cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of high-dose cyclophosphamide, carmustine, and thiotepa plus autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as consolidation therapy for high-risk primary breast cancer after primary surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Abstract We assessed the 5-year results of a high-dose cyclophosphamide, carmustine, and thiotepa (CBT) regimen plus autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHST) as an adjuvant consolidation therapy for high-risk primary breast cancer patients with ≥10 positive axillary lymph nodes after primary surgery or ≥4 positive axillary lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. The associations of various potential prognostic factors with the relapse-free survival (RFS) rate and overall survival (OS) rate were determined. Between October 1992 and March 2000, 177 eligible patients (median age, 46 years) were given high-dose CBT followed by AHST. At a median follow-up of 63 months, the acute treatment-related mortality was 4.5%. Estimated 5-year RFS and OS rates were 62% and 68%, respectively, for all patients. For patients with ≥10 positive axillary lymph nodes after primary surgery, the 5-year RFS and OS rates were 71% and 70%, respectively, and for patients with ≥4 positive axillary lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the 5-year RFS and OS rates were 53% and 66%, respectively. In 2-sided log-rank tests, earlier disease stage, a lower lymph node ratio, and a lower tumor score were associated with a prolonged RFS and OS. In a multivariate proportional hazards model, disease stage and lymph node ratio remained significant. We concluded that high-dose CBT with AHST for high-risk primary breast cancer is feasible, with comparable efficacy to other phase II studies. More than a 50% estimated 5-year survival rate was seen in all high-risk primary breast cancer patients. In accordance with results from recent randomized studies, we need to continue high-dose chemotherapy with AHST for patients with high-risk primary breast cancer in the phase III randomized setting.
Risk of Mortality and Life Expectancy After Spinal Cord Injury: The Role of Health Behaviors and Participation

PURPOSE: To identify the relationships between health behaviors and participation and life expectancy after spinal cord injury (SCI), while controlling for biographic and injury factors. METHODS: Data for this prospective cohort study were collected by mailed survey. Participants included 1,361 adults with traumatic SCI, 1 or more years post injury. Participants were enrolled an average of 9.7 years after injury, and mortality was determined at the end of 2007. There were 294 deaths by follow-up. Life expectancy was calculated utilizing person-years and logistic regression. RESULTS: When evaluating each factor while controlling for biographic and injury characteristics, it was found that smoking history, binge drinking, number of drinks consumed, and psychotropic prescription medication use were related to increased mortality risk, whereas exercise and weekly outings were associated with a lower mortality risk. In the final model, only smoking history, binge drinking, psychotropic prescription medication use, and weekly outings were predictive of mortality and life expectancy. CONCLUSION: Several behaviors identified may become targets of prevention strategies to promote longevity, including smoking cessation, stopping binge drinking, avoiding overreliance on psychotropic prescription medications, and promoting daily activities away from home.
Effect of steroid competition and time on the uptake of [3H]corticosterone in the rat brain; An autoradiographic study

The localization of [3H]corticosterone in the brain and pituitary of the adrenalectomized rat was studied by autoradiography. Corticosterone was concentrated preferentially by neurons in the hippocampus, septum, amygdala, and neocortex, with the hippocampal and septal neurons having the greatest concentration. [3H]-Corticosterone localization was significantly greater in neurons from adrenalectomized animals. Administration of unlabeled corticosterone (3 mg) 30 min before injection with [3H]corticosterone significantly decreased cellular localization of the labeled corticosterone, whereas [3H]corticosterone localization was not affected by progesterone pretreatment. Animals were sacrificed 15, 30 and 120 min after the injection of [3H]corticosterone to study the distribution of the hormone over the cytoplasm and nuclei. Silver grains were localized primarily over the cytoplasm of the concentrating neurons 15 min after injection; however, by 30 min after injection they were evenly distributed over both nuclei and cytoplasm.
Appalachian Blue Ridge cover sequence ranges at least into the Ordovician

The first direct evidence that stratified rocks of the central core of the southern Appalachian Blue Ridge range in age into the Paleozoic comes from a pelmatozoan echinoderm column discovered within a unit directly above the Murphy Marble in North Carolina. Before this discovery most geologists had considered all stratified rocks of the Blue Ridge east of the frontal imbricate thrust blocks to be Late Proterozoic or Early Cambrian(?). The echinoderm fragment is in a lower amphibolite facies interbedded mica schist-impure marble zone that lies directly above the Murphy Marble. Rocks above the Murphy Marble are dominantly turbiditic metaclastic rocks with minor carbonate and metavolcanic rocks, interpreted as having formed within a successor basin unconformably above upper Precambrian rift facies and lower Paleozoic drift facies rocks of the Laurentian passive margin. An upper bound for the age of the successor basin in the Murphy belt has not been established; similar sequences in the Talladega belt to the southwest, and possibly the Foothills belt to the west, range at least into the Devonian. Most Appalachian tectonic models assert that during the Taconic orogeny a Middle Ordovician synorogenic clastic wedge, now located in the easternmost Tennessee foreland salient, was derived by erosion from the metamorphosed pre-Ordovician Blue Ridge basement and cover sequence to the east, which was uplifted as part of an advancing Taconic crystalline thrust wedge. The presence of Ordovician or younger rocks described here, which were deposited east of the proposed Taconic orogenic front, suggests the need to modify models for Taconic clastic wedge formation in the southern Appalachians. The results presented here also suggest that peak metamorphism in the region was post-Ordovician, and thus was probably not contemporaneous with the Taconic orogeny, as previously thought.
On a class of preconditioned iterative methods on parallel computers.

The standard implementations of iterative solvers for finite element and finite difference methods frequently use a diagonal (Jacobi) preconditioner, particularly for element-by-element schemes. However, for such methods the actual order of the condition number with respect to mesh size is not reduced by the preconditioner. In the present paper we describe an iterative method where, in addition, the condition number is reduced by an order of magnitude. Moreover, the scheme may also be implemented as an element-by-element method. The method uses a generalized SSOR preconditioner and a wave front or multi-frontal ordering of the mesh nodes. For a general irregular finite element mesh a striped irregular wave front ordering may be used. The performance of the method as well as various iterative acceleration techniques for a parallel computer are examined in the numerical studies.
Control of Fusarium oxysporum by baking soda

Abstract Baking soda (NaHCO 3 ) or KHCO 3 was found capable of significantly reducing the mycelial growth of Fusarium species. In Czapek Dox broth with baking soda or KHCO 3 at as low as 0.2 g/100 mL, for example, the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum 950 was inhibited by greater than 95%. The bicarbonate component of baking soda was responsible for the inhibitory effect.
Thinning of the south dome of Barnes Ice Cap, Arctic Canada, over the past two decades

Between 1970 and 1984, ground surveys were carried out along a flowline extending from the top of the south dome of Barnes Ice Cap to the margin. Over this time span, the ice cap thinned an average of 1.7 m, or 0.12 m yr−1. By comparing the 1984 survey with elevations derived from satellite imagery in 2006, we find that it has now thinned an additional 16.8 ± 7.7 m, or an average of ∼0.76 ± 0.35 m yr−1. Laser altimeter profiles show that between 2004 and 2006, the thinning rate was 1.0 ± 0.14 m yr−1. A correlation between mass balance and mean summer temperature at nearby weather stations, developed over the period of the ground surveys, permits independent estimates of the thinning rate. These estimates are in excellent agreement with those based on satellite imagery. The acceleration in thinning is consistent with meteorological records documenting an increase in the number of positive degree-days (atmospheric warming) in the region.
Biliary Disease in Children

Biliary diseases in children are infrequent; however, they can be associated with high morbidity and mortality if an accurate diagnosis is not made and adequate treatment provided in a timely fashion. Biliary atresia, choledochal cysts, gallbladder disease, and Alagille syndrome can be associated with similar clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and radiographic findings, which makes accurate diagnosis difficult. The correct treatment for each of these clinical entities is different and can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality from these diseases. In this article, we discuss the epidemiology, approach to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment modalities for these four disease processes.
Insulin-Like Growth Factors in Patients With Nonislet Cell Tumors and Hypoglycemia

Insulin-like growth factors (IGF) in serum from 3 patients with nonislet cell tumors and hypoglycemia were measured by radioimmunoassay and by means of a rat liver membrane assay (specific for IGF II). The concentration of IGF II by receptor assay was greater than normal when the samples were initially assayed, but subsequently decreased 48% to 80% over the next 8 to 15 weeks. In the same serum samples, concentrations of both IGF I and IGF II by radioimmunoassay were consistently less than normal. In all 3 patients growth hormone (GH) responses to intravenous arginine were depressed and in 2 of the 3 patients, a GH-dependent 150 K serum protein carrier of IGF was absent. None of these abnormalities were seen in 7 patients with insulinomas and chronic hypoglycemia. The data suggest that some patients with nonislet cell tumors and hypoglycemia produce a receptor-active, nonimmunoreactive IGF-II-like material. This material appears (a) more labile than normal IGF II and (b) capable of inhibiting GH secretion. The latter effect may decrease immunoreactive IGF I and II, as well as decrease the GH-dependent 150 K protein carrier of these factors. The extreme lability of the IGF-II-like material produced by tumors probably explains the previous contradictory reports on this topic.
Below-Gap Excitation of π-Conjugated Polymer-Fullerene Blends: Implications for Bulk Organic Heterojunction Solar Cells

We used a variety of optoelectronic techniques such as broadband fs transient and cw photomodulation spectroscopies, electroabsorption, and short-circuit photocurrent in bulk heterojunctions organic solar cells for studying the photophysics in $\ensuremath{\pi}$-conjugated polymer-fullerene blends with below-gap excitation. In contrast to the traditional view, we found that below-gap excitation, which is incapable of generating intrachain excitons, nevertheless efficiently generates polarons on the polymer chains and fullerene molecules. The polaron action spectrum extends deep inside the gap as a result of a charge-transfer complex state formed between the polymer chain and fullerene molecule. With appropriate design engineering the long-lived polarons might be harvested in solar cell devices.
Multiple-junction quantum cascade photodetectors for thermophotovoltaic energy conversion

The use of intersubband transitions in quantum cascade structures for thermophotovoltaic energy conversion is investigated numerically. The intrinsic cascading scheme, spectral agility, and design flexibility of these structures make them ideally suited to the development of high efficiency multiple-junction thermophotovoltaic detectors. A specific implementation of this device concept is designed, based on bound-to-continuum intersubband transitions in large-conduction-band-offset In0.7Ga0.3As/AlAs0.8Sb0.2 quantum wells. The device electrical characteristics in the presence of thermal radiation from a blackbody source at 1300 K are calculated, from which a maximum extracted power density of 1.4 W/cm2 is determined. This value compares favorably with the present state-of-the-art in interband thermophotovoltaic energy conversion, indicating that quantum cascade photodetectors may provide a promising approach to improve energy extraction from thermal sources.
Medicare payment for advanced practice nurses: What are the research questions?

Abstract The nursing community must be prepared for the inevitable questions regarding the outcomes of the recent decision to allow direct payment by the Medicare program for services provided by nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists.
Preparation and evaluation of slurry-packed liquid chromatography microcolumns with inner diameters from 12 to 33 μm

Fused silica capillary liquid chromatography columns with inner diameters between 12 and 33 μm were slurry packed with 5 μm octadecylsilane-modified silica particles. Column efficiencies and van Deemter coefficients were compared. A linear decrease of the A term as column diameter was decreased was the most significant contributor to a lower overall plate height at the optimum velocity.
Seasonality of infection of cattle with bluetongue viruses

Abstract A Cox proportional hazards model with time-dependent covariates describing the risk of serocon-version of cattle to bluetongue viruses, as a function of climatic variables (maximum temperature, minimum temperature and rainfall), was used to investigate the seasonality and geographical distribution of bluetongue virus infection in Queensland, Australia. Cases of seroconversion in Queensland (which mostly occur in autumn and winter) were associated with summer and autumn temperature and rainfall at all but one of the 50 locations studied. In far north Queensland, most cases of seroconversion were associated with temperature and rainfall in the summer months, whereas in the remainder of Queensland most cases of seroconversion were associated with autumn temperature and rainfall. Thus, simulation results suggest that two ecological cycles of bluetongue virus infection of cattle exist, and may support a hypothesis of differential transmission by vector species in Queensland.
EFFECTIVE POLITICAL CONTROL OF BUREAUCRACY: THE CASE OF HAWAII'S PRISON SYSTEM

ABSTRACT The problem addressed in this study is that of rendering a prison bureaucracy accountable to formal political authority. It is proposed that resolving this problem requires: political development; a supportive political culture; and sufficient bureaucratic resources. In order to test a related hypothesis, an index of political development was constructed and applied. The impact of the political culture and the organizational capacity of the prison bureaucracy were also assessed. Study findings are that the bureaucracy generally had the capacity to comply with formal directives but did not do so. Concurrently, the political culture was not supportive and political development can be described as regressive.
Naming times for the Snodgrass and Vanderwart pictures.

This paper reports the results of two experiments. In the first, voice-key naming times were collected and in the second, keypress naming times were collected for 250 of the Snodgrass and Vanderwart (1980) pictures. The resulting naming times and correct naming rates were well predicted in multiple regression analyses by one or another measure of codability (name or concept agreement) and by age-of-acquisition ratings collected specifically for this study. Voice-key responses appeared to be somewhat more sensitive indicators of naming difficulty, although keypress responses did remarkably well. The Appendix presents the age-of-acquisition ratings, the trimmed vocal and keypress naming times, and the correct naming rates from the two experiments for the 250 pictures.
Assessing margin status

As little time ago as 1991 the NIH Consensus conference could not agree on the need for negative margins. Today, negative margin status has become a prerequisite for BCT recognizing that positive margins impact negatively on local recurrence rates. The science of margin evaluation is fast becoming recognized to play a key role in providing patients with the opportunity for breast conservation therapy as well as the best possible cosmetic result. Preoperative factors that predict a greater likelihood of failure to obtain margins such as larger tumor size and positive lymph nodes are fixed and can only be dealt with by taking larger biopsies. RODEO-MRI can preoperatively predict probability of success or failure and can actual better define tumor dimensions and extent and help plan excisions. Use of intraoperative US may be a future tool used to facilitate the excision of non-palpable and possibly palpable tumors. Intraoperative pathological assessment should not be performed by frozen section but consideration given to cytological assessment so as to allow feedback to the surgeon intraoperatively as to which margin needs more attention. Finally, using all the above methods of obtaining negative margins, the surgeon may have the ability to impact the outcome of breast cancer surgery and recurrence.
Cognitive Integration and Referential Communication: Effects of Information Quality and Quantity in Message Decoding

Four experiments are reported in which respondents were presented with one or more written passages, describing the face of an actor who was portraying a particular emotional expression (e.g., surprise). After reading each message ensemble, the respondents attempted to select the appropriate targetreferent from an array of 24 photographs showing the same actor in different emotional poses. The results indicated that performance was consistently affected by the quality of the message ensembles (as quantified by the percentage of relatively accurate descriptions in the set) and by the quantity of information that was available (the number of different descriptive passages in the set). When a message-set was expanded while its overall quality was reduced (by including more and more low-quality descriptions), performance deteriorated. Finally, there was no convincing evidence of information overload; despite substantial expansions in the size of the message-sets that ultimately included as many as 24 different passages, when the quality of the ensembles was held constant, performance did not decline. In a recent series of experiments, Manis and his colleagues (Manis & van Rooijen, 1973; Manis & Platt, 1975, 1976) explored the process of information integration. In contrast to many studies in this domain, these experiments included a criterion of correctness, which made it possible to assess the e~rectiveness with which discrete informational cues were combined. In this work (and in the experiments described below), the respondent's task was to decode a number of message-ensembles, each of which contained one or more written descriptions; our goal was to explore the performance levels (hit-rates) that would result when respondents were given several descriptions, all based on the same referent-object, and were asked to select the appropriate referent from a large array of similar stimuli. The procedure devised for these studies is an extension of the
Portal donor-specific blood transfusion and mycophenolate mofetil allow steroid avoidance and tacrolimus dose reduction with sustained levels of chimerism in a pig model of intestinal transplantation.

Background. In a pig model of intestinal transplantation, we previously showed that hepatic conditioning through portal donor-specific blood transfusion (pDSBT), high-dose tacrolimus (TAC), and steroids prevented rejection and increased survival. Our current study tests a protocol of pDSBT, short-term mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and low-dose TAC to eliminate the use of steroids, reduce TAC dosage, and increase the level of chimerism in the peripheral blood. Materials and Methods. Four groups of outbred, mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC)-reactive pigs underwent bowel transplants and pDSBT. Immunosuppression (group 1, high-dose TAC and steroids; group 2, low-dose TAC and MMF; group 3, low-dose TAC, MMF, and aminoguanidine; group 4, low-dose TAC, MMF, and arginine) was discontinued after 28 days. RNA was extracted from intestinal graft and native liver biopsies for cytokine measurements. Chimerism levels were determined using a Q-PCR analysis. Results. Pig survival and death rates due to rejection did not significantly differ between the four groups. Chimerism levels determined by Q-PCR analysis were not different until day 28. After discontinuation of immunosuppression, we noted a trend (P=0.15) toward higher mean chimerism levels on day 60 for groups 2, 3, and 4 (9%) vs. group 1 (0.5%). Tissue cytokine and serum nitrate levels did not significantly differ between the four groups. Attempts to modify nitric oxide synthase activity offered no added benefit. Conclusions. The combination of pDSBT, MMF, and low-dose TAC (vs. high-dose TAC and steroids) allowed sustained levels of mixed chimerism to develop after discontinuation of immunosuppression.
Screening Methods for Postpartum Depression

Nine to fifteen percent of women who have recently given birth experience postpartum depression; however, only a small portion of these women are identified as depressed by health professionals. To improve this poor detection rate, a new screening tool, the Postpartum Depression Checklist (PDC), was constructed, based on the findings of two qualitative studies. The PDC is a simple, practical device for use by health professionals that provides an opportunity to engage a woman actively in a dialogue about her experiences with the 11 symptoms included on the checklist. Its use by health professionals during the 1st year postpartum may help to ensure that mothers who experience postpartum depression receive treatment.
Subcellular localization, partial purification, and characterization of a dynorphin processing endopeptidase from bovine pituitary.

: An enzyme capable of cleaving dynorphin B-29 to dynorphin B-13 is present in bovine pituitary, with 40- to 50-fold higher specific activity in the posterior and intermediate lobes than in the anterior lobe. Subcellular fractionation of bovine neurointermediate pituitary shows that this enzyme is present in the peptide-containing secretory vesicles. The enzyme has been purified 2,800-fold from whole bovine pituitaries using ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Purified dynorphin-converting enzyme has a neutral pH optimum, and is substantially inhibited by the thiol-protease inhibitor p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid, but not by serine or metalloprotease inhibitors. The purified enzyme processes dynorphin B-29 at Arg14, producing both dynorphin B-14 and dynorphin B-13 in a 5:1 ratio. No other cleavages are observed, suggesting that the activity is free from other proteases and is specific for single Arg sequences. Purified enzyme also processes dynorphin A-17 at the single Arg cleavage site, generating both dynorphin A-8 and A-9 in a 7: 1 ratio. The tissue distribution, subcellular localization, and substrate specificity of this enzyme are consistent with a physiological role in the processing of dynorphin B-29 and dynorphin A-17, and possibly other peptides, at single Arg residues.
A mathematical model of transformational grammars

A mathematical model of transformational grammars is presented which incorporates most current versions. Among other things, the model has a formal definition of transformations and a general scheme for ordering them. Numerous examples are given to illustrate the theory.
A 69-year-old male presenting with hypotension and anasarca†

A 69-year-old Caucasian male with a past medical history remarkable for hypertension and testicular nonHodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) presented to the emergency department with a 1-week history of fatigue and new onset lower extremity edema. For the past 8 months, the patient was having a nonproductive cough. Work up by his primary care physician was negative, and the patient was switched from enalapril to losartan 1 week before presentation. The cough resolved, however, 2 days later the patient began to experience fatigue and lightheadedness that persisted despite decreasing the dose of losartan. He continued to develop lower extremity edema and was again seen by his primary care physician who noted the patient to be hypotensive. He was referred to the emergency department for evaluation.
A morphological study of early cellular changes in the closure of the rabbit ductus arteriosus

A light and transmission electron microscopic study was performed on 67 ductus arteriosus (DA) specimens from rabbits (31 days normal gestation period) ranging in age from 21 days of gestation to 4 days after birth. Some fetuses were permitted to breath before sampling, while others were not. The aorta and pulmonary trunk served as controls. The objectives of the study were to identify the earliest cellular alterations leading to closure of the DA, to study in detail the sequence of cellular changes in closure of the DA, and to correlate these observations with what is known about the physiological factors involved in closure of the DA. Changes in the architecture of the DA wall were seen as early as on the twenty-sixth day of gestation and involved the appearance of increased numbers of radially or longitudinally reoriented smooth muscle cells in the intima and fragmentation of the internal elastic lamina. The progress of these changes continued and intensified until the end of gestation. At that stage the inner one-half of the medial smooth muscle cells was reoriented, and the lumen was significantly reduced by a greatly expanded intima which often contained many intercellular “ghost bodies.” Very few mitoses were seen during DA closure, especially during 29 to 31 days of gestation. It is concluded that cellular changes involved in closure of the DA of the rabbit fetus begin far in advance of birth and breathing. These cellular changes are highly analogous to those which occur in the early pathogenesis of arterial intimal fibromuscular lesions. Closure of the DA, therefore, seems to afford an excellent, natural model for study of key cellular events involved in the production of arterial fibromuscular lesions.
Is nitazoxanide an effective treatment for patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related cryptosporidiosis?

Is nitazoxanide an effective treatment for patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related cryptosporidiosis?
Generalized parton distributions

Recent theoretical work has shown that a new class of parton distributions, called generalized parton distributions, can be accessed experimentally and give a complete picture of the structure of the nucleon.
Poly(L-lysine)-DNA interactions in NaCl solutions: B to C and B to psi transitions.

Thermal denaturation and circular dichroism (CD) properties of poly(L-lysine)–DNA complexes vary greatly when these complexes are prepared differently, that is, whether by NaCl-gradient dialysis starting from 2.0 M NaCl or by direct mixing at low salt. These differing properties were investigated in more detail by examining complexes, made by direct mixing in the presence of various concentrations of NaCl, both before and after the NaCl was dialyzed out of the complex solution. The precipitation curves of DNA due to polylysine binding indicate that such binding is noncooperative at zero salt; from 0.1 up to 1.0 M NaCl they exhibit varying degrees of cooperatively. Starting from zero salt, as the NaCl concentration used for complex formation is increased, both the CD and the melting properties of the complexes are shifted from those of directly mixed at zero salt to those of reconstitution: in the CD spectra there is a gradual shift from a B C transition to a B ψ transition; thermal denaturation results show a gradual increase in the melting temperatures of both free DNA (tm) and polylysine-bound DNA (t′m). The progressive shift from B C to B ψ suggests a close relationship between these two transitions. Large aggregates of the complexes do not warrant the appearance of ψ-type CD spectra: ψ-spectra have been obtained in the supernatants of polylysine–DNA complexes made and measured at 1.0 M NaCl while slightly perturbed CD spectra in B C transition have been observed in turbid solutions of fully covered complexes made at very low salt. If the complexes are made at intermediate salts and dialyzed to a very low salt, although up to 60% of the DNA is still bound by polylysine, the CD spectra of the complexes are shifted back to the B-type CD characteristic of pure DNA.
Interfacial shear strength estimates of NiTi-Al matrix composites fabricated via ultrasonic additive manufacturing

The purpose of this study is to understand and improve the interfacial shear strength of metal matrix composites fabricated via very high power (VHP) ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM). VHP-UAM NiTi-Al composites have shown a dramatic decrease in thermal expansion compared to Al, yet thermal blocking stresses developed during thermal cycling have been found to degrade and eventually cause interface failure. Consequently, to improve understanding of the interface and guide the development of stronger NiTi- Al composites, the interface strength was investigated through the use of single ber pullout tests. It was found that the matrix yielded prior to the interface breaking since adhered aluminum was consistently observed on all pullout samples. Additionally, measured pullout loads were utilized as an input to a nite element model for stress and shear lag analysis, which, in turn showed that the Al matrix experienced a peak shear stress near 230 MPa. This stress is above the Al matrix's ultimate shear strength of 150-200 MPa, thus this large stress corroborates with matrix failure observed during testing. The in uence of various ber surface treatments on bond mechanisms was also studied with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
Contoured elastic-membrane microvalves for microfluidic network integration.

A contoured elastic-membrane microvalve is presented that enables integrated microfluidic processing at the network level. This method takes advantage of two ideas to improve performance: flexible elastic membranes (which enable high-performance shutoff and reduced footprint), and three-dimensionally contoured valve geometries (which reduce dead volume, improve fluidic priming, and reduce susceptibility to cavitation at high fluid velocities). We describe the use of laser-induced etching for microfluidic manifold fabrication, discuss the nonlinear load-deflection behavior of elastic membranes that can occur below 30 psi, and present flow-rate data for microvalves under inlet pressures of 0-20 psi with zero applied membrane pressure. Valve-closure data for inlet pressures of 0-30 psi are presented for fully assembled microvalve structures. The microvalve structures under test were capable of turning off flows of >20 μL/s. These flow rates were shown to be limited by inlet and outlet flow resistances and not by the valve structure itself, so that higher maximum flow rate capabilities should be readily achieved.
Decision-directed entropy-based adaptive filtering

A recurring problem in adaptive filtering is selection of control measures for parameter modification. A number of methods reported thus far have used localized order statistics to adaptively adjust filter parameters. The most effective techniques are based on edge detection as a decision mechanism to allow the preservation of edge information while noise is filtered. In general, decision-directed adaptive filters operate on a localized area within an image by using statistics of the area as a discrimination parameter. Typically, adaptive filters are based on pixel to pixel variations within a localized area that are due to either edges or additive noise. In homogeneous areas within the image where variances are due to additive noise, the filter should operate to reduce the noise. Using an edge detection technique, a decision directed adaptive filter can vary the filtering proportional to the amount of edge information detected. We show an approach using an entropy measure on edges to differentiate between variations in the image due to edge information as compared against noise. The method uses entropy calculated against the spatial contour variations of edges in the window.
The impact of osteoblastic differentiation on osteosarcomagenesis in the mouse

Osteosarcomas remain an enigmatic group of malignancies that share in common the presence of transformed cells producing osteoid matrix, even if these cells comprise a minority of the tumor volume. The differentiation state of osteosarcomas has therefore become a topic of interest and challenge to those who study this disease. In order to test how the cell of origin contributes to the final state of differentiation in the transformed cells, we compared the relative tumorigenicity of Cre-LoxP conditional disruption of the cell cycle checkpoint tumor-suppressor genes Trp53 and Rb1 using Prx1-Cre, Collagen-1α1-Cre and Osteocalcin-Cre to transform undifferentiated mesenchyme, preosteoblasts and mature osteoblasts, respectively. The Prx1 and Col1α1 lineages developed tumors with nearly complete penetrance, as anticipated. Osteosarcomas also developed in 44% of Oc-Cre;Rb1(fl/fl);Trp53(fl/fl) mice. We confirmed using 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine click chemistry that the Oc-Cre lineage includes very few actively cycling cells. By assessing radiographic mineralization and histological osteoid production, the differentiation state of tumors did not correlate with the differentiation state of the lineage of origin. Some of the osteocalcin-lineage-derived osteosarcomas were among the least osteoblastic. Osteocalcin immunohistochemistry in tumors correlated well with the expression of DNA methyl transferases, suggesting that silencing of these epigenetic regulators may influence the final differentiation state of an osteosarcoma. Transformation of differentiated, minimally proliferative osteoblasts is possible but may require such an epigenetic reprogramming that the tumors no longer resemble their differentiated origins.
Using Web-Based Technologies in a Graduate Class to Develop an Entrepreneurship Knowledge Portal

The purpose of this article is to share the experiences and lessons learned from an experimental graduate class using Web-based technologies that resulted in the development of a statewide entrepreneurship knowledge portal. Given the demands for Web-based systems and technologies to facilitate entrepreneurship, this class experience could be used as a model to help other states build or improve upon their entrepreneurial Web-based systems. The research was driven by the results of a comprehensive Kauffman Foundation study of Maine entrepreneursâ€™ needs. This article also explores issues and challenges associated with teaching a complex course using complex Web-based technologies, distance delivery techniques, and working with entrepreneurs to meet their needs.
REGIONAL PULMONARY BLOOD FLOW IN MAN BY RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING.

THE RATE OF ACCUMULATION of a substance in any region of the body is directly proportional to the blood flow to the region, provided the substance is completely removed from the blood and is not metabolized during the period of observation. In the present study, we have successfully used this principle to detect alterations in blood supply to various regions of the lung as a result of certain diseases. The studies were made possible by the development of a new radiopharmaceutical, labeled macro-aggregated albumin (MAA), which has been found to be both safe and effective. Materials and Methods In the initial studies radiodine (I 131 ) was employed as a label for the macro-aggregated albumin. Subsequently we have used chromiumlabeled albumin, because radioactive chromium (Cr 51 ) emits a mono-energetic gamma ray (320 kilo electron volts) that is preferable for scintillation scanning. In addition, the absence of beta emission decreases the radiation
A sixteen channel peak sensing ADC for singles spectra in the FERA format

To read out multi-element small X-ray detectors for X-ray fluorescence applications with synchrotron radiation one needs the capability to record multiple singles spectra for each detector element at high rates. We have developed a sixteen channel 11 bit peak sensing ADC in a CAMAC module. We use the FERA readout bus to place the data into a commercially available histogramming module developed to generate multiple histograms from FERA ADCs. The sixteen channels digitize shaped pulses from the detectors without external gating. The digitizing time is 8 /spl mu/sec, the peak acquisition time is /spl ges/2 /spl mu/sec. The module contains a LIFO to permit block transfers in order to minimize dead times associated with the readout. There is a common CAMAC controlled analog threshold for noise suppression and a 16 bit mask to enable or disable individual ADCs. Differential non linearity is less than +8%/-4%. A /spl gamma/-ray spectrum collected using this ADC is presented.
Laboratory spectroscopic analyses of electron irradiated alkanes and alkenes in solar system ices

[1] We report results from laboratory experiments of 10 keV electron irradiation of thin ice films of water and short-chain hydrocarbons at ∼10−8 Torr and temperatures ranging from 70–100 K. Hydrocarbon mixtures include water with C3H8, C3H6, C4H10 (butane and isobutane), and C4H8, (1-butene and cis/trans-2-butene). The double bonds of the alkenes in our initial mixtures were rapidly destroyed or converted to single carbon bonds, covalent bonds with hydrogen, bonds with −OH (hydroxyl), bonds with oxygen (C-O), or double bonds with oxygen (carbonyl). Spectra resulting from irradiation of alkane and alkene ices are largely indistinguishable; the initial differences in film composition are destroyed and the resulting mixture includes long-chain, branched aliphatics, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and alcohols. Methane was observed as a product during radiolysis but CO was largely absent. We find that while some of the carbon is oxidized and lost to CO2 formation, some carbon is sequestered into highly refractory, long-chain aliphatic compounds that remain as a thin residue even after the ice film has been raised to standard temperature and pressure. We conclude that the high availability of hydrogen in our experiments leads to the formation of the formyl radical which then serves as the precursor for formaldehyde and polymerization of longer hydrocarbon chains.
Identification of a Sixth Promoter That Directs the Transcription of γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase Type III RNA in Mouse

Abstract We have previously identified five promoters in the 5′-flanking region of the mouse -glutamyl transpeptidase (GT) gene. We now report the localization of a sixth promoter that supports the transcription of type III RNA, the major GT RNA in fetal liver. We made a fetal liver cDNA library enriched for GT RNA and obtained 12 GT type III-specific clones. The longest clone is consistent with a transcription start site for type III RNA at a position 5′ to the type IV promoter and about 5 kilobase(s) (kb) 5′ to the first coding exon. We estimated by ribonuclease protection assay that about 80% of the GT mRNA in fetal liver was type III. Primer extension and nuclease protection analyses mapped the 5′ end of type III mRNA in fetal liver and kidney to a single cluster of potential major and minor transcription start sites. Deletion analysis using transient expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs of the type III promoter region revealed the greatest activity with a 1-kb 5′-flanking fragment in mouse kidney proximal tubular cells and no detectable activity in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. These studies demonstrate that the type III 5′ region of the mouse GT gene is organized into two distinct exons (IIIa and IIIb) and that type III RNA is expressed under the control of its own promoter.
Probabilistic estimates of future changes in California temperature and precipitation using statistical and dynamical downscaling

Sixteen global general circulation models were used to develop probabilistic projections of temperature (T) and precipitation (P) changes over California by the 2060s. The global models were downscaled with two statistical techniques and three nested dynamical regional climate models, although not all global models were downscaled with all techniques. Both monthly and daily timescale changes in T and P are addressed, the latter being important for a range of applications in energy use, water management, and agriculture. The T changes tend to agree more across downscaling techniques than the P changes. Year-to-year natural internal climate variability is roughly of similar magnitude to the projected T changes. In the monthly average, July temperatures shift enough that that the hottest July found in any simulation over the historical period becomes a modestly cool July in the future period. Januarys as cold as any found in the historical period are still found in the 2060s, but the median and maximum monthly average temperatures increase notably. Annual and seasonal P changes are small compared to interannual or intermodel variability. However, the annual change is composed of seasonally varying changes that are themselves much larger, but tend to cancel in the annual mean. Winters show modestly wetter conditions in the North of the state, while spring and autumn show less precipitation. The dynamical downscaling techniques project increasing precipitation in the Southeastern part of the state, which is influenced by the North American monsoon, a feature that is not captured by the statistical downscaling.
Integrated optical phase locked loop

A silicon photonics based integrated optical phase locked loop is utilized to synchronize a 10.2 GHz voltage controlled oscillator with a 509 MHz mode locked laser, achieving 32 fs integrated jitter over 300 kHz bandwidth.
Evidence for a nonlinear relationship between self-disclosure and self-actualization.

Summary.-This study investigated the relationship between self-disclosure and self-actualization. Significant linear and nonlinear components were found when scores on the Personal Orientation Inventory Inner-directed scak were correlated with Jourard Self-disclosure Scale scores. When the Time Competence scale was correlated with self-disclosure scores, substantial but nonsignificant linear and nonlinear components were indicated. The results were interpreted as supporting Cozby's (1973) hypothesis that significant departures from linearity may have gone undetected in previous research and that this relationship may be opposire from what Jourard (1964) and others have predicted. There is considerable evidence that self-disclosure is an important variable in therapeutic treatment (e.g., Allen, 1973; Truax & Carkhuff, 1965). However, the relationship between self-disclosure and mental health or personal adjustment requires more research. Allen ( 1973) and Cozby ( 1973) have reviewed studies attempting to examine the relationship between self-disclosure and personal adjustment. These studies generally correlated some measures of self-disclosure with a variety of measures of personality adjustment. The studies have yielded approximately an equal number of positive, negative, and nonsignificant correlations. Jourard ( 1964) has argued that self-disclosure is actually related in a curvilinear manner to personal adjustment, with those who are less well-adjusted either not disclosing enough or disclosing too much at inappropriate times and places. Both Cozby (1973) and Allen (1973) agree and propose that such a curvilinear relationship may account for the apparently inconsistent results to date. Cozby (1973) stated that none of the studies he reviewed reported using statistical procedures which could adequately isolate such a curvilinear relationship, Therefore, significant departures from linearity may have gone undetected. The present study investigated the relationship between self-disclosure (Jourard, 1969) and self-actualization (Shostrom, 1974) using statistical procedures for detecting significant departures from linearity.
Spectrophotometric detection of monovalent cation flux in cells: Fluorescence microscope measurement of acetylcholine receptor-mediated ion flux in PC-12 cells

A new and convenient spectroscopic method for measuring monovalent cation flux in cells is described. The technique is based on fluorescence quenching of an entrapped fluorophore (anthracene-1,5-dicarboxylic acid) by Cs+. A conventional fluorescence microscope can be used to measure the Cs+ flux. The usefulness of the technique is illustrated by measurement of acetylcholine receptor-mediated Cs+ flux in PC-12 cells, a sympathetic neuronal cell line. The results are the same as those obtained when radioactive tracer ions were used. The technique is applicable to any transmembrane process in which Cs+ can substitute for either Na+ or K+. The method has been developed to identify the different neurotransmitter receptors that control the translocation of monovalent cations and to locate the cells in central nervous system cell preparations that contain these receptors. The advantage of an optical method over tracer ion methods for biochemical and pharmacological studies of transmembrane processes in cells is described.
Evidence for the Direct Effect of Adrenergic Drugs on the Cerebral Vascular Bed of the Unanesthetized Goat

Despite considerable research, the question of whether adrenergic drugs exert direct effects on the cerebral circulation has remained unresolved. With the development of a method for monitoring continuously the entire blood flow to one hemisphere in the unanesthetized goat, we have been able to study this problem directly. The effects of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and isoproterenol administered by close intra-arterial injection were investigated in 15 goats in which an electromagnetic flowmeter had been implanted previously on the internal maxillary artery, which, in this animal, provides the sole blood supply to a hemisphere. Both epinephrine and norepinephrine (0.1 to 5.0 µg) produced dose-dependent reductions in cerebral blood flow, a decrease of 55 ± 3% (SEM) occurring with the highest dose. Alpha receptor blockade of the ipsilateral hemisphere with phenoxybenzamine totally or partially abolished this cerebral vasoconstriction. Isoproterenol (0.01 to 1.0 µg) produced dose-dependent increases in cerebral blood flow, an increment of 75 ± 6% occurring with the highest dose. Beta blockade with propranolol totally or partially abolished the cerebral vasodilation induced by isoproterenol. Thus, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and isoproterenol exert powerful direct effects on the cerebral circulation of the unanesthetized goat, and these effects appear to be mediated by alpha and beta receptors.