWIR regime.
Electronic coupling between heme electron-transfer centers and its decay with distance depends strongly on relative orientation.

A method for calculating the electron-transfer matrix element VRP using density functional theory Kohn−Sham orbitals is presented and applied to heme dimers of varying relative orientation. The electronic coupling decays with increased iron separation according to VRP = exp(−βr/2) with a distance dependence parameter β ≈ 2 A-1 for hemes with parallel porphyrins and either 1.1 or 4.0 A-1 when the porphyrin planes are perpendicular, depending on the alignment of the iron dπ orbital. These findings are used to interpret the observed orientation of the hemes in tetraheme redox proteins such as Flavocytochrome c3 fumarate reductase (Ifc3, PDB code 1QJD) of Shewanella frigidimarina, another flavocytochrome from the same bacterium (Fcc3, 1E39) and a small tetraheme cytochrome of Shewanella oneidensis strain MR1 (1M1P). Our results show that shifting and rotating the hemes controls the adiabaticity of the three electron hopping steps.
Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Certainty in Pessimistic Predictions about the Future

This study examined whether symptoms of GAD and depression were differentially associated with predictions individuals made about their future. Sixty-five undergraduates completed the BDI-II and GAD-Q-IV, predicted whether positive and negative events would happen to them in the future, and indicated their level of certainty about these predictions. Both higher GAD and depression symptoms were associated with an increased tendency to anticipate that negative events would happen. However, only depression was associated with the tendency to predict that positive events would not occur, even after adjusting for GAD symptoms. In addition, GAD and depression scores were positively associated with pessimistic certainty about negative events, but only depression was associated with increased certainty about both the occurrence of negative outcomes and a lack of positive outcomes, even after adjusting for GAD symptoms.
Effects of Atorvastatin on Fasting and Postprandial Lipoprotein Subclasses in Coronary Heart Disease Patients Versus Control Subjects

The effects of atorvastatin at 20, 40, and 80 mg/day on plasma lipoprotein subclasses were examined in a randomized, placebo-controlled fashion over 24 weeks in 103 patients in the fasting state who had coronary heart disease (CHD) with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels >130 mg/dl. The effects of placebo and atorvastatin 40 mg/day were examined in 88 subjects with CHD in the fasting state and 4 hours after a meal rich in saturated fat and cholesterol. These findings were compared with results in 88 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Treatment at the 20, 40, and 80 mg/day dose levels resulted in LDL cholesterol reductions of 38%, 46%, and 52% (all p <0.0001), triglyceride reductions of 22%, 26%, and 30% (all p <0.0001), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increases of 6%, 5%, and 3%, respectively (all p <0.05 at the 20- and 40-mg doses). The lowest total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was observed with the 80 mg/day dose of atorvastatin (p <0.0001 vs placebo). Remnant-like particle (RLP) cholesterol decreased 33%, 34%, and 32%, respectively (all p <0.0001). Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] cholesterol decreased 9%, 16%, and 21% (all p <0.0001), although Lp(a) mass increased 9%, 8%, and 10%, respectively (all p <0.01). In the fed state, atorvastatin 40 mg/day normalized direct LDL cholesterol (29% below controls), triglycerides (8% above controls), and RLP cholesterol (10% below controls), with similar reductions in the fasting state. At this same dose level, atorvastatin treatment resulted in 39%, 35%, and 59% decreases in fasting triglyceride in large, medium, and small very LDLs, as well as 45%, 33%, and 47% reductions in cholesterol in large, medium, and small LDL, respectively, as assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance (all significant, p <0.05), normalizing these particles versus controls (77 cases vs 77 controls). Moreover, cholesterol in large HDL was increased 37% (p <0.001) by this treatment. Our data indicate that atorvastatin treatment normalizes levels of all classes of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and LDL in both the fasting and fed states in patients with CHD compared with control subjects.
The fauna of the HEBBLE site: patterns in standing stock and sediment-dynamic effects

Abstract At the High Energy Benthic Boundary Layer Experiment (HEBBLE) site at 4820 m depth on the Nova Scotia Rise (40°27′N, 62°20′W), abundances of polychaetes, bivalves, tanaids, and isopods were conspicuously greater than expected for the depth, whereas those of nematodes and harpacticoids, the two dominant meiofaunal taxa, were not. Further, the abundances of polychaetes, bivalves, tanaids, and nematodes were consistent over time and appeared to be unaffected by the periods of strong near-bottom flow that characterized the site. In contrast, isopods and harpacticoid copepods were less abundant in samples taken as a storm abated, apparently because they were eroded during benthic storms. We explore implications of the difference between macrofaunal and meiofaunal abundance for community structure. In addition, because a goal of the HEBBLE project was the parameterization of sediment transport in the deep sea, we summarize ways that the biota affects sediment transport at this high-energy site.
A demonstration of the confuser and likelihood modeling benefits for target detection in SAR imagery (Invited Paper)

A common approach to the detection of objects in sensor data is to model the target, compare the input data to that model and then if the match is close enough, declare target-present. This is how many automatic target recognition (ATR) systems operate. An alternative approach is to also have confuser models (CMs) and to consider how close the input data is to all of the models in the library. The advantages of CMs can be increased by also modeling the match score likelihoods for targets and confusers. This paper considers several methods for using CMs and likelihood models (LMs) and demonstrates their relative merits with a mean-squared-error based ATR on the MSTAR synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) public data set. Two benefits of CMs and LMs are demonstrated. They improve the ability of the ATR to discriminate targets and confusers, as one might expect, but they can also help the ATR estimate the confidence it should have in its decisions. In the demonstration, the area-under-the-ROC curve was increased from 0.88 to 0.94 by CM use. For the important case of out-of-library confusers, if the probability of false alarm (Pfa) is set to 0.1 then CMS and LMs increase probability of detection (Pd) from 0.40 to 0.65. On the other hand if the Pd is set to 0.9 then the CMs and LMs decrease Pfa from 0.50 to 0.35. The posterior estimate (i.e., the ATR's confidence) had a reduction in RMS error from 0.27 to 0.09 through the use of CMs and LMs.
Aqueous infrared carboxylate absorbances: aliphatic monocarboxylates

Aqueous attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra of 24 aliphatic monocarboxylates have asymmetric COO− stretch frequencies (νas) of 1541 cm−1 to 1678 cm−1, while the symmetric stretch frequencies range from 1202 cm−1 to 1417 cm−1. The pKa values of these acids are linearly correlated with νas according to the equation (pKa = 66.70-0.04018νas, σ = 0.266 pKa units, r2 = 0.968). This correlation should be useful in determining the pKa values of acids in complex mixtures and the site pKa values of carboxyl groups in polyacids. Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations using the AM1 parameter set give νas values which correlate well with experimental νas (σ = 11.3 cm−1), although model νas values are ≈ 500 cm−1 too high; the PM3 parameter set predicts νas values that are only ≈ 300 cm−1 too high, but which do not correlate as well with experiment (σ = 17.6 cm−1).
Adenosine Diphosphate-Ribosylation of Adenylate Cyclase Catalyzed by Heat-Labile Enterotoxin of Escherichia coli: Comparison with Cholera Toxin

The heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli, like cholera toxin, activates adenylate cyclase by catalyzing the transfer of adenosine diphosphate-ribose from HAD+ (oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) to the guanyl nucleotide-dependent regulatory component of the cyclase. A preparation of enterotoxin that had been released from E. coli following exposure to polymyxin B and then partially purified was found to contain two enzymatically active peptides, one of about 29,000 and the other of about 24,000 daltons, which correspond in molecular size to the enzymatically active subunit A and fragment A1 of cholera toxin, respectively. As with cholera toxin, the enzymatic activity of E. coli enterotoxin was elevated by incubation with sodium dodecyl sulfate to release active peptides. Treatment with dithiothreitol, however, had no effect. Dithiothreitol activates subunit A of cholera toxin by reducing an internal disulfide bond, but no corresponding bond appears to be present in the partially purified E. coli enterotoxin.
A Model for HIV Risk Reduction and Prevention among African American College Students.

Training African American student leaders as peer educator-mentors to reach African American students in the traditional workshop setting as well as in informal, one-to-one occasions is an effective method of managing students' risks of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The Ujima project, developed and implemented by Syracuse University Health Services, trained educator-mentors to provide first-year African American students with correct information about HIV risk reduction and how to build life skills associated with prevention that enhance self-esteem and provide ongoing social support on formal and informal occasions in a culturally sensitive manner. These strategies were successful in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for HIV prevention among African American college students.
Upgrading arc problem with budget constraint

Upgrading arcs are often used in transportation and telecommunication systems. In a real world situation, upgrading an arc between a pair of nodes corresponds to using a rapid mode of transit, such as using a plane instead of a truck between a pair of cities in a transportation network or using a higher speed cable between a pair of servers in a telecommunication network. These upgrades decrease transportation times through the network and can be critical in achieving delivery deadlines. This paper introduces and analyzes the upgrading arc problem with budget constraint. We show that this problem is NP-Complete in general and present several polynomially solvable cases.
Effects of lead accumulation on the Azolla caroliniana-Anabaena association.

Abstract The effect of lead accumulation on photopigment production, mineral nutrition, and Anabaena vegetative cell size and heterocyst formation in Azolla caroliniana was investigated. Plants were exposed to 0, 1, 5, 10, and 20 mg L −1 lead acetate for ten days. Lead accumulation increased when plants were treated with higher lead concentrations. Results revealed a statistically significant decline in total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a , chlorophyll b, and carotenoids in 5, 10, and 20 mg Pb L −1 treatment groups as compared to plants with 0 or 1 mg Pb L −1 treatments. No statistically significant change in anthocyanin production was observed. Calcium, magnesium, and zinc concentrations in plants decreased in increasing treatment groups, whereas sodium and potassium concentrations increased. Nitrogen and carbon were also found to decrease in plant tissue. Anabaena vegetative cells decreased in size and heterocyst frequency declined rapidly in a Pb dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that, while A. caroliniana removes lead from aqueous solution, the heavy metal causes physiological and biochemical changes by impairing photosynthesis, changing mineral nutrition, and impeding the growth and formation of heterocysts of the symbiotic cyanobacteria that live within leaf cavities of the fronds.
A contribution to the understanding of the Ganser syndrome

Summary Some of the literature on the Ganser syndrome is reviewed and discussed. An interview with a patient suffering from this condition is analyzed. The authors feel that this clinical picture represents a thought disorder caused by regression and disturbances in perception and the capacity for attention cathexis.
THE EFFECT OF FORMALIN AND OTHER INACTIVATORS ON THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF LEPTOSPIRES.

Leptospires consist of 3 basic components: an axial filament, a protoplasmic spiral, and an enveloping sheath. By using thin sectioning techniques several investigators have shown that the enveloping sheath covers the leptospiral cell (Babudieri, 1958, 1960; Simpson and White, 1961, 1964; Miller and Wilson, 1962). Formalin is commonly employed for inactivating and preserving leptospires in the preparation of bacterins or diagnostic antigens. Formalin-killed leptospiral antigens, however, are less serotype-specific than live antigens when used in either the macroscopic or microscopic agglutination tests (Alexander, 1958). It is possible that formalin may exert this adverse effect on serotype specificity of leptospires by altering the structure of the organisms. It is the purpose of the present report to describe the effect of formalin and other inactivators on the ultra-
Disruption of chloroplast biogenesis and plant development upon down-regulation of a chloroplast processing enzyme involved in the import pathway

Summary Typically, nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins are synthesized as precursors and require proteolytic processing upon import before their assembly into functional complexes within the organelle. A cDNA encoding a chloroplast processing enzyme (CPE), which was originally identified as a protease that cleaves the precursor for the major light-harvesting chlorophyll binding protein (preLHCP), was introduced into the tobacco genome in an antisense orientation to investigate the role of the enzymein vivo. The presence of the antisense-CPE gene resulted in chlorotic leaves, and retarded shoot and root growth. The introduction of the antisense-CPE gene disrupted the normal pattern of plastid division. Chloroplast numbers in cotyledon and first leaf cells were reduced 25% compared to the control plants. Chloroplasts contained fewer thylakoids and large starch grains, the latter an indication of a change in carbon flux. CPE levels and activity were significantly lower in stromal extracts in the transgenic plants. Interestingly,in vitroimport of precursor proteins was defective. Most of the preLHCP remained on the exterior of the organelle, and only a small fraction of preRBCA was imported, suggesting that a change in CPE levels can influence translocation across the envelope. Ourin vivoresults support the conclusion that CPE plays a critical role during chloroplast biogenesis, and that the pleiotropic effects of CPE down-regulation reflect its function as a general stromal processing peptidase as part of the import machinery. Furthermore, these findings indicate the importance of regulating the expression of components of the import machinery for normal plant development.
Vaginal delivery after pubovaginal sling surgery

For pregnant women who have had previous successful surgery for genuine stress urinary incontinence, an elective cesarean section is generally recommended. Many of these patients are multiparous and can be expected to have a relatively short and uncomplicated labor. We report a case of vaginal delivery after a pubovaginal sling and urethral diverticulectomy with preservation of continence at 1 year.
Chemical shrinkage behavior of pastes made with different types of cements

Abstract The chemical shrinkage of pastes made with five different types of cement (Types I, I/II, II, IV, and IP) and a water-to-cementitious material ratio of 0.40 was tested according to ASTM C 1608. The results were compared with the chemical shrinkage estimated from using the molecular weight and densities of the cement compound. It was found that the chemical shrinkage of the pastes increased with the C3A + C4AF content and equivalent alkali content. The chemical shrinkage predicted from the molecular weight and densities of the cement compound was consistent with experimental results.
Chemical differentiation of the Bishop Tuff and other high-silica magmas through crystallization processes

Re-examination of petrochemical data for high-silica ash-flow tuffs suggests that crystal-liquid fractionation plays a major role in the differentiation of high-silica magmas. For the high-silica Bishop Tuff, the enrichment and depletion of 27 major and trace elements correlates with the bulk crystal-liquid partition coefficients (calculated from the data of Hildreth) in ways that are consistent with crystal fractionation. Comparison of the Bishop Tuff with other high-silica tuffs and rhyolites with different compositional variations and different phenocryst assemblages shows the correspondence of chemical gradients with mineralogy. Crystal zoning studies in the Cordillera Paine granite in southern Chile suggest that the evolution of differentiated liquids similar to those in the Bishop Tuff results from crystal fractionation. The physical mechanisms of separation of liquid and crystals for the Paine granite and Bishop Tuff were quite different, however. Differentiation of the high-silica ash flows might result from advection of a less dense liquid from a crystallizing boundary into the top of the magma chamber.
Plasma Propulsion With a Pulsed Transmission Line

When a current pulse is sent down a helical transmission line, the radial component of the fringing magnetic field acts like a piston on plasma ahead. This study leads to expressions for the resulting velocity and pressure of the plasma. The principal assumption is that leakage of the plasma through the magnetic piston is negligible. The analysis is based on the simultaneous solution of the transmission line equations, the conservation of energy, and the normal shock relationships. The analysis involves only algebraic equations, even though the usual simplifying assumption that the magnetic pressure equals the plasma pressure is not made. It is shown that the piston is always slowed down by the presence of the plasma. The distribution of the energy supplied to the device is traced. The results of the analysis are applied to a typical design problem. (auth)
Quantifying improvements in adhesion of platinum films on brittle substrates

This study used nanoindentation coupled with stressed overlayers to evaluate the effect of titanium interlayers on the interfacial fracture energy of platinum films on SiO2 substrates. Interfacial fracture energy was calculated three ways: from platinum buckles that formed spontaneously upon deposition of the film, from buckles that formed upon deposition of a stressed tungsten overlayer, and from blisters triggered by indentation of a platinum film with a tungsten stressed overlayer. The calculated values for the interfacial fracture energy of the Pt-SiO2 interface were 0.2 and 0.5 J/m2 for indentation blisters and spontaneous buckles, respectively. The effect of a titanium interlayer on adhesion was examined using a tungsten stressed overlayer coupled with nanoindentation. The addition of a titanium layer improved the adhesion of the platinum film on SiO2 from 0.2 to 1.0 J/m2.
Clinical improvement through nonoperative treatment of adult spinal deformity: who is likely to benefit?

Object. The goal of this study was to determine the outcome and risk factors in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) who elected to receive nonoperative care. Methods. In this retrospective study the authors reviewed a nonoperative branch of the International Spine Study Group database, derived from 10 sites across the US. Specific inclusion criteria included nonoperative treatment for ASD and the availability of Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 scores and radiographic data at baseline (BL) and at 1-year (1Y) follow-up. Health-related quality of life measures were assessed using the SRS-22 and radiographic data. Changes in SRS-22 scores were evaluated by domain and expressed in number of minimum clinically important differences (MCIDs) gained or lost; BL and 1Y scores were also compared with age- and sex-matched normative references. Results. One hundred eighty-nine patients (mean age 53 years, 86% female) met inclusion criteria. Pain was the domain with the largest offset for 43% of patients, followed by the Appearance (23%), Activity (18%), and Mental (15%) domains. On average, patients improved 0.3 MCID in Pain over 1Y, without changes in Activity or Appearance. Baseline scores significantly impacted 1Y outcomes, with up to 85% of patients in the mildest category of deformity being classified as < 1 MCID of normative reference at 1Y, versus 0% of patients with the most severe initial deformity. Baseline radiographic parameters did not correlate with outcome. Conclusions. Patients who received nonoperative care are significantly more disabled than age- and sex-matched normative references. The likelihood for a patient to reach SRS scores similar to the normative reference at 1Y decreases with increased BL disability. Nonoperative treatment is a viable option for certain patients with ASD, and up to 24% of patients demonstrated significant improvement over 1Y with nonoperative care.
Effect of cocaine on electrocortical activity in fetal sheep

The effect of cocaine on the behavioral state of six fetal sheep was studied during gestational ages between 128-135 days. Two to eight days after surgery, fetuses received either a continuous 60 min intravenous infusion of cocaine HCl (33.4 mg) or saline. The infusions were preceded and followed by control periods of 102 min. Cocaine induced a disruption in fetal behavioral state cyclicity and a decrease in the amount of time spent in rapid eye movement sleep (P 0.6) except for one frequency band centered at 12.5 Hz. The effects of a one hour cocaine infusion on fetal cortical electrical activity are diffuse, but short-lived, and occur independently of changes in fetal oxygenation.
A need to update and revise the pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for adults.

In this issue, Sisk and colleagues provide strong impetus to reducing the recommended age for universal pneumococcal vaccination to 50 years. What are the concerns and potential problems with such ...
Entry of insulin into human cultured lymphocytes: electron microscope autoradiographic analysis

Electron microscope autoradiographs were prepared of IM-9 human cultured lymphocytes incubated with iodine-125-labeled insulin. With the use of [125I]insulin and Ilford L-4 emulsion, the technique had a resolution half-distance of approximately 0.085 micrometer. Autoradiographs revealed a time-dependent entry of insulin into the cell interior that was maximal after 30 minutes of incubation. At this time point nearly 40 percent of the [125I]insulin was in the interior of the cell at a distance 1 micrometer or greater from the plasma membrane. Grain distribution and volume density analyses revealed that the intracellular insulin was concentrated in the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear membrane.
Shamanic Experiences: A Developmental Analysis

The nature of the experiences induced by shamans has long been a topic of considerable controversy. The experiences occurring during one of the major shamanic techniques, the shamanic journey, have...
REPUTATIONS, RANKINGS, AND REALITIES OF SOCIAL WORK SCHOOLS: CHALLENGES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

This study examines the publications in refereed professional journals that ranked American schools of social work for a 13-year period. The trends are contrasted with those reported in the most widely disseminated rankings of social work schools, namely, U.S. News and World Report. Substantial differences emerge when findings from the 2 data sources are contrasted. The analysis indicates major limitations in extant research that ranks social work schools and ultimately shapes their respective reputations. It is suggested that a wide array of approaches be used to measure the ways schools can be ranked differentially and, perhaps, be regarded as "best" in one way or another.
Health Risk Behaviors by Length of Time in the United States among High School Students in Five Sites

One in five public school students is from an immigrant-headed household. We used Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from one state and four large urban school districts to examine whether length of time living in the US was associated with health risk behaviors. Logistic regression models, using weighted data, controlled for sex, race/ethnicity, and grade. Compared to US natives, not having always lived in the US was correlated with lower risk for some behaviors (e.g., current marijuana use and alcohol use) among high school students, but higher risk for other behaviors (e.g., attempted suicide, physical inactivity). Many findings were inconsistent across the study sites. Interventions that specifically target recently-arrived school-aged youth to prevent behaviors that put health and safety at risk, may result in the best outcomes for immigrant youth. Care should be taken to understand the specific health risks present in different immigrant communities.
Meaningful prevention of breast cancer metastasis: candidate therapeutics, preclinical validation, and clinical trial concerns

The development of drugs to treat breast and other cancers proceeds through phase I dose finding, phase II efficacy, and phase III comparative studies in the metastatic setting, only then asking if metastasis can be prevented in adjuvant trials. Compounds without overt cytotoxic activity, such as those developed to inhibit metastatic colonization, will likely fail to shrink established lesions in the metastatic setting and never be tested in a metastasis prevention scenario where they were preclinically validated. We and others have proposed phase II primary and secondary metastasis prevention studies to address this need. Herein, we have asked whether preclinical metastasis prevention data agrees with the positive adjuvant setting trials. The data are limited but complimentary. We also review fundamental pathways involved in metastasis, including Src, integrins, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and fibrosis, for their clinical progress to date and potential for metastasis prevention. Issues of inadequate preclinical validation and clinical toxicity profiles are discussed.
Economic factors in of patients’ nonadherence to antidepressant treatment

Patients’ nonadherence to antidepressant treatment hampers cost and efficacy of depression-specific treatment. However, previous studies have failed to find consistent findings in economic effect on nonadherence and also failed to reach consensus in how to measure nonadherence to treatment. The study attempts to investigate income effect on nonadherence to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) treatment with clear definitions of nonadherence: self discontinuation of SSRIs (nonpersistence) and under-dose of SSRIs (noncompliance). The study extracted data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R). The study sample (n = 280) includes adults between the ages of 18 and 64 who were diagnosed with Diagnostic Statistics Manual IV Major Depressive Episode (MDE) at some point during their lifetime and medicated with SSRIs in the past 12 months. Just above poverty level of family income and no health insurance increased the risk of medication nonpersistence in SSRIs treatment. The study findings confirmed that African Americans were at higher risk of medication noncompliance than Whites (odds ratio, 4.53) and MDE comorbidity was positively associated with medication noncompliance (odds ratio, 4.25). Low income level, combined with health insurance status, and race/ethnicity, predict nonadherence to antidepressant treatment. The study findings would help physicians and hospitals developing interventional strategies and programs to increase patients’ adherence rates in antidepressant treatment.
On the toughness of brittle materials reinforced with a ductile phase

Abstract The toughening of brittle matrices by the dispersion of a ductile phase has provided composite materials with important property combinations. However, the characteristics of the ductile phase that generate optimum toughness have yet to be adequately established. This article presents some observations in several composite systems of toughening by a plastic stretching mechanism and describes models of the stretching process. Some of the salient aspects of toughening emerge from a comparison between theory and experiment. In particular, ductile phases having a large uniaxial work of fracture and large mean strain for hole initiation tend to most effectively augment the toughness of brittle matrices, especially in conjuction with appreciable residual compression in the matrix, induced by thermal expansion mismatch.
Fruits, vegetables, and micronutrient intake in relation to breast cancer survival

Objective To determine whether fruit, vegetable, and micronutrient intake 1 year prior to breast cancer diagnosis is associated with a reduction in the subsequent risk of all-cause or breast cancer-specific mortality.
Recurrence of stroke after cardiac surgery: insight into pathogenesis via diffusion-weighted and continuous arterial spin labeling perfusion magnetic resonance imaging.

TROKE AFTER CARDIAC surgery occurs with a higher incidence in patients with a history of prior stroke 1,2 and is often delayed. 3,4 Recurrence of stroke after cardiac surgery, thought to be primarily embolic in nature, 5-7 has been noted to frequently follow the anatomic and vascular distribution of the previous stroke. 1 Stroke is more frequent after aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis than after coronary artery bypass grafting 8,9 but may be, in both types of surgery, related to the extent of calcification in the ascending aorta 10-12 or within the valve itself. Caplan and Hennerici 13 hypothesized that vascular regions suffering from hypoperfusion and limited cerebrovascular reserve may be susceptible to emboli trapping. The case study presented offers unique findings and potential support for Caplan and Hennerici’s hypothesis. Historic and clinical data are provided along with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and relatively novel, continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging data acquired on a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. CASL is a relatively new and noninvasive method for measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF). In this technique, water protons in arterial blood are magnetically labeled proximal to the brain. 14,15 The tracer (magnetically labeled protons) is then imaged in the brain capillaries after an appropriate delay, allowing the labeled protons to flow into the brain. Several excellent reviews of arterial spin labeling approaches have been published. 16-19 The authors have found this technique to be precise, with a within-subject coefficient of variation of 6% for global measurements of CBF and 13% for measurements of CBF within smaller vascular regions of interest (ROIs), when subjected to semiautomated analysis. 20 Others have found similar reproducibility. 21,22 The CASL approach has also been found to be highly accurate when compared with positronemission tomography 23 studies of CBF. In the CASL technique, accurate measurement of magnetically labeled protons within the tissue is accomplished by instituting a delay period after labeling of the arterial blood, during which the protons enter the microvascular compartment. 24 CASL images and measurements of CBF are, therefore, sensitive to delayed transit of arterial blood, 24 such as may
Precision and accuracy of Earth Observing-1 Advanced Land Imager data for semiarid vegetation studies

Fast and effective land monitoring is particularly important in and and semiarid lands where changes in water resources alter the landscape on a large scale. In previous work, we have used Landsat TM data and Spectral Mixture Analysis to successfully estimate vegetation live cover to +/-4.0% live cover (%LC). In this paper we compare estimates of %LC derived from Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Advanced Land Imager (ALI) data to estimates derived from field based analyses. Results show that ALI estimates of %LC had similar precision to estimates derived from ETM+ data; these values were +/-5.61 %LC for ETM+ and +/-6.15 and +/-6.44 %LC for ALI using all 9 bands and only 6 bands, respectively. The only significant difference sensor performance, was the quality of multispectral band registration. ALI was found to be internally inconsistent in that each of the four SCA image swaths were co-registered to varying precision. This feature is most significant in regions of high vegetation variability and would also be problematic for studies of annual vegetation change.
Linking Total Catch Quotas and Allocation Schemes

Abstract Fishery managers are faced with many options when setting the total catch quota for a fishery and allocating the catch among user groups. In many fisheries, these management issues are approached independently, and allocations are assigned after the total catch quota has been determined. Because allocations determine not just the yields to the different user groups but also characteristics of the fish population, the practice of independently setting a total catch quota and the allocations among user groups can hinder the achievement of the management goal. Often a single selectivity pattern, which has an implicit assumption of the allocation scheme, is used to set the total catch quota. If the actual allocation scheme does not match the assumed one, the management goal used to set the total catch quota will not be achieved. The potential range of total catch quotas under different allocation schemes, as well as the consequences of not linking the total catch quota and allocation scheme, are pres...
Hand–Eye Calibration Applied to Viewpoint Selection for Robotic Vision

Viewpoint calibration is a method to manipulate hand-eye for generating calibration parameters for active viewpoint control and object grasping. In robot vision applications, accurate vision sensor calibration and robust vision-based robot control are essential for developing an intelligent and autonomous robotic system. This paper presents a new approach to hand-eye robotic calibration for vision-based object modeling and grasping. Our method provides a 1.0-pixel level of image registration accuracy when a standard Puma/Kawasaki robot generates an arbitrary viewpoint. To attain this accuracy, our new formalism of hand-eye calibration deals with a lens distortion model of a vision sensor. Our most distinguished approach of optimizing intrinsic parameters is to utilize a new parameter estimation algorithm using an extended Kalman filter. Most previous approaches did not even consider the optimal estimates of the intrinsic and extrinsic camera parameters, or chose one of the estimates obtained from multiple solutions, which caused a large amount of estimation error in hand-eye calibration. We demonstrate the power of this new method for: (1) generating 3-D object models using an interactive 3-D modeling editor; (2) recognizing 3-D objects using stereovision systems; and (3) grasping 3-D objects using a manipulator. Experimental results using Puma and Kawasaki robots are shown.
A multi-attribute measure for innovation adoption: the context of imaging technology

Despite an extensive body of research on innovation adoption, one finds many inconsistent and conflicting findings in the literature. This problem stems from the lack of a generally accepted measure of adoption. The authors' study develops a more fine-grained yet robust measure of innovation adoption, using two important attributes: radicalness and relative advantage. These measures are developed in the context of the hospital industry and validated in a study that examines the relationship between organizational climate and the adoption of imaging technology innovations in 70 hospitals.
The performance of the all-digital data transition tracking loop using nonlinear analysis

This paper describes the performance of the all digital data transition tracking loop (DTTL) with coherent and noncoherent sampling using nonlinear theory. The effects of few samples per symbol and of non-commensurate sampling and symbol rates are addressed and analyzed for perfectly square pulses as well as filtered pulses. Their impact on the probability density and variance of the phase error are quantified through computer simulations. It is shown that the performance of the all-digital DTTL approaches its analog counterpart when the sampling and symbol rates are noncommensurate (i.e., the number of samples per symbol is irrational). The phase error variance for an even number of samples per symbol is also shown to degrade compared to an odd number of samples per symbol. >