cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of overwork during reinnervation of rat muscle.

Abstract Changes in muscle weights, protein content, and conduction latencies to gastrocnemius along with muscle weights of soleus and plantaris were investigated in adult rats at 72 hr, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 wk after bilateral sciatic nerve crush. The effect of overwork (induced by tenotomy of synergistic muscles) initiated in pre- and postreinnervation periods was evaluated in soleus and plantaris muscles. Evoked potentials by nerve conduction were lost at 72 hr and reappeared at the end of 3 wk. Muscle weight and protein content in the gastrocnemius decreased from 72 hr until 2 wk postdenervation. Muscle weights of plantaris and soleus followed the same trend. From 3 to 6 wk postdenervation all three muscles gained in weight and the protein content of gastrocnemius continued to increase to normal accompanied by shortened latency to indirect stimulation, although the latter returned only to 75% of normal. The return of nerve conduction 3 wk after neuronal damage indicates that functional reinnervation takes place between 2 and 3 wk after the nerve crush. The overwork, induced in the soleus and plantaris muscles by elimination of synergists, at 2 wk (Group II) and 3 wk (Group I) after denervation, showed contrasting results in protein content. Overwork in Group I significantly increased muscle weight, absolute amount of sarcoplasmic, myofibrillar and stromal proteins, and fiber diameters in both soleus and plantaris. Muscle weight, sarcoplasmic protein, and myofibrillar protein decreased in both muscles of Group II. However, fiber diameter exceeded control values only in the plantaris and was associated with an increased number of fibers exhibiting low myosin ATPase (pH 9.4) activity. The results of this study suggest that overwork begun within the period of reinnervation may be more beneficial than when initiated before this event.
Material Aspects Of The Fabrication Of Multijunction Solar Cells

The possibility of obtaining power conversion efficiencies in excess of 30 percent from practical multijunction concentrator solar cells has stimulated research on several approaches to achieve this goal. This paper will review the important material and fabrication issues associated with each viable approach with the aim of helping to provide additional perspective in assessing this research.
Gap junctions in human gingival keratinized epithelium.

Gap junctions were found in all layers of human gingival keratinizing epithelium, except the stratum corneum. En bloc staining revealed the seven-layered structure of these junctions, with a gap of approximately 20A between the outer leaflets of adjacent unit membranes. Treatment of specimens with lanthanum strikingly demonstrated the gap junctions, since the lanthanum completely fills the central gap. Oblique and tangential sections of gap junctions in lanthanum-treated specimens produced characteristic striated and honey-comb appearances, respectively. It appears as though many junctions in gingival epithelium formerly thought to be variants of tight junctions (and thus regions of membrane fusion) are, in reality, gap junctions. In view of findings regarding the function of gap junctions in other tissues, it is suggested that gap junctions have a significant role in the synchronous differentiation of normal human gingival keratinizing epithelium.
Attenuation of Salt-Induced Cardiac Remodeling and Diastolic Dysfunction by the GPER Agonist G-1 in Female mRen2.Lewis Rats

Introduction The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is expressed in various tissues including the heart. Since the mRen2.Lewis strain exhibits salt-dependent hypertension and early diastolic dysfunction, we assessed the effects of the GPER agonist (G-1, 40 nmol/kg/hr for 14 days) or vehicle (VEH, DMSO/EtOH) on cardiac function and structure. Methods Intact female mRen2.Lewis rats were fed a normal salt (0.5% sodium; NS) diet or a high salt (4% sodium; HS) diet for 10 weeks beginning at 5 weeks of age. Results Prolonged intake of HS in mRen2.Lewis females resulted in significantly increased blood pressure, mildly reduced systolic function, and left ventricular (LV) diastolic compliance (as signified by a reduced E deceleration time and E deceleration slope), increased relative wall thickness, myocyte size, and mid-myocardial interstitial and perivascular fibrosis. G-1 administration attenuated wall thickness and myocyte hypertrophy, with nominal effects on blood pressure, LV systolic function, LV compliance and cardiac fibrosis in the HS group. G-1 treatment significantly increased LV lusitropy [early mitral annular descent (e′)] independent of prevailing salt, and improved the e′/a′ ratio in HS versus NS rats (P<0.05) as determined by tissue Doppler. Conclusion Activation of GPER improved myocardial relaxation in the hypertensive female mRen2.Lewis rat and reduced cardiac myocyte hypertrophy and wall thickness in those rats fed a high salt diet. Moreover, these advantageous effects of the GPER agonist on ventricular lusitropy and remodeling do not appear to be associated with overt changes in blood pressure.
Pharmacomechanical thrombectomy for iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis: an alternative in patients with contraindications to thrombolysis.

Objective Venous lysis is usually reserved for symptomatic patients with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and low risk for bleeding. This study reports the use of pharmacomechanical thrombectomy (PMT) in patients with contraindications to thrombolysis. Methods A retrospective review of all patients with symptomatic DVT treated between 2007 and 2008 with PMT was performed. All patients were treated by a combination of local tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) with the Angiojet (Possis Medical, Minneapolis, Minn) or Trellis device (Bacchus Vascular, Santa Clara, Calif). Catheter-directed lysis was used sparingly. Results Forty-three patients (mean age, 48.4 ± 16.6 years) presented with symptoms averaging 13.6 ± 9.6 days in duration. Nineteen (44%) had symptoms for >14 days, and 15 (35%) had a high risk for bleeding. Symptomatic subclavian thrombosis occurred in eight (19%), and 35 (81%) presented with disabling lower extremity DVT (4 phlegmasia) despite anticoagulation. Fifteen patients had a thrombosed indwelling permanent filter. Sixty-three percent were treated in one session, but 16 patients required a lytic infusion after suboptimal PMT. Iliac stenting was required in 35% of limbs treated. Successful lysis (>50%) was achieved in 95% of patients and symptom resolution in 93%. All patients became ambulatory with no or minimal limitation. There were no major systemic bleeding complications, but access site hematoma occurred in two patients and worsening of pre-existing rectus sheath hematoma requiring transfusion occurred in another two. Limb salvage was maintained in 100% of patients who presented with phlegmasia. Mean follow-up was 5.0 ± 4.8 months. Freedom from DVT recurrence and reintervention was 95% at 9 months by life-table analysis. Conclusions PMT can be safely and effectively used for subacute iliocaval and iliofemoral DVT and in patients with contraindications for lytic therapy, resulting in improved functional outcomes relative to their debilitated state before the procedure.
Multimedia event detection using visual concept signatures

Multimedia Event Detection (MED) is a multimedia retrieval task with the goal of finding videos of a particular event in a large-scale Internet video archive, given example videos and text descriptions. In this paper, we mainly focus on an 'ad-hoc' scenario in MED where we do not use any example video. We aim to retrieve test videos based on their visual semantics using a Visual Concept Signature (VCS) generated for each event only derived from the event description provided as the query. Visual semantics are described using the Semantic INdexing (SIN) feature which represents the likelihood of predefined visual concepts in a video. To generate a VCS for an event, we project the given event description to a visual concept list using the proposed textual semantic similarity. Exploring SIN feature properties, we harmonize the generated visual concept signature and the SIN feature to improve retrieval performance. We conduct different experiments to assess the quality of generated visual concept signatures with respect to human expectation, and in the context of the MED task to retrieve the SIN feature of videos in the test dataset when we have no or only very few training videos.
Associations among healthy habits, age, gender, and education in a sample of retirees

In this exploratory and descriptive study, data are drawn from a sample of 1,864 Bank of America retirees collected in 1987 to investigate correlations among healthy habits, age, gender, and education. Findings include: 1) Health habits are strongly and positively associated with each other and negatively associated with unhealthy habits. 2) Age is statistically significant and positively associated with fiber, fat consumption, and lack of exercise, but negative associated with cigarette use. 3) Women are more likely than men to smoke, use seat belts, and eat foods high in fiber. Men are more likely than women to exercise and drink excessively. 4) Education is statistically significant and positively associated only with fiber in the diet and no other habit. 5) Fiber consumption emerges as the healthy habit most consistently associated with all other habits.
A new analogue of 10-deazaaminopterin with markedly enhanced curative effects against human tumor xenografts in mice.

Purpose: These studies sought to evaluate the biochemical and cellular pharmacokinetic properties, cytotoxicity and antitumor efficacy of a new analogue of 10-deaza-aminopterin (PDX) against human tumors. Methods: Studies were conducted with a group of human tumor cell lines in culture examining PDX and other folate analogues as permeants for mediated membrane transport, as inhibitors of dihdrofolate reductase and as substrates for folylpolyglutamate synthetase. These same analogues were examined for their cytotoxicity following a 3-h pulse exposure, in experiments providing a value for IC50. Other studies with these analogues were conducted in nude mice bearing subcutaneously implanted human tumors. Treatment of the mice was initiated 4 days after implantation of the tumor using a schedule of administration of one dose per day for 5 days. The tumors were measured 6 days after cessation of therapy and compared to controls for assessment of response. Results: In the CCRF-CEM cell system, PDX was 2- to 3-fold less effective as an inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase than aminopterin (AMT), methotrexate (MTX) or edatrexate (EDX) but much more effective as a permeant for one-carbon, reduced folate transport inward (PDX >AMT ≃ EDX >MTX) and substrate for folylpolyglutamate synthetase (PDX >AMT >EDX >MTX). As predicted by these results, PDX was 15- to 40-fold more cytotoxic than MTX and 3- to 4-fold more cytotoxic than the highly potent EDX following a 3-h pulse exposure in culture of CCRF-CEM cells and cells from a panel of three human breast and two human nonsmall-cell (NSC) lung cancers. The same relative differences were shown for the therapeutic efficacy of these three analogues at equitoxic doses in studies with the human MX-1 and LX-1 tumors and the human A549 NSC lung tumor xenografted in nude mice. On a schedule of qd × 5 given 3–4 days posttransplant, MTX was minimally active (modest tumor growth delay) against all three tumors. EDX was highly active (25–35% complete regressions and 5–10% cures) against the MX-1 and LX-1 tumors but very modestly active (no regressions) against the A549 tumor. In contrast, PDX was even more active (75–85% complete regressions and 25–30% cures) than EDX against the MX-1 and LX-1 tumors and highly active (30% complete regressions and 20% cures) against the A549 tumor. Conclusions: These studies showed significantly enhanced antitumor properties of PDX compared with MTX and EDX. Based upon these results, clinical trials of PDX in patients with metastatic breast and NSC lung cancer appear to be warranted.
Antithesis and the One/Many in Aeschylus’ Septem

AbstractSeptem exhibits several types of antithesis. The artistic function of the antithetical modes seems to be to maintain the tension between contraries, such as Thebans/Argives, interior/exterior, public/personal, words/symbols, and one/many. The dramatic function is to project conflict, particularly, to allow the verbal duels created by Eteocles and his scout to represent for the audience the duels that take place at the gates. Although antithesis is a common feature of archaic style, Aeschylean antithesis shows arresting similarities with Empedoclean usage where contraries are unified in the process of creating and preserving the cosmos/Thebes. Like neikos and philia, Eteocles and Polynices, hostile by nature, are in the end shown to be one.
Use of assisted reproductive technology to prevent the transmission of HIV-1 in HIV-discordant couples desiring children☆

Relatively little is known about sites of HIV infection and regulation of the infection in the genital tract. It is imperative to understand the mechanisms of HIV-1 infection of the genital tract to develop methods to control HIV-1 transmission. New methods are being developed through use of assisted reproductive technologies. These approaches include: treatment of sexually transmitted diseases; sperm-washing techniques for partners with HIV-1 infection, which is provided in conjunction with artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection; vaginal microbicides; and HIV-1 vaccines.
Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) and Improved Patient-centered Outcomes for Chronic Conditions

Background The Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) has potential for use as a patient-centered measure of the implementation of the Chronic Care Model (CCM), but there is little research on the relationship between the PACIC and important behavioral and quality measures for patients with chronic conditions.
The effect of the 14-day agricultural restricted entry interval on azinphosmethyl exposures in a group of apple thinners in Washington state.

Abstract We examined the effect of the 14-day agricultural restricted entry period on absorbed pesticide doses in a group of twenty experienced apple thinners. Thinners entered orchards 1–49 days following azinphosmethyl applications. Urine samples ( n =296) collected throughout the thinning season were analyzed for the three dialkylphosphate metabolites of azinphosmethyl to estimate absorbed daily doses. Separate dose distributions were created for samples collected when the interval was p
Effects of Ethanol on Development of Locus Coeruleus Brain Stem Transplantsin oculo

In this investigation, we studied the effects of ethanol (EtOH) on the development of noradrenergic (NE) neurons of the locus coeruleus. Fetal brainstem tissue from embryonic days 15-17 was grafted into the anterior chamber of the eye of adult rats. Two different experimental groups were exposed to 16% EtOH in the drinking water during different developmental windows. The first group received EtOH 24 h after transplantation and during the whole experimental period of 7 weeks (continuous EtOH), and the second group only during the last 5 weeks of the experimental period (delayed EtOH). The control group received water ad libitum. After 7 weeks, all the animals were sacrificed and morphological evaluations were performed. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that axon bundle formation and NE fiber outgrowth into the host iris was significantly reduced in the continuous EtOH-treated group compared to controls. We also studied the morphology of TH-positive neurons and processes in the intraocular transplants. A significant decrease in TH-positive staining intensity was observed in the continuous EtOH-treated group compared to controls. Moreover, we found a significant decrease in cell size and neuronal survival in both EtOH-treated groups compared to controls. The present results suggest that chronic EtOH exposure during development leads to an altered axonal outgrowth and decreased cell sizes and number of NE neurons in intraocular brain stem grafts. Furthermore, we found that NE neurons are more sensitive to EtOH exposure during the last prenatal days and the first postnatal week of development, compared to a later developmental period.
Customization, information provision and choice: what are we willing to give up for personal service?

Consumers are being increasingly asked to provide personal information in exchange for individually tailored product/service offerings. If there are discrepancies between the personal information disclosed (quality and completeness) and the actual profile of the individual, the resulting customized offer will not maich the expected offer. The paper uses several theories to develop a framework to understand the disclosure/customization process and the valuation of information. Self-concept theory suggests that an individal's self-perception influences his/her behavior and attitudes regarding a variety of issues including how and what personal information is provided. Attribution theory can be used to explain how customization-successes and failures may be perceived by the consumer, in light of information incompleteness and/or inaccuracy of disclosure. An application of the framework is illustrated with an example of an online dating service.
Adenine adducts with diepoxybutane: Isolation and analysis in exposed calf thymus DNA

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is a high-volume industrial chemical and a common environmental pollutant. Although BD is classified as a "probable human carcinogen", only limited evidence is available for its tumorigenic effects in occupationally exposed populations. Animal studies show a surprisingly high sensitivity of mice to the carcinogenic effects of BD compared to rats (approximately 10(3)-fold), making interspecies extrapolations difficult. Identification and quantitation of specific BD-induced DNA adducts are important for improving our understanding of the mechanisms of BD biological effects and for explaining the observed species differences. Covalent binding of BD to DNA is probably due to its two epoxy metabolites: 3,4-epoxy-1-butene (EB) and 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB). Both EB and DEB are direct mutagens producing frameshift and point mutations at both A:T and G:C base pairs. DEB is 100 times more mutagenic than EB and is found in quantity only in tissues of the most sensitive species (mouse). This has led to the suggestion that the higher sensitivity of mice to BD could be due to greater exposure to DEB. The present work was initiated in order to isolate and structurally characterize DEB-induced adenine adducts. The adducts were formed by reacting DEB with free adenine (Ade), 2'-deoxyadenosine (2'-dAdo), and calf thymus DNA followed by HPLC separation and analysis of the products by UV spectrophotometry, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The adenine reaction resulted in three products which were identified as N-3-, N-7-, and N-9-(2'-hydroxy-3',4'-epoxybut-1'-yl)adenine. These adducts underwent acid-catalyzed hydrolysis to their corresponding (2',3',4'-trihydroxybut-1'-yl)adenines upon heating or storage. The 2'-dAdo reaction with DEB followed by acid hydrolysis yielded a single adduct, N6-(2',3',4'-trihydroxybut-1'-yl)adenine (N6-DEB-Ade). N-3-DEB-Ade and N6-DEB-Ade were also found in hydrolysates of calf thymus DNA exposed to DEB. The amounts of N-3-DEB-Ade (13/10(3) normal Ade) and N6-DEB-Ade (5/10(3) normal Ade) were slightly lower than those of the corresponding EB-induced adducts in similar experiments, suggesting comparable reactivity of the two epoxy metabolites of BD toward adenine in DNA. The findings of this study provide a basis for future analyses of BD-induced adenyl DNA adducts in vitro and in vivo.
Advances in prevention and management of central line-associated bloodstream infections in patients with cancer

Central lines, which are essential for treating cancer, are associated with at least 400,000 episodes of bloodstream infection in patients with cancer every year in the United States. Effective novel interventions for preventing and managing these infections include antimicrobial-coated catheters and antimicrobial lock solutions.
The role of cardiac magnetic resonance to address the treatment of choice for pulmonary valve replacement late after repair of Tetralogy of Fallot

Background Severe right ventricular (RV) dilation and dysfunction due to chronic pulmonary regurgitation (PR) requires pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) late after repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the gold standard method to evaluate the pathophysiology after rTOF and the main tool to support the decision for PVR in asymptomatic patients. Given the various options available for PVR, we sought to evaluate the usefulness of CMR to address patients towards either a surgical or an interventional procedure.
Synthesis of large single crystals of templated Y faujasite

Abstract Large single crystals of zeolite Y with diameters up to 210–245 μm and Si/Al=1.71 have been synthesized from a reaction mixture (4.76Na 2 O : 1.0Al 2 O 3 : 3.5SiO 2 : 454H 2 O : 0.6T 2 O : 5TEA) comprising fumed silica (Cab-O-Sil M5), sodium aluminate, and the template bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dimethylammonium chloride (TCl) in an aqueous triethanolamine (TEA) cosolvent.
Antimutagenic properties of liver homogenates, proteins and glutathione on diesel exhaust particulates

Abstract Diesel exhaust particulates contain mutagens which are active in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium assay. The mutagens do not require liver enzymes for activation and, in fact, the addition of liver homogenates (S-9) to the Ames system decreases the mutagenicity of diesel exhaust samples. We have examined here the properties and components of S-9 that account for its antimutagenic effect. The antimutagenic effect of S-9 is not changed by heating S-9 in a boiling water bath for 5 min or by omission of the NADPH-generating system in the cofactor mixture. These experiments showed that the antimutagenic effect of S-9 is not enzymatic. The antimutagenicity of S-9 disappeared after the protein component of S-9 was removed by filtration. Exogenous albumin added to the Ames system mimicked the antimutagenic effect. Analysis of the albumin content of liver cytosol showed that 90% of the antimutagenic effect could be accounted for by the amount of albumin present. Glutathione added to diesel exhausts reduced mutagenicity, but the qualities of glutathione present in S-9 are too small to account for the antimutagenic effect of S-9. We conclude that the antimutagenic effect of S-9 is non-enzymatic and is most likely the result of non-specific protein binding of mutagens to liver albumin. The antimutagenic effect of glutathione on diesel exhausts suggests that the mutagens present are electrophiles.
Electronic structure calculations of lead chalcogenides PbS, PbSe, PbTe

In this work, we have extended our study of the mechanical properties and the electronic structure of PbTe to include other Pb chalcogenide compounds (PbSe, PbS). The calculations were performed self-consistently using the scalar-relativistic full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method. Both the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to density-functional theory were applied. The equilibrium lattice constants and the bulk modulus of a number of structures (NaCl, CsCl, ZnS) were calculated as well as the elastic constants for the structures (NaCl, CsCl). The NaCl structure is found to be the most stable one among all the three phases considered. We have found that the GGA predicts the elastic constants in good agreement with experimental data. Both the LDA and GGA were successful in predicting the location of the band gap at the L point of the Brillouin zone but they are inconclusive regarding the value of the band-gap width. To resolve the issue of the gap, we performed Slater–Koster (SK) tight-binding calculations, including the spin–orbit coupling in the SK Hamiltonian. The SK results that are based on our GGA calculations give the best agreement with experiment. Results are reported for the pressure dependence of the energy gap of these compounds in the NaCl structure. The pressure variation of the energy gap indicates a transition to a metallic phase at high pressure. Band structure calculations in the CsCl structure show a metallic state for all compounds. The electronic band structure in the ZnS phase shows an indirect band gap at the W and X point of the Brillouin zone.
Rethinking public toilet technologies in Nairobi: the case of Ikotoilet facilities

Although shared sanitation facilities have received low priority in the UN Millennium Development Goals, there is a growing recognition that these facilities should be central to sanitation interventions in the developing world. Accompanying this recognition is a realization that new and existing sanitation technologies must necessarily be customized to ensure that the safety and hygiene of such facilities is sufficiently sustained. In line with this recognition, this article highlights how ‘Ikotoilets’, the nationally and internationally acclaimed public toilets in Nairobi, Kenya, are providing reasonably hygienic and safe sanitation, largely due to a rethinking of the local technologies of shared sanitation. Drawing from a qualitative analysis of a ‘convenience’ survey of Ikotoilet users, interview with the provider of Ikotoilets, field observations, and published papers and reports, the article shows that since Ikotoilets are designed to incorporate different uses, blend into the existing urban landscape, and are installed with technologies which, among other things, reduce use of scarce resources, the facilities are contributing to sanitation solutions in the city.
Absolute EPR spin echo and noise intensities.

EPR signal and noise, calculated from first principles, are compared with measured values of signal and noise on an S-band (ca. 2.7 GHz) EPR spectrometer for which all relevant gains and losses have been measured. Agreement is within the uncertainty of the calculations and the measurements. The calculational model that provided the good agreement is used to suggest approaches to optimizing spectrometer design.
Model- and scale-independent performance of a hippocampal CA3 network architecture

Abstract The hippocampus is known to be a critical structure for memory function, but how its anatomical, physiological, and cellular elements endow it with this function remains a mystery. As such, even less is known about how neuropathological changes associated with Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy or traumatic brain injury lead to the clinical manifestations of disease. To begin to address these issues, we have constructed a biophysically detailed model of the CA3 region of the hippocampus that incorporates many of the well-characterized but, from a functional standpoint, poorly understood properties and phenomena into a functioning network. These include cholinergic neuromodulatory regulation, theta (4–6 Hz) oscillations, gamma (20–80 Hz) oscillations, diversity of interneuron classes, regular spiking vs. bursting pyramidal cells, and lamina-specific inputs and characteristic anatomy. We have found that the integration of these hippocampal elements results in a biological analog to the “connectionist” autoassociative attractor network where memories are represented as spatial patterns of temporally precise spikes across CA3. In addition, simulating the cholinergic modulation of this network model and its constituent cellular components suggests novel mechanisms for memory dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease E.D. Menschik, L.H. Finkel, Artificial Intell. Med. 13 (1994) 99–121; E.D. Menschik, L.H. Finkel, Progress in Brain Research, Elsevier, New York, in press. Here we demonstrate such networks to be robust and accurate in memory function, insensitive to the choice of neuronal model from a 64-compartment cell with numerous ionic conductances R.D. Traub et al., J. Physiol. 481 (1994) 79–95; to a reduced dual-compartment model P.F. Pinsky, J. Rinzel, J. Compu. Neurosci. 1 (1994) 39–60; and scalable from small to large networks.
The influence of nitrogen addition on the morphology, growth rate, and Raman spectra of combustion grown diamond

Abstract The influence of intentional nitrogen addition on diamond deposition using a low pressure acetylene–oxygen flat flame was studied. The film morphology was assessed by scanning electron microscopy, growth rates by cross-section thickness measurements, and nitrogen incorporation by Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the addition of nitrogen increased the growth parameter α , and for the conditions investigated 〈100〉 textured films were obtained for nitrogen levels between three and five parts per thousand (ppt). It was found that there was no change in growth rate over the range 0–7 ppt N 2 addition. At higher levels the films became amorphous. For low levels ( 2 and sp 3 bonded carbon were unchanged. Comparisons with natural diamond and hot-filament grown material demonstrate that nitrogen is a significant impurity in our acetylene source. Equilibrium calculations showed that NO and atomic nitrogen were the two dominant products that may be responsible for the observed changes in morphology and Raman spectra.
Differences in reversed plasmalemmal Na/Ca exchange activities among neuronal subtypes

Under pathological conditions, when the Na+ and K+ concentration gradients collapse, plasmalemmal K-dependent (NCKX) and K-independent Na/Ca exchangers (NCX) may reverse and contribute to toxic Ca2+ accumulation. Vulnerability to ischemia or excitotoxicity greatly varies among neuronal subtypes and may be related, in part, to differences in reverse NCKX and/or NCX activities. Cultured cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) are more resistant to excitotoxicity than forebrain neurons (FNs). To examine whether NCKX or NCX activities in CGCs differ from those in FNs, cytosolic [Ca2+] transients mediated by reversed NCX and NCKX were monitored. NCKX and NCX reversal was triggered by gramicidin-induced Na+ influx and K+ efflux. The NCX reversal was inhibited by 10 μm KB-R7943, and that of NCKX by removal of external K+. In FNs, reversed NCX activity was much more robust than in CGCs, however, activity of reversed NCKX was similar. These data support the idea that vulnerability to excitotoxicity may be linked to reversal of plasmalemmal Na/Ca exchangers. Acknowledgement: Supported by NS37390.
Meditation with yoga, group therapy with hypnosis, and psychoeducation for long-term depressed mood: a randomized pilot trial

This randomized pilot study investigated the effects of meditation with yoga (and psychoeducation) versus group therapy with hypnosis (and psychoeducation) versus psychoeducation alone on diagnostic status and symptom levels among 46 individuals with long-term depressive disorders. Results indicate that significantly more meditation group participants experienced a remission than did controls at 9-month follow-up. Eight hypnosis group participants also experienced a remission, but the difference from controls was not statistically significant. Three control participants, but no meditation or hypnosis participants, developed a new depressive episode during the study, though this difference did not reach statistical significance in any case. Although all groups reported some reduction in symptom levels, they did not differ significantly in that outcome. Overall, these results suggest that these two interventions show promise for treating low- to moderate-level depression.
Disoominkfrcn between gaussian time series based on their spectral differences

Discrimination between two Gaussian time series is examined assuming that the important difference between the alternative processes is their covarianoe (spectral) structure. Using the likelihood ratio method in frequency domain a discriminant function is derived and its approximate distribution is obtained. It is demonstrated that, utilizing the Kullbadk-Leibler information measure, the frequencies or frequency bands which carry information for discrimination can be determined. Using this, it is shown that when mean functions are equal, discrimination based on the frequency with the largest discrimination information is equivalent to the classification procedure based on the best linear discriminant, Application to seismology is described by including a discussion concerning the spectral ratio discriminant for underground nuclear explosion and natural earthquake and is illustrated numerically using Rayleigh wave data from an underground and an atmospheric explosions.
The cooperation of private forest owners on scales larger than one individual property: international examples and potential application in the United States

Abstract A relatively small number of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in the United States has recently expressed interest in cooperating with one another at scales broader than their individual properties. There are many good reasons to do so, which would enhance their individual ownership benefits, as well as the suite of greater public benefits that accrue from a privately owned forest landscape. An Internet and literature review of private forest owner cooperation in temperate nations with developed economies resulted in a broad array of evidence of longstanding and successful activities from 19 countries. Forms of cooperation and resulting activities vary, ranging from low levels of commitment for purposes of information/education, to more structured participation for financial and marketing purposes. Likewise, the origins of cooperation differ from country to country, though common elements emerge (e.g. the role of government, reaction to a stimulus or threat). This review and analysis of private forest owner cooperation provides examples of tactics and successful results that contribute towards the development of potential cooperation of private forest owners in places where such activity is contemplated.
Use of immune function test in monitoring immunosuppression in liver transplant recipients.

Immune function test (Immuknow TM ) is a measure of cell- mediated immunity based on peripheral CD4 + T cell adenosine triphosphate activity (desired range, 225-525 ng/mL). We evaluated the role of immune function test (IFT) in monitoring and adjustment of immunosuppression in orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) recipients. A total of 289 IFTs were obtained from 171 patients from March 2007 to June 2008. Graft/patient status was classified as stable, serious infection, or malignancy. IFT levels were analyzed with duration of follow-up after OLT, graft/patient status, and the presence of hepatitis C (HCV) infection. The mean age was 54 ± 14 yr, with 62% men. The median follow-up was 65 (2-249) months. Mean IFT levels were significantly lower in patients who were <24 months than in those 24 months post- OLT (220 ± 19.5 vs. 257 ± 11.3 ng/mL, p = 0.03). Clinically stable patients had higher IFT levels than those with serious infection or malignancy (254 ± 11.1 vs. 162.5 ± 23.9, p < 0.001). HCV-infected patients had lower IFT levels than uninfected patients (206.7 ± 15.7 vs. 273 ± 12.0 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Immunosuppression was reduced in 58 patients with IFT levels <225 ng/mL, and 90% maintained stable graft function after a median follow-up of 22 (1-39) months. IFT may be a useful tool in monitoring and lowering of immunosuppression in long- term OLT recipients.
Long-Term Outlook after Cervical Spine Trauma

By its nature, care of the traumatized cervical spine is primarily focused on the acute demands of preserving or restoring neurological function and stability to the injured segments. Advancements in spinal imaging and instrumentation have led to improvements in injury detection, treatment decision-making, and surgical fixation. While acute treatment of cervical injuries tends to be the focus of most discussions, it represents only a brief first encounter between the patient and the surgeon. Follow-up care, including rehabilitation, fusion assessment, and return to activity, is a more enduring process that practitioners are faced with in longtermcareoftheirinjuredpatients.Despitethis,thereremains a paucity of information and recommendations concerning the long-term outlook following cervical spine trauma. It is the author’s purpose in this article to review these issues, paying particular focus to decision-making regarding return to activity, declaration of maximum medical improvement, and understanding the risk for late cervical degeneration.
Deficiency of TNFR1 protects myocardium through SOCS3 and IL-6 but not p38 MAPK or IL-1β

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays an important role in the development of heart failure. There is a direct correlation between myocardial function and myocardial TNF levels in humans. TNF may i...
Competitive coexistence through intermediate polyphagy

Abstract Communities containing species that are not niche differentiated require some mechanism to avoid the expected competitive exclusion of all but one or a few species. Predator pressure has long been held to be one of those mechanisms. Here, we show that the critical feature of predation is not its intensity, but its degree of specialization. Neither highly specialist nor highly generalist predators are effective at deterring competitive exclusion, but rather predators that exhibit an intermediate level of polyphagy can effectively provide such a mechanism.
Acute effects of cocaine on human brain activity and emotion

We investigated brain circuitry mediating cocaine-induced euphoria and craving using functional MRI (fMRI). During double-blind cocaine (0.6 mg/kg) and saline infusions in cocaine-dependent subjects, the entire brain was imaged for 5 min before and 13 min after infusion while subjects rated scales for rush, high, low, and craving. Cocaine induced focal signal increases in nucleus accumbens/subcallosal cortex (NAc/SCC), caudate, putamen, basal forebrain, thalamus, insula, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate, lateral prefrontal and temporal cortices, parietal cortex, striate/extrastriate cortices, ventral tegmentum, and pons and produced signal decreases in amygdala, temporal pole, and medial frontal cortex. Saline produced few positive or negative activations, which were localized to lateral prefrontal cortex and temporo-occipital cortex. Subjects who underwent repeat studies showed good replication of the regional fMRI activation pattern following cocaine and saline infusions, with activations on saline retest that might reflect expectancy. Brain regions that exhibited early and short duration signal maxima showed a higher correlation with rush ratings. These included the ventral tegmentum, pons, basal forebrain, caudate, cingulate, and most regions of lateral prefrontal cortex. In contrast, regions that demonstrated early but sustained signal maxima were more correlated with craving than with rush ratings; such regions included the NAc/SCC, right parahippocampal gyrus, and some regions of lateral prefrontal cortex. Sustained negative signal change was noted in the amygdala, which correlated with craving ratings. Our data demonstrate the ability of fMRI to map dynamic patterns of brain activation following cocaine infusion in cocaine-dependent subjects and provide evidence of dynamically changing brain networks associated with cocaine-induced euphoria and cocaine-induced craving.
Signaling by small metabolites in systemic acquired resistance

Plants can retain the memory of a prior encounter with a pest. This memory confers upon a plant the ability to subsequently activate defenses more robustly when challenged by a pest. In plants that have retained the memory of a prior, localized, foliar infection by a pathogen, the pathogen-free distal organs develop immunity against subsequent infections by a broad-spectrum of pathogens. The long-term immunity conferred by this mechanism, which is termed systemic acquired resistance (SAR), is inheritable over a few generations. Signaling mediated by the phenolic metabolite salicylic acid (SA) is critical for the manifestation of SAR. Recent studies have described the involvement of additional small metabolites in SAR signaling, including methyl salicylate, the abietane diterpenoid dehydroabietinal, the lysine catabolite pipecolic acid, a glycerol-3-phosphate-dependent factor and the dicarboxylic acid azelaic acid. Many of these metabolites can be systemically transported through the plant and probably facilitate communication by the primary infected tissue with the distal tissues, which is essential for the activation of SAR. Some of these metabolites have been implicated in the SAR-associated rapid activation of defenses in response to subsequent exposure to the pathogen, a mechanism termed priming. Here, we summarize the role of these signaling metabolites in SAR, and the relationship between them and SA signaling in SAR.
Combination Anabolic and Antiresorptive Therapy for Osteoporosis

Osteoanabolic agents directly stimulate bone formation to improve bone mass and skeletal microarchitecture. At present, parathyroid hormone (PTH), in the form of the full-length molecule (PTH(1-84)) and its fully active, but truncated amino-terminal fragment, PTH(1-34) (teriparatide), are the only medications that belong to the osteoanabolic class. It is appealing to consider simultaneous combination therapy with antiresorptive and osteoanabolic drugs as potentially more beneficial than monotherapy with either class, given that their mechanisms of action differ. This review focuses on the research that has been conducted on combination therapy with PTH and an antiresorptive drug.
Rectangular v-Splines

This article describes and presents examples of some techniques for the representation and interactive design of surfaces based on a parametric surface representation that user v-spline curves. These v-spline curves, similar in mathematical structure to v-splines, were developed as a more computationally efficient alternative to splines in tension. Although splines in tension can be modified to allow tension to be applied at each control point, the procedure is computationally expensive. The v-spline curve, however, uses more computationally tractable piecewise cubic curves segments, resulting in curves that are just as smoothly joined as those of a standard cubic spline. After presenting a review of v-splines and some new properties, this article extends their application to a rectangular grid of control points. Three techniques and some application examples are presented.
Usability study of the virtual test bed and distributed simulation

Improving the usability of a Distributed Simulation System (DSS) test bed is the focus of this paper. An introduction to the field of usability is given, followed by a discussion of the characteristics of DSSs. Then the usability of DSSs is considered. The Virtual Test Bed (VTB), a sample DSS we have improved the usability of, is described. The methodology used to improve the VTB's usability is given. With the goal of improving usability for end users, proto-typing of a graphical user interface is discussed; both software and paper prototypes are considered. Lessons learned provide insights into problems we encountered. Research on important aspects of DSSs that affect usability is reflected in a table that summarizes key issues. Our anticipated future research in this area is also discussed.
Preparation of biodegradable microcapsules containing zidovudine (AZT) using solvent evaporation technique.

Sustained release biodegradable microcapsules of AZT were prepared using different concentrations of copolymer of poly(lactic/glycolic) acid (PLGA 50:50 and PLGA 90:10). Solid microcapsules were co...
Adenosine-induced flow arrest to facilitate intracranial aneurysm clip ligation does not worsen neurologic outcome.

BACKGROUND:When temporary arterial occlusion of the parent artery is difficult for anatomical reasons, or when inadvertent aneurysmal rupture occurs during surgical dissection, adenosine administration can be used to produce flow arrest and brief, profound systemic hypotension that can facilitate in
A QMU approach for characterizing the operability limits of air-breathing hypersonic vehicles

Abstract The operability limits of a supersonic combustion engine for an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle are characterized using numerical simulations and an uncertainty quantification methodology. The time-dependent compressible flow equations with heat release are solved in a simplified configuration. Verification, calibration and validation are carried out to assess the ability of the model to reproduce the flow/thermal interactions that occur when the engine unstarts due to thermal choking. quantification of margins and uncertainty (QMU) is used to determine the safe operation region for a range of fuel flow rates and combustor geometries.
Who we are and how we eat: a qualitative study of identities in food choice.

Abstract Objective The study sought to develop a theoretical understanding of identities related to eating. Design A grounded theory approach and open-ended, in-depth interviews were used to examine identity and eating from the perspectives of adults. Participants Seventeen middle-class, white adults (nine women, eight men) were purposively recruited to vary in gender, age, household composition, and ways of eating using convenience and snowball sampling. Data Analysis Interview transcripts were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results Identities involved in participants' food choices related to usual or preferred eating behaviors, personal traits, reference groups, and social categories. Participants varied in the number, type, and complexity of identities involved in eating. Identities were reported to be both stable and dynamic over time and were shaped by participants' life course experiences. Participants varied in the attention they paid to evaluation and monitoring of identities related to eating, the extent to which they enacted identities in eating, and how they managed identity conflicts. Implications The concept of identity may help researchers understand food choice processes and assist practitioners in recognizing the multiple meanings that people bring to and derive from eating.
Functional Heterogeneity of Cytokines and Cytolytic Effector Molecules in Human CD8 + T Lymphocytes

CD8+ T cells use a number of effector mechanisms to protect the host against infection. We have studied human CD8+ T cells specific for CMV pp65495–503 epitope, or for staphylococcal enterotoxin B, for the expression patterns of five cytokines and cytolytic effector molecules before and after antigenic stimulation. Ex vivo, the cytolytic molecule granzyme B was detected in a majority of circulating CMV-specific CD8+ T cells, whereas perforin was rarely expressed. Both were highly expressed after Ag-specific activation accompanied by CD45RO up-regulation. TNF-α, IFN γ, and IL-2 were sequentially acquired on recognition of Ag, but surprisingly, only around half of the CMV-specific CD8+ T cells responded to antigenic stimuli with production of any cytokine measured. A dominant population coexpressed TNF-α and IFN-γ, and cells expressing TNF-α only, IFN-γ only, or all three cytokines together also occurred at lower but clearly detectable frequencies. Interestingly, perforin expression and production of IFN-γ and TNF-α in CD8+ T cells responding to staphylococcal enterotoxin B appeared to be largely segregated, and no IL-2 was detected in perforin-positive cells. Together, these data indicate that human CD8+ T cells can be functionally segregated in vivo and have implications for the understanding of human CD8+ T cell differentiation and specialization and regulation of effector mechanisms.
MRI of the posterolateral corner injury: A concise review

The posterolateral corner of the knee represents a complicated area of anatomy and function. Failure to recognize injury to the posterolateral structures in the acute setting can result in long-term disability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a noninvasive evaluation of such structures. A systematic and simplified approach to the MRI evaluation of posterolateral corner injury can aid in diagnosis and subsequent surgical consideration.