cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Considerations in the Management of Elderly Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment has provided a remarkable survival benefit such that it is possible that patients with chronic myeloid leukemia might live a normal life span. Coupled with a median age of onset of 65 years, many patients will be elderly at diagnosis or can expect to attain elderly status during their course of treatment. Unfortunately, few clinical studies have focused on treating elderly patients, which leads to fewer data on the efficacy and safety of TKI therapy in older patients than in younger patients. Perhaps as a consequence, there is evidence that elderly patients do not receive lifesaving TKI treatment as uniformly as do those who are younger. This review examines the available data on TKI therapy in elderly patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and addresses special considerations in treating this patient population. Overall, analysis of the data suggests that TKI therapy is equally effective regardless of patient age and that safety findings with TKI therapy in elderly patients are similar to those observed in younger individuals.
Physiological activity depresses synaptic function through an effect on vesicle priming.

Neurons engage compensatory, homeostatic synaptic changes to maintain their overall firing rate. We examined the induction and expression of a persistent presynaptic adaptation. We explored the effect of mild extracellular potassium elevation to increase hippocampal pyramidal neuron spiking over a physiological range. With several days of mild depolarization, glutamate release adapted, as revealed by an increased mismatch between the number of active, FM1-43-positive, glutamatergic synapses and the total number of synapses defined by vesicular glutamate transporter-1 antibody staining. Surprisingly, the adaptation of glutamate terminals was all-or-none; recycling vesicle pool size at remaining active synapses was not significantly altered by the adaptation. Tetrodotoxin (TTX), but not postsynaptic receptor blockade, reversed depolarization-induced adaptation, and TTX added to normal incubation medium increased the number of active synapses, suggesting that normal spiking activity sustains a steady-state percentage of inactive terminals. Chronic mild depolarization depressed EPSCs and decreased the size of the readily releasable pool of vesicles (RRP). Several hours of 10 Hz electrical stimulation also depressed the RRP size, confirming that spiking alone induces adaptation and that strong stimulation induces more rapid presynaptic adaptation. Despite the importance of RRP alteration to the adaptation, ultrastructural experiments revealed no changes in docked or total synaptic vesicle numbers. Furthermore, α-latrotoxin induced vesicle release at adapted synapses, consistent with the idea that adaptation resulted from changes in vesicle priming. These results show that glutamatergic neurotransmission persistently adapts to changes in electrical activity over a wide physiological range.
Angiojet thrombolysis and vena cava filter insertion in a case of a duplicated inferior vena cava

Objectives: Duplication of the inferior vena cava (IVC) complicates interventional procedures. This case report aims to shed light on this unusual anomaly and the preoperative considerations necessary when treatment of venous thromboembolism is undertaken.
Leptin Receptor Signaling and Action in the Central Nervous System

The increasing incidence of obesity in developed nations represents an ever-growing challenge to health care by promoting diabetes and other diseases. The discovery of the hormone, leptin, a decade ago has facilitated the acquisition of new knowledge regarding the regulation of energy balance. A great deal remains to be discovered regarding the molecular and anatomic actions of leptin, however. Here, we discuss the mechanisms by which leptin activates intracellular signals, the roles that these signals play in leptin action in vivo, and sites of leptin action in vivo. Using "reporter" mice, in which LRb-expressing (long form of the leptin receptor) neurons express the histological marker, beta-galactosidase, coupled with the detection of LRb-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling events, we identified LRb expression in neuronal populations both within and outside the hypothalamus. Understanding the regulation and physiological function of these myriad sites of central leptin action will be a crucial next step in the quest to understand mechanisms of leptin action and energy balance.
HIV‐related oral disease epidemiology among women: year 2000 update

OBJECTIVES: The goals of this literature review were to (I) update a prior review [Shiboski CH (1997) The epidemiology of HIV-related oral manifestations in women: a review. Oral Dis 3: S18-S27] of studies on the epidemiology of HIV-related oral manifestations in women prior to the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART); (2) explore the effect of HAART on HIV-related oral disease among women; and (3) explore future research directions with respect to HIV-related oral disease epidemiology among African women. METHODS: A computer-assisted search was conducted to identify studies on the prevalence of oral conditions in HIV-infected women in relation to immunological markers and HAART [excluding studies reviewed in Shiboski CH (1997) The epidemiology of HIV-related oral manifestations in women: a review. Oral Dis 3: S18-S27]. Results were summarized and discussed for (I) studies conducted in the developed world prior to and during the era of HAART; and (2) studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. RESULTS: Candidiasis (OC) is the most common oral lesion among HIV-infected women, and has been found to be associated with a low CD4 count and a high plasma viral load. Preliminary findings suggest that HAART is associated with a decreasing OC incidence. The few studies identified on HIV-related oral disease in African women suggest that OC is also a common condition in this setting. CONCLUSION: Future oral epidemiology research efforts in Africa should focus on the potential role of OC as sentinel marker of HIV infection and disease progression, to improve detection and prevention of selected opportunistic illnesses.
Alternate power production technologies: The promise and the challenge: Near-term and long-term generation alternatives can contribute to our energy resource base, but technological and environmental problems remain

The technologies considered fall into two broad categories, near-term alternatives (nuclear fission, coal, cogeneration, load management, and conservation) and long-term renewable resources (solar energy, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and biomass power, waste/landfill energy reclamation and nuclear fusion). The technological and environmental problems of both categories are discussed.
Fine-tuning and the infrared bull’s-eye

I argue that the standard way of formalizing the fine-tuning argument for design is flawed, and I present an alternative formalization. On the alternative formalization, the existence of life is not treated as the evidence that confirms design; instead it is treated as part of the background knowledge, while the fact that fine tuning is required for life serves as the evidence. I argue that the alternative better captures the informal line of thought that gives the fine-tuning argument its intuitive plausibility, and I show that the alternative formalization avoids all of the most prominent objections to the fine-tuning argument, including the objection from observation selection effects, the problem of old evidence, the problem of non-normalizable probability measures and a further objection due to Monton. I conclude that the alternative formalization is the one that attention should be focused on.
Gli1 is important for medulloblastoma formation in Ptc1+/- mice

Germline mutations in the human homolog of the patched1 (PTCH1) are associated with basal cell nevus carcinoma syndrome (BCNS or Gorlin syndrome), which is characterized by developmental anomalies, radiation hypersensitivity and a predisposition to medulloblastomas and skin tumors. Patched1 (Ptc1) functions as a receptor for Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in a wide range of biological processes. Binding of Shh to Ptc1 results in activation of Smoothened (Smo), which in turn stimulates expression of downstream target genes including Ptc1 and Gli1. Gli1 is a member of a family of DNA-binding zinc-finger proteins, including Gli2 and Gli3, that function in transcription control. Here, we report that inactivation of both Gli1 alleles in Ptc1+/- mice significantly reduces spontaneous medulloblastoma formation. Therefore, Gli1 is not only a marker of pathway activation but also plays a functional role in medulloblastoma formation. Interestingly, Gli2 levels were elevated in medulloblastoma cells but not in normal granule neuron precursors during cerebellar development in mice lacking Gli1. In cultured fibroblasts, Gli1 was more potent than Gli2 at inducing cell transformation. These results demonstrate that Gli1 plays a central role in medulloblastoma formation in Ptc1+/- mice and that Gli2 may also contribute to oncogenesis.
Case files of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship Training Program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: a pediatric exploratory sulfonylurea ingestion.

A 26-month-old boy was taken to the Emergency Department (ED) with the concern that he had ingested his mother’s oral hypoglycemic medication. He and his 4-year-old sister had been caught playing with their mother’s pill bottles, and the girl admitted to giving him one pill to eat. Although the implicated pills could be positively identified as extended-release glipizide (10 mg), a pill count was deemed unreliable because the medicine had been transferred from its original childproof container. In addition, too many pills were present had the mother been compliant with her prescribed dosing. The boy was developmentally normal, in good health and had no medication allergies. Additional medications reportedly available within the home included several over-the-counter preparations, prescription pain medications, and a different bottle of anti-diabetic agents. Several months earlier he had received care in another ED for an exploratory cold-medication ingestion. The boy arrived at the ED approximately 80 minutes after the presumed exposure. He was alert, playful, and interactive, with a heart rate of 102 beats/minute and a blood pressure of 100/62 mmHg, and was not diaphoretic. His physical examination was unremarkable, and he was given 25 g of activated charcoal, in an aqueous solution flavored with cherry syrup, to drink. He was estimated to have cooperated in drinking a little more than half of his charcoal.
Sex-Related Differences in Self-Reported Neurocognitive Impairment among High-Risk Cocaine Users in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program

Background: Previous research has suggested possible sex-related differences in executive functioning among cocaine users; however, no studies specifically explain sex-related differences in neurocognitive impairment (NCI) among cocaine users receiving clinical care. Knowledge about this association can aid in the development of targeted prevention strategies to reduce adverse health outcomes. This study was designed to examine the sex-related differences in NCI among high-risk cocaine users receiving substance-abuse treatment. Methods: The Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS) was administered to 199 cocaine users (98 men; 101 women), receiving methadone maintainance treatment, to assess self-reported NCI by identifying the patients’ awareness of neuropsychological symptoms. We used T-test comparison to find differences in NCI between men and women and multiple regression analysis to explore the relative contribution of sex to NCI. Results: Consistent with prior work, high NCI was evident within this sample, as indicated by high scores on most of the NIS subscales. Women reported greater impairment than men, as evidenced by significantly higher scores on several NIS subscales, after controlling for demographic and other confounding variables. Interestingly, cocaine craving significantly predicted NCI among men but not among women, as suggested by the significant association between cocaine craving and all except one of the NIS subscales. Conclusions: These findings suggest that cocaine users enter into treatment with a range of NCI – with women having significantly more neurocognitive deficits than men – that may contribute to differential treatment outcomes. This highlights the need to include additional services such as neuropsychological screening and sex-specific treatment programs to optimally reduce adverse health outcomes in these high-risk, cognitively impaired patients.
On the infrared emission in ZnS:Cu—Effect of sulfur pressure and aluminum

Abstract The intensity of the infrared emission in ZnS:Cu phosphors has been studied as a function of the sulfur pressure under which the phosphors were heated at high temperatures and of Al concentration in the phosphors. The observed dependence is interpreted using a model in which the infrared absorption and emission arises from hole transitions between states of a normally unionized Cu acceptor and the valence band, and in which sulfur vacancies behave as doubly ionizable donors in ZnS. The effect of Al impurities also follows from the model.
Ethical issues for psychologists in hospital-based research and practice

Abstract Psychologists are increasingly viewing hospital-based practice with problems of physical health and illness as an area of both needed and appropriate involvement. Indeed, a wide array of research findings underscores the importance of psychological factors in maintaining physical health and preventing illness. However, the increasing involvement of psychologists, and broader acceptance of the practice contributions they can make, may lead to their experiencing ethical dilemmas in research and in practice. This article considers some ethical issues of confidentiality and informed consent in areas of research and practice with hospital-based patients.
Violent Experiences Questionnaire Predictors of Low Base-Rate Aggressive Acts

This study found elevations in low base-rate aggressive acts among college students (n = 171) who reported (via the Violent Experiences Questionnaire–Revised) exposure to extreme forms of maltreatment (i.e., parental physical abuse, domestic violence, sibling abuse, peer bullying, relational aggression) or corporal punishment during their upbringing. Low base-rate aggressive acts were identified through a separate customized questionnaire. Parental physical abuse was associated with an increased risk (three- to nine-fold) of past physical fighting, violence-related trouble, inflicting violent injury, and making a threat to kill someone. Corporal punishment was associated with elevated risk (two- to four-fold) of physical fighting or inflicting violent injury to another. Past threat(s) to kill were linked to histories of corporal punishment, sibling abuse, or domestic violence. These results illustrate that the adverse effects of childhood maltreatment extend broadly to both clinical and nonclinical samples.
NF-κB Activation Plays a Role in Superoxide-Mediated Cerebral Endothelial Dysfunction After Hypoxia/Reoxygenation

Background and Purpose— Cerebral vascular injury occurs in response to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). However, the cellular signaling pathways that regulate this event remain unclear. The present study was designed to determine whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate endothelial dysfunction after H/R in cerebral resistance arteries and, if so, the relative contribution of ROS, NADPH oxidase, and a nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Methods— Arterial diameter and intraluminal pressure were simultaneously measured on rat posterior cerebral arteries (PCA). Superoxide was measured by 5-μmol/L lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. Results— Hypoxia/reoxygenation selectively inhibited cerebral vasodilation to the endothelium-dependent agonist acetylcholine (Ach) (0.01 to 10 μmol/L) by ≈50%. Impaired vasodilation after H/R was reversed by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (Tempo) (100 μmol/L), a cell-permeable superoxide dismutase mimetic, and partially by ebselen (10 μmol/L), a peroxynitrite scavenger. H/...
Direct involvement of leucine-rich repeats in assembling ligand-triggered receptor–coreceptor complexes

A common signaling mechanism of cell–cell and cell–environment communications in both animals and plants is mediated by receptor-like kinases (RLKs), which evolved independently in the two kingdoms but share a similar domain organization with a ligand-binding extracellular domain (ECD) connected via a single transmembrane helix to an intracellular kinase domain (KD) (1). The plant RLKs form a huge monophyletic protein superfamily with ∼440 and 790 members in Arabidopsis and rice, respectively (2). Based on sequence motifs in their ECDs, plant RLKs can be grouped into ∼20 families, with the largest family containing 1–32 tandem copies of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) (2), a widespread structural motif of ∼24 amino acids rich in leucine. These LRR-RLKs can be functionally classified into two major groups: the first group controls plant growth/development, such as BRI1, which perceives the plant steroid hormone brassinosteroids (BRs) (3), and the second group is involved in plant defense, including FLS2 and EFR, which recognize bacterial flagellin and translational elongation factor EF-Tu, respectively (4, 5). It is well known that ligand-induced homodimerization is a common mechanism to activate receptor kinases in animals (6). By contrast, plant LRR-RLKs, which likely exist as constitutive homodimers, are thought to be activated by ligand-induced heteromerization between a ligand-bound LRR-RLK and a non–ligand-binding LRR-RLK (7). Little is known about how ligands trigger the formation of such receptor–coreceptor complexes, however. In PNAS, Jaillais et al. (8) at the Salk Institute report a significant discovery that provides a key advance in our understanding of the ligand-induced formation of receptor–coreceptor complexes.
Blueprint for Business Middleware as a Managed Cloud Service

Cloud offers numerous technical middleware services such as databases, caches, messaging systems, and storage but very few business middleware services as first tier managed services. Business middleware such as business process management, business rules, operational decision management, content management and business analytics, if deployed in a cloud environment, is typically only available in a hosted (black-box) model. This is partly due to where cloud is in its evolution, and mostly due to the relatively higher complexity of business middleware vs. technical middleware in the deployment, provisioning, usage, etc. Business middleware consists of multiple functions for business processes design and modeling, execution, optimization, monitoring, and analysis. These functions and their associated complexity have inhibited the wholesale migration of existing business middleware to the cloud. To better understand the complexity in bringing business middleware to the cloud and to develop a systematic cloud enablement approach, we studied the deployment of IBM's Operational Decision Manager (ODM) business middleware product as a managed service (Cloud Decision Service) in IBM's BlueMix cloud platform. Our study indicates that complex middleware must be componentized along functional boundaries, and provide these functions for different business users and developers with cloud experience. In addition, middleware services must leverage other cloud services and they should provide interfaces so that they can be consumed by Java applications as well as by polyglot applications (JavaScript, Ruby, Python, etc). Applications can bind to and use our Cloud Decision Service in a matter of seconds. In contrast, it takes hours to days to setup such a service in the traditional packaged software model. Based on the lessons learned from this experiment we develop a blueprint for enabling high value business middleware as managed cloud services.
Photoexcited C 60 : fragmentation and delayed ionization

We investigate two reaction channels of C60, excited by a pulsed laser at 355 nm: i) The relative and absolute yields of even-sized fragment ions are measured over a wide range of laser fluences. At low fluence we find a dramatic dependence of the abundance ratio of Cn−2+ versus Cn+. This result argues against the notion that unimolecular emission of C4 or larger fragments contributes significantly to the production of even-sized fragment ions. ii) We count the number of delayed electrons emitted from C60, or one of its products, after photo-excitation. For high laser fluences, this number reaches a value of (2.6 ± 1.1)% per photoexcited C60. This sets a lower bound to the ratio of effective rate constants, ke(E* )/∑kj(E*), where ke refers to electron emission, and the sum in the denominator extends over all reaction channels.
Duration of antibiotics after microsurgical breast reconstruction does not change surgical infection rate

Background Infection rates for breast surgery are 3 to 15 percent, higher than average for a clean surgical procedure. Preoperative and postoperative antibiotics have lowered infection rates in other surgical groups, yet there is no consensus on postoperative prophylactic antibiotic use in microsurgical breast reconstruction. Methods A retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent autologous breast reconstruction between 2006 and 2009 was performed. Specific risk factors for autologous reconstruction were reviewed, including medical comorbidities, irradiation, and chemotherapy history. Data were collected on type and duration of prophylactic antibiotics. A prospective cohort of patients who received only 24 hours of postoperative antibiotics was identified. The incidence of surgical-site infections was measured using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Results A total of 256 patients with 360 microvascular breast reconstructions who received both preoperative and postoperative prophylactic antibiotics were analyzed. The overall surgical-site infection rate was 17.2 percent (44 of 256 patients). Surgical-site infection was correlated with increased age, tobacco use, and prior radiation. Duration of postoperative antibiotic use did not differ in those patients who developed surgical-site infections (6.2 versus 7.7 days; p = 0.19). Eighty-two patients (32 percent) received only 24 hours of postoperative antibiotics, while 174 (68 percent) received more than 24 hours of antibiotics for a median duration of 10 days. There was no difference in the overall surgical-site infection rate in those who received more than 24 hours of antibiotics (19.5 versus 15.5 percent; p = 0.47). Conclusion There was no reduction in the overall surgical-site infection rate among autologous breast reconstruction patients who received postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis for more than 24 hours. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, III.
TAXONOMIC AFFINITIES OF MARINE COCCOID ULTRAPHYTOPLANKTON: A COMPARISON OF IMMUNOCHEMICAL SURFACE ANTIGEN CROSS‐REACTIONS AND HPLC CHLOROPLAST PIGMENT SIGNATURES1

Immunological grouping, determined by affinities of polyclonal antibodies to surface antigens of intact cells, was used to characterize 19 clones of marine coccoid ultraplankton. The resulting cross-reactive antigen groups corresponded to pigment-groups as defined by HPLC analysis of chloroplast pigments (carotenoids and chlorophylls). Because immunological cross reactions are specific at the species level in groups of algae having well defined morphological criteria, we suggest that immunological methods can be used to recognize algae presently indistinguishable by standard morphological criteria, and especially in oceanographic applications involving qualitative cell enumerations of the ultraplankton.
Morphologic and clinical features of fibrillary glomerulonephritis versus immunotactoid glomerulopathy.

Renal diseases characterized by Congo red-negative extracellular fibrillary deposits, either organized arrays of larger, microtubular fibrils (immunotactoid glomerulopathy [IT]) or smaller, randomly organized fibrils (fibrillary glomerulonephritis), have been recognized recently. The clinical significance, if any, of the distinction of these patterns has not been determined. On review of all renal biopsy specimens evaluated in a private referral renal pathology laboratory over the last 11 years, 26 cases with fibrillary glomerulonephritis pattern were identified and compared with our six most recent cases with the IT pattern. The fibrillary glomerulonephritis patients, 17 women and nine men, had an average age of 50 ± 2 years and contributed 1% of the renal biopsy specimens examined. All patients had marked proteinuria and 16 had microscopic hematuria. Follow-up at 23 ± 5 months in 25 of these patients revealed end-stage renal disease in 11 patients (44%) and one death due to renal failure. End-stage renal disease developed an average of 10 ± 5 months after biopsy. One patient developed multiple myeloma. Twenty-four renal biopsy specimens showed proliferation, with crescents in seven. Immunofluorescence showed moderate to intense staining for immunoglobulin G and weaker staining for C3, in a predominantly mesangial pattern, with weaker glomerular basement membrane (GBM) staining, corresponding to electron microscopic deposit localization. In four cases, linear GBM staining by immunofluorescence corresponded to extensive subendothelial or transmembranous deposits. The average fibril diameter was 14.0 ± 0.5 nm (range, 10.4 to 18.4 nm). Immunotactoid glomerulopathy patients (three women and three men) were significantly older, 62 ± 2 years ( P
An Analysis of 4923 Industrial Accidents

Scenario analyses were carried out on 4923 industrial accidents in a refinery and chemical complex. Scenarios consisted of prior activity, accident event, and injury event. Five scenarios accounted for 16.4 percent of the accidents. One prior activity, assembling/disassembling equipment, was involved in three of the five scenarios. Two injury events, contact with a fluid (toxic or steam) and overexertion, were each involved in two of the scenarios. These findings along with other information about the accidents are useful for setting priorities and developing intervention strategies in safety programs.
The quadropole interaction in α-Fe2O3 microcrystals☆

Abstract The Mossbauer quadrupole splitting in α-Fe2O3 microcrystals increases linearly with l/ (particle diameter). This increase is correlated to the increase in the lattice spacing which occurs in these microcrystals, and appears to be caused by a distortion inside the lattice.
The Effect of Compliance on Wall Shear in Casts of a Human Aortic Bifurcation

Rigid and compliant casts of a human aortic bifurcation were subjected to physiologically realistic pulsatile fluid flows. At a number of sites near the wall in the approximate median plane of the bifurcation of these models, fluid velocity was measured with a laser Doppler velocimeter, and wall motion (in the case of the compliant cast) was determined with a Reticon linescan camera. The velocity and wall motion data were combined to estimate the instantaneous shear rates at the cast wall. Analysis showed that at the outer walls the cast compliance reduced shear rates, while at the walls of the flow divider the shear rate was increased.
QUASI-ISOMETRIES AND AMALGAMATIONS OF TAME COMBABLE GROUPS

We study the property of tame combability for groups. We show that quasi-isometries preserve this property. We prove that an amalgamation, A *C B, where C is finitely generated, is tame combable iff both A and B are. An analogous result is obtained for HNN extensions. And we show that all one-relator groups are tame combable.
Control of NOx emissions by NOx recycle approach

NO3 recycle is an alternative approach for the control of NOx emissions from combustion. It uses regenerable sorbent to adsorb NOx in the flue gas from a combustor followed by desorption, producing a highly concentrated NOx-laden stream containing both NO and NO2. This stream is then sent back to the same combustor or to a separate combustor, where the NOx is reduced in the flame and NO3 formation is inhibited. Experimental studies have been performed to investigate the effect of NOx recycle on the reduction of NOx emissions. Highly concentrated NO. NO2, or NO/NO2 mixtures were recycled into a combustor at different locations. It has been found that a range of 50–90% of NOx reduction efficiency could be achieved depending on experimental conditions. The NOx reduction efficiency in the combustor is affected by the recycle location, the amount of exit air, and the composition of recycle gases. The most favorable recycle location is at the primary air duct. When NOx is recycled into the secondary air duct, the lower the exit O2, the better for the NOx destruction in the flame. The experimental results also indicated higher NOx reduction efficiency for the NO2 recycle in comparison with the NO recycle. The concept of the NOx recycle approach has been implemented in the NOXSO process, which is a dry, postcombustion flue gas treatment technology for fossil-fueled boilers that can remove more than 90% of NOx/SO2. The NOx recycle approach is expected to be a new alternative for NOx removal from flue gas, especially for integrated systems that use regenerable sorbent to simultaneously remove NOx, SO2, and other pollutants emitted from combustion.
Age-Specific Death Rates With Tobacco Smoking and Occupational Activity: Sensitivity to Sample Length, Functional Form, and Unobserved Frailty

In this article, we estimate accelerated time-to-failure and proportional-hazard functions with about 100,000 members of the Dorn sample, finding greater hazards associated with smoking and some dependence on occupational variables that measure risk and physical activity. We answer three questions: (1) How sensitive are the estimates to sample length, using monthly data for the periods 1954-1969 and 1954-1980? The results differ somewhat between these sample periods. (2) How sensitive are the estimates to alternative functions for the hazard? Within a given time period, the estimates are fairly robust to specification changes in the distribution of the hazard in the accelerated time-to-failure models. (3) How sensitive are the estimates to alternative controls for unobserved frailty? Within a given sample period, the estimates are fairly robust to the allowance for parametric or nonparametric heterogeneity in the proportional-hazard models.
Processing and properties of strong and non-rigid calcium phosphate cement

A calcium phosphate cement (CPC) sets to form hydroxyapatite and has been used in dental and craniofacial applications. However, when CPC was used in periodontal repair, tooth mobility resulted in the fracture and exfoliation of the brittle implants. The aim of this study was to develop CPC-chitosan lactate composites with higher strength and increased strain before failure. It was hypothesized that the incorporation of chitosan lactate would render CPC non-rigid with improved properties. Two-way ANOVA showed significant effects of chitosan lactate and powder:liquid ratio (p < 0.001) on flexural strength, strain-at-peak-load, work-of-fracture, and elastic modulus. At powder:liquid = 2, the strength (mean +/- SD; n = 6) at 20% chitosan lactate was 15.7 +/- 1.3 MPa, higher than 4.9 +/- 1.4 MPa of CPC without chitosan lactate. At powder:liquid = 1, the strain-at-peak-load was 0.2% for CPC without chitosan lactate; it increased to 15.8% for CPC containing 15% chitosan lactate. The work-of-fracture was increased by more than ten times. The novel strong and non-rigid CPC may provide compliance for tooth mobility without fracturing the implant, and may also extend the use of CPC into the repair of larger defects in stress-bearing locations.
Electron production in collisions between light ions and rare gases: the importance of the charge-transfer and direct-ionization channels

Coincidence measurements were performed to separate the charge-transfer and directionization channels for 15-100-keV ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$, ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ collisions with Ne,Ar,Kr. Absolute cross sections are given for the production of single and multiple ionization of the target by these two ionization mechanisms. It is demonstrated that as the collision system becomes heavier, the multiple ionization components of these two channels become increasingly more important, and the production of free electrons results primarily from higher-order charge-transfer channels---not from direct single target ionization.
Development and characterization of multilevel metal interconnection etch process

A more robust chlorine chemistry based reactive ion etch (RIE) process was developed, characterized and optimized to anisotropically etch the interconnecting metal layers for use in the fabrication of CMOS and BiCMOS IC devices, using the Lam 4600 single wafer etcher. The titanium nitride and titanium silicide buried layer, used in the metal 1 structure, present unique constraints on etch selectivity to the underlying film. The process must clear metal stringers with minimal lateral etching of the aluminum during the tiN/Ti etch and overetch steps. The new optimized process meets all requirements imposed by advanced technologies, such as vertical metal sidewalls, wide process latitude, tight CD control, minimal of TEOS oxide underlayer, less sensitivity to photoresist pattern, excellent reliability and reproducibility, and lower level of polymer (reaction by- product) build-up in reactor chamber which could lead to metal corrosion and cluster defects.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Differential gene regulation of interleukin-1 ligands and receptors in bovine peripheral blood neutrophils and mononuclear cells in response to E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Abstract The proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1, plays a prominent role in the inflammatory reactions that characterize numerous diseases. In this study, we examined the gene expression for bovine IL-1 ligands and receptors by bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) and neutrophils (PMNs) in response to E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. Gene expression of mRNA for IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), type 1 IL-1 receptor, type 2 IL-1 receptor, and IL-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE), were measured by a semi-quantitative RT-PCR technique. LPS had little effect on type 1 IL-1R expression in MNC, whereas, it strongly up-regulated type 1 IL-1R expression in PMNs. Co-incubation of PMNs with LPS and bovine recombinant IL-1β had little additional effect on type 1 IL-1R expression. Incubation of MNCs with LPS resulted in up-regulation of IL-1β, IL-1ra, and type 2 IL-1R, no change in IL-1α, and a decrease in ICE gene expression. Incubation of PMNs with LPS up-regulated IL-1β gene expression, whereas, IL-1α, IL-1ra, type 2 IL-1R and ICE were unchanged. This study provides evidence for differential regulation of gene products of the bovine IL-1 family by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) and neutrophils (PMNs) in response to E. coli LPS.
Companies Can Apologize: Corporate Apologies and Legal Liability.

Discussions of corporate apologies frequently state or imply that apologies create legal liabilities for the apologist and, therefore, that corporate attomeys routinely recommend against apologies. A review of formal ("black letter") and common law indicates that apologies generally do not constitute evidence of guilt and that, in fact, they sometimes have positive consequences for the apologist. Persons who practice (or teach) crisis communication should avoid the mistake of relying on an over-simplified and inaccurate understanding of the legal issues surrounding corpo rate apologies.
Comment on ‘carbon dioxide and the fate of earth’ by Sherwood B. Idso

Abstract Michael MacCracken responds to Sherwood Idso's optimistic views of the impacts of human activity on the fate of the planet. ‘Carbon dioxide and the fate of Earth’ by Sherwood Idso was published in the June issue of Global Environmental Change, pp 178–182.
Petri-net modeling of the hermes multiprocessor vision system

Abstract This paper presents the Petri-net modeling of the HERMES multiprocessor vision system. HERMES is an autonomous (no-host computer required) picture processing system of N 2 4 i microprocessor-nodes in a 2-D array structure, where i is a resolution parameter. The HERMES system functions in a parallel-hierarchical (bottom-up and top-down) manner. An extended table of Petri-net primitives is used to describe dynamically the performance of the HERMES architecture without the need of any hardware construction.
Cortical projections to the lower brain stem and spinal cord in the tree shrew (Tupaia glis).

A study was made of corticofugal projections to the lower brain stem and spinal cord in the tree shrew (Tupaia glis). Degeneration resulting from selective ablations of the motor, sensory and frontal cortex in ten animals was studied by the Nauta technique. Following ablations of motor and sensory cortex degeneration was found bilaterally: (1) throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the lateral reticular formation, (2) in all trigeminal sensory nuclei and, (3) in the dorsal column nuclei (contralateral predominance). All three cortical areas projected fibers to the ipsilateral pontine nuclei and bilaterally to the medial reticular formation (ipsilateral predominance). Fibers from the motor cortex were distributed throughout the medial reticular formation; fibers from sensory and frontal cortex were distributed to selective regions of the medial reticular formation. The majority of corticospinal fibers decussated and descended to lower cervical (frontal fibers) and lower thoracic (motor and sensory fibers) levels. The small uncrossed component descended in the ipsilateral dorsal funiculus only throughout cervical segments. Corticospinal degeneration terminated primarily in the internal basilar region (medial half of lamina VI), medial aspect of the neck (lamina V) and, to a lesser extent, in the head (laminae III and IV) of the dorsal horn. Relatively few fibers projected to the zona intermedia (lamina VII) and no terminations were present in the motor nuclei (lamina IX) of the spinal nerves.
ROUGHNESS-INDUCED BOUNDARY-LAYER TRANSITION ON BLUNT BODIES

A correlation is presented for the prediction of roughness-induced boundary-layer transition on blunt bodies in high speed flow. It is derived for conditions of distributed roughness wherein typical roughness-element height is comparable to, or greater than, the boundary-layer thickness. The correlation is verified by three sets of data, and is seen to hold for a greater range of values of roughness height to boundary-layer thickness ratio than assumed in the derivation.
Studies of the substrate binding to xanthine oxidase using a spin-labeled analog.

Abstract A spin-labeled adenine derivative [N 6 -(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxypiperidin-4-yl)adenine; SLAD] is found to be a very slow substrate of xanthine oxidase based on the observed reduction of enzyme by SLAD under anaerobic conditions. A room-temperature EPR spectrum of SLAD in the presence of oxidized xanthine oxidase shows the appearance of “wings” on the three-line spectrum of the free spin-label, indicating formation of an E·SLAD complex. This spectrum can be obtained on a timescale that is short compared to catalysis. Using this spectral change as an experimental probe, the room-temperature K d 's of SLAD binding to oxidized xanthine oxidase at various pH's have been determined. Obtained K d values are 1.5 ± 0.3 mM, 1.6 ± 0.3 mM, and 1.5 ± 0.3 mM at pH 10.0, 8.5, and 7.0, respectively, indicating no significant difference in the equilibrium dissociation of SLAD from enzyme upon pH change. These results are consistent with the calculated equilibrium dissociation constant for substrate binding to oxidized molybdenum center based on K d to reduced enzyme and the perturbation of Mo VI /Mo V and Mo V /Mo IV reduction potentials by product and substrate analogs.
Effect of Flow Oscillations on Axial Energy Transport in a Porous Material

The effects of flow oscillations on axial energy diffusion in a porous medium, in which the flow is continuously disrupted by the irregularities of the porous structure, are analyzed. The formulation employs an internal heat transfer coefficient that couples the fluid and solid temperatures. The final relationship shows that the axial energy transport per unit cross-sectional area and time is directly proportional to the axial temperature gradient and the square of the maximum fluid displacement.
Lost in a Forest

Call a path an escape path if it eventually leads out of the forest no matter what the initial starting point or the relative orientations of the path and forest. To solve the "lost in a forest" problem we must find the "best" escape path. Bellman proposed two different interpretations of "best," one in which the maximum time to escape is minimized, and one in which the expected time to escape is minimized. A third interpretation (see
Basal cell nevus syndrome: a case report with associated carcinoma of the maxilla.

Basal cell nevus syndrome is a rare hereditary multiple-system progressive disorder which was first reported as such by Binkley and Johnson in 1951.1 Since then, retrospectively and de novo, over 150 cases have been reported. Reviews2,3,4 have tried to define the clinical features which constitute the syndrome, but so many anomalies have been described that for the sake of clarity, I have eliminated all but the more salient features.
Lost confidence and potential: a mixed methods study of underachieving college students’ sources of self-efficacy

This study investigated the sources of self-efficacy of college students enrolled in a learning frameworks course, whom we identified as underachievers. Through weekly journal entries, the group of underachievers ( $$n=13$$ ) cited the factors that made them feel confident or not confident. Students’ responses to open-ended prompts were coded according to Bandura’s (Self-efficacy: the exercise of control, W.H. Freeman, New York, 1997) four hypothesized sources of self-efficacy and an additional emergent theme of self-regulated learning. After, through student responses on a self-report survey, we compared the group of underachievers to a group of achievers ( $$n=36$$ ) on their self-efficacy and its sources. Both quantitative and qualitative results underscored the importance of mastery experiences for underachievers. The underachievers had significantly less mastery experiences and verbal persuasions despite having similar levels of self-efficacy. Implications for how to cultivate mastery and to provide efficacy-supportive feedback as well as psychological mechanisms regarding high potential underachievers are discussed.
Effects of tank tracking on range grasses

Abstract The Department of Defense (DoD) must constantly balance its military mission and its commitment to stewardship on large tracks of federal land. These military training lands are some of the most intensely used land in the United States, and training requires that vegetation, primarily grasses, be as resilient as possible. The objectives of this study were to evaluate (i) plant establishment and (ii) the effect of light to heavy tank traffic that ranged from zero to four passes on range grasses at the Yakima Training Center, Yakima, Washington. Characteristics measured include the number of 10-cm gaps without plant materials in seeded rows of the target (sown) species, the biomass of the target species, and the percentages of bluegrass colonization, bare ground, and cheatgrass encroachment in tracked and untracked areas. Both stand establishment and the ability to produce rhizomes are associated with the ability to recover after training. The wildryes did not establish well and subsequently had more 10-cm gaps and lower yields than the other introduced species tested. Among the natives, Snake River wheatgrass and western wheatgrass exhibited the most resilience across the different tracking intensities. The largest decline in percentage target species was observed between the two- and four-pass treatments. After five years, cheatgrass was not able to encroach on Snake River wheatgrass, Siberian wheatgrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass plots. Tracking generally reduced the stand of the target species and increased the amount of bare ground.
A new construction of circulant GH(p 2 ;Z p )

Abstract De Launey has conjectured and proved that for every prime p there exists a circulant generalized Hadamard matrix of order p2 over the group Z p . We offer a new construction, generalize it, and prove that it is not isomorphic to the previous one for p⩾5.
Genetic variation among European strains of Saccharomyces paradoxus: results from DNA fingerprinting.

Summary We used microsatellite fingerprinting and RAPD analysis to characterize 28 wild European strains of Saccharomyces paradoxus . In contrast to our results from a previous allozyme survey [ Naumov et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 47: 341-344 (1997a)], these methods revealed extensive genetic variation. The RAPD primers 5′AATCGGGCTG and 5′GGGTAACGCC and the microsatellite primer (GTG) 5 yielded reproducible amplification patterns of sufficient clarity and variability to distinguish individual strains from the wild. UPGMA analysis tended to group the strains according to climatic and geographic origin. A comparative study of Ty 1 sequence having multiple chromosomal location was also done. Each wild S. paradoxus isolate shows a unique hybridization patten allowing discrimination to the strain level.
War Making and State Making: Governmental Expenditures, Tax Revenues, and Global Wars

Addressing the disputed relationship between war and the expansion of governmental expenditures and revenues, Box-Tiao intervention models are applied to a number of British (1700-1980), United States (1792-1980), French (1815-1979), and Japanese (1878-1980) spending and taxation series. Distinguishing between global and interstate wars, the more intensive and extensive bouts of warfare (global wars) tend to bring about abrupt, permanent impacts in contrast to the temporary changes associated with most interstate wars. The observed displacements are reflected in both war-related and nonwar-related types of expenditure and are also observed before 1900. Although our findings are not universally applicable and are subject to various other qualifications, they may be interpreted, in general, as reinforcing the need for an appreciation of the persistent centrality of war, especially global war, in the discontinuous growth and expansion of the modern state.
Biological and chemical studies on overheated brewed coffee.

Abstract Vapour formed from overheated decaffeinated coffee was condensed and tested for mutagenicity using the Ames assay in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100. Vapour produced at 73 and 100°C exhibited no mutagenicity. The basic fraction of vapour produced at 350°C showed weak mutagenicity towards strain TA98 with metabolic activation. The chemical analysis of this fraction identified pyridines and pyrazines as the major constituents. None of the compounds identified in this fraction has been reported as mutagenic when tested in the Ames assay.