cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neutral-current constraint and gauge models

The experimental observation R/sup nu-bar//R/sup ..nu../ sigma/sub nc//sup nu-bar/, where sigma/sub cc,//sup ..nu..//sup( nu-bar)/ are the ..nu..- (nu-bar-) induced charge- and neutral-current inclusive cross sections on an isospin-0 nucleon and R/sup ..nu..//sup( nu-bar)/ = sigma/sub nc//sup ..nu..//sup( nu-bar)//sigma/sub cc//sup ..nu..//sup( nu-bar)/, provides a constraint on the possible quark representations among various SU(2) x U(1) gauge models. We have examined the energy dependence of both ..nu..- (nu-bar-) induced charged- and neutral-current processes in the models which respect the constraint. Some of the models contain one or a few heavy quarks with an exotic charge of Q = 5/3 and/or -4/3. (AIP)
Did GOG99 and PORTEC1 change clinical practice in the United States

Abstract Objective To assess the practice of adjuvant radiation (RT) for endometrial cancer in the United States following the publication of the Post Operative Radiation Therapy in Endometrial Carcinoma (PORTEC1), and Gynecologic Oncology Group-Adjuvant Radiation for Intermediate Risk Endometrial Cancers (GOG99). Methods A retrospective cohort study using the NCI SEER database compared the use of RT pre and post publication of PORTEC1 (1996–99 v 2000–03) and GOG 99 (2000–03 v 2004–07). Criteria for intermediate (IR) and high-intermediate (HIR) risk categories as defined by PORTEC1 and GOG99 were applied. Chi-squared statistics and adjusted multivariable Poisson models were used. Results RT did not increase for HIR (RR 1.05, 95%CI 0.99, 1.11) or IR groups (RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.95, 1.05) following GOG99 publication, or for HIR (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.86, 1.19) or IR groups (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.77–1.00) following PORTEC1 publication. Radiation rates changed heterogeneously across the country without a discernible pattern of cause. Among radiated patients, brachytherapy use increased, whereas external beam use decreased after GOG99 publication. Conclusions As the debate regarding the utility of adjuvant radiation in early stage endometrial cancer continues, we found that overall, clinicians had not adopted GOG99 or PORTEC1 results into their clinical practice in the years immediately after publication. However, we did identify significant variation in practice by geographic location. Given that barely half the women deemed highest risk for recurrence received radiation, these findings illustrate that clinical practice reflects the continued controversy surrounding adjuvant radiation in the treatment of endometrial cancer.
Low pH-Induced Pore Formation by the T Domain of Botulinum Toxin Type A is Dependent upon NaCl Concentration

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) undergo low pH-triggered membrane insertion, resulting in the translocation of their light (catalytic) chains into the cytoplasm. The T (translocation) domain of the BoNT heavy chain is believed to carry out translocation. Here, the behavior of isolated T domain from BoNT type A has been characterized, both in solution and when associated with model membranes. When BoNT T domain prepared in the detergent dodecylmaltoside was diluted into aqueous solution, it exhibited a low pH-dependent conformational change below pH 6. At low pH the T domain associated with, and formed pores within, model membrane vesicles composed of 30 mol% dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol/70 mol% dioleoylphosphatidylcholine. Although T domain interacted with vesicles at low (50 mM) and high (400 mM) NaCl concentrations, the interaction required much less lipid at low salt. However, even at high lipid concentrations pore formation was much more pronounced at low NaCl concentrations than at high NaCl concentration. Increasing salt concentration after insertion in the presence of 50 mM NaCl did not decrease pore formation. A similar effect of NaCl concentration upon pore formation was observed in vesicles composed solely of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, showing that the effect of NaCl did not solely involve modulation of electrostatic interactions between protein and anionic lipids. These results indicate that some feature of membrane-bound T domain tertiary structure critical for pore formation is highly dependent upon salt concentration.
LOW-DOSE INSULIN INFUSIONS RESULT IN DELAYED INSULIN DELIVERY TO EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (ELBW) INFANTS 1372

Glucose intolerance is a common occurrence in ELBW infants. Hyperglycemia in ELBW infants is treated with human insulin, diluted to a concentration of 0.2 U/ml to deliver infusion rates of 0.01-0.1 U/kg/hr in a minimal fluid volume. In 6 infants treated with low-dose insulin infusions, normalization of blood glucose (<130 mg/dl) did not occur until a median of 17 hours (range 14-25). We hypothesized that this delay was due to binding of insulin to the microbore tubing, rather than to insulin resistance. To test this hypothesis, we used a Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay (Abbott Laboratories) to measure insulin concentration from stock solution (0.2 U/ml), and from the effluent collected at various time intervals during infusion @ 0.05 ml/hr through microbore tubing (tubing length 152 cm; residual volume 0.28 ml; medexinc). We found that at 1 hour, only 2.3% of the stock concentration was present in the effluent. The concentration delivered (expressed as% of stock concentration) increased as a function of time; 21.8 and 27.2% was delivered at 4 and 8 hours, respectively. It took an average of 18 hours to saturate insulin binding sites and achieve a steady state delivery rate equal to 100% of the stock concentration. This correlates well with the clinical lag time for blood glucose normalization observed in ELBW infants. Prior reports of insulin administration to ELBW infants recommend addition of albumin to IV solutions to reduce adsorption to plastic infusion materials, an approach which incurs added expense and exposure to a human blood product. As an alternative, we filled the tubing with 5 U/ml insulin × 5 minutes, followed by a 3 ml flush with saline, and then with stock insulin solution before resuming the insulin infusion of 0.2 U/ml @ 0.05 ml/hr. We recovered 20% of the stock concentration in the effluent collected at 1 hour and achieved steady state insulin delivery by 4 hours. We conclude that the delay in clinical response to insulin infusions in ELBW infants is due to binding of insulin to infusion tubing and that this problem can be minimized by flushing the tubing with a higher concentration (5 U/ml) of insulin prior to initiation of a low-dose insulin infusion rate.
Specification formalisms for component-based concurrent systems

This project builds on my ongoing research into design formalisms for, and the automatic verification of, concurrent systems. The difficulties such systems pose for system engineers are well-known and result in large part from the the complexities of process interaction and the possibilities for nondeterminism. My work is motivated by a belief that mathematically rigorous specification and verification techniques will ultimately lead to better and easier-to-build concurrent systems.My specific research interests lie in the development of fully automatic analysis methods and process-algebraic design formalisms for modeling system behavior. I have worked on algorithms for checking properties of, and refinement relations between, system descriptions [CH93, CS93]; the implementation and release of a verification tool, the CWB- NC [CS96] (see http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~rance to obtain the distribution); case studies [BCL99, ECB97]; and the formalization of system features, such as real time, probability, and priority, in process algebra [BCL99, CDSYar].The aims of this project include the development of expressive and usable formalisms for specifying and reasoning about properties of open, component-based concurrent systems. More specifically, my colleagues and I have been investigating new approaches for describing component requirements and automated techniques for determining when finite-state components meet their requirements. The key topics under study include the following.A temporal logic for open systems. We are working on a notation for conveniently expressing properties constraining the behavior of open systems.Implicit specifications.Implicit specifications use system contexts, or "test harness," to define requirements for open systems. We are studying expressiveness issues and model-checking algorithms for such specifications.Automatic model-checker generation. We have been developing a model-checker generator that, given a temporal logic and "proof rules" for the logic, automatically produces an efficient model checker.
Semi-Supervised Classification with Co-Training for Deep Web

The main problems in Web Pages classification are lack of labeled data, as well as the cost of labeling the unlabeled data. In this paper we discuss the application of semi-supervised machine learning method co-training on classification of Deep Web query interfaces to boost the performance of a classifier. Then, Bayes and Maxim Entropy algorithm are co-operated to incorporate labeled data with unlabeled data in training process incrementally. Our experiment results show the novel approach has a promising performance.
Sydnone Ring as an ortho-Director of Lithiation, 3: One-Pot Regiospecific o-Acylation and Subsequent Sydnone 4-Substitution

Abstract Readily available 3-phenylsydnone (1) reacts with n-butyllithium/N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) to form the dilithio species 2, which can be acylated regiospecifically at the ortho-aryl position using N-methoxy-N-methylamides (Weinreb's amides) followed by reaction with a second, more reactive electrophile at the sydnone C-4 position. Asymmetrically substituted arylsydnones 7 are obtained in 57–86% yield.
Sex, Race, and Consideration of Bariatric Surgery Among Primary Care Patients with Moderate to Severe Obesity

Bariatric surgery is one of few obesity treatments to produce substantial weight loss but only a small proportion of medically-eligible patients, especially men and racial minorities, undergo bariatric surgery. To describe primary care patients’ consideration of bariatric surgery, potential variation by sex and race, and factors that underlie any variation. Telephone interview of 337 patients with a body mass index or BMI > 35 kg/m2 seen at four diverse primary care practices in Greater-Boston. Patients’ consideration of bariatric surgery. Of 325 patients who had heard of bariatric surgery, 34 % had seriously considered surgery. Men were less likely than women and African Americans were less likely than Caucasian patients to have considered surgery after adjustment for sociodemographics and BMI. Comorbid conditions did not explain sex and racial differences but racial differences dissipated after adjustment for quality of life (QOL), which tended to be higher among African American than Caucasian patients. Physician recommendation of bariatric surgery was independently associated with serious consideration for surgery [OR 4.95 (95 % CI 2.81–8.70)], but did not explain variation in consideration of surgery across sex and race. However, if recommended by their doctor, men were as willing and African American and Hispanic patients were more willing to consider bariatric surgery than their respective counterparts after adjustment. Nevertheless, only 20 % of patients reported being recommended bariatric surgery by their doctor and African Americans and men were less likely to receive this recommendation; racial differences in being recommended surgery were also largely explained by differences in QOL. High perceived risk to bariatric surgery was the most commonly cited barrier; financial concerns were uncommonly cited. Single geographic region; examined consideration and not who eventually proceeded with bariatric surgery. African Americans and men were less likely to have considered bariatric surgery and were less likely to have been recommended surgery by their doctors. Differences in how obesity affects QOL appear to account for some of these variations. High perceived risk rather than financial barrier was the major deterrent for patients.
Problems of projection

With the crystallization of the “generative enterprise” half a century ago, two concepts became salient: the initial state and final states of the language faculty, respectively, UG (the genetic component) and I-languages. Since then inquiry has gained far greater scope and depth. It has also led to sharpening of fundamental principles of language. At first, descriptive adequacy appeared to require rich and complex assumptions about UG. A primary goal has always been to overcome this deficiency. Core properties of concern have included compositionality, order, projection (labeling), and displacement. Early work assigned the first three to phrase structure rules and the last to the transformational component. Simplification of computational procedures suggests that compositionality and displacement (along with the “copy theory”) fall together while order may be a reflex of sensorimotor externalization, conclusions that have far-reaching consequences. As for labeling, minimal computation restricts options to the few that have considerable empirical support.
Use of pneumococcal vaccine in adults.

of the Clinical Problem Streptococcus pneumoniae is a commoncauseof upper respiratory tract infection and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). It also causes invasivepneumococcaldisease(IPD)suchasbacteremia,bacterialmeningitis, endocarditis, andosteomyelitis. In2012, therewere anestimated31 600casesofpneumococcal infectionand3300related deaths in theUnited States. The highest rates of infection are among children and adults aged 65 years or older.1 PPSV23was licensed in theUnitedStates in 1983.According to a 2013meta-analysis, this vaccine is associated with prevention of IPD, but there is no consistent evidence that it is associatedwith reduced rates of all-cause pneumonia or all-causemortality.2 The addition of a 7-valent PCV (PCV7) in 2000 to the pediatric vaccine schedule was associated with decreases in both pediatric and adult IPD.3PCV13 isanotherconjugated vaccine that contains capsular polysaccharide antigens from 13 strains of S pneumoniae (includingthe6Astrain,astrainnot included inPPSV23)conjugated to inactivated diphtheria-tetanus toxoid. The conjugated vaccine formulation is thought to elicit a more robust T cell– dependent immune response than PPSV23, which is processed through a T cell–independent pathway.4
Image-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy with anatomic imaging and dose verification in head and neck cancer using kV CBCT

Image-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy (IGART) is a promising approach in radiotherapy for bulky head-and-neck tumours. We have developed a methodology for dosimetric replanning using kV-CBCT. A case study is presented in which the CBCT and planning CT (pCT) images were registered to generate Adaptive pCT (ApCT). The registration similarity measure was intensity-based ‘Mutual Information’. The search was optimised using the ‘downhill simplex’ algorithm. Dose-distribution and DVH were re-calculated. The actual dose delivered can be assessed based on the ApCT. Clinical implementation of IGART has potential to compensate for inter-fractional changes, while reducing damage to critical organs and increasing tumour targeting.
Collective antibiotic tolerance: mechanisms, dynamics and intervention

Bacteria have developed resistance against every antibiotic at a rate that is alarming considering the timescale at which new antibiotics are developed. Thus, there is a critical need to use antibiotics more effectively, extend the shelf life of existing antibiotics and minimize their side effects. This requires understanding the mechanisms underlying bacterial drug responses. Past studies have focused on survival in the presence of antibiotics by individual cells, as genetic mutants or persisters. Also important, however, is the fact that a population of bacterial cells can collectively survive antibiotic treatments lethal to individual cells. This tolerance can arise by diverse mechanisms, including resistance-conferring enzyme production, titration-mediated bistable growth inhibition, swarming and interpopulation interactions. These strategies can enable rapid population recovery after antibiotic treatment and provide a time window during which otherwise susceptible bacteria can acquire inheritable genetic resistance. Here, we emphasize the potential for targeting collective antibiotic tolerance behaviors as an antibacterial treatment strategy.
CRAFIT: A Computer Program for Calibrating Breakthrough Curves of CRAFLUSH, a One‐Dimensional Fracture Flow and Transport Model

This computer note presents a program called CRAFIT, which automates trial and error curve fitting of breakthrough curves for CRAFLUSH, a one-dimensional fracture flow and transport code. CRAFIT is useful for modeling column experimental where the source function is well-known but fracture geometry and matrix are to be characterized. CRAFIT is demonstrated for curve fitting with three unknowns and five unknowns, and found a single best-fit solution for each case.
Ingestion of Earth materials for health by humans and animals

Modern medicine utilizes a variety of Earth materials for ingestion, ranging from alum to zeolites, for palliative and curative purposes. Human consumption of Earth materials such as loess, salt, and pulverized limestone are quite common. Many antacid pills such as Tums and Rolaids have calcium carbonate or calcite as their main ingredient. The purpose for taking in these natural materials includes ameliorating nutrient deficiency, illness, and detoxification. More than 50 species of animal have been reported to ingest various types of clays, salt, and other Earth materials, typically at sites referred to as ‘licks’. It has been suggested that these behaviours not only provide needed nutrients but also deal with intestinal parasites and other maladies. Minerals such as zeolites represent a popular feed additive for livestock to help with gastrointestinal problems.
Loss of quin 2 accompanies degranulation of mast cells

Stimulation of quin 2 loaded mast cells in the presence of 1 mM extracellular calcium produced a rapid and sustained increase in quin 2 fluorescence. This was accompanied by degranulation and the release of histamine. When Ca was replaced by EGTA or when Mn was present, a decrease in fluorescence accompanied degranulation. The increase in quin 2 fluorescence accompanying stimulation of mast cells appears to be due to the interaction of extracellular Ca with quin 2 associated with the secretory granule matrix released upon exocytosis.
Externalities and the urban rent and population density functions: The case of air pollution

Abstract In this paper, we introduce external diseconomies into the standard model of urban land rent via the case of air pollution, exploring the implications of law making on the urban structure. Three alternative legal arrangements of air pollution damage costs are analyzed: first, the recipient bears the cost; second, the producer bears the cost; and third, the compulsory use of emission control systems in the car.
Smoking habits and blood pressure change: a seven year follow-up.

Abstract Examination of smoking habits in Evans County revealed the proportion of men smoking cigarettes to be 2–3 times that of women. At the 7 yr follow-up there was a decrease in the male rate whereas the female rate remained the same. There is generally no association between smoking status and either blood pressure at entry or blood pressure change over time. This lack of association in Evans County was evident in all 4 race-sex groups with the exception of diastolic blood pressure of white females at entry to the study and the change in diastolic blood pressure of black males at follow-up. Selective criteria were applied to the Evans County population to replicate the analyses of the Normative Aging and Framingham Studies. The Evans County data support the conclusions of the Framingham Study, that there is no difference in blood pressure changes between quitters and continuing smokers. Thus with respect to blood pressure change it apparently makes no difference if one continues to smoke or quit. And considering the health consequences of smoking, smokers should not be deterred from quitting for concern of a subsequent rise in blood pressure.
Cows and herds constitute distinct hierarchical levels of heterogeneity in the variability of and association between milk yield and pregnancy outcome in dairy cows

The objectives of this study were to investigate heterogeneity in the variance of and the association between milk yield (MY) and pregnancy outcome (PO) in dairy cows, formally separating the within-herd (i.e., cow-level residual effects) from the between-herd (i.e., herd-level random effects) components. Based on a recently developed extension to bivariate generalized hierarchical linear mixed models, we specified functions of residual and random effect variances and covariances as linear combinations of fixed and random effects to infer upon heterogeneity in the variation of and the association between MY and PO at first postpartum insemination. As potential sources of heterogeneity, we evaluated various management practices and herd attributes of interest by assessing model fit using the deviance information criterion. Our data consisted of 89,105 Dairy Herd Improvement Association cow records from 379 dairy herds in Michigan. Within herds, no evidence of a cow-level (residual) association between MY and PO was observed, as the corresponding association parameter did not significantly depart from zero. However, the herd-level (random effects) relationship between MY and PO was antagonistic and depended on management practices that determine the baseline level of fertility for a herd. In other words, herds with greater average MY at the time of first postpartum insemination had lower pregnancy rates, but within such herds, cows with higher daily yields did not seem to be any more or less likely to become pregnant than lower-yielding herdmates. Nevertheless, Michigan counties differed in the magnitude of the herd-level association between MY and PO, thus indicating that regional environmental conditions or management practices may partially alleviate the herd-level antagonism between MY and PO. The heterogeneity in variability of MY was substantial and primarily explained at the cow level by management conditions and other herd-specific attributes. In summary, the nature of the variability of and the association between MY and PO in dairy cows is complex due to the heterogeneous contributions of both cow- and herd-level components. Further research should be pursued to investigate additional management scenarios that ameliorate or even enhance the association between MY and PO in commercial dairy cows during first postpartum insemination.
Hierarchical Generalized Linear Models in the Analysis of Variations in Health Care Utilization

Abstract In recent years many studies have reported large differences in the use of medical treatments and procedures across geographic regions, hospitals, and individual health care providers. Beyond reporting on the extent of observed variations, these studies examine the role of contributing factors including patient, regional, and provider characteristics. In addition, they may assess the relation between health care processes and outcomes, such as patient mortality, morbidity, and functioning. Studies of variations in health care utilization and outcomes involve the analysis of multilevel clustered data; for example, data on patients clustered by hospital and/or geographic region. The goals of the analysis include the estimation of cluster-specific adjusted responses, covariate effects, and components of variance. The analytic strategy needs to account for correlations induced by clustering and to handle the presence of large variations in cluster size. In this article we formulate a broad class of h...
A goal programming approach to production planning for flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract The increased use of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) reduces production time variability as the fixed processing time of automated systems replaces the variable processing time of human resources in production systems. This reduction in the variability permits the application of deterministic, constrained optimization models that recognize the conflicting multi-objective nature of resource utilization in an FMS environment. One such multi-objective optimization model is linear goal programming. Unlike most linear programming models, linear goal programming is designed to handle conflicting multi-objective problems. A goal programming model is developed a and presented in this paper as an aid in FMS planning. An application is also presented to illustrate the informational benefits of using the proposed model.
Stereoscopic Settings as Functions of Vertical Disparity and Target Declination

(1953). Stereoscopic Settings as Functions of Vertical Disparity and Target Declination. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 241-260.
Liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of the metabolism and disposition of the anti-retroviral nucleoside analogs zidovudine and lamivudine in C57BL/6N and B6C3F1 mice.

Transmission of HIV from mother to infant can be effectively prevented by zidovudine (3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine; AZT) alone or in combination with other anti-retroviral drugs; however, significant evidence for genotoxicity, including transplacental carcinogenicity in mice, has been reported for AZT. A method, based upon solid phase extraction (SPE) in the 96-well format, gradient liquid chromatography (LC), and electrospray mass spectrometry (MS), was developed and validated to measure serum concentrations in maternal C57BL/6N and fetal B6C3F1 mice of the nucleoside analogs AZT, lamivudine ((-)2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine; 3TC), and several metabolites selected based on importance in detoxification and bioactivation reactions. After intravenous (i.v.) and oral dosing with either 400 mg/kg AZT or 200 mg/kg 3TC, pharmacokinetics were determined for AZT, AZT-5'-glucuronide, 3'-amino-3'-deoxythymidine (AMT), AZT-5'-phosphate, 3TC, and 3TC-5'-phosphate in serum of adult female mice. Pharmacokinetics were also determined in spleen for AZT-5'-phosphate and 3TC-5'-phosphate following i.v. dosing. In addition, a preliminary assessment was made of placental transfer of AZT and 3TC and the presence of metabolites in the fetal compartment. The method described provides a means to evaluate thoroughly metabolism and disposition of anti-retroviral nucleoside analogs in maternal and fetal mice for comprehensive studies of genotoxicity.
Travel times of longitudinal waves from surface foci

Tables and graphs for travel times of seismic waves propagated through the earth are based on earthquake records. This requires accurate knowledge of the longitude and latitude of the corresponding epicenters, focal depths, and origin times. It is highly desirable to compare the resulting travel time curves and tables with results derived from experiments in which all four fundamental quantities are accurately known from independent data.(1) Seismologists are indebted to scientists and organizations for measurements of records and other corresponding information from which accurate travel times of longitudinal waves originating at known surface sources in the Pacific area could be found.
Cosmological consequences of a hierarchical supersymmetric model

Abstract Unusual finite-temperature behavior of Witten's supersymmetric model is discussed. A high-temperature phase persists to the weak-interaction scale. Initial monopole density can be strongly suppressed and production of heavy particles is inhibited. Difficulties with baryon generation are suggested.
General Management Skills: Do Practitioners and Academic Faculty Agree on Their Importance?

Abstract Recently, trends in business have caused academic leaders to contemplate restructuring both the content and teaching methods in undergraduate curricula. Although curriculum deficiencies have been well documented, the issue of how business school graduates ought to be prepared for careers has not been adequately resolved. Differences exist between what practitioners need and instructional strategies employed. This 1995 research study assessed the perceptions of academic faculty and business practitioners regarding the importance of various general management skills. Results show significant differences between practitioners and professors, particularly regarding oral and written communication abilities, problem analysis abilities, and teamwork.
Accurate and Precise Fabrication of Iosipescu Shear Test Specimens

The experimental measurement of the shear modulus and shear strength has been of special interest to the materials and composites community for a number years. In recent years, the Iosipescu shear test method has become popular and widely used. The most widely used test fixture is the Modified Wyoming test fixture which requires a specific and accurately fabricated specimen. To date, the methodology to fabricate and inspect these specimens has been left to the discretion of the individual investigators. This technical note presents a suggested methodology for the accurate and precise fabrication of Iosipescu shear test specimens. Dimensional data and the associated error from specimens fabricated are presented as verification of the methodology.
Gibbs Topological Analysis for Constructing Phase Diagrams of Binary and Ternary Mixtures

A method of mapping and matching the Gibbs energy gradient vectors, referred to as the topological approach, is found to be as reliable and as accurate as the interval method in the tangent-plane phase stability analysis for generating phase diagrams2 but much more efficient.
An investigation into which individual instrumental activities of daily living are affected by a home visiting nurse intervention

Background: to our knowledge no research has investigated the effect of home visiting nurse (HVN) interventions on individual instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Objective: to investigate the effects of an HVN intervention on the difficulty or dependence in six individual IADLs. Design: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled study comparing an HVN intervention (n = 237) with usual care (n = 262) at 22 months after study entry. Setting: home care linked to primary care. Subjects: a total of 499 Medicare patients needing or receiving help with at least three IADLs or two ADLs, who had recent significant health-care use. Methods: the intervention consisted of monthly home visits by trained nursing staff. Unadjusted and adjusted (binary and multinomial logistic regression) analyses were performed. Results: unadjusted analyses found less difficulty or dependence for the HVN group for meal preparation, telephone use, shopping and ordinary housework, and more difficulty or dependence for medication management. After adjustment, in addition to an effect through health-care services use, the HVN group had less difficulty or dependence for meal preparation and shopping and more difficulty or dependence for medication management. Conclusions: an HVN intervention had mixed results for individual IADLs. The negative effect on medication management questions the validity of a total IADL score as an outcome measure, and implies that other medication management measures should be considered for outcome evaluation. Future research is needed to confirm and better understand these findings.
Comparison of the effectiveness of MRI perfusion and fluorine-18 FDG PET-CT for differentiating radiation injury from viable brain tumor: a preliminary retrospective analysis with pathologic correlation in all patients

Abstract Objectives Differentiating radiation injury from viable tumor is important for optimizing patient care. Our aim was to directly compare the effectiveness of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) and dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced (DSC) magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion in differentiating radiation effects from tumor growth in patients with increased enhancement following radiotherapy for primary or secondary brain tumors. Materials and methods We retrospectively identified 12 consecutive patients with primary and secondary brain tumors over a 1-year period that demonstrated indeterminate enhancing lesions after radiotherapy and that had undergone DSC MR perfusion, FDG PET-CT, and subsequent histopathologic diagnosis. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) of the lesion (SUV lesion max ), SUV ratio (SUV lesion max /SUV normal brain ), maximum relative cerebral blood volume, percentage of signal intensity recovery, and relative peak height were calculated from the positron emission tomography and MR perfusion studies. A prediction of tumor or radiation injury was made based on these variables while being blinded to the results of the surgical pathology. Results SUV ratio had the highest predictive value (area under the curve=0.943) for tumor progression, although this was not statistically better than any MR perfusion metric (area under the curve=0.757–0.829). Conclusions This preliminary study suggests that FDG PET-CT and DSC MR perfusion may demonstrate similar effectiveness for distinguishing tumor growth from radiation injury. Assessment of the SUV ratio may increase the sensitivity and specificity of FDG PET-CT for differentiating tumor and radiation injury. Further analysis is needed to help define which modality has greater predictive capabilities.
Fibroblast growth factor receptors 1 and 2 are differentially regulated in murine embryonal carcinoma cells and in response to fibroblast growth factor-4.

We have studied the expression of two of the receptors for fibroblast growth factors, FGFR-1 and FGFR-2, in response to ligand binding and in embryonal carcinoma (EC cells)> Exposure of mouse fibroblasts to FGF-4 or FGF-2 results in a drastic downregulation of the mRNA levels for FGFR-2, while expression of FGER-1 mRNA appears unaffected. Furthermore, FGF-4 transformed cells display low levels of FGFR-2 mRNA and these levels are significantly increased by treatment with anti FGF-4 neutralizing antibodies. In undifferentiated F9 EC cells, the levels of FGFR-2 mRNA are very low and increase substantially upon induction of differentiation. The level of mRNA for FGFR-1 are again unaffected. To gain information on the regulation of expression of the gene encoding FGFR-2 (bek) we have cloned the FGFR-2 promoter region and used it to drive the expression of plasmids encoding the bacterial CAT enzyme. Transfection of these plasmids into FGF treated and untreated cells did not produce significant variation in CAT activity, suggesting that FGFR-2 downregulation in response to ligand binding occurs mainly by a post-transcriptional mechanism. In contrast, plasmids containing as little as 140 nt of the FGFR-2 promoter region were regulated in F9 cells, showing substantially higher expression in differentiated than in undifferentiated cells. It appears therefore that FGFR-2 expression in fibroblasts and EC cells is regulated by somewhat different mechanisms. In contrast, FGFR-1 expression does not vary substantially under the conditions shown to affect FGFR-2 expression. The implications of these findings are discussed. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Oblique plate motion and continental tectonics

Three-dimensional deformation is necessarily associated with oblique plate convergence and commonly results in partitioning of deformation between contractional and transcurrent components along plate margins. Kinematic models of strike-slip partitioning for transpression and transtension allow the exact relation among three critical parameters—plate motion, instantaneous strain axes, and degree of strike-slip partitioning—to be calculated. Application to two end-member tectonic environments characterized by a low (South Island, New Zealand) and high (central California) degree of strike-slip partitioning demonstrates a remarkable consistency among the three parameters, suggesting that strike-slip partitioned transpression is a valid model for deformation in these regions. The extreme degree of strike-slip partitioning in wrench-dominated systems, such as central California, is tentatively associated with a fundamental misorientation of finite and instantaneous strain axes.
Function of genetically encoded pyrrolysine in corrinoid-dependent methylamine methyltransferases

Methanogenesis from trimethylamine, dimethylamine or monomethylamine is initiated by a series of corrinoid-dependent methyltransferases. The non-homologous genes encoding the full-length methyltransferases each possess an in-frame UAG (amber) codon that does not terminate translation. The amber codon is decoded by a dedicated tRNA, and corresponds to the novel amino acid pyrrolysine in one of the methyltransferases, indicating pyrrolysine to be the 22nd genetically encoded amino acid. Pyrrolysine has the structure of lysine with the (epsilon)N in amide linkage with a pyrroline ring. The reactivity of the electrophilic imine bond is the basis for the proposed function of pyrrolysine in activating and optimally orienting methylamine for methyl transfer to the cobalt ion of a cognate corrinoid protein. This reaction is essential for methane formation from methylamines, and may underlie the retention of pyrrolysine in the genetic code of methanogens.
SOME UNSTEADY HEAT TRANSFER PROBLEMS SOLVED BY A SIMPLE SIMILARITY TRANSFORMATION

Abstract A similarity transformation is used for solving equations of the form This equation is reduced by means of the similarity variable to an equation with partial derivatives of the first order for 62 and to an ordinary differential equation of the second order for T. For heat transfer from solid bodies, the preceding equation is obtained when the velocity distribution can be approximated by the potential flow. Such circumstances do occur for liquid metals, because for low Prandtl numbers the thickness of the thermal boundary layer is much larger than that of the hydrodynamic boundary layer. Several cases are examined: (a) Stagnation in planar flow; (b) Flow along a planar plate in unsteady hydrodynamic conditions; (c) Flow along a curved surface in steady conditions. The time in which the steady state is achieved is evaluated.
Minority and cultural issues in late-life depression

Disparities in the identification and treatment of behavioral health problems such as depression have only recently come to the attention of policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. This paper reviews currently available information on critical elements of cultural competence for clinical practice, including not only organizational standards but also the standards recommended for individual providers. Factors that may distinguish a minority elder from non-Hispanic white clients are discussed, as well as potential problems with psycho-social assessment tools.
The use of non-invasive probes and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess liver metabolism in humans

Abstract Two new methods to assess liver metabolism in humans will be discussed, non-invasive probes and 13C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy. Hepatic UDP-glucose and α-ketoglutarate can be sampled by non-invasive probes. This method has been used to quantitate the contribution of the indirect pathway to liver glycogen formation and to estimate relative flow rates and carbon exchange in the Krebs cycle. 13C NMR spectroscopy has been developed to measure liver glycogen concentrations in vivo. Using this method in combination with measurements of whole body glucose production during fasting, the contribution of gluconeogenesis has been calculated.
Truncation of the Bechhofer-Kiefer-Sobel sequential procedure for selecting the normal population which has the largest mean

We study the effects of truncation on the performance of an open vector-at-a-time sequential sampling procedure C) proposed by Bechhofer, Kiefer and Sobel (1968), for selecting thenormal population which has the largest mean, when the variances of the populations are known andequal. The performance of a truncated version (#R ), of 9L is compared to that of 9L. The performance characteristics studied include the achieved probability of a correct selection (P{CS}), theexpected number of vector-observations (n) to terminate sampling, and the variance of n; all of thesequantities are estimated using Monte Carlo sampling. Both 9L and 9L guarantee the 15j.15specified P{CS}. It is shown that 9L is far superior to 9^ in terms of E{n} and Var{n}, particularly when the population means are equal. The implications of this finding in terms of 1067
Thermally tuned optical fiber for true time delay generation

Abstract A new technique for generating a continuous range of true time delay values is introduced. Heating optical fiber in order to change the effective index of the guided mode produces time delays. A 45-m section of single-mode silica fiber is demonstrated to produce a continuous range of time delay values from 0 to 211 ps over a temperature tuning range of 50°C (30–80°C). A thermal time delay factor is introduced and found to be 0.096 ps/m ° C for Corning LEAF fiber. A 7.66-m section of multimode Lucina polymer fiber is demonstrated to produce a range of time delay values from 0 to 32 ps over a temperature tuning range of 30°C (30–60°C). The thermal time delay factor for this fiber is −0.1427 ps/m ° C .
In vitro toxicity assessment of amphiphillic polymer-coated CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in two human liver cell models

Semiconductor quantum dots (Qdots) are a promising new technology with benefits in the areas of medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Qdots generally consist of a semiconductor core, capping shell, and surface coating. The semiconductor core of Qdots is often composed of group II and VI metals (e.g., Cd, Se, Te, Hg) that are known to have toxic properties. Various surface coatings have been shown to stabilize Qdots and thus shield cells from the toxic properties of their core elements. In this study, HepG2 cells and primary human liver (PHL) cells were chosen as in vitro tissue culture models of human liver to examine the possible adverse effects of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide, poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-tetradecene) copolymer (TOPO-PMAT)-coated CdSe/ZnS Qdots (TOPO-PMAT Qdots). The TOPO-PMAT coating is desirable for increasing aqueous solubility and ease of conjugation to targeting moieties (e.g., aptamers and peptides). HepG2 cells avidly incorporated these TOPO-PMAT Qdots into subcellular vesicles. However, PHL cells did not efficiently take up TOPO-PMAT Qdots, but nonparenchymal cells did (especially Kupffer cells). No acute toxicity or morphological changes were noted in either system at the exposure levels used (up to 40 nM). However, cellular stress markers and pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines were increased in the PHL cell cultures, suggesting that TOPO-PMAT Qdots are not likely to cause acute cytotoxicity in the liver but may elicit inflammation/hepatitis, demonstrating the importance of relevant preclinical safety models. Thus, further in vivo studies are warranted to ensure that TOPO-PMAT-coated Qdots used in biomedical applications do not induce inflammatory responses as a consequence of hepatic uptake.
Effect of Carnitine Analogs on Carnitine Acetyltransferase

Carnitine analogs with various substituents on the nitrogen were tested for their effect on carnitine acetyltransferase from rat sperm and pigeon breast. A radiometric assay was used to measure the formation of acetylcarnitine in the presence of other enzymes that competed for acetyl coenzyme A in the sperm preparation. The apparent enzyme inhibition caused by the analogs was explained by the analogs serving as alternative substrates with higher Km and lower Vmax values. The analogs had no effect on whole sperm.
Jupiter and Its Moons

Within our solar system, a second planetary system is receiving increasing attention. The Galileo mission has provided intriguing insights into Jupiter's moons. In his Perspective, Stevenson discusses the similarities and differences between the solar system and the jovian system and their formation.
Physical boundaries of performance: the interconnection perspective

Several interconnection issues relating to faults and reliability are reviewed. Whereas the occurrence of opens in interconnections or shorts between interconnections is well understood within conventional models of digital systems, the faults originating from the analog characteristics of signals propagating across interconnection lines (particularly long lines) is less often discussed. However, such functional faults are likely to become increasingly important, not only due to the higher frequency operation of VLSI circuits but also due to the development of advanced packaging schemes using thin film technologies and multichip modules (MCMs). Such MCMs are characterized by line lengths much longer than typically encountered within VLSI circuits. The 'digital' signal being transmitted across a long VLSI or MCM interconnection line is represented here as an 'analog' signal which must be restored to a legitimate digital signal level at the specified times imposed by flip-flops. Incorrect restoration of the 'digital' signal at the far end is treated as a fault. >
Introduction to the special issue on the 2005 workshop on design, analysis, and simulation of chip multiprocessors (dasCMP'05)

Chip multiprocessor architectures are becoming increasingly attractive as an option to provide high instruction throughput while keeping power and complexity under control. Such architectures have also been shown to have scalability and productivity advantages. Multi-core processors are fast becoming mainstream.
Informal Social Support Among Returning Young Offenders A Metasynthesis of the Literature

Informal social support has long been touted as a key to success for young offenders, but little empirical work has concretized these benefits. This article explores the dynamics of informal social support for returning young offenders (ages 14-24), particularly in the context of peers and family members. The authors use a metasynthesis methodology to examine 13 qualitative articles and dissertations published in the United States from 1998 through 2010. Analysis of these texts found two major themes related to informal support from peers and family members. Young offenders “walked a fine line” with their peers, who provided not only a sense of belonging and possibly a route to material assistance but also temptations and opportunities to reengage with criminal activity. Family members provided the supports and comforts of “the ties that bind” but with potentially unrealistic expectations and reenactment of old roles and negative dynamics. Through this metasynthesis, the authors forge an understanding of ...
The effect of radical trapping reagents upon formation of poly(α‐tetrahydrothiophenio para‐xylylene) polyelectrolytes by the wessling soluble precursor method

Derivatized poly(α-tetrahydrothiophenio para-xylylene) chloride were produced by aqueous or methanolic base-induced polymerization of 1,4-bis (tetrahydrothiopheniomethyl) benzene dichloride, both with and without a variety of added polymerization inhibiting agents. The results suggest that production of high molecular weight poly(α-tetrahydrothiophenio-p-xylene) chloride proceeds through a radical chain propagation sequence