cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-photon absorption in HgCdTe.

Two-photon absorption coefficients in Hg0.78Cd0.22Te are calculated for 10.6-μm radiation at 150 and 300 K by using the Basov formula and the nonparabolic energy band structure approximation. The temperature and composition dependence of the energy gap of HgCdTe are included in these calculations. Good agreement is obtained with the available experimental data. Predictions are made for the two-photon absorption coefficients at 40 and 77 K.
Cirriped vitellogenesis: Effect of ecdysterone in vitro

Abstract Ovarioles of Balanus amphitrite and B. eburneus were cultured with ecdysterone in medium (10−4–1 μg/ml). Yolk droplets of mature oocytes showed increasing degeneration with increasing concentration of ecdysterone. Other ovarian cells, cement gland cells, and mantle parenchyma were not affected to any extent. Although preliminary, the results indicate that ecdysterone may have a gonad-inhibiting function in cirripeds.
THE CHEMICAL MECHANISM AND EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT OF BEETLE BIOLUMINESCENCE

Abstract— Bioluminescence, as a phenotype, has many evolutionary origins, and thus is an example of natural reinvention many times over. Although peculiar, it arises from the same biochemical principles and evolutionary mechanisms as other biochemical reactions. Of these many different bioluminescent systems, that of the luminous beetles is one of the best understood, having been extensively studied for over 50 years. The luminescence ensues from oxidation of a molecule unique to luminous beetles, beetle luciferin, through a catalytic mechanism evolved from ancestral coenzyme A synthetases. Thus, the character of this bioluminescent reaction is in part a consequence of that evolutionary history. Beetle bioluminescence is furthermore unusual in having a range of luminescent colors found among different beetle species and sometimes even within individual beetles. Structural features of the luciferases are responsible for these color differences, although the underlying mechanism is not yet clear.
Four neolignan ketones fromPiper capense

Abstract Further studies of a chloroform extract ofPiper capense roots have resulted in the isolation and characterization of four new neolignans. Three of these compounds are unusual 2′-oxo-8.1′-neolignans, while the fourth is of the more common 6′-oxo-8.3′-neolignan variety.
Quantum noise and squeezing in an optical parametric oscillator with arbitrary output-mirror coupling.

We consider here the problem of quantum noise in light produced by an optical parametric oscillator operating below threshold inside a single-sided cavity. By employing the correct boundary conditions on quantum fields at the output mirror, a procedure that is valid for arbitrary mirror transmission, we derive exact expressions for quantum-noise reduction for arbitrary pump phase and output-mirror coupling. We find that for a given output-mirror power reflectance R, squeezing of quantum noise in the intracavity field increases to a final fractional value equal to R/(1+R) as the pump intensity is increased and the oscillation threshold is approached. The output field, on the other hand, exhibits perfect squeezing of noise in one quadrature of its central Fourier component at threshold regardless of the output-mirror coupling. The present approach, which is based on boundary conditions, is quite general and applicable to any matter-field interaction problem inside a cavity.
Endotoxin causes phosphorylation of MARCKS in pulmonary vascular endothelial cells.

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endothelial cell (EC) monolayer permeability. Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), as a specific PKC substrate, appears to mediate PKC signaling by PKC-dependent phosphorylation of MARCKS and subsequent modification of the association of MARCKS with filamentous actin and calmodulin (CaM). Therefore, in the present study, we investigated LPS-induced MARCKS phosphorylation in bovine pulmonary artery EC (BPAEC). LPS potentiated MARCKS phosphorylation in BPAEC in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The PKC inhibitor, calphostin C, significantly decreased LPS-induced phosphorylation of MARCKS. In addition, downregulation of PKC with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) did not affect the LPS-induced MARCKS phosphorylation, suggesting that LPS and PMA activate different isoforms of PKC. Pretreatment with SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, or genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, prevented LPS-induced MARCKS phosphorylation. Phosphorylation at appropriate sites will induce translocation of MARCKS from the cell membrane to the cytosol. However, LPS, in contrast to PMA, did not generate MARCKS translocation in BPAEC, suggesting that MARCKS translocation may not play a role in LPS-induced actin rearrangement and EC permeability. LPS also enhanced both thrombin- and PMA-induced phosphorylation of MARCKS, suggesting that LPS was able to prime these signaling pathways in BPAEC. Because the CaM-dependent phosphorylation of myosin light chains (MLC) results in EC contraction, we studied the effect of LPS on MLC phosphorylation in BPAEC. LPS induced diphosphorylation of MLC in a time-dependent manner, which occurred at lower doses of LPS, than those required to induce MARCKS phosphorylation. In addition, there was no synergism between LPS and thrombin in the induction of MLC phosphorylation. These data indicate that MLC phosphorylation is independent of MARCKS phosphorylation. In conclusion, LPS stimulated MARCKS phosphorylation in BPAEC. This phosphorylation appears to involve activation of PKC, p38 MAP kinase, and tyrosine kinases. Further studies are needed to explore the role of MARCKS phosphorylation in LPS-induced actin rearrangement and EC permeability. J. Cell. Biochem. 79:496–505, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Global System

Democracy Beyond Borders: Justice and Representation in Global Institutions. By Andrew Kuper. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. 238 pp., $74.00 (ISBN: 0-19-927,490-8). The sharpest divide within the field of political theory may be the one that separates those theorists oriented to external conditions and those concerned primarily with internal landscapes. Karl Marx is probably the prototype externalist, preferring to reform human communities by rearranging the conditions under which people live and think. John Rawls is the latest in a long line of political philosophers (dating from Plato and moving through Immanuel Kant) who stress the reform of attitudes and beliefs as the locus of reconciliation and social harmony. The dichotomy is often muted in contemporary liberal and democratic thought. Rawls (1996, 1999b), for example, offers principles of justice to govern attitudes, but these principles can be represented or instantiated only by institutional arrangements within liberal democracies. Thus their powers of internal reform are linked to the realization of particular institutions. Still, the traditional challenge is binary. Do we reform the structures that inhibit our best instincts regarding cooperation, or do we target the citizens who are the carriers of these instincts—educating them, for example, in civic virtues and reasonableness within liberal traditions? Andrew Kuper is located decisively in the former camp. In Democracy Beyond Borders , he advances an ambitious set of proposals for reforming the institutional arrangements that have roughly expressed the liberal and democratic sentiments in Western thought since the contract theorists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He justifiably criticizes the current state of affairs with respect to globalization and the world as such. According to Kuper, the historical linkage of liberalism and democracy to the state has compromised these theories and practices as the state has become a minor, porous, or reconstructed player in politics. This narrative is a familiar one. Concepts and theories crafted in one set of historical conditions may not be suitable for …
Chronic liver injury, TGF-beta, and cancer.

Cells termed myofibroblasts are prominent in the injury response of all epithelial tissues. They exhibit proliferation, migration, production of collagen and other extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, and contraction, all for containing the injury and closing the wound. When the injury is limited in time, the final stage of the repair involves a dismantling of the cellular apparatus and restoration of normal tissue structure. With multiple cycles of repair, however, there is net accumulation of ECM, to the detriment of tissue structure and function. Repair-related ECM coalesces into fibrous bundles and, over time, undergoes changes that render it resistant to degradation. The result is a scar. In the skin, a scar may have cosmetic importance only. In the liver, however, extensive scarring is the setting for unregulated growth and neoplasia; also, fibrous bands disrupt normal blood flow, leading to portal hypertension and its complications. With regard to therapy for fibrosis, the first consideration is elimination of the injury factor. However, given that many liver diseases do not have effective therapies at present, strategies targeting fibrogenesis per se are under development. The main source of myofibroblast-like cells and ECM production in the liver is the perisinusoidal stellate cell, which responds to injury with a pleiotypic change termed activation. Activation is orchestrated by cytokines and the ECM itself. Among the cytokines involved in this process, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is particularly prominent. The early changes in ECM include de novo production of a specific “fetal” isoform of fibronectin, which arises from sinusoidal endothelial cells. It is stimulated by TGF-β and acts directly on stellate cells to promote their activation. Based on these and other advances in understanding the fundamentals of the injury response, several strategies now exist for altering fibrogenesis, ranging from agents that block TGF-β to traditional Chinese herbal extracts. Arrest of fibrogenesis, even with underlying cirrhosis, is likely to extend life or prolong the time to transplant. Whether it reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma remains to be proven. Although TGF-β antagonists are effective anti-fibrogenic agents, they will require detailed safety testing because of the finding that several forms of epithelial neoplasia are associated with altered regulation of TGF-β.
Delivering stem cells to the heart in a collagen matrix reduces relocation of cells to other organs as assessed by nanoparticle technology

Aim: A limitation of cell therapy for heart disease is the fact that stem cells injected directly into the myocardium are capable of entering the vasculature and migrating to remote organs. We determined whether retention of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the infarcted myocardium could be improved by implanting the cells in a collagen matrix. Methods: A myocardial infarction was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in Fischer rats. A total of 7 days after myocardial infarction, saline (n = 12), saline plus 2 million bone marrow-derived rat MSCs labeled with isotopic colloidal nanoparticles containing europium (n = 13), collagen (n = 13) or collagen plus 2 million labeled MSCs (n = 13) were directly injected into the infarcted myocardium. Tissues from the infarcted myocardium, noninfarcted myocardium, lung, liver, spleen and kidney were sampled 4 weeks later. Distribution of grafted MSCs was quantitatively analyzed by measuring the nanoparticle radioactivity in these tissue...
Ritanserin blocks DOI-altered embryonic motility and posthatch learning in the developing chicken.

Abstract Developing chicken embryos exposed to cocaine show altered motility, hatchability, and posthatch detour learning. Pretreating such subjects with the serotonin 2 (5-HT 2 ) antagonist ritanserin (RIT) can block the motility suppression and reduced hatchability, indicating 5-HT 2 receptor involvement in these cocaine effects. To study behavioral consequences of more selective 5-HT 2 receptor stimulation and its blockade during development and to compare such exposure with that of cocaine, we injected eggs with 15-day-old chicken embryos with the 5-HT 2 agonist dimethoxyiodophenylaminopropane (DOI, 1.0 mg/kg egg) and 1 h later, with RIT (0.3 and 0.9 mg/ kg egg). Motility was recorded 2.5 or 24 h after DOI. This DOI dose suppressed motility 2.5 h but not 24 h after administration. Both RIT doses blocked DOI's motility suppression. No treatment affected hatchability. Subjects were tested on posthatch days 6–9 for detour learning acquisition. DOI “enhanced” learning (i.e., reduced latency), a cocaine-like effect observed in prior work, which was also blocked by both RIT doses. Thus, some consequences of DOI exposure late during embryonic development resemble cocaine's and are blocked by RIT, suggesting a therapeutic role for RIT-like drugs against cocaine's potential developmental toxicity.
Continuous-suture technique in microvascular end-to-end anastomosis.

A refined technique for continuous suturing of end-to-end anastomoses is presented along with a study in which the continuous-suture technique was compared with the standard interrupted-suture technique in end-to-end anastomoses in the femoral arteries of 20 rats. The results of this comparative study demonstrate that the two techniques had equal patency rates, but that the continuous-suture technique required less than 50% of the time necessary to perform end-to-end anastomosis with interrupted sutures.
Cholesterol, coronary heart disease, and total mortality in middle-aged and elderly men and women in Tecumseh.

Relationships between serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD) were investigated in Tecumseh men and women who were 45 to 92 years old and initially free of CHD. Recruitment continued through three cycles of examinations over a period of 10 years, beginning in 1959. Follow-up for mortality ended in 1986 to 1987. Age-adjusted relative risks for CHD death for cholesterol levels of 5.2 to 6.2 mmol/L and greater than 6.2 mmol/L, compared with levels less than 5.2 mmol/L for men aged 45 to 64 years, were 1.2 and 1.7; for older men they were 1.0 and 1.8. Comparable relative risks for CHD death by cholesterol level were .7 and 1.4 for 45- to 64-year-old women and .8 and .7 for older women. Coefficients for cholesterol were significant for fatal CHD in men under and those 65 years and older when age, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, cigarette smoking status, and glucose intolerance were controlled in proportional hazards models. Cholesterol was a significant predictor of fatal CHD plus nonfatal myocardial infarction in middle-aged, but not elderly women. Relative risks for total mortality were lowest for middle-aged men and women with cholesterol levels of 5.2 to 6.2 mmol/L and the difference was significant in men.
282 HISTOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN ARTIFICIALLY VENTILATED NEONATAL RATS WITH CONGENITAL DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA

Introduction: In children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) artificial ventilation with high pressures and high inspiratory oxygen fraction is often required. We studied the effect of artificial ventilation in CDH in an experimental rat model of CDH. Earlier studies revealed that after ventilation with peak inspiratory pressures (PIP) of 17 cm H2O no aeration of lungs was observed in controls and CDH, but the lungs could be aerated with PIP of 25 cm H2O. To evaluate optimal ventilatory strategy the clinical and histological aspects were studied using two different ventilatory settings.
A New Trigger for T Cells

Understanding the early events in T cell activation and signaling is an active area of research. A recent study has described a new trigger for T cell activation, involving a TCR-ligand-induced conformational change in CD3epsilon that permits binding of the adaptor protein Nck.
Comparison of Digital Subtraction and Cut Film Arteriography in the Evaluation of Suspected Thoracic Aortic Injury

Purpose To determine whether intraarterial digital subtraction arteriography (DSA) is as sensitive and specific as cut film arteriography (CFA) in the evaluation of suspected aortic injury resulting from blunt chest trauma. Materials and Methods Both CFA and DSA images of the thoracic aorta were obtained in the right posterior oblique (RPO) projection in 100 of 103 consecutive patients undergoing arteriography after blunt chest trauma. Diagnoses based on blinded separate review of both studies (CFA vs DSA) by four independent reviewers were compared. Reviewers graded their confidence in their diagnoses from 1 (certain) to 10 (uncertain). Results Eleven of 100 patients had aortic or great vessel injuries confirmed by operation ( n =10) or transesophageal echocardiography ( n =1). Three hundred eighty-eight of 400 diagnoses based on RPO CFA and 390 of 400 diagnoses based on RPO DSA agreed with the correct diagnoses. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of CFA versus DSA were not significantly different. The reviewers' confidence in their diagnoses was equivalent between CFA (average confidence score, 1.373) and DSA (average confidence score, 1.375). Conclusion DSA and CFA yield equivalent sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of blunt chest trauma.
Left ventricular rupture following myocardial infarction treated with streptokinase : successful resuscitation in the cardiac catheterization laboratory using pericardiocentesis and autotransfusion

An 80-year-old female developed left ventricular rupture in the cardiac catheterization laboratory following myocardial infarction treated with streptokinase. The patient was resuscitated using pericardiocentesis and autotransfusion. This technique and the predisposing factors for left ventricular rupture are discussed. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A CO 2 Laser Thomson Scattering Diagnostic For The Measurement Of Fusion Product Alpha Particles

A Thomson scattering diagnostic for measuring the alpha particle velocity distribution is described. Calculations of scattering are made for a CIT type plasma using available CO2 laser and heterodyne technology. Tests of a long pulse CO2 laser, multichannel heterodyne detector, and an absorption cell for stray laser radiation are presented.
Molecular Coupling of S4 to a K+ Channel's Slow Inactivation Gate

The mechanism by which physiological signals regulate the conformation of molecular gates that open and close ion channels is poorly understood. Voltage clamp fluorometry was used to ask how the voltage-sensing S4 transmembrane domain is coupled to the slow inactivation gate in the pore domain of the Shaker K+ channel. Fluorophores attached at several sites in S4 indicate that the voltage-sensing rearrangements are followed by an additional inactivation motion. Fluorophores attached at the perimeter of the pore domain indicate that the inactivation rearrangement projects from the selectivity filter out to the interface with the voltage-sensing domain. Some of the pore domain sites also sense activation, and this appears to be due to a direct interaction with S4 based on the finding that S4 comes into close enough proximity to the pore domain for a pore mutation to alter the nanoenvironment of an S4-attached fluorophore. We propose that activation produces an S4–pore domain interaction that disrupts a bond between the S4 contact site on the pore domain and the outer end of S6. Our results indicate that this bond holds the slow inactivation gate open and, therefore, we propose that this S4-induced bond disruption triggers inactivation.
Awareness of and Compliance with Air Pollution Advisories: A Comparison of Parents of Asthmatics with Other Parents

Objectives. To determine parents' awareness of and compliance with air pollution advisories, and to compare the awareness and compliance of parents' of asthmatics to that of other parents. Methods. Responses of 240 parents surveyed at pediatric clinic visits were compared. Results. A total of 88% of parents were aware of air pollution advisories; 71% reduced pollution and 55% restricted children's play “sometimes” because of advisories. However, only 7% complied with more than one third of the advisories issued. More parents of asthmatics reported awareness of alerts (p = 0.002), reducing pollution (p = 0.005), or restricting play “sometimes” in response to advisories (p = 0.007). Conclusions. Most parents report awareness of and some compliance with air pollution advisories. Parents of asthmatics are more aware and somewhat more compliant than other parents.
Neither Fish nor Fowl: A Role Theory Approach to Librarians Teaching

ABSTRACTThe teaching of IL primarily to undergraduate students in course-integrated, credit-bearing, or other hybrid settings has afforded academic librarians the opportunity to redefine their role within higher education, moving from a jurisdiction of access to one of expertise. While some academic librarians have viewed these shifting roles as a further strain upon an already heterogeneous profession, others have viewed teaching as an opportunity for academic librarians to be more engaged in teaching and learning, and more closely aligned with their classroom faculty counterparts. This article seeks to utilize Role Theory as a means to examine the dynamics of librarians as instructors, and information literacy as an academic discipline.
Minorities and the Philosophical Marketplace

This article argues for two theses. The first is that many of the sociological factors endemic in the philosophical community function as barriers to the recruitment of members of minority groups in the profession and to their functioning as public intellectuals. The division into familial groups, the fights for security and success, and the weakness of the federal organization of the American Philosophical Association all contribute to these barriers. The second is that sociology has a place in philosophy, even though it should not be confused with it. This means that philosophers need to consider social phenomena.
Atmospheric dry deposition in the vicinity of the Salton Sea, California—II: Measurement and effects of an enhanced evaporation system

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the effects of salt spray drift from pilot technologies employed by the US Bureau of Reclamation on deposition rates of various air-born ions. An enhanced evaporation system (EES) was tested in the field at the Salton Sea, California. Dry deposition of NO 3 – , NH 4 + , SO 4 2 – , Cl−, Ca2+, Na+, K+ and Se was assessed by using nylon filters and branches of natural vegetation exposed for one-week long periods. The simultaneous exposure of both lyophilized branches and branches of live plants offered important information highlighting the dynamics of deposited ions on vegetation. The EES significantly increased the deposition rates of Cl−, SO 4 2 – and Na+ in an area of about 639–1062 m surrounding the sprayers. Similarly, higher deposition of Ca2+ and K+ caused by the EES was detected only when deposition was assessed using nylon filters or lyophilized branches. Deposition fluxes of NO 3 – , NH 4 + and Se were not affected by the spraying system. Techniques for measuring dry deposition and calculating landscape-level depositional loads in non-forested systems need further development.
High-accuracy displacement interferometry in air.

The absolute accuracy of laser interferometers employed in displacement metrology is limited by two dominant factors: uncertainties in the source vacuum wavelength and the refractive index of the ambient air. In this paper we describe an interferometer system designed to minimize these uncertainties. Based on a commercial interferometer, the new system features direct measurement of the vacuum wavelength by frequency comparison with a portable iodine-stabilized He–Ne laser. The refractive index of air is computed from accurately measured values of pressure, temperature, and relative humidity. Combined with a desktop computer, the interferometer system permits the automated field measurement of displacement errors (such as those associated with precision machine tools) with an absolute accuracy of 8.5 parts in 108. Performance of the interferometer in field metrology is illustrated by the results of recent validation testing of the large optics diamond turning machine (LODTM) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These results highlight the need for new measurements of the absolute refractive index of standard air in order to reduce a limiting uncertainty on such measurements of ±5 parts in 108.
Spectral/spatial filter selection for illumination-invariant hyperspectral texture discrimination

We propose a method for selecting an optimal spatial filter based on both spectral and spatial information to improve the discriminability of hyperspectral textures. The feature vector for each texture class contains the covariance matrix elements in filtered versions of the texture. The new method reduces the length of the representation by selecting an optimal subset of bands and also uses an optimized spatial filter to maximize the distance between feature vectors for the different texture classes. Band selection is performed based on the stepwise reduction of bands. We have applied this method to a database of textures acquired under different illumination conditions and analyzed the classification results.
Controversies in pediatric thoracic and abdominal trauma

Abstract The majority of pediatric thoracic and abdominal injuries are successfully treated with nonoperative management: thus, the role and clinical responsibility of the pediatric emergency physician or intensivist are increased. This review addresses some of the ongoing controversies in pediatric trauma care for the patient with truncal injury. The value of pediatric thoracic injury as a marker for overall severity. recent advances in diagnostic imaging for thonicic injuries, current recommendations for the evaluation of pediatric cardiac injury, and the potential benefits of minimally invasive thoracoscopy are discussed in detail. Recognition of pediatric intra-abdominal organ injury, often thought to be difficult in the acute care setting, can be quite accurate with the use of clinical information from physical examination. laboratory testing, and diagnostic imaging in the emergency department. A knowledge of the current trauma literature is required for effective care of the child with thoracoabdominal injury.
Multiple scattering of seismic waves in fractured media: Crosscorrelation as a probe of fracture intensity

This paper presents the theory which describes how the lateral correlation of vertical displacement is influenced by multiple scattering of seismic waves caused by the presence of fluid-filled fractures, along with an observational methodology to show how to extract fracture-related quantities (e.g. fracture porosity, degree of anisotropy of the fractures, change in orientation of the fractures, density of fluid filling the fractures) from seismic data using the theoretical development as an underpinning framework. A simple physical picture is given of the basic process, as well as some rough order of magnitude estimates to show that the parameters quantifying the size of the multiple scattering fall squarely in the seismic regime.
Solid state coordination chemistry of microporous metal-organic frameworks of the cadmium(ii)-4-pyridyltetrazolate family: the structural influences of chloride incorporation.

While the metal–organic framework [Cd4(OH)2(4-pt)6(DMF)4]·12DMF (1·12DMF) (4-pt = 4-pyridyltetrazolate) is constructed from binuclear metal subunits, linked into porous {Cd2(OH)(DMF)2(4-pt)3}6 cages, introduction of increasing concentrations of chloride yields the 3-D framework materials, [Cd4Cl3(4-pt)4(OH)(DMF)3]·8DMF·14MeOH (2·8DMF·14MeOH) and [Cd5Cl6(4-pt)(DMF)2(H2O)2]·10DMF (3·10DMF), constructed from tetranuclear and chain building blocks, respectively.
Taxonomy and environment—Aging interaction: a case for small town diversity

Abstract This paper demonstrates the utility of an environment-behavior conceptual scheme proposed by Lawton for guiding the development of taxonomies of social and environmental attributes of rural small towns. A twelve-dimension psychosocial and environmental taxonomy is presented based on data gathered from 989 older residents of 18 small Kansas towns of 2500 and less in population. Implications of taxonomic development for the further conceptualization and definition of rurality is discussed. The role which taxonomic development plays in environmental design, planning and program intervention is also presented.
α1-Adrenoceptor Agonists: The Identification of Novel α1A Subtype Selective 2′-Heteroaryl-2-(phenoxymethyl)imidazolines

Abstract Novel 2′-heteroaryl-2-(phenoxymethyl)imidazolines have been identified as potent agonists of the cloned human α 1 -adrenoceptors in vitro. The nature of the 2′-heteroaryl group can have significant effects on the potency, efficacy, and subtype selectivity in this series. α 1A Subtype selective agonists have been identified.
Quality of life as a survival predictor for patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma treated with radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND Accumulating reports suggest that quality of life (QoL) may predict survival in patients with malignant disease. In the current study, the authors investigated if baseline QoL and changes in QoL during treatment were prognostic for patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with radiotherapy. METHODS The authors studied 102 consecutive new patients with HNSCC treated with primary radiotherapy. The Taiwan Chinese versions of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Head and Neck Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) were completed before and during radiotherapy. The Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the impact of clinical and QoL variables on survival. RESULTS Clinical variables that were significant survival predictors included American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, N status, and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) after multivariate analysis. After introducing the QoL variables, baseline fatigue scale and N status emerged as the most significant survival predictors, whereas KPS lost its significance. Changes in the QoL scales during radiotherapy were not significantly correlated with survival. An increase in the baseline fatigue score of 10 points corresponded to a 17% reduction in the likelihood of survival (95% confidence interval: 8–27%). Significant correlations between baseline fatigue scale and KPS, comorbidity, hemoglobin level, AJCC stage, T status, and most QoL scales also were observed. CONCLUSIONS The data support the correlation of patient reported QoL scales with survival. Pretreatment fatigue level was a significant survival predictor for patients with advanced HNSCC treated with radiotherapy. Cancer 2004;100:425–32. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Electrical Resistance and Magnetic Permeability of Iron Wire at Radio Frequencies

The magnetic permeability of iron wire at high frequencies.---G. R. Wait, investigating the magnetic permeability of iron and magnetite in high frequency magnetic fields, did not observe a critical variation of the permeability at about 3000 kilocycles (100 meters wave-length) as reported by Wwedensky and Theodortschik. It was suggested that the difference in the results might have been due to: (1) a difference in the kinds of iron investigated; (2) a difference in the strengths of the magnetic fields; and (3) a difference in the manner of suspending the iron sample. A sample of iron wire in which critical variations had been observed by Kartschagin and by Mitiaev was used in the present investigation with the same apparatus as had previously been used by Wait. Experiments were carried out in a magnetic field of an intensity equal to 0.5 gauss, as previously used by Wait, and also in a field of 0.01 gauss, the intensity of the field in which Wwedensky and Theodortschik observed the critical variation. Different methods of binding the sample were also tried. In no case was a critical variation in permeability observed.The electrical resistance of iron wire at high frequencies.---Mitiaev observed that the resistance of iron wire to a high-frequency current and its internal self-inductance underwent a critical variation at about 3000 kilocycles. Calculations of the permeability involving these quantities gave results in substantial agreement with those of Wwedensky and Theodortschik on the variation of permeability with frequency. The resistances of iron wires intermediate in size between those used by Mitiaev were measured by the resistance-variation method as described in Bureau of Standards Circular 74. The investigation was carried out between 4300 and 2500 kilocycles (70 and 120 meters wave-length). No critical change within the limits of observable accuracy was detected.
Determining the structure of the real-space entanglement spectrum from approximate conditional independence

We study the ground state of a gapped quantum many-body system whose entanglement entropy S_A can be expressed as S_A=a|∂A|−γ, where a,γ are some constants and |∂A| is an area of the subsystem A. By using a recently proved operator extension of strong subadditivity of entropy [ I. H. Kim J. Math. Phys. 53 122204 (2012)], we show that a certain linear combination of the real-space entanglement spectrum has a small correlation with almost any local operator. Our result implies that there exists a structure relating the real-space entanglement spectrum over different subsystems. Further, this structure is inherited from the generic property of the ground state alone, suggesting that the locality of the entanglement spectrum may be attributed to the area law of entanglement entropy.
Reversible intermolecular energy transfer between saturated amines and benzene in non-polar solution

Abstract Excitation of a mixture of dimethylethylamine (DEMA) and benzene in n -hexane at 222 nm primarily produces excited amine, while at 261 nm excited benzene predominantly results. The fluorescence spectra appreciably overlap. With 222 nm excitation, DEMA fluorescence is quenched by benzene at the diffusion-controlled rate; this quenching results with nearly unit efficiency in sensitized benzene fluorescence. With 261 nm excitation, some sensitized DEMA fluorescence is observed: the rate constant for tins process is ≈ 2.6 × 10 9 M −1 s −1 .
A broadband 512-element full correlation imaging array at VHF (LEDA)

The Large Aperture Experiment to Detect the Dark Ages (LEDA) seeks to detect hyperfine line emission from neutral Hydrogen (λ rest ∼ 21 cm; λ obs = 4–6 m) in the intergalactic medium ∼ 108 yr after the Big Bang. This is an era for which there are no data with which to directly constrain theory. LEDA is funded to deploy to station one of the Long Wavelength Array (i) a real-time, O(10–100) TFlops−1, 512-input cross-correlator to enable full-sky full-Stokes imaging over 30–88 MHz, and (ii) dipole antennas for Dicke-switched total-power radiometry by which to detect the Hydrogen line. Project goals are discovery and development of new techniques and instrumentation. Key technical elements of LEDA include “large-N” cross correlation, nearly horizon to horizon broadband imaging, calibration of total-power radiometry using interferometric techniques, correction for direction-dependent receptor gains (e.g., due to mutual coupling), and correction for direction-dependent perturbation of incident wave fronts by the ionosphere.
Integrable surface-emitting laser-based optical switches and logic gates for parallel digital optical computing.

We describe the recent advances in a monolithic optoelectronic technology based on the integration of two-dimensional arrays of cascadable optical switches and optical logic gates consisting of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL’s) and heterojunction phototransistors or photothyristors. Different combinations of these components can perform optical switching, logic, memory, and regeneration. Latching, nonlatching, and bistable switches with high optical gain and contrast are demonstrated by using a single GaAs–AlGaAs epilayer design along with single-stage Boolean optical logic functions: and, or, identity, invert, nand, nor, and xor. As an application to parallel, digital arithmetic logic, we describe a simple, compact, two-chip binary adder, which uses optical symbolic substitution and two-dimensional VCSEL–PNPN logic gate arrays.
Bank-derived carbonate sediment transport and dissolution in the Hawaiian Archipelago

This investigation used two approaches to examine the flux of bank-derived carbonate particles and determine the potential influence of benthic carbonate particle dissolution on the carbon chemistry of the waters around the Hawaiian Archipelago. First, the particle flux near several representative carbonate banks in the Hawaiian Archipelago was measured and compared with the flux at a distal site (ALOHA) approximately 100 km north of Oahu, Hawaii. The results of four sediment trap deployments on three carbonate banks in the Hawaiian Archipelago demonstrate that the flux of bank-derived carbonate particles are consistently one to two orders of magnitude higher than the fluxes at the distal station. Furthermore, the mineralogy of the carbonate flux near the banks, which includes very soluble bank-derived aragonite and magnesian calcite particles, is distinctly different from that of the distal fluxes. Second, the chemistry of the waters at each bank station along the archipelago was characterized and compared with the chemistry of the distal waters to determine if differences in the particle flux were reflected in the carbon chemistry. Higher alkalinity and carbonate ion concentrations were observed around all of the banks studied. The saturation state of these waters suggests that the dissolution of some magnesian calcite and aragonite phases could explain the higher alkalinity values. Calculations suggest that the dissolution of benthically-derived aragonite and magnesian calcite may be an important component of the North Pacific alkalinity budget and a potential sink for anthropogenic CO2.
Error associated with the direction of arrival estimation in the presence of material bodies

In many adaptive processing it is assumed that the direction of arrival of (DOA) of the signals is known. For a radar problem this is true as we know along which direction we transmitted the beam and therefore we expect the radar return to be arriving from that direction. However, this assumption is questionable when there are material bodies near or along its path. Here, we address the question as to what happens to the direction of propagation when the electromagnetic wave encounters a material body near or along its path for the noise free case. Thus the objective is to calculate the error associated with the prediction of DOA when the free space is not empty. We illustrate the error associated with the estimation of the DOA when there is a perfect electric conducting (PEC) sphere and a dielectric sphere along/near the path of propagation. A PEC and dielectric will diffract the incident electromagnetic energy. We evaluate the scattered far fields at a few points away from the obstacle. From the measured field points we predict the DOA of the signal of interest. The simulations have been carried out using an electromagnetic simulator and a DOA estimation algorithm using the Matrix Pencil Method. The examples deal with the case of both one- and two-dimensional antenna arrays and how they interpret the diffracted signals.
Electric-dipole hyperfine matrix elements of the ground state of the TlF molecule in the Dirac-Fock approximation

Basis-set all-electron Dirac-Fock calculations for the (X0 C ) ground state of the 205 Tl 19 F molecule are presented. Four-component molecular spinors are taken to be linear combinations of kinetically balanced spherical Gaussian spinors centred on the nuclei. The nuclei are modelled as spherical Gaussian distributions of positive charge. An uncontracted basis set with 28s, 28p, 12d and 8f basis spinors on the Tl centre, and 22s and 16p basis spinors on the F centre, yields an equilibrium bond length of 2:078 ˚ A; the dissociation energy 1E.TlF! Tl C C F / is found to be 7:162 eV; experimental values are, respectively, .2:084 3517 0:000 0039/ ˚ A and .7:283 0:200/ eV. Hinds and Sandars have shown that the electronic contributions to the hyperfine interaction due to a nonzero proton electric-dipole moment (EDM) can be characterized by two matrix elementsX R andh ejYj ei, respectively, arising from nuclear structure and extent, and magnetic interactions. The best estimates of these quantities from the models of the present paper are jX R jD7743 au andjh ejYj eijD 15:61 au.
Hollow-site molecular adsorption for NO on Pt(111) and Ni(111): Invalidating vibrational site assignment rules.

Dynamical low-energy electron diffraction analyses of ordered structures of NO molecules chemisorbed on Pt(111) and on Ni(111) conclusively yield threefold-coordinated hollow-site adsorption, and reasonable bond lengths. This invalidates long-standing site assignments based on vibrational measurements, calling that approach into question. The results of this study also contrast with the lower-coordinated bridge and top sites found for CO molecules on the same metal surfaces. The NO molecules are oriented close to the surface normal, O end up.
Flicker Fusion as a Typological Index of Nervous System ‘Reactivity’:

Flicker fushion responses were determined under varying stimulus intensities for 43 subjects. A mathematical index of the responses was derived for each individual and compared to a single flicker fusion response. A correlation demonstrated independence between the two measures.
The information environment and the ability of logit‐based financial statement analysis to predict abnormal returns

Holthausen and Larcker (1992) show that logit-based financial statement analysis can predict abnormal returns on investments in equity securities. We argue that if this success of financial statement analysis is due to market inefficiency, then the procedure should work better for small firms than larger firms, where firm-size proxies for the amount of information processing in the firm's information environment. We do not find greater predictable hedge portfolio returns associated with the analysis of small-firm financial statements. Thus, our results conflict with the market inefficiency explanation. Our results are more consistent with financial statement analysis providing summary information about expected returns not subsumed by other risk proxies and not accounted for in the researcher's definition of abnormal returns.
Behavioral Health Services in Primary Care: A New Perspective for Treating Depression

This article attempts to provide information, inspiration, and practical guidelines for mental health professionals who want to work with primary care providers. Depression is an ideal initial focus in starting primary care behavioral services because (1) the majority of currently available efficacy studies on primary care behavioral hearth interventions concern depression and (2) depression is highly prevalent in the primary care setting. Several large clinical trials indicate that on-site mental health services help primary care providers improve quality of care to depressed primary care patients. This article examines five key questions and suggests two service delivery models to help mental health providers plan initiatives that Integrate medical and behavioral health care in the primary care setting.
In vitro infection of Hofbauer cells with a monocyte-tropic strain of HIV-1

Summary In order to further understand the mechanisms of HIV transmission from mother to child, the susceptibility of Hofbauer cells to the monocyte-tropic strain HIV-1Ba-L was tested in vitro. Hofbauer cells were obtained from normal full term placentae after perfusion of two lobules, following the procedure of Uren et al. (1985). Cells isolated from this procedure were cultured on T-25 flasks with RPMI 20% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics. Characterization of these cells following overnight adherence indicated that 60% of the cells were positive for the macrophage antibody HAM56. After five days 93% of the cells were phagocytic and 85% were nonspecific esterase positive. Immunohistochemical analysis with macrophage specific antibodies indicated that 78% were Hofbauer cells. After 5–6 days in culture, 1×107 cells were inoculated with the monocyte-tropic strain HIVBa-L. Virus production was monitored in culture supernatants at different intervals by a p24 assay. There was a ten or greater fold increase of p24 within 3 weeks of culture. Parallel studies on HIVBa-L infected umbilical cord and adult monocytes showed a similar increase. Infection with the lymphocyte-tropic strain HIV/LAV revealed that Hofbauer cells were more susceptible than adult and cord blood macrophages.
Assessing thrombin generation at the point of care.

Point-of-care testing (POCT)1 draws vitality from the invention of new biosensors and, in this issue of Clinical Chemistry , takes a major step forward with the introduction of an amperometric test strip that assesses thrombin generation (1). Historically, on-site whole-blood measurements, such as the activated coagulation time (2)(3) and ionized calcium, improved our understanding of the complex pathophysiology occurring during surgery and massive transfusion (4). Gaps have persisted, however, in our ability to decipher hemostasis events. Fortunately, we now have an opportunity to improve bedside decision-making. Potential applications include hemostatic treatment for hemophilias, inflammation and vascular remodeling, surgical microvascular bleeding, disseminated intravascular coagulation, thrombosis, drug therapy (e.g., hirudin and activated protein C), and severe sepsis, where previous insight into hyper- or hypocoagulable states has been difficult, if not impossible, with nonintegrative tests such as prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time, and impractical with reagent- and labor-intensive thrombin assays requiring time-consuming processing steps and large sample volumes. Of course, we still must gain clinical experience with this new electrochemical thrombin biosensor and its benefits at the point of care (POC), whether hospital or home. Miniaturized technologies developed and implemented for use in handheld POC instruments …
Behavior of the Borel resummations for the critical exponents of the n -vector model

We study the behavior of the Borel-resummed renormalization-group functions for $g{({\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}}^{2})}^{2}$ in three dimensions under transformations between different definitions of the renormalized coupling constant. By comparing this behavior with that of certain "explicit" functions whose exact values are known, we are able to improve the accuracy of present estimates of the critical exponents for the $n$-vector model. Our results are consistent with the assumption that the renormalization-group functions are analytic in a circle in the complex $g$ plane with a cut from the origin along the negative real axis.