cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Catheter Ablation of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia

Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation became first-line therapy for supraventricular tachycardia in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome1–5 and atrioventricular (AV) nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)6–11 in the early 1990s. High ablation success (>90%) and low complication rates (<5%) were found by numerous investigators.1–11 This article describes these ablation techniques with a focus on approaches to ablation of the forms of accessory AV pathways and AVNRT that are difficult to ablate, as well as the less common variants. Between 1989 and 2005, we performed catheter ablation at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 1702 patients with 1728 accessory pathways. Acute ablation success was achieved in 1707 (98.8%) of the 1728 accessory pathways. At the 1-year follow-up, conduction (ventricular preexcitation and/or tachycardia) recurred in 92 (5.4%) of the 1707 accessory pathways that had achieved acute success. The recurrence rate was highest for anteroseptal accessory pathways (17 of 116, 14.7%), intermediate for posteroseptal accessory pathways (48 of 476, 10.1%), and lowest for left and right free-wall accessory pathways (17 of 756, 2.2%; and 10 of 359, 2.8%, respectively). Successful repeat ablation was achieved in 71 of the 92 accessory pathways, for a 1-year success of 1686 (97.6%) of the total 1728 accessory pathways. Of the 1702 patients, 904 (53%) had undergone 1 to 4 prior failed catheter and/or surgical ablation procedures at other institutions. From our experience in these 904 patients, we classify the causes for accessory pathway ablation failure into 3 groups: accessory pathway localization error (60%); unusual and unsuspected accessory pathway location (5%); and technical difficulties, including locations that are difficult to access with the ablation catheter, ablation at sites of low blood flow (limiting RF power), and ablation at sites associated with a high risk of injury to a coronary artery or the AV node (35%). ### Causes of Accessory Pathway Ablation Failure #### Mapping/Localization Error The most …
Culture and personality: Brief for an arranged marriage

Many popular theories of personality are culture-specific. They are rooted in Western philosophical and religious assumptions about persons. They have not been adopted after being empirically evaluated and compared to alternative models of individual action. Yet such theories become real and true as they are reflected and instituted in everyday practices, social interactions, and institutions. Pairing psychology and culture can lead to a rethinking and broadening of the scope of personality. A cultural psychology of personality asks: What is a person? What is the source of individual variation in behavior? And what meaning is attached to this variation in behavior? Depending on the cultural context (e.g., national origin or social class) these questions are answered differently.
Micellar association of ionic and non-ionic detergents in non-ionizing solvents

Abstract The detergents hexanolamine oleate and caprylate are associated in anhydrous benzene solution. The non-electrolytic detergent nonaethyleneglycol (mono) laurate consists of simple molecules in benzene. However, it is associated in cyclohexane containing 0.43% water, the freezing point lowering being only one4ourth of that which would be caused by detergent alone if all were present as simple molecules, or one-tenth of that due to simple water molecules alone, or 7% of their sum. This shows that water blended with cyclohexane is solubilized in colloidal particles of detergent.
Nutrient intakes and dietary patterns of young children by dietary fat intakes

Abstract Objective: To determine whether low fat intake is associated with increased risk of nutritional inadequacy in children 2 to 8 years old and to identify eating patterns associated with differences in fat intake. Study design: Using 2 days of recall from the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII), 1994 to 1996, we classified 2802 children into quartiles of energy intake from fat ( Results: More children in quartile 2 were at risk for inadequate intakes of vitamin E, calcium, and zinc than children in higher quartiles ( P P P P P Conclusions: Moderate-fat diets were not consistently associated with an increased proportion of children at risk for nutritional inadequacy, and higher-fat diets were not consistently protective against inadequacy. Dietary fat could be reduced by judicious selection of lower-fat foods without compromising nutritional adequacy. (J Pediatr 2000;136:181-7)
Active silicon components for chip to chip interconnects

Among the major challenges confronting the current initiatives to incorporate optical interconnect capabilities for chip to chip I/O is to define, develop and implement the necessary components required for a complete pipeline from source to receiver. For next generation integrated circuits, the need for multifunctionality and multidimensional integration has resulted in new demands on interface technology to yield massively parallel data and clock lines. At this point, such methods are primarily limited to static reflectors, filters and gratings for interface and optical routing. One of the crucial elements is to develop a high performance and flexible optical network to transform an incoming optical pulse train into a widely distributed set of optical signals whose direction, alignment and power can be independently controlled. This coupling can be achieved using several methods including active (primarily, MEMS-based) beam steering arrays. For chip to chip applications, the overwhelming majority of the recent research and development effort has been focused on source and detector technologies, but less attention has been devoted to flexible, reconfigurable beam steering modalities. A variety of approaches for such beam steering and distribution of both timing and data lines has been examined. This paper will present an overview of active, silicon components under development at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering for arraybased I/O management with an emphasis on reconfigurable diffractive devices and adjustable, porous silicon- based components which combine optical beam steering, filtering and focusing capabilities. Design details along with initial performance data from prototype components will be presented.
The Use of Diagnostic Tests in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Inpatient hospital costs account for the majority of acute care costs of stroke with half the cost providing for room and board and 19% of total costs allocated to diagnostic testing. This study addresses the yield of common diagnostic tests in stroke and how frequently the results potentially impact early stroke management. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with acute ischemic stroke over 3 years from a single-center community-based teaching hospital. Results of carotid Doppler (CD), transcranial Doppler, extracranial magnetic resonance (MR) angiography (EMRA), intracranial MR angiography, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and 24-hour Holter monitoring were reviewed. Results Extracranial carotid artery imaging with CD and EMRA showed symptomatic ipsilateral stenosis in 7.9% and 13% of patients with stroke. TTE alone showed intracardiac thrombus in 1.5% of patients whereas TEE had a yield of 3.8%. Patent foramen ovale was seen in 16% of TEE and none were detected on TTE. The 24-hour Holter monitoring revealed newly detected atrial fibrillation in 9.4% of patients with stroke. Conclusions Standard diagnostic studies in acute stroke aimed at secondary stroke prevention are unlikely to yield results that warrant prolongation of hospitalization. Carotid endarterectomy is the only intervention with reasonable evidence suggesting benefit in the early period after stroke. Pursuing extracranial carotid artery imaging during initial hospitalization seems justifiable, especially given the high yield of CD and EMRA in the detection of treatable carotid artery stenosis.
Nucleic Acid and protein changes in relation to cold acclimation and freezing injury of korean boxwood leaves.

Quantitative and qualitative differences in nucleic acids of Korean boxwood ( Buxus microphylla var. Koreana) leaves were determined by methylated albumin kieselguhr chromatography at different levels of cold hardiness. During cold acclimation there was an increase in RNA, mainly ribosomal RNA, with little or no change in DNA. The increase in ribosomal RNA was closely paralleled by an increase in water soluble and membrane bound proteins. As cold hardiness increased, ribonuclease activity declined. Exposure of hardy boxwood plants to warm temperatures resulted in a rapid loss in cold resistance and a rapid synthesis of nucleic acids as judged by 32 P incorporation. Following a killing frost to Korean boxwood leaves, there was a rapid decrease in all nucleic acid fractions which was attributed to nuclease activity. Within 5 hours there was no measurable soluble RNA and ribosomal RNA. Tenaciously bound RNA was somewhat more persistent.
Detection and sizing of defects in control rod drive mechanism penetrations using eddy current and ultrasonics

Over the last two years, concern has been generated about the capabilities of performing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of the closure-head penetrations in nuclear-reactor pressure vessels. These penetrations are primarily for instrumentation and control rod drive mechanisms (CRDMs) and are usually thick-walled Inconel tubes, which are shrink-fitted into the steel closure head. The penetrations are then welded between the outside surface of the penetration and the inside surface of the closure head. Stress corrosion cracks initiating at the inner surface of the penetration have been reported at several plants. Through-wall cracks in the CRDM penetration or CRDM weld could lead to loss of coolant in the reactor vessel. The CRDM penetration presents a complex inspection geometry for conventional NDE techniques. A thermal sleeve, through which pass the mechanical linkages for operating the control rods, is inserted into the penetration in such a way that only a small annulus (nominally 3 mm) exists between the thermal sleeve and inside surface of the penetration. Ultrasonic (UT) and eddy current testing (ET) techniques that could be used to provide defect detection and sizing capability were investigated. This paper describes the ET and UT techniques, the probes developed, and the results obtained using these probesmore » and techniques on CRDM penetration mock-ups.« less
Three dimensional aligned fields magnetogasdynamics

Abstract Three dimensional, aligned fields, non-dissipative magnetogasdynamic flow is studied within the framework of linearized theory. The fundamental matrix is obtained and used, through a method of superposition, to obtain the flow past thin bodies. Questions of non-uniqueness associated with aligned fields magnetogasdynamics are settled through consideration of the effects of dissipation.
Disturbances of water metabolism in vitamin deficiencies and effects of adrenal cortical hormones.

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED that pathological changes occur in the adrenal cortices of rats fed a diet deficient in pantothenic acid (Daft and Sebrell, 1939; Nelson, 1939; Daft, Sebrell, Babcock and Jukes, 1940; Ashburn, 1940; Salmon.and Engel, 1940; Mills, Shaw, Elvehjem and Phillips, 1940). Adrenal cortical extract, desoxycorticosterone acetate and anterior pituitary extract fail to prevent adrenal hemorrhage in rats on such a deficient diet (Mushett and Unna, 1941). While it has been suggested, on a morphologic basis, that adrenal cortical insufficiency exists in these vitamin-deficient rats (Ashburn, 1940), no physiological evidence has been provided to indicate that the adrenal changes are associated with impairment of adrenal function. To gain at least suggestive evidence on this point a study was made of the response of animals on a pantothenic acid-deficient diet to water administered by stomach tube. The basis of these tests was the well-established finding that marked deficiencies in water diuresis and...
Aging and toxins.

This article addresses physiologic organ system and cellular mechanisms of common toxic exposure in the elderly population. Air pollution, tobacco, alcohol, heat, cold, water pollution, medications, herbals, radiation, and other chemicals are discussed.
Assessment of oxidant stress in allergic asthma by measurement of the major urinary metabolite of F2-isoprostane, 15-F2t-IsoP (8-iso-PGF2alpha).

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways which may involve an oxidant injury to the lung. Assessment of oxidant stress is difficult in vivo, but measurement of F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), free radical-catalysed products of arachidonic acid, appears to offer a reliable approach for quantitative measurement of oxidative stress status in vivo. We have recently developed a mass spectrometric assay for 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F2t-IsoP (15-F2t-IsoP-M), the major urinary metabolite of the F2-IsoP, 15-F2t-IsoP (8-iso-PGF2a). Measurement of the urinary excretion of this metabolite offers a reliable index of oxidative stress status in vivo that has advantages over measuring unmetabolized F2-IsoPs in urine and plasma. To assess the occurrence of oxidative stress in patients with atopic asthma following allergen exposure in vivo by measuring the urinary excretion of 15-F2t-IsoP-M. Analysis of 15-F2t-IsoP-M by GC-NICI-MS in nine mild atopic asthmatics following inhaled allergen provocation and four asthmatic subjects after inhaled challenge with methacholine. Urinary excretion of 15-F2t-IsoP-M increased at 2 h after allergen challenge and remained significantly elevated in all urine collections during the subsequent 8-h period of the study compared to the baseline value (anova, and Student–Newman–Keuls multiple comparisons test). No increase in the urinary excretion of 15-F2t-IsoP-M occurred after inhalation of methacholine. Allergen challenge causes an oxidant injury in human atopic asthmatics. 15-F2t-IsoP-M is a valuable marker of oxidant stress in vivo.
X-ray-absorption studies of zirconia polymorphs. II. Effect of Y2O3 dopant on ZrO2 structure.

Extended x-ray-absorption fine structure and x-ray-absorption near-edge structure spectra at both the Zr and Y K edge have been obtained at 10 K and room temperature for solid ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2}$-${\mathrm{Y}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ solutions. Zr has very different local structures in the tetragonal and cubic solid solutions in terms of the oxygen-bond distance and coordination number. In contrast, the Y local structure is nearly the same in all of the solid solutions. Charge-compensating oxygen vacancies caused by Y doping are preferentially located next to Zr ions, leaving eightfold oxygen coordination for the Y ions. The nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor distances in these solid solutions do not follow the virtual-crystal approximation with reference to x-ray-diffraction lattice parameter. The distortion of the Zr-cation shell in cubic solid solutions is especially severe so that the long-range fluoritelike order implied by global cubic symmetry is not manifested in the local atomic environment.
WE‐G‐110‐09: Evaluation of Different Techniques for CT Radiation Profile Measurement

Purpose: To demonstrate a procedure for using a Konica Minolta computed radiography(CR) system for the measurement of computed tomography(CT) radiation profiles and to compare this method with conventional and radiochromic film measurements. Methods: The exposure and processing conditions of a Konica Minolta CR reader system were characterized to establish the relationship between exposure in the imaging plate (IP) and pixel value. A 6 cc ionization chamber was exposed at the isocenter of a CT scanner using 80 kVp, 0.4s with various mA settings. CRimages were processed in fix modes with various combinations of G and S values, establishing exposure and pixel value relationships. Optimal mA settings and processing parameters were selected to avoid the overexposure of the IP. The radiation profiles were collected using different collimation settings (40, 20, 10 and 5 mm) at 10 and 20 mA, respectively. The peak pixel value measured from the 10 mA profile was used to identify the location of 50% of maximal exposure in the 20 mA profile. The FWHM of the dose profile at different collimation beam widths can then be determined. The results were compared to those obtained from digitized conventional and radiochromic film profiles. Results: The optimal exposure (80 kVp, 0.4s, large body filter, 10 and 20 mA) and processing settings (fix mode with S = 5 and G = 1.81) were determined for CT radiation profile measurement. The FWHM results measured using this method agreed well within ±10% when compared to the conventional and radiochromic film results. Conclusions: The FWHM of CT radiation profiles can be accurately measured using a Konica Minolta CR system, when appropriate exposure technique and processing parameters are used. It has been proven to be a convenient and cost‐effective method for routine clinical quality assurance checks.
Turbulent transport and heating in the auroral plasma of the topside ionosphere

Using plasma parameters from a typical stormtime ionospheric energy balance model, we have investigated the effects of plasma turbulence on the auroral magnetoplasma. The turbulence is assumed to be comprised of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves. These waves have been driven to a nonthermal level by a geomagnetic field-aligned, current-driven instability. The evolution of this instability is shown to proceed in two stages and indicates an anomalous increase in field-aligned electrical resistivity and cross-field ion thermal conductivity as well as a decrease in electron thermal conductivity along the geomagnetic field. In addition, this turbulence heats ions perpendicular to the geomagnetic field and hence leads to a significant ion temperature anisotropy.
Sociobiology and scientific reductionism: Redux

Kaye, Howard. The Social Meaning of Modern Biology. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986. ix + 184 pp. including references. No price. Oyama, Susan. The Ontogeny of Information. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. v + 206 pp. including notes, bibliography, name and subject indices. $34.50 cloth, $12.95 paper.
Social factors and barriers to self-care adherence in Hispanic men and women with diabetes

Abstract Objective To explore quantitatively the extent to which social support, social norms and barriers are associated with self-efficacy and self-care adherence in Hispanic patients with diabetes and the extent to which these differ for men and women. Methods Baseline survey data were collected from 248 low-SES, Hispanic men and women who were participants in a randomized controlled trial of a culturally targeted intervention for diabetes management. Student's t , Pearson correlations and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Results Compared to men, women were less likely to receive support, faced more barriers, reported less self-efficacy and had lower levels of self-care adherence. Perceived support was consistently correlated with better self-efficacy in women but not men, even though men reported higher levels of support. Conclusion The lack of adequate support seems to be a fundamental barrier for Hispanic women with diabetes. Practice implications Health care providers should be sensitive to sociocultural influences in Hispanic groups that may facilitate men's self-care adherence, but could potentially hamper women's efforts. Interventions designed for Hispanics should augment women's support needs and address culture and social factors that may differentially impact the ability of men and women to manage their diabetes.
Soft gluon emission process in the color-octet model for heavy quarkonium production

The color-octet model has been used successfully to analyze many problems in heavy quarkonium production. We examine some of the conceptual and practical problems of the soft gluon emission process in the color-octet model. We use a potential model to describe the initial and final states in the soft gluon emission process, as the emission occurs at a late stage, after the production of the heavy quark pair. It is found in this model that the soft gluon $M1$ transition ${}^{1}{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{{S}_{0}^{(8)}}}^{3}{S}_{1}^{(1)}$ dominates over the $E1$ transition ${}^{3}{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{{P}_{J}^{(8)}}}^{3}{S}_{1}^{(1)}$ for $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ production. Such a dominance may help resolve the questions of isotropic polarization and color-octet matrix element universality in the color-octet model.
Effect of xylose on the synthesis of phosphorylcholine and phosphorylethanolamine in rat lenses.

Abstract Choline, an essential phospholipid precursor, enters the lens by a facilitated transport system and is phosphorylated to form phosphorylcholine (P-choline). Intact lenses incubated with [3H]choline accumulate both [3H]choline and P-[3H]choline. The rate and extent of this accumulation have been used to study the effects of osmotic or oxidative cataractogenic stress, and also to test the ability of compounds to protect lenses from stress-related damage. The initial effect of oxidative stress on choline metabolism is decreased choline transport, but the mechanism by which osmotic stress affects the accumulation of [3H]choline is not understood. The effects of osmotic and oxidative stress on choline influx and metabolism were compared in rat lenses incubated in TC-199 medium. After osmotic stress by incubation with 30 mM xylose for up to 24 hr, lenses accumulated the same amount of radiolabel as controls during a 30 min pulse with [3H]choline. However, if the lenses were exposed to [3H]choline for 6 hr so that accumulation of radiolabel in the lenses was limited by the rate of P-choline synthesis. xylose treated lenses accumulated less choline than controls. Separation of the lenticular radiolabel into [3H]choline and P-[3H]choline confirmed that xylose decreased synthesis of P-choline, although adequate unphosphorylated [3H]choline was available in the lenses. A decrease in P-[3H]ethanolamine synthesis was also seen in xylose-treated lenses incubated with [3H]ethanolamine. Ethanolamine can enter lenses by a non-saturable process which is not dependent upon a transporter. Although xylose decreased P-choline synthesis in intact lenses, neither xylose nor xylitol inhibited choline kinase in lens homogenates, Xylose also decreased transport of αaminoisobutyric acid, which enters lenses by a different transporter than choline. In contrast to osmotic stress from xylose, oxidative stress from singlet oxygen decreased choline influx. Thus, the superficially similar effects of osmotic and oxidative stresses on accumulation of radiolabeled choline by cultured rat lenses actually occur by different mechanisms and reflect different types of damage to the lens.
Non-drug-related electrocardiographic features in animal models in safety pharmacology ☆

No study of a test article is complete without attempting to determine its risk for production of toxicity to all important components of cardiovascular function (e.g., electrophysiological, mechanical, biochemical, baroreceptor). Electrocardiography is extremely useful for interrogating important electrophysiological properties: chronotropy (heart rate), dromotropy (conduction through the atria and ventricles, and through atrioventricular conduction), and predilection to produce arrhythmia, in particular, torsade de pointes. However, there are many factors that make electrocardiography less than optimal for detecting potential toxicological effects in studies of safety pharmacology. This paper will present examples of common difficulties in recording or in interpreting electrocardiograms, specifically due to artifacts in ECGs produced by the methods of electrocardiography, and by the "unusual" electrophysiology of the species/subject. One of the most contentious issues in electrocardiology is correction of QT for heart rate (Mark, M. (2001) Problems of heart rate correction in assessment of drug-induced QT interval prolongation. Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, 12, 411-420). This will not be discussed.
Effects of chronic hypertension on vasa vasorum in the thoracic aorta

The outer layers of the thoracic aorta receive substantial blood flow through vasa vasorum within the aortic wall. Flow delivered via these channels is functionally important because medial necrosis occurs when vasa vasorum are ligated. If flow through vasa vasorum is limited in chronic hypertension, this could contribute to medial necrosis and, perhaps, aortic dissection. In these experiments, flow and conductance in vasa vasorum were assessed in twelve awake dogs with renal hypertension (arterial pressure = 127 +/- 4 mmHg [mean +/- SE]) and nine normotensive controls (arterial pressure = 100 +/- 3 mmHg [P less than 0.001]). At rest, blood flow delivered via vasa vasorum to the thoracic aorta was similar in hypertensive and normotensive dogs (5.2 +/- 0.9 and 4.8 +/- 0.4 ml . min-1 X 100 g-1 respectively). Thus, in hypertensive dogs, conductance of the vasa vasorum decreased to maintain flow constant. During maximal dilatation induced by iv adenosine (4.7 mumol . kg-1 per min) flow delivered via vasa vasorum increased by 100% in both hypertensive and normotensive dogs. Calculations of maximum conductance indicate that vasodilator capacity was decreased by 67% in vasa vasorum of hypertensive dogs. These data suggest that vasodilator capacity of vasa vasorum in the thoracic aorta is limited in chronic hypertension. This abnormality could contribute to the pathogenesis of medial necrosis and aortic dissection in hypertensive patients.
The basics of preclinical drug development for neurodegenerative disease indications

Preclinical development encompasses the activities that link drug discovery in the laboratory to initiation of human clinical trials. Preclinical studies can be designed to identify a lead candidate from several hits; develop the best procedure for new drug scale-up; select the best formulation; determine the route, frequency, and duration of exposure; and ultimately support the intended clinical trial design. The details of each preclinical development package can vary, but all have some common features. Rodent and nonrodent mammalian models are used to delineate the pharmacokinetic profile and general safety, as well as to identify toxicity patterns. One or more species may be used to determine the drug's mean residence time in the body, which depends on inherent absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties. For drugs intended to treat Alzheimer's disease or other brain-targeted diseases, the ability of a drug to cross the blood brain barrier may be a key issue. Toxicology and safety studies identify potential target organs for adverse effects and define the Therapeutic Index to set the initial starting doses in clinical trials. Pivotal preclinical safety studies generally require regulatory oversight as defined by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Good Laboratory Practices and international guidelines, including the International Conference on Harmonisation. Concurrent preclinical development activities include developing the Clinical Plan and preparing the new drug product, including the associated documentation to meet stringent FDA Good Manufacturing Practices regulatory guidelines. A wide range of commercial and government contract options are available for investigators seeking to advance their candidate(s). Government programs such as the Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants and the National Institutes of Health Rapid Access to Interventional Development Pilot Program provide funding and services to assist applicants in preparing the preclinical programs and documentation for their drugs. Increasingly, private foundations are also funding preclinical work. Close interaction with the FDA, including a meeting to prepare for submission of an Investigational New Drug application, is critical to ensure that the preclinical development package properly supports the planned phase I clinical trial.
Intertemporal environmental management with a storable pollutant

Abstract A model is developed which allows decisions on generation and emission of an environmental pollutant to be separated in time. After deducing and discussing the necessary conditions for the socially optimal time pattern of generation and emission the possibility of using pollution taxation to motivate this optimal solution is investigated. The principle finding is that there exists no time pattern of fixed per-unit pollution taxes that will result in optimality. In particular, this demonstrates the failure of that pattern of fixed per-unit taxes which reflects the optimal marginal social cost of emission at each point in time.
Finite element modeling of short-wavelength folding on Venus: Implications for the plume hypothesis for crustal plateau formation

[1] The key geological observations and structural interpretations associated with the current plume hypothesis for Venusian crustal plateau formation are that (1) short-wavelength, spatially periodic tectonic structures originated as mechanical instabilities in a regionally extensive surface brittle layer whose basal boundary was thermally generated and controlled; (2) characteristic wavelengths of spatially periodic structures record the brittle layer thickness at the time of deformation; and (3) structural wavelengths increased with time, driven by brittle layer thickening in response to cooling. The plume hypothesis accommodates these constraints by proposing that crustal plateaus formed above mantle plumes impinging on thin lithosphere; it further suggests that surface temperatures temporarily elevated to ∼1000 K may have been required to maintain a sufficiently thin brittle layer for formation of the shortest-wavelength structures. We report here on finite element simulations designed to test the feasibility of the proposed thermal conditions. Specifically, we model formation of short-wavelength folds thought to have initiated as contractional layer instabilities early in the plateau formation process. Under high surface temperatures, the finite element meshes develop semibrittle zones in which short-wavelength folds can form, but development of even modest structural relief requires unrealistically high total mesh shortening. Thus elevated surface temperatures inhibit development of short-wavelength folds because the models' effective integrated mechanical strength under such hot conditions is excessively low. Decreasing the surface temperature increases structural relief but produces tectonic wavelengths that are larger than those observed. We conclude that a model with solely thermal control of mechanical properties cannot explain the observed structures.
Life in State of Fear: The Secret in Their Eyes and the Recreation of a Shared World

This article reflects on the film The Secret in Their Eyes as a platform to discuss fear of government and fear of the different other as obstacles to attain freedom. Oppressive administrative practices subsume the individual into fear and deep dread and truncate the basic human drive for interrelational experiences. In that context, not only is public space under siege but also sheer human existence. The author argues that parrhesia—free and direct speech or truth-telling—can be the first step toward regaining trust in others under oppressive governmental regimes or administrative situations.
Boundary implications for frequency response of interval FIR and IIR filters

It is shown that vertex implication results in parameter space apply to interval trigonometric polynomials. Subsequently, it is shown that the frequency responses of both interval FIR and IIR filters are bounded by the frequency responses of certain extreme filters. The results apply directly in the evaluation of properties of designed filters, especially because it is more realistic to bound the filter coefficients from above and below instead of determining those with infinite precision because of finite arithmetic effects. Illustrative examples are provided to show how the extreme filters might be easily derived in any specific interval FIR or IIR filter design problem. >
The Proposition of Fresh Prepared Foods: Retail Practices and Systemwide Implications

Recent years have been witness to changes in food consumption trends. Time-hungry consumers are shifting food preparation activities from the home to food-service providers. Meanwhile, supermarket operators face an intensely competitive business environment. In this report, I discuss the retail and consumer trends that have resulted in an increased demand for fresh prepared food. These trends have resulted in an increasing number of supermarket companies offering prepared items in their retail stores. Furthermore, through a survey of senior-level executives in the supermarket industry, the way that supermarket operators implement their fresh prepared food strategies is examined. Results show that supermarket operators find fresh prepared food an attractive response to competition from restaurants and mass merchandisers. In addition, they increasingly source prepared food items from outside the retail store. Implications for the manufacturing, retail, and consumer sectors of the food industry are drawn.
Leptin regulation of the immune response and the immunodeficiency of malnutrition

Leptin is a 16 kDa protein mainly produced by adipose tissue in proportion to adipose tissue mass. Originally thought to be a satiety factor, leptin is a pleiotropic molecule. In addition to playing a role in energy regulation, leptin also regulates endocrine and immune functions. Both the structure of leptin and that of its receptor suggest that leptin might be classified as a cytokine. The secondary structure of leptin has similarities to the long-chain helical cytokines family, which includes interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-11, CNTF, and LIF, and the leptin receptor is homologous to the gp-130 signal-transducing subunit of the IL-6-type cytokine receptors. Leptin plays a role in innate and acquired immunity. Leptin levels increase acutely during infection and inflammation, and may represent a protective component of the host response to inflammation. More important, leptin deficiency increases susceptibility to infectious and inflammatory stimuli and is associated with dysregulation of cytokine production. Leptin deficiency also causes a defect in hematopoiesis. Leptin regulates T cells responses, polarizing Th cells toward a Th1 phenotype. Low leptin levels occurring during starvation mediate the neuroendocrine and immune dysfunction of starvation.
Impact of Milk Supply Management Policies on the South

Abstract Supply management for milk is defined in this paper as any method used to attempt to balance supply with demand. Price supports, voluntary dairy farmer programs, and mandatory programs were evaluated for the South. Partially as a result of government programs, milk production in the South increased 5% in the 1976 to 1986 while production in the United States increased 20%. Southern dairy farmers participated at a higher rate than US dairy farmers in both the milk diversion and dairy termination programs. Long-term average returns to southern dairy farmers in 1976 to 1985 were well under returns to dairy farmers in other regions, which partially explains the high participation. Southern dairy farmers indicated a poor future in dairy farming and retirement age as major reasons for dairy termination program participation. Southern dairy farmers are expressing mixed opinions regarding supply management programs for the future. “Let the 1985 program work” is one expression. Another group shows concern about low prices, adequate but not excessive supplies for the fluid market, and the family dairy farm. Some prefer mandatory supply management including marketing quotas. Milk price, used alone as the supply management policy, may be a harsh adjustment method for dairy farmers and the dairy industry in the South.
Effects of matrix glycation on mesangial cell adhesion, spreading and proliferation

Effects of matrix glycation on mesangial cell adhesion, spreading and proliferation. We examined the effects of in vitro nonenzymatic glycosylation (NEG) of the extracellular matrix (ECM) on various aspects of the adhesive interaction between the ECM and human kidney mesangial (HKM) cells, and also on the ability of HKM cells to spread and proliferate. Isolated type IV collagen (tIV) or intact complexes of glomerular basement membrane and mesangial matrix (GBM/MM) were used as substrates following control incubation or modest glycation. We observed that HKM cells adhered less effectively to glycated tIV at early time intervals and were delayed in attaining maximal levels of adhesion compared to cells interacting with control tIV. The nature of the adhesive interaction was also different since antibodies which blocked the function of β 1 -containing integrins more effectively inhibited adhesion between HKM cells and glycated tIV than cells and control tIV. HKM cells interacting with glycated tIV also demonstrated less cell surface micro-spike and ruffle formation at five minutes after plating, less extensive spreading throughout the examined time intervals (≥ 90min after plating), and slightly increased cell numbers 5 to 10 days after plating when compared to cells interacting with control tIV. However, increased cell numbers were not observed when HKM cells were grown on glycated GBM/MM. Similar changes in response to glycated substrate were observed when HKM cells were grown in either 5 or 25mM glucose. In conclusion, relatively modest glycation of the ECM alone was sufficient to result in specific changes in HKM cell behavior in vitro . It is possible that the matrix glycation which occurs in the kidneys of diabetic patients could alter mesangial cell behavior in situ in ways which may contribute to the development of diabetic nephropathy.
Statistical analysis of deadband-deviation rules in quality control

Abstract The paper is concerned with the statistical analysis of rules designed to handle deviations from a prescribed tolerance interval, named a deadband, around a desired specification for a production process. The rules are ostensibly designated to recalibrate the process at the intended specification and as such reflect a certain interpretation of the deviation from it—either a machine shift or a random error or any combination thereof. The true nature of the deviations, however, is always unknown. Statistically we assume that any actual measurement is symmetrically distributed around the last calibrated value of the production process and that the repeated calibrations only shift around the location of the said distribution but do not alter its shape. The analysis is done under the hypothesis that all deviations are indeed random errors and are not due to any machine shift, namely, a null hypothesis type background. We investigate the principal parameters engendered by the calibration rules. First we prove that the repeated, and possibly frequent, adjustments to the production process do not fundamentally affect it in the sense that the expectation of any calibrated value remains the original specification of the process. This property is crucial since otherwise the calibration rules would have generated bias rendering them useless. We next develop an expression for the variance of the calibrated values. Because of the prohibitive form of the latter we resort to simulation in order to explore its behavior. The paper ends with a suggested plan for the study of the same parameters under alternative type hypotheses.
Sinapolyl glucose synthesis by extracts of wild carrot cell cultures

Abstract Crude extracts of seven wild carrot clones grown as suspension cultures catalyze the formation of 1-sinapoyl glucose from sinapic acid and UDPG or TDPG. These extracts also catalyze the formation of products from UDPG and 4-coumaric, ferulic, caffeic and 3,4-dimethoxy cinnamic acids. The possibility that 1-sinapoyl glucose is an intermediate in the synthesis of the sinapoyl anthocyanin which is accumulated in the vacuoles of the carrot cells is discussed.
The generalization of outcome-biased counter-stereotypic inferences

Abstract Two experiments assessed the degree to which changes in stereotyped perceptions of target individuals produced by outcome-biased inferences generalized to the target group as a whole. In Experiment 1, subjects read about a group of individuals in either a stereotypically intelligent (professors) or a stereotypically less intelligent (custodians) occupation who participated in a general knowledge quiz-bowl competition. Each group of individuals scored the same number of points, but (depending on condition) were said to have either won or lost the competition because of the criterion needed to win. As expected, subjects perceived individuals to be more intelligent when they won than then they lost, even if actual performance was the same. In addition, perceptions of the target individuals as being more or less intelligent generalized to their occupational membership group as a whole. In Experiment 2, subjects made outcome-biased inferences about sample groups of Asian and Black students and later completed an adjective checklist about the relevant population as a whole. Results indicated that the outcome-biased inferences made about the sample group also generalized (albeit weakly in one case) to the group as a whole, indicating that the occurrence of outcome-biased inferences facilitated stereotype modification. In neither case did outcome biases completely reverse stereotypes.
Ryanodine receptor expression correlates with tumor grade in breast cancer.

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) have been previously implicated in the proliferation of human T-lymphocytes and melanocytes as well as in the motility of astrocytes. We have examined RyR expression in 57 ductal, human breast cancer specimens, by immunohistochemistry. Moderate to high RyR immunostaining was found in 47 (82%) of the specimens. There was a direct correlation between RyR levels and tumor grade (r = 0.48, p = 0.0002). We have also examined the effect of the RyR agonist 4-chloro-m-cresol on the in-vitro growth of two human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Treatment with 4-chloro-m-cresol inhibited the growth of both breast cancer cell lines, in a dose-dependent manner, with half-maximal inhibition observed at 30 to 50 μg/mL (210–351 μM). Our data suggest that RyR could serve as prognostic indicator and/or as a target for breast cancer treatment.
The relationship between age and adjustment of patients new to dialysis

Dialysis patients and their families experience many stresses. This study examines the effect of older age on psychosocial adaptation to dialysis. It was hypothesized that patients 60 years and older would have more difficulty adjusting to dialysis.
Whether blood is contained in the arteries of the living animal by Galen of Pergamon: a translation.

Abstract Dr. Charles Mayo Goss was professor and chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Alabama (1938-1947) and at Louisiana State University Medical School (1947-1965) and continued to teach after he retired at George Washington (1966-1975) and South Alabama (1975-1981). He edited the 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th American editions of Gray's Anatomy. He also was editor of The Anatomical Record for 20 years (1948-1968). His research was on the heart in very early mammalian embryos. He became very interested in the works of Galen and translated five of them. The sixth was published after his death and co-authored by his daughter Elizabeth Goss Chodkowski. He was anxious to show that many "errors" attributed to Galen are mistakes of translation, interpretation, or understanding.
Plastic deformation mechanisms in polyimide resins and their semi-interpenetrating networks

The plastic deformation mechanisms in both thermoplastic and thermoset polyimide resins and their semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPNs) were investigated. The fundamental tendency to undergo strain localization (crazing and shear banding) as opposed to a more diffuse (or homogeneous) deformation in these polymers was evaluated. In situ polarized light microscopic observation of crack-tip deformation mechanisms in solvent-cast films was conducted with a miniature testing device attached to the microscope stage. NASA LaRC TPI, a thermoplastic polyimide, was found to exhibit combined shear yielding and crazing under plane-stress loading conditions. Contrarily, NR-150B2 thermoplastic polyimide exhibited diffuse shear yeilding; no shear banding or crazing was found near the crack tip. Adding a small amount of thermoplastic component, either NR-150B2 or LaRC TPI, was found to raise considerably the fracture toughness of PMR-15 thermoset PI. PMR-15 thermoset films also showed diffuse shear yielding, albeit with a much smaller deformation zone. This was consistent with its low toughness and could be understood on the basis of a limited extensibility of a highly crosslinked network. Numerical calculations were performed to confirm this low value of network chain draw ratio. The dimensions of the deformation zone ahead of the crack tip in a semi-IPN with a thermoset matrix were increased as a higher weight fraction of the thermoplastic component was added. The deformation zone size of a thermoplastic matrix was found to decrease with an increasing amount of thermoset PMR-15. Deformation also became more diffuse with a higher PMR-15 content in LaRC TPI. Fracture toughness variations can be correlated with deformation size changes in these semi-IPNs.
Opioid-, cannabis- and alcohol-dependent women show more rapid progression to substance abuse treatment

Abstract Alcohol-dependent women progress faster from onset of alcohol drinking to entry into treatment, experiencing an earlier onset (i.e., “telescoping”) of alcohol-related complications. This phenomenon also appears to be evident in drug-dependent women, though the data available to support telescoping in drug dependence is less abundant. Objective: To evaluate gender effects on progression to treatment entry and on the frequency, severity and related complications of DSM-III-R drug and alcohol dependence among 271 substance-dependent patients (mean age: 32.6 years; 156 women). Method: Multivariate and univariate ANCOVA was used to compare age at onset of regular use of cocaine, opioids, cannabis and alcohol and time elapsed between initiation of regular use of each substance and entry into an index or current substance abuse treatment. Scores on the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) were also examined. Results: There was no gender difference among patients in the age at onset of regular use of any substance. Women experienced fewer years of regular use of opioids and cannabis, and fewer years of regular alcohol drinking before entering treatment. Although the severity of drug and alcohol dependence did not differ by gender, women reported more severe psychiatric, medical and employment complications. Conclusions: These findings support the notion of an accelerated progression to treatment entry among opioid-, cannabis- and alcohol-dependent women, and suggest that there exists a gender-based vulnerability to the adverse consequences of these disorders.