cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pituitary adenomas and oral contraceptives: a multicenter case-control study.

A case-control study was conducted to determine whether use of oral contraceptives (OCs) is associated with an increased risk of prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas. 212 women with such adenomas (140 of which were surgically confirmed) were recruited from 4 clinical centers and interviewed and matched by age and race to neighborhood control subjects. In addition 119 hyperprolactinemic patients with amenorrhea and/or galactorrhea (A/G) who had normal or equivocal tomograms and 205 normoprolactinemic women with A/G were also interviewed and matched to neighborhood control subjects. No increase in relative odds (RO) for any of these groups was found for OC use (pituitary adenomas cases vs controls RO=1.33 95% confidence intervals [CI]=0.81-2.22; equivocal case vs controls RO=1.35 95% CI=0.69-2.70; secondary A/G cases vs controls RO=0.67 95% CI=0.37-1.18). History of infertility (RO=25.5 95% CI=8.49-76.6) of menstrual problems or A/G (RO=4.47 95% CI=2.21-9.05) and of nulliparity (RO=4.36 95% CI=2.10-9.04) were each associated with a significantly increased risk of pituitary adenomas. The results of this study do not indicate any increase in pituitary adenoma risk as a result of using OCs. (authors modified)
Iconic studies relevant for research in marketing and the Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science

Here, an “icon” refers to a study widely and critically admired, a study symbolizing a movement or field of activity; iconic marketing studies offer exceptional contributions to marketing theory and/or data collection, and/or data analysis, and/or interpretations/implications of qualitative and/or quantitative empirical findings. This article identifies antecedent conditions associated with achieving iconic status in research in marketing and proposes 10 tenets useful for identifying and planning iconic studies in marketing. The study reviews examples of iconic studies in the marketing literature. The study also addresses a few telling mistakes that researchers in the marketing discipline frequently make. The study of iconic research is helpful for crafting high-quality theory and planning high-quality research designs, as well as increasing vigilance and skill in identifying truly exceptionally high-quality studies and studies that are plainly just bad. The essay briefly reviews 10 JGSMS articles appeari...
Influence of elevated levels of C-reactive protein on circulating endothelial progenitor cell function.

In vitro, C-reactive protein (CRP) impairs endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) function; however, the influence of CRP on EPCs in vivo is unclear. We determined whether EPC function is impaired in adults with elevated plasma CRP concentrations, independent of other risk factors. EPCs were harvested from 75 adults (43 males, 32 females): 25 with low CRP ( 3.0 mg/L). The capacity of EPCs to form colonies (colony assay), migrate (Boyden chamber), release angiogenic growth factor (ELISA) and resist apoptosis (active caspase-3) was determined. There were no significant differences between the CRP groups in EPC colony formation (CFU), migration (AU) or the ability to release vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; pg/mL): low (13 ± 3 CFU; 1255 ± 100 AU; 126 ± 24 pg/mL); moderate (11 ± 3 CFU; 1137 ± 85 AU; 97 ± 14 pg/mL); and high (13 ± 4 CFU; 1071 ± 80 AU; 119 ± 22 pg/mL) CRP. Staurosporine-stimulated activation of caspase-3 was also similar between the low (2.3 ± 0.2 ng/mL), moderate (2.1 ± 0.3 ng/mL), and high (2.2 ± 0.2 ng/mL) CRP groups. These results indicate that elevations in plasma CRP are not associated with impaired EPC function. EPC dysfunction may not play a role in CRP-related cardiovascular risk.
Fatigue-Induced Nanoscale Patterns and Microstructures

Dislocation patterns as produced by monotonic loading of polycrystalline aluminum or fatigue loading of a low-alloy ferrltic steel have been evaluated. A proposed theoretical model Involves an accounting procedure based upon dislocations emanated at grain boundary sources being stored in dislocation patterns as a series of subcells. Near equilibrium, the scale parameters are roughly 100 µm grains being divided into 1µ subcells which contain dislocations spaced at about 10 nm Intervals within the cell walls. Pattern generation and dislocation spacings are dictated by the quasi-static state of equilibrium during the workhardening phase of the loading. Experimental nanometer-scale probes, used in the fatigue study, consisted of three forms of electron microscopy. The first involved direct imaging of intersecting slip at the free surface of electropolished samples, using channeling contrast from back-scattered electrons (BSE). The second involved the use of selected-area electron channeling patterns (SACP’s) to evaluate crystallography and defect densities, while the third directly evaluated cell sizes and dislocation spacings with transmission electron microscopy of thin films (TEM). BSE, SACP and TEM probes determined dislocations to be packed into cell walls with a wave length of 0.78 µm and an interwall spacing of 33nm, consistent with the theoretical model. BSE channeling contrast revealed elliptical patterns to develop within single grains and SACP’s verified that these were sharp valleys with a crystallographic misorientation of 17 degrees across the valley. One of those was shown to lead to fatigue crack nucleation in a transgranular mode.
Nothing changes if nothing changes: creating team partnerships through team management

The authors address the use of change as a mechanism for creating team partnerships using a team management approach. They set out to make major changes in the way they manage the development of technical information for a new release of a large operating system. Their information development effort mainly involves two first-line writing departments, although they have scattered support from other departments as well. Their goal is to improve quality and productivity. In the process, they expect to do more with less and to sustain high employee morale. They have two departments working together in a highly integrated fashion in order to achieve this goal. For this to occur, they work closely together as a team, transcending conventional departmental boundaries. >
Unique gold nanoparticle aggregates as a highly active surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate

A unique gold nanoparticle aggregate (GNA) system has been shown to be an excellent substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications. Rhodamine 6G (R6G), a common molecule used for testing SERS activity on silver, but generally difficult to detect on gold substrates, has been found to readily bind to the GNA and exhibit strong SERS activity due to the unique surface chemistry afforded by sulfur species on the surface. This GNA system has yielded a large SERS enhancement of 107−109 in bulk solution for R6G, on par with or greater than any previously reported gold SERS substrate. SERS activity has also been successfully demonstrated for several biological molecules including adenine, l-cysteine, l-lysine, and l-histidine for the first time on a gold SERS substrate, showing the potential of this GNA as a convenient and powerful SERS substrate for biomolecular detection. In addition, the SERS spectrum of R6G on single aggregates has been measured. We have shown that the special surface prop...
Chapter 28. Contrast Enhancing Agents in NMR Imaging

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging with emphasis on the development and use of paramagnetic pharmaceuticals as contrast media. Pharmaceutical intervention with contrast media provides a means to change the relative contrast of different tissues by alteration of the intrinsic tissue parameters N, T1, and T2. These parameters as well as flow are the primary determinants of image contrast between native tissues. Development of contrast media for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging has focused on the use of paramagnetic agents that directly affect the T1 and T2 relaxation times of the tissue water. Paramagnetic agents, with unpaired electrons, can greatly increase the relaxation rate. A number of investigations in NMR imaging have employed “uncomplexed” metal ions as contrast media. Insoluble gadolinium oxalate and iron containing contrast agents have also been described as oral and rectal pharmaceuticals. The most promising metal complex to date for NMR imaging is gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Gadolinium has the largest magnetic moment of all metal ions and a sufficiently slow electron spin relaxation to be useful in NMR imaging. Gadolinium-DTPA has been used to provide contrast enhancement of normal kidney, and to assess renal and splenic infarctions in animals. Nitroxide spin-labels (NSL) are stable free radicals that have one unpaired electron localized in a nitrogen-oxygen bond. Nitroxide compounds have been shown to be susceptible to reduction in vivo , by both chemical and enzymatic processes. The implications of conjugating metal chelates to proteins in terms of metal-chelate stability, biodistribution, and metabolism are yet to be addressed. Nevertheless, these preliminary works show promise for further development of immunoimaging agents.
Down-Regulation of CD28 Expression by TNF-α

Aging and chronic inflammatory syndromes, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are associated with high frequencies of CD4(+)CD28(null) T cells, which are rarely seen in healthy individuals younger than 40 years. Inasmuch as rheumatoid arthritis and aging are also associated with elevated levels of TNF-alpha, we examined whether this proinflammatory cytokine influences CD28 expression. Incubation of T cell lines and clones as well as Jurkat cells with TNF-alpha induced a reduction in the levels of cell surface expression of CD28. This effect of TNF-alpha was reversible; however, continuous culture of CD4(+)CD28(+) T cell clones in TNF-alpha resulted in the appearance of a CD28(null) subset. In reporter gene bioassays, TNF-alpha was found to inhibit the activity of the CD28 minimal promoter. Inactivation of the promoter was accompanied by a marked reduction in DNA-protein complex formation by two DNA sequence motifs corresponding to the transcriptional initiator of the CD28 gene. Indeed, in vitro transcription assays showed that nuclear extracts from TNF-alpha-treated cells failed to activate transcription of DNA templates under the control of a consensus TATA box and the CD28 initiator sequences. In contrast, similar extracts from unstimulated T cells supported transcription. These results demonstrate that TNF-alpha directly influences CD28 gene transcription. We propose that the emergence of CD4(+)CD28(null) T cells in vivo is facilitated by increased production of TNF-alpha.
Cha-Cha: a system for organizing intranet search results

Although search over World Wide Web pages has recently received much academic and commercial attention, surprisingly little research has been done on how to search the web pages within large, diverse intranets. Intranets contain the information associated with the internal workings of an organization. A standard search engine retrieves web pages that fall within a widely diverse range of information contexts, but presents these results uniformly, in a ranked list. As an alternative, the Cha-Cha system organizes web search results in such a way as to reflect the underlying structure of the intranet. In our approach, an "outline" or "table of contents" is created by first recording the shortest paths in hyperlinks from root pages to every page within the web intranet. After the user issues a query, these shortest paths are dynamically combined to form a hierarchical outline of the context in which the search results occur. The system is designed to be helpful for users with a wide range of computer skills. Preliminary user study and survey results suggest that some users find the resulting structure more helpful than the standard retrieval results display for intranet search.
Cross-Linking of Reactive Lyotropic Liquid Crystals for Nanostructure Retention

In applications requiring nanoscale order, control over the structure formation is critical for appropriate function. Reactive surfactants forming reactive lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC) enable the formation of nanotructured polymers that exhibit enhanced physical properties when the original order is retained after polymerization. In this work, the use of a cross-linker to retain the LLC order for a monomethacrylate quaternary ammonium surfactant monomer in water during polymerization was explored. The cross-linker segregates to the polar regions of the surfactant assembly, likely near the quaternary ammonium group of the reactive surfactant. The use of a cross-linker enables the retention of the original LLC order after polymerization for hexagonal LLC phases that are not retained by other means. Increased polymerization rates are observed at low cross-linker concentrations. At higher cross-linker concentrations, the polymerization rates decrease because of a decrease in LLC order. More regular ordered...
The role of hydrolysis in the detoxification of 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane by human, rat, and mouse liver and lung in vitro

1,2:3,4-Diepoxybutane (BDE) is probably the ultimate genotoxic metabolite of the rodent carcinogen 1,3-butadiene (BD). The formation of BDE from BD has been characterized in vitro using tissues from rats, mice, and humans. For assessment of human risk following exposure to BD, a quantitative understanding between the balance of formation and inactivation of BDE is essential. BDE can be removed by glutathione (GSH) conjugation and by hydrolysis. Recently, significant species differences were reported in GSH conjugation of BDE in vitro, with rats being more efficient than humans and mice being much more efficient than either rats or humans (Boogaard et al., Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 136, 307, 1996). In the present study the microsomal hydrolysis of BDE was quantified using tissues of rats, mice, and humans. Hydrolysis of BDE was well described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Two metabolites, erythritol and anhydroerythritol, were identified following incubation of BDE with human microsomes, but these metabolites did not fully account for the disappearance of BDE, suggesting that there may be other as yet unidentified routes of metabolism. In contrast to GSH conjugation, which was most efficient in mice compared with rats or humans, the efficiency of hydrolysis as expressed by Vmax/Km was much lower in mouse (3.93 microl/min/mg protein) than in rat (19.2) or human (32.5) liver. Pulmonary hydrolysis was also most efficient in humans, with average Vmax/Km values of 7.7, 6.7, and 2.7 microl/min/mg protein for humans, mice, and rats, respectively. However, the interindividual variation among the human samples was considerable with individual Vmax/Km values varying from 17.9 to 49.5 microl/min/mg protein for liver and from 4.57 to 16.2 microl/min/mg protein for lung tissue. This means that the heterogeneity among humans in the formation as well as in the removal of BDE will be an important factor in human risk assessment. The present data, coupled with earlier studies on formation and removal of BDE and the observation that GSH conjugation of BDE is a potentially mutagenic pathway, explain the high susceptibility of mice to BD-induced carcinogenesis.
La Enseñanza del Discurso Académico a Estudiantes Bilingües en los Estados Unidos: Reflexión y Estado de la Cuestión

Abstract El siguiente ensayo presenta una serie de sugerencias para profesores que imparten clases de espanol (Teaching Spanish as a Heritage Language) para fines especificos como la adquisicion del discurso academico, tanto oral como escrito, por parte de estudiantes bilingues. Para ello, este trabajo ofrece una vision panoramica del contexto sociolinguistico de los estudiantes hispanos en los Estados Unidos. En segundo lugar, se brinda una revision de los principales estudios sobre el espanol academico de estudiantes hispanos. Finalmente, se esbozara una serie de sugerencias pedagogicas que el profesorado podra implementar en sus clases.
Transitional mass-transfer behavior from packed-bed conditions to onset of fluidization

A critical review of mass-transfer data for both packed and fluidized beds in which axial and radial dispersion contributions have been eliminated shows the existence of specific patterns unique to each type of bed. For packed beds, the jd vs Re behavior of gas-solid and liquid-solid systems exhibits different dependences which gradually approach each other and become essentially the same above Re = 50. For the fluidized state of gas-solid systems, the correlation of logjd vs logRe produces linear relationships of slope — 1 that are unique to the particular size and density of particles being fluidized. With decreasing Re, these relationships terminate at Remf to yield jd values that extend beyond the corresponding gas-solid relationship for packed beds. This unexpected behavior is most pronounced in the low Reynolds number region (Re < 10) and decreases in intensity with increasing Re values. Explanations are advanced to account for this disparity which disappears above Re = 50.
Achievable strategies for general secure network coding

This paper considers secure network coding over networks with restricted wiretapping sets and unequal link capacities in the presence of a wiretapper that can wiretap any subset of k links. In particular, we consider networks with point-to-point erasure channels. Existing results for wireline networks show that for the case of both unrestricted wiretapping sets and equal (unit) link capacities, the secrecy capacity is given by the cut-set bound, whether or not the location of the wiretapped links is known, and can be achieved by injecting k random keys at the source which are decoded at the sink along with the message. In contrast, for restricted wiretapping sets and unequal link capacities we show that this global key strategy is suboptimal. In particular, we propose achievable strategies where random keys are canceled at intermediate non-sink nodes, injected at intermediate non-source nodes, or a combination of both strategies is considered.
Corporate political action committees' strategies in the 1980 congressional elections

Abstract Corporate political action committees donate millions of dollars to political candidates. They outnumber and outspend labor unions. Begun as a reform in the 1971 Campaign Finance Act, PAC's now appear to many as a threat to free elections. Using an original survey of 224 corporations whose PACs donated to 591 candidates, this article applies principal component analysis to evaluate them in terms of their strategy. Is it monolithic? Is it ideologically conservative? Is it anti-labor? Is it merely a pragmatic desire to ingratiate themselves with winners? The analysis finds that the pattern differs for winners and losers. While corporate PACs are not monolithic, they do tend to be either conservative ideologically or anti-labor.
Operative techniques for fusion across the cervical-thoracic junction.

Abstract Background and significance The cervical–thoracic junction represents a significant challenge for stabilization because of anatomical constraints. Purpose To review the indications, techniques, and results of various stabilization techniques applied to the cervical–thoracic junction. Conclusions Innovative instrumentation design, improved operative techniques, and detailed knowledge of the regional anatomy and biomechanics have significantly improved the surgeon's ability to address instability at the cervical–thoracic junction.
Recidivism base rates, predictions of sex offender recidivism, and the “sexual predator” commitment laws

Predictions of future sexual offending have been mandated by various “Sexual Predator” commitment laws, despite historical arguments that clinicians are frequently inaccurate and over-predict violence. The basis for those arguments has been the perspective that sexual recidivism is a relatively rare event. Research is reviewed, however, with the finding that sexual recidivism for certain offenders is a rather common occurrence when the definition of recidivism is in keeping with the sex offender commitment laws. This finding is used to demonstrate that under-, rather than over-prediction of the designated violence is necessarily today's practice. Practical and ethical implications are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Issues in the Application of Covariance Structure Analysis: A Comment

W5[ henever a new methodology begins to appear in subAV I stantive applications, it seems inevitable that it will not always be appropriately used. This was the case when consumer research first turned to multivariate analysis almost two decades ago, and it is occurring today in connection with covariance structure analysis of abstract (unobservable) relationships. The purpose of this comment is to discuss some of the more common difficulties and misunderstandings and to suggest ways to better utilize this powerful tool of analysis. The widely distributed computer program LISREL, now in its fifth commercial version (Joreskog and Sorbom 1981), is the most frequently used routine for parameter estimation in covariance structure analysis. LISREL provides a statistical (maximum likelihood, and unweighted least squares) solution to the problem of reconciling alternative estimates for overidentified path models containing observable and unobservable variables. The objective is to reproduce the observed-variable covariance matrix as closely as possible and to determine the goodness-of-fit of the model to the data. If the model does not fit the data (i.e., if the observed covariance matrix is statistically different from the covariance structure of the model), either the model or the data should be rejected. Consistent with the strong tradition of empiricism in most behavioral research, data are seldom rejected. On the other hand, few researchers rejoice at having their models rejected. Here is where the problems begin. APPLICATION PROBLEMS
Characterization of a glycoprotein in the cyst fluid of Cysticercus tenuicollis from the goat.

Abstract Dixon S. N. , Gibbons R. , Parker Janice and Sellwood R. 1973. Characterization of a glycoprotein in the cyst fluid of Cysticercus tenuicollis from the goat. International Journal for Parasitology3:419–424. In the fluids of two tapeworm cysts from goats a prominent periodic acid- Schiff reagent staining protein was found on gel electrophoretograms. In one case serum proteins from the host were also observed. The glycoprotein has been isolated and found to contain about 7·7 per cent heterosaccharide consisting of glucose, galactose, mannose, fucose, neuraminic acid, glucosamine and an unidentified component. The amino acid portion is extremely rich in glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lysine and arginine. Its molecular weight is approximately 90,000. A small degree of heterogeneity was demonstrated by ultra-centrifugal analysis; this may be due to the presence of about 3 per cent of a glycosaminoglycan. In view of the high proportion of charged amino acids it is suggested that this glycoprotein, which appears to be derived from the parasite, functions as the osmotically active macromolecule in the cyst fluid maintaining the turgidity of the cyst.
Calculation of gas vibrations due to simultaneous excitations in reciprocating compressor piping systems with allowance for frictional effect and temperature change in the flow

Abstract A graphical method for calculation of gas vibrations in piping systems is presented. The method is applied to several examples of the type that occur in practice. The method can deal, in an easily manageable graphic way, with the effects of such things as simultaneous excitation at different points in the system, flow velocity, damping and temperature variations.
Diagnostic imaging of cystic lesions in the child's orbit

The child's orbit may be involved with a variety of cysts and cyst-like lesions. Such lesions may represent development anomalies of the globe and orbit, acquired lesions of the orbit, or cystic expansions from contiguous structures. CT and MR imaging are important diagnostic tools that aid the ophthalmologist in establishing the correct diagnosis and defining the extent of these cystic lesions.
The irresistible electronic message of the 1990s: a case study

Modern tools for sending the written word across distances have given communicators new ways to reach audiences within organizations and across organizational boundaries. The ways in which communicators must now rethink the sources of information available for their messages, the way they create messages, and the networks through which they distribute their messages are discussed. The steps that the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service went through when it created a unit to distribute information on public opinion to its managers in more than 900 field offices nationwide are outlined. >
An Infrared Spectroscopic Study of p-n-Alkoxybenzoic Acids

Abstract The infrared spectra of various p-n-alkoxybenzoic acids are reported. The carbonyl stretching region of these materials is surprisingly sensitive to packing within the various crystal forms, a consequence of the sensitivity of these modes to hydrogen bonding and transition dipole coupling. The isotypic crystal form found in those acids with n>6 are characterized by a splitting in the carboxyl C=O stretching region, a consequence of interactions between the disordered arrangement of carboxyl groups from layer to layer. This splitting is not observed in those alkoxybenzoic acids where n<7. The infrared spectra also show that there is a solid state transformation from the crystalline state to conformationally disordered or ``condis” crystals as intermediates between the crystalline and liquid crystalline forms.
Expansion of human adult stem cells from bone marrow stroma: conditions that maximize the yields of early progenitors and evaluate their quality

There is considerable interest in the biology and therapeutic potential of adult stem cells from bone marrow stroma, variously referred to as mesenchymal stem cells or marrow stromal cells (MSCs). Human MSCs can expand rapidly in culture, but the rate of expansion and the yields of multipotential progenitors are inversely related to the plating density and incubation time of each passage. We have defined conditions for optimizing the yields of cultures enriched for early progenitors. Also, we developed a simple method for assessing the quality of the cultures by phase-contrast microscopy and image analysis or by forward light scatter in a flow cytometer. The cells expanded most rapidly on day 4 after plating, with a minimum average doubling time of about 10 hours for cells initially plated at 10 or 50 cells/cm(2). After plating the cells at 1 to 1000 cells/cm(2), the cultures underwent a time-dependent transition from early progenitors, defined as thin, spindle-shaped cells (RS-1A), to wider, spindle-shaped cells (RS-1B), and to still wider, spindle-shaped cells (RS-1C). Assays for adipogenesis demonstrated that the adipogenic potential of cultures was directly related to their ability to generate single-cell-derived colonies and their enrichment for RS-1A cells. In contrast, cultures enriched for RS-1B cells showed the greatest potential to differentiate into cartilage in a serum-free system. The results indicate that, when preparing cultures of human MSCs, it is necessary to compromise between conditions that provide the highest overall yields and those that provide the highest content of early progenitor cells.
Salience, similes, and the asymmetry of similarity

Abstract Models of similarity have traditionally assumed that the similarity relation is symmetrical. However, when reversed, similarity statements frequently have different properties from those of the original. Previous attempts to account for the asymmetry of similarity have focused only on literal comparisons, resulting in a tendency to underestimate the degree of asymmetry in nonliteral comparisons (i.e., similes). A model of similarity is proposed to account for the varying degrees of asymmetry found in all kinds of natural language comparisons. In this model, asymmetry is attributed to an imbalance in the salience of the shared attributes. Studies are reported which test key aspects of the model. The results appear to provide converging evidence for the claim that asymmetry of similarity is due at least in part to salience imbalance.
Unpacking El Salvador's ecological predicament: Theoretical templates and ''long-view'' ecologies

Abstract El Salvador is both the most densely populated and the most severely deforested country in the continental Americas. The convergence of these two facts leads inevitably to questions of Malthusian resource scarcity, Boserupian agricultural intensification, and the population–environment debate. Despite compelling evidence for demographic causes of land degradation and biological simplification, much of the recent work on the environmental problems in El Salvador has focused on the role of unequal access to resources in the 19th and 20th centuries. Lost in this discourse is any serious consideration of rural land use trajectories through time, including changing food production strategies and fuelwood resource availability. Paleoecological data, together with early historical accounts of Salvadoran landscapes, show that humans—and specifically subsistence farmers—played a central role in shaping the ecology of El Salvador beginning around 4000 years ago. It is argued that the anthropogenic deforestation of El Salvador should be conceptualized not solely as the outcome of a post-colonial unidirectional economic transformation, but instead as a dynamic historical cultural–ecological process that has repeatedly waxed and waned over the last several millennia. It is argued that the lasting imprint of this long history of pressure on forest resources in the country has resulted in dramatic losses of forest cover and biodiversity.
Evaluation of amorphous (Mo, Ta, W)SiN diffusion barriers for 〈Si〉|Cu metallizations

Abstract Amorphous binary M(= Mo, Ta or W)-Si and ternary MSiN, r.f.-sputtered from M 5 Si 3 and WSi 2 targets, are assessed as diffusion barriers between silicon substrates and copper overlayers. By I ( V ) tests of the metallizations on n + p shallow junction diodes, the ternary MSiN barriers prevent copper from reaching the silicon at 800 °C or higher during a 30 min heat treatment in vacuum. Failure of the metallizations correlates with the crystallization temperature of the barrier, which is presumably a prelude to fast grain-boundary diffusion. Metal-rich MoSiN and WSiN barriers liberate nitrogen during annealing, which poses a limitation to their crystallization temperatures. No reaction products of copper with metal-rich MSi or MSiN barriers are observed, which is in agreement with our recent thermodynamic modelling of the MSiCu ternary systems.
Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis Screening in Patients with Lower Extremity Atherosclerosis: A Prospective Study

Eighty-nine male veterans presenting to a vascular surgery clinic with symptomatic lower extremity atherosclerosis were prospectively screened by duplex scan for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS). Their chief complaint was: claudication (90%), rest pain (6%), and ischemic ulcer or gangrene (4%). The mean ankle-brachial index (ABI) was 0.77. Twenty-five CAS > 50% were detected in 18 (20%) patients. Twelve CAS > 75% were detected in 11 (12%) patients. There was no difference between patients with and without CAS > 50% with regards to mean ABI, history of angina, diabetes, hypertension, prior coronary artery bypass, or history of smoking. Carotid bruit was associated with ipsilateral CAS > 50% [p 50%, (2) there is no correlation between the degree of lower extremity ischemia and CAS > 50%, (3) carotid bruit is significantly associated with CAS > 50%, but has a low sensitivity, and (4) routine CAS screening should be considered for all male patients with symptomatic lower extremity atherosclerosis regardless of whether a bruit is present.
Clinical Relevance of Apoptotic Regulatory Proteins in Colorectal Cancers

Dysregulation of apoptosis or programmed cell death is a hallmark of human cancers that contributes to tumor development and progression, and may confer treatment resistance and therapeutic failure. Apoptosis is governed by both a mitochondria-mediated and a death receptor (DR)-mediated pathway. Within human cancer cells, both apoptotic pathways are regulated by proapoptotic and prosurvival Bcl-2 family proteins. Loss of proapoptotic genes or, alternatively, upregulation of prosurvival genes may lead to tumorigenesis in preclinical models. Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins has been shown to provide prognostic information in certain malignancies, including colon cancers, and therefore may be useful in determining which patients are more likely to suffer recurrence and metastasis. Such markers may assist in selecting patients to receive adjuvant chemotherapy and represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention. In the therapeutic arena, small molecule Bcl-2/Bcl-xL antagonists and DR agonists have been developed that enhance chemosensitivity in preclinical models and currently are undergoing evaluation in cancer patients. This review focuses on the current status of apoptotic regulatory proteins as biomarkers in colorectal cancers and their potential clinical utility.
Stump entrapment of the anterior cruciate ligament in late childhood and adolescence

Displacement of a portion of the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) into the intercondylar notch can cause a focal fibrotic reaction similar to that seen following ACL reconstruction. This displacement, which can result in locking or limitation of knee extension, is termed stump entrapment and is described in adult MR imaging literature. We present a pictorial essay of the etiology and appearance of stump entrapment on MR imaging of the knee in an older child and adolescents and review the significance of this finding.
Applications and Limitations of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory.

(1989). Applications and limitations of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Early Child Development and Care: Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 85-97.
Indium-111-labeled leukocytes for the detection of infection: Current status

Several chelates are available for leukocyte labeling. Studies indicate that cells labeled with any of the chelates have a sensitivity for infection of 90% to 95% when imaged at 24 hours postinjection. The sensivity of 111 In-labeled leukocytes at earlier imaging times is more controversial. There has been concern about the utility of labeled leukocytes in musculoskeletal infection. Recent leukocyte studies show a high sensitivity for infected prostheses, even though these infections are often walled off and do not cause systemic symptoms. However, leukocytes frequently miss osteomyelitis of the spine for reasons that are not known. Although some investigators do not recommend the use of 111 In-labeled leukocytes in chronic infections, we have found a high sensitivity for infections that are 2 or more weeks old. Autopsy studies from the preantibiotic era indicate that bacterial infections with common organisms have high levels of neutrophil infiltration for months. Labeled lymphocytes from mixed-cell preparations also may play a role in detecting these inflammatory sites. Questions have been raised about the effect of antibiotic therapy on leukocyte sensitivity. Antibiotics do not appear to have a significant effect on scan sensitivity. By reducing the number of bacteria at an inflammatory site, antibiotics reduce the amount of chemotactic inhibitors. In addition, some antibiotics have been shown to directly stimulate leukocyte chemotaxis. Other factors that can theoretically reduce leukocyte function, including hemodialysis, hyperalimentation, hyperglycemia, and steroids, do not appear to reduce labeled leukocyte sensitivity for infection. The specificity of leukocyte uptake is reduced in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs. In these sites, uptake correlates with infection or the true cause of the patients' fever in only 10% to 50% of cases.
AP association in 802.11n WLANs with heterogeneous clients

As the latest amendment of IEEE 802.11 standard, 802.11n allows a maximum raw data rate as high as 300Mbps, making it a desirable candidate for wireless local area network (WLAN) deployment. In typical deployment, the coverage areas of nearby access points (APs) usually overlap with one another to provide satisfactory coverage and seamless mobility support. Clients tend to associate (connect) to the AP with the strongest signal strength, which might lead to poor client throughput and overloaded APs. Although a number of AP association schemes have been proposed for IEEE 802.11 WLANs in previous studies, none of them have considered the frame aggregation feature in 802.11n. Moreover, the impact of legacy 802.11a/b/g clients in 802.11n WLANS has not been considered in AP association. To fill in this gap, in this paper we explore AP association for 802.11n with heterogeneous clients (802.11a/b/g/n). We first formulate it into an optimization problem based on a bi-dimensional Markov model, aiming at providing clients with the bandwidth proportional to their highest physical data rates, and then propose two heuristic AP association algorithms that can efficiently make online decisions on AP association. We have also conducted extensive simulations and experiments to validate the proposed algorithms. Our simulation results show that under hotspot client distribution, the proposed algorithms can boost the throughput of 802.11n clients and overall throughput by 106% and 89%, respectively, compared to other AP association schemes. Experiments also confirm the effectiveness of the algorithms in enhancing aggregated throughput, maintaining proportional fairness among clients and balancing load among APs.
Condition and diet of cycling populations of the California vole, Microtus californicus.

Populations of the California vole, Microtus californicus , were followed at two sites near San Francisco Bay in order to investigate changes in diet and condition of these cycling microtine rodents. Mark and recapture analyses provided information on condition during seasonal (season to season) and annual (year to year) fluctuations, and snap trapping provided stomach samples for dietary analyses and carcasses for determinations of reproductive condition and fat reserves. Seasonal changes in condition were found to be correlated with dietary changes. The end of the breeding season in late spring was associated with low growth rates, low survival rates, and low fat reserves. At the same time the vegetation was drying, and the diet changed from one dominated by grass stems and leaves to one dominated by grass seeds. Breeding and adult growth sometimes began before the autumn rains while grass seeds were still the major dietary item, but occasional meals of green forbs and perennial grass were also taken at this time. Three annual grasses, Lolium multiflorum, Avena fatua , and Bromus rigidus , were preferred foods and formed the bulk of the winter diet at both low and high populations. The standing crop and seed production of these grasses were severely reduced by high vole populations. Reduction in food availability and quality might have caused the delay in the start of the breeding season, the low fat reserves and the continued population decline that were observed after the peak population. These results indicated that nutritive factors could be involved in microtine population cycles at low latitudes and point to the need for further research on diet quality and nutritional physiology of Microtus .
A Novel 2D-3D Hybrid Approach to Vehicle Trajectory and Speed Estimation

The authors present in this paper a novel surveillance system using a calibrated stereo camera pair. The system adopts a 2D-3D hybrid approach where vehicle detection and tracking are first performed in the 2D space. Then, both appearance and depth cues are incorporated into the tracking module based on a hybrid 2D-3D approach. After change detection is carried out in the original image domain, moving vehicles can be detected and tracked over time. Vehicle positions and speeds can be estimated very accurately by first retrieving the 3D coordinates of pixels associated with the tracked vehicles resulting in a 3D vehicle point cloud and fitting a cuboid to it. The proposed stereo vehicle surveillance system is capable of extracting several important driving parameters, including vehicle trajectories, speeds, and orientations. Experimental results have confirmed the efficiency and robustness of the system and its applicability to road safety applications, including speeding and drunk driving detection.
Scheduling pipelined communication in distributed memory multiprocessors for real-time applications

This paper investigates communication in distributed memory multiprocessors to support tasklevel parallelism for real-time applications. It is shown that wormhole routing, used in second generation multicomputers, does not support task-level pipelining because its oblivious contention resolution leads to output inconsistency in which a constant throughput is not guaranteed. We propose scheduled routing which guarantees constant throughputs by integrating task specifications with flow-control. In this routing technique, communication processors provide explicit flowcontrol by independently executing switching schedules computed at compile-time. It is deadlock-free, contention-free, does not load the intermediate node memory, and makes use of the multiple equivalent paths between non-adjacent nodes. The resource allocation and scheduling problems resulting from such routing are formulated and related implementation issues are anal yzed. A comparison with wormhole routing for various generalized hyp ercubes and tori shows that scheduled routing is effective in providing a constant throughput when wormhole routing does not and enables pipelining at higher input arrival rates.
Meta-analysis of character utility and phylogenetic information content in cladistic studies of ammonoids

Abstract While previous workers have argued persuasively that ammonoid workers should use cladistic approaches to reconstruct phylogeny, relatively few cladistic studies have been published to date. An essential yet challenging part of cladistic analysis is the selection of characters. Are certain types of characters more likely to show homoplasy? Are certain aspects of shell anatomy more likely to contain phylogenetically informative characters? Are datasets with more characters inherently better? To answer these questions, a meta-analysis of character data from published ammonoid phylogenies was performed. I compiled 14 datasets, published between 1989 and 2007, representing parsimony-based phylogenetic analyses of ammonoids. These studies defined a combined total of 323 characters, which were grouped into categories reflecting different aspects of anatomy: shell size and shape, ornament, suture, early ontogeny, body chamber and apertural modifications. Tree searches were re-run to determine overall tree statistics, parsimony permutation tail probability (PTP) tests were calculated to assess the phylogenetic information content of the matrices, and retention and rescaled consistency indices for each character were calculated. My analyses revealed that studies with higher character/taxon ratios did not necessarily produce trees with more information content and less homoplasy, as measured by retention or rescaled consistency indices, because additional characters were often parsimony-uninformative. Rather, studies with relatively few characters could produce high-quality trees if the characters were well-chosen and character states carefully defined. Characters related to the body chamber and adult aperture typically had retention indices of either 0 or 1, rarely in between, indicating that they either worked perfectly or not at all. Suture characters tended to have higher indices than shell shape or ornament characters, suggesting more phylogenetic information and less homoplasy in the suture line than in shell traits. These results should aid in the selection of characters for future cladistic studies of ammonoids.
Rescue of ER oxidoreductase function through polyphenolic phytochemical intervention: Implications for subcellular traffic and neurodegenerative disorders

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), the chief endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident oxidoreductase chaperone that catalyzes maturation of disulfide-bond-containing proteins is involved in the pathogenesis of both Parkinson's (PD) and Alzheimer's (AD) diseases. S-nitrosylation of PDI cysteines due to nitrosative stress is associated with cytosolic debris accumulation and Lewy-body aggregates in PD and AD brains. We demonstrate that the polyphenolic phytochemicals curcumin and masoprocol can rescue PDI from becoming S-nitrosylated and maintain its catalytic function under conditions mimicking nitrosative stress by forming stable NOx adducts. Furthermore, both polyphenols intervene to prevent the formation of PDI-resistant polymeric misfolded protein forms that accumulate upon exposure to oxidative stress. Our study suggests that curcumin and masoprocol can serve as lead-candidate prophylactics for reactive oxygen species induced chaperone damage, protein misfolding and neurodegenerative disease; importantly, they can play a vital role in sustaining traffic along the ER's secretory pathway by preserving functional integrity of PDI.
Surface chemical behavior of triuranium octaoxide in the atmospheres of carbon monoxide and hydrogen

Abstract The surface chemical behavior of U 3 O 8 has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), gas chromatography (GC) and thermodynamic calculations in reducing atmospheres. The surface of U 3 O 8 is remarkably reduced in the atmospheres of CO and H 2 . The effect of the oxide reduction is more obvious at higher temperatures and the oxygen content in the oxide is decreased with increasing exposure to the gases. The influence of H 2 is less than that of CO. It is also shown that the oxide surface layer is resistant to further hydriding as there does not exist any hydriding reaction for U 3 O 8 in a H 2 atmosphere. Results of GC investigations and thermodynamic calculations are in good agreement with the above conclusions.