cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Formation of Singlet Propane-1,3-diyl from Propane Deviate from Bond Enthalpy Additivity? Results of Ab Initio Calculations That Bear on the Existence of the Benson Barrier to Diradical Ring Closure†

CISD/cc-pVTZ//CISD/6-31G* calculations have been performed in order to compute the difference between the bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of a C−H bond at C-3 of the 1-propyl radical and a prim...
Boar sperm aminopeptidase: Purification and partial characterization

Abstract An aminopeptidase has been isolated by detergent treatment of boar spermatozoa at pH 7.25 after the spermatozoa were washed through 1 M sucrose containing 50 mM benzamidine. The enzyme has been purified and partially characterized. The purification scheme consisted of ammonium sulphate fractionation, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and affinity chromatography on thiopropyl-Sepharose 6B. The final preparation is highly purified as judged by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) disc gel electrophoresis. The enzyme shows a molecular weight of 126 000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, having two subunits as revealed by SDS disc gel electrophoresis. The enzymatic activity was enhanced by dithiothreitol and was not inhibited by N-α-p- tosyl - l - lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) or l -1-tosylamide-2-phenyl ethyl chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), indicating that the enzyme is a thiopeptidase having no serine involved in enzymatic catalysis. Boar sperm aminopeptidase is a non-specific exopeptidase as it hydrolyses acidic, basic and neutral amino acid-β-naphthylamides, showing the highest rate of hydrolyses with valine-β-naphthylamide. It is a glycoprotein as it binds tightly though reversibly to concanavalin-A-Sepharose. The enzyme also binds to liposomes made up of aqueous dispersions of synthetic phospholipids in the form of anionic vesicles. The binding is 19%, 32% and 74% with liposomes containing 100% phosphatidyl choline, 70% phosphatidyl choline +30% phosphatidyl serine and 50% phosphatidyl choline + 50% phosphatidyl glycerol, respectively. Since the binding of enzyme to liposomes is dissociated (68%) with 0.5 M sodium chloride, it is, therefore, possibly the result of ionic interaction with the membranes.
Species and Temperature Profiles of Propellant Flames Obtained from FTIR Absorption Spectroscopy

The use of Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy to obtain species and temperature profiles within solid-propellant flames is described. Measurements were performed at a spectral resolution of 2 cm-1 and a spatial resolution of 1 mm within the flame zone of an RDX-composite propellant. A nonlinear, least-squares routine was developed to deduce the absolute species concentrations of CO, NO, H2O, CO2 HCN, CH4 and N2O as well as the rotational temperature. The deduced temperature profile revealed the presence of darkzone/ luminous flame-zone structures. The mole fraction of CO increased while the mole fraction of HCN decreased from the beginning of the dark zone to the luminous flame zone. Data on the spatial variation of species concentration and temperature within these zones are important for the development and validation of chemical kinetic mechanisms describing the combustion of solid propellants.
Kinetic control of silicon carbide/metal reactions

The kinetic features governing SiC/metal reactions have been investigated to identify the operating mechanisms and diffusion characteristics. With respect to the contact metal components, the reaction characteristics were identified by two separate modes-formation of silicides and free carbon (Mode I), or formation of carbides and silicides (Mode II). The analysis was confirmed by comparing SiC/Ni and SiC/Cr reactions. The diffusion pathways for both reactions were examined in terms of a chemical potential framework. The application of the analysis has been extended to in-situ interface reactions of SiC/Cu/Ni and SiC/Cr/Ni. New reaction modes representing SiC/metal reactions are considered as well as a strategy to control the reaction pathway.
Changes in physical activity and short-term changes in health care charges: a prospective cohort study of older adults.

Background Better understanding the impact of changes in physical activity behavior on short-term health care charges may inform resource allocation decisions to increase population levels of physical activity. This study examines the prospective relationship of changes in physical activity status on short-term changes in health care charges for older adults. Methods A prospective cohort study was done on a stratified random sample of 2,393 adults aged 50 and older enrolled in a Minnesota health plan, predicting changes in resource use between two periods (September 1994 to August 1995 and September 1996 to August 1997) based on billed health care charges. Results After adjustment for age, gender, comorbidity, smoking status, and body mass index, all physical activity states had declining health care charges, relative to those who were consistently inactive. Subjects who increased their physical activity from 0–1 to 3+ days/week had significant declines in their mean annualized total charges (−$2,202, P < 0.01) relative to those who remained inactive. Conclusions Increased physical activity among older adults is associated with lower health care charges within 2 years, relative to charges for those who were persistently inactive. These cost savings may justify investments in effective interventions to increase physical activity in older adults.
Aspects of subregional ozone variations in the SOS region

Abstract The region that was the focus of the Southern oxidant study (SOS) was divided into five 5° latitude by 5° longitude areas (i.e., areas of about 500 km by 500 km) and a 10-year (1981–1990) time series of the diurnal maximum ozone concentration (DMOC) was created in each area which was used to examine and analyze the subregional characteristics of ozone. The time series for the DMOC was divided into four terms: the long-term mean (i.e. the 10 yr mean in this case); the intra-annual perturbation; the inter-annual perturbation; and the synoptic perturbation. The results indicated that all four terms in the time series, as well as the number and characteristics of exceedances, varied substantially from region to region in the SOS region. Certain aspects of the regional variation of the long-term mean could be explained by variations in solar radiation. The variations of the intra-annual perturbation appear to be correlated with the variations of emissions, and that for the interannual perturbation, with climate fluctuations. A strong relationship between synoptic perturbations in specific regions was also found which was not expected. The synoptic perturbation is forced by synoptic weather systems. Since the spatial scale of synoptic weather systems is about 1000 km and the weather characteristics in the systems can change markedly over 1000 km, strong relationships between synoptic perturbations from region to region are highly unlikely over a 10 yr period. This suggest that possibly factors other than synoptic weather systems may have played a role in producing the relationship.
Tungsten carbide revisited: New anion photoelectron spectrum and density functional theory calculations.

A new anion photoelectron (PE) spectrum of WC− is presented and analyzed using existing and new calculations. This spectrum is different from the PE spectrum previously published [X. Li et al., J. Chem. Phys. 111, 2464 (1999)], which we suggest was actually the PE spectrum of W−. The ground anion state is determined by calculations and comparison with spectral features to be the Δ3∕22 state. The Δ13−Δ3∕22 transition is observed at an electron binding energy of 2.155eV, which corresponds to the adiabatic electron affinity of WC. The bond length of the anion is determined to be 1.771(5)A. A number of spectral assignments corresponding to both excited anion and neutral states are made based on previously obtained fluorescence spectra [S. M. Sickafoose et al., J. Chem. Phys. 116, 993 (2002)] and density functional theory calculations.
Silica phagocytosis causes apoptosis and necrosis by different temporal and molecular pathways in alveolar macrophages

Chronic inhalation of crystalline silica is an occupational hazard that results in silicosis due to the toxicity of silica particles to lung cells. Alveolar macrophages play an important role in clearance of these particles, and exposure of macrophages to silica particles causes cell death and induction of markers of apoptosis. Using time-lapse imaging of MH-S alveolar macrophages, a temporal sequence was established for key molecular events mediating cell death. The results demonstrate that 80 % of macrophages die by apoptosis and 20 % by necrosis by clearly distinguishable pathways. The earliest detectable cellular event is phago-lysosomal leakage, which occurs between 30 and 120 min after particle uptake in both modes of death. Between 3 and 6 h later, cells undergoing apoptosis showed a dramatic increase in mitochondrial transmembrane potential, closely correlated with activation of both caspase-3 and 9 and cell blebbing. Externalization of phosphatidyl serine and nuclear condensation occurred 30 min–2 h after the initiation of cell blebbing. Cells undergoing necrosis demonstrated mitochondrial membrane depolarization but not hyperpolarization and no caspase activation. Cell swelling followed the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, distinguishing necrosis from apoptosis. All cells undergoing apoptosis followed the same temporal sequence, but the time lag between phago-lysosomal leakage and the other events was highly variable from cell to cell. These results demonstrate that crystalline silica exposure can result in either apoptosis or necrosis and each occurs in a well-defined but temporally variable order. The long time gap between phago-lysosomal leakage and hyperpolarization is not consistent with a simple scenario of phago-lysosomal leakage leading directly to cell death. The results highlight the importance of using a cell by cell time-lapse analysis to investigate a complex pathway such as silica induced cell death.
Activation of Nrf2-antioxidant signaling attenuates NFκB-inflammatory response and elicits apoptosis

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative disease, cancer and aging. Indeed, accumulation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated by inflammatory cells that created oxidative stress is thought to be one of the major factor by which chronic inflammation contributes to neoplastic transformation as well as many other diseases. We have recently reported that mice lacking nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) are more susceptible to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and colorectal carcinogenesis. Nrf2 is a basic leucine zipper redox-sensitive transcriptional factor that plays a center role in ARE (antioxidant response element)-mediated induction of phase II detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes. We found that increased susceptibility of Nrf2 deficient mice to DSS-induced colitis and colorectal cancer was associated with decreased expression of antioxidant/phase II detoxifying enzymes in parallel with upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines/biomarkers. These findings suggest that Nrf2 may play an important role in defense against oxidative stress possibly by activation of cellular antioxidant machinery as well as suppression of pro-inflammatory signaling pathways. In addition, in vivo and in vitro data generated from our laboratory suggest that many dietary compounds can differentially regulate Nrf2-mediated antioxidant/anti-inflammatory signaling pathways as the first line defense or induce apoptosis once the cells have been damaged. In this review, we will summarize our thoughts on the potential cross-talks between Nrf2 and NFkappaB pathways. Although the mechanisms involved in the cross-talk between these signaling pathways are still illusive, targeting Nrf2-antioxidative stress signaling is an ideal strategy to prevent or treat oxidative stress-related diseases.
Facile Synthesis of Aminodiborane and Inorganic Butane Analogue NH3BH2NH2BH3

A new ambient-temperature, catalyst-free reaction between ammonia borane and tetrahydrofuran borane produces aminodiborane via the formation of a dihydrogen bond and subsequent molecular hydrogen elimination. The facile synthesis of aminodiborane will make this long-sought active chemical reagent readily available for both inorganic and organic reactions. From aminodiborane, an inorganic butane analogue, NH(3)BH(2)NH(2)BH(3), was prepared, and its single-crystal structure displayed a gauche rather than an anti form conformation.
Adsorption and transport of gas-phase naphthalene on micron-size fog droplets in air.

Aromatic hydrocarbon vapors adsorb to the air/water interface and are transported by wet deposition processes via fog, mist, and rain. A falling droplet apparatus was used to study the adsorption and uptake of naphthalene vapor on water droplets with diameters ranging from 14 to 200 μm. Uptake of naphthalene vapor greater than that predicted by bulk (air−water) phase equilibrium was noted for diameters less than 50 μm and was attributed to surface adsorption. The experimental values of the droplet−vapor partition constants were used to obtain the mass accommodation coefficient for naphthalene at the interface. The effect of temperature on the mass accommodation coefficient was measured. The effects of a synthetic surfactant and a natural organic carbon surrogate (Suwanee Fulvic acid) on the uptake of naphthalene vapors on water droplets were also examined. Small droplet diameter, decreased temperature, and the presence of dissolved surface-active material in water enhanced the uptake of naphthalene into f...
The uncoupled chloride conductance of a bacterial glutamate transporter homolog.

Glutamate transporters (EAATs) are pivotal in mammalian synaptic transmission, tightly regulating synaptic levels of this excitatory neurotransmitter. In addition to coupled glutamate transport, the EAATs also show an uncoupled Cl− conductance, whose physiological importance has recently been demonstrated. Little is yet known about the molecular mechanism of chloride permeation. Here we show that GltPh, a bacterial EAAT homolog whose structure has been determined, displays an uncoupled Cl− conductance that can determine the rate of substrate uptake. A mutation analogous to one known to specifically affect Cl− movement in EAAT1 has similar effects on GltPh, suggesting that this protein is an excellent structural model for understanding Cl− permeation through the EAATs. We also observed an uncoupled Cl− conductance in another bacterial EAAT homolog but not in a homolog of the Na+/Cl−-coupled neurotransmitter transporters.
Brain activation during silent word generation evaluated with functional MRI

This is a study of word generation during functional MRI (fMRI). Eleven normal healthy subjects were instructed to generate words covertly, (i.e., silently) that began with particular letters. Images were acquired on a conventional 1.5T scanner at three contiguous axial planes encompassing language-related areas of the temporal and frontal lobe. The data were analyzed at the level of a Talairach box, after individually fitting the proportional Talairach grid system to each slice. The main variable of interest was the number of activated pixels within a Talairach box. Boxes with a significant increase in the proportion of activated pixels were located in three regions of the left neocortex: (1) Brodmann areas 44 and 45 in the dorsolateral frontal cortex (Broca's area), (2) areas 21 and 37 in the temporal cortex, (3) and the striate/extrastriate cortex (areas 17 & 18). The results are discussed in terms of a cognitive model of word generation and are compared, in detail, with the results of prior relevant imaging studies.
Workplace Stress and Working from Home Influence Depressive Symptoms Among Employed Women with Young Children

Poor balance between work and family can be a major stressor for women with young children and have a negative impact on emotional well-being. Family-friendly workplace attributes may reduce stress and depressive symptoms among this population. However, few studies have analyzed the role of specific workplace attributes on mental health outcomes among women with young children because available data are limited. This study examines the impact of workplace attributes on changes in depressive symptoms among working women with young children between 6 and 24 months of age. This study uses data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) collected between 1991 and 1993 to examine the effects of work intensity, work schedule (night/day/variable), schedule flexibility, working from home, and work stress on changes in depressive symptoms among a national US sample of 570 women who returned to work within 6 months after childbirth. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D score. Treatment effects were estimated using fixed effects regression models. Working from home and work stress predicted within-individual changes in depressive symptoms between 6 and 24 months postchildbirth. Women who worked from home reported a statistically significant decrease in depression scores over time (β = −1.36, SE = 0.51, p = 0.002). Women who reported a one-unit increase in job concerns experienced, on average, a 2-point increase in depression scores over time (β = 1.73, SE = 0.37, p < 0.01). Work intensity, work schedule, and schedule flexibility were not associated with changes in depressive symptoms. This study is one of the few to use longitudinal data and causal-inference techniques to examine whether specific workplace attributes influence depressive symptoms among women with young children. Reducing stress in the workplace and allowing women to work from home may improve mental health among women who transition back to work soon after childbirth.
Structural Comparison of Cognitive Associative Networks in Two Populations

The cognitive associative structure of 2 populations was studied using network analysis of free-word associations. Structural differences in the associative networks were compared using measures of network centralization, size, density, clustering, and path length. These measures are closely aligned with cognitive theories describing the organization of knowledge and retrieval of concepts from memory. Size and centralization of semantic structures were larger for college students than for 7th graders, while density, clustering, and mean path length were similar. Findings presented reveal that subpopulations might have very different cognitive associative networks. This study suggests that graph theory and network analysis methods are useful in mapping differences in associative structures across groups.
Innovating in Digital Government in the American States

Objective. The purpose of this research is to examine why some states have embraced digital government more extensively than others. Methods. Multivariate regression analysis is used to empirically test explanations for state innovation in e-government. The primary dependent variable is the percent of state-level government websites offering online services to citizens. Results. Republican-controlled legislatures are more likely to embrace e-government, implying that efficiency concerns may drive reliance on digital government. Innovators in e-government were states with fewer households with Internet access and less use of the initiative process, indicating that citizen demand was not a factor. More extensive use of e-government is also associated with legislative professionalization and professional networks—factors that may be useful for explaining the diffusion of other administrative reforms, and technical issues lacking political salience. Conclusions. These data suggest e-government implementation is driven by legislative professionalism and, to a lesser extent, state professional networks, rather than citizen demand. These indicators fit Lowi's (1972) conception of “constituent policy” as a top-down process, confined to administrative or legislative circles, compared to distributive, regulatory, and redistributive policy. We hypothesize that other administrative reforms, particularly those lacking political salience, may exhibit similar relationships with legislative professionalization and professional networks.
Overlapping advance control systems for microelectrode positioning.

Abstract This report discusses overlapping advance control systems in relation to the problems of resolution, compactness, and speed of response which are now present in varying degrees in commercially available rolling diaphragm hydraulic microdrives and which are considerations in certain applications. A mechanical microdrive was first described which achieves resolution (to 0.1 μm) and compactness by mounting a differential-screw translator concentrically within a micrometer screw. A prototype of this microdrive is approximately 6.5 × 6.5 cm, but the design of the unit allows a reduction of diameter to approximately 2 cm with no appreciable loss in resolution. Since the cost of construction is reasonable, this microdrive is a feasible and worthwhile alternative for the advance control of hydraulic systems. The application of piezoelectric transducer (PTZ) devices to impact rapid motion was then discussed: First, it was illustrated how a high load bearing PZT could be placed in series between a mechanical microdrive and a hydraulic system. This allows the wide range positioning capabilities of the mechanical microdrive to effect initial electrode control, while the high speed (“pulsed”) motion of the PZT is reserved to aid in the penetration of small cells or for exceedingly fine position adjustments. In this configuration, the PZT is located so as to avoid the drawbacks produced were such a device to be mounted on the final stage of a hydraulic system where its size would be likely to interfere. Finally, a newly designed PZT device—the inchworm—was described and its application to electrode positioning problems discussed as an additional and new alternative. Under boundary constraints defined by the cost of presently available stepping hydraulic microdrives, the alternatives discussed in this paper are certainly reasonable and the gains in resolution, compactness, and speed may therefore be viewed as attractive bonuses to be had in the event that they are demanded by experimental considerations.
Cellular repair in the parkinsonian nonhuman primate brain.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that provides a useful model for testing cell replacement strategies to rejuvenate the affected dopaminergic neural systems, which have been destroyed by aging and the disease. We first showed that grafts of fetal dopaminergic neurons can reverse parkinsonian motor deficits induced by the toxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), validating the feasibility of cellular repair in a primate nervous system. Subsequent clinical trials in Parkinson patients showed encouraging results, including long-term improvement of neurological signs and reduction of medications in some patients. However, many experienced little therapeutic benefit, and some recipients experienced dyskinesias, suggesting a lack of regulated control of the grafts. We have since attempted to improve cell replacements by placing grafts in their correct anatomical location in the substantia nigra and using strategies such as co-grafting fetal striatal tissue or growth factors into the physiologic striatal targets. Moreover, the use of fetal cells depends on a variable supply of donor material, making it difficult to standardize cell quality and quantity. Therefore, we have also explored possibilities of using human neural stem cells (hNSCs) to ameliorate parkinsonism in nonhuman primates with encouraging results. hNSCs implanted into the striatum showed a remarkable migratory ability and were found in the substantia nigra, where a small number appeared to differentiate into dopamine neurons. The majority became growth factor–producing glia that could provide beneficial effects on host dopamine neurons. Studies to determine the optimum stage of differentiation from embryonic stem cells and to derive useful cells from somatic cell sources are in progress.
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ADVANCED CARDIAC SCREENING: NO DIFFERENCES IN ANXIETY LEVELS BASED ON REASON FOR FALSE POSITIVE RESULT

Background The American Heart Association (AHA) cites excessive anxiety in athletes with false positive results as a major deterrent to ECG screening during the PPE. No study has examined the experiences of athletes with false positive test results during cardiovascular screening. Objective To determine the psychological impact of young athletes with false positive results by history, exam, or ECG during cardiovascular screening. Design Prospective, multi-site investigation (22 schools). Setting Young competitive athletes. Participants 1 506 high school athletes (59.3% male, mean age 15.5 years, 53.7% Caucasian, 23.4% African American). Assessment of risk factors Athletes underwent screening with a standardized AHA-based history and physical exam and ECG. Main outcome measurements Pre- and post-screen validated assessments for health attitudes, anxiety, and impact of screening on sport. Results 74.1% of athletes had normal screens, 22.1% false positive results (12.9% history, 4.2% exam, 3.1% ECG), and 0.9% were diagnosed with a cardiac disorder. Before screening, females preferred to know about underlying cardiac conditions compared to males (P Conclusions The AHA supposition that ECG screening causes excessive anxiety in athletes with false positive results is unsubstantiated. Psychological distress should not be used as a rationale against ECG screening.
Dietary supplementation of tyrosine prevents the rapid fall in blood pressure during haemorrhage

Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of tyrosine (TYR), the amino acid precursor of catecholamines, to increase blood pressure in rats made hypotensive by haemorrhage. Other studies have shown that supplementation of the diet with TYR can reverse certain neurochemical and behavioural consequences associated with acute stress. Such studies demonstrate that during conditions of enhanced neuronal firing catecholamine synthesis is accelerated when additional precursor TYR is made available. In these situations the rate-limiting enzyme of catecholamine synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase, activated via phosphorylation, becomes responsive to additional TYR. Our experiments were designed to study the ability of dietary TYR (3.7%, or 4X the normal amount), to prevent the rapid fall in blood pressure observed during acute haemorrhage. Rats consuming the high TYR diet (5 days) maintained arterial blood pressure (systolic, diastolic and mean) at significantly greater values during the period of acute haemorrhagic insult than animals maintained on a control diet. Rats fed the high TYR diet had significantly greater levels of the amino acid in the heart, adrenal glands, liver, kidney, brainstem, spleen and semimembranosus pars caudalis muscle. We conclude that TYR can be stored and most likely utilized in the synthesis of catecholamines for the maintenance of arterial blood pressure during acute haemorrhage. These results are of particular importance in light of the fact that most total parenteral nutrition solutions contain very little if any TYR.
A sequence predicting CA3 is a flexible associator that learns and uses context to solve hippocampal‐like tasks

The model discussed in this paper is, by hypothesis, a minimal, biologically plausible model of hippocampal region CA3. Because cognitive mapping can be viewed as a sequence prediction problem, we qualify this model as a successful sequence predictor. Since the model solves problems which require the use of context, the model is also able to learn and use context. The model also solves configural learning problems of which, at least one, requires a hippocampus. Thus, by solving sequence problems, by solving configural learning problems, and by creating codes for context, this model provides a computational unification of hippocampal functions which are often viewed as disparate.
Activin is a neuronal survival factor that is rapidly increased after transient cerebral ischemia and hypoxia in mice

One approach for developing targeted stroke therapies is to identify the neuronal protective and destructive signaling pathways and gene expression that follow ischemic insult. In some neural injury models, the transforming growth factor-beta family member activin can provide neuroprotective effects in vivo and promote neuronal survival. This study tests if activin supports cortical neurons after ischemic challenge in vitro and if signals after cerebral ischemia involve activin in vivo. In a defined cell culture model that uses hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-free radical stress, activin addition maintained neuronal survival. H(2)O(2) treatment increased activin mRNA twofold in surviving cortical neurons, and inhibition of activin with neutralizing antibodies caused neuronal death. These data identify activin gene changes as a rapid response to oxidative stress, and indicate that endogenous activin acts as a protective factor for cortical neurons in vitro. Similarly, after transient focal cerebral ischemia in adult mice, activin mRNA increased at 1 and 4 h ipsilateral to the infarct but returned to control values at 24 h after reperfusion. Intracellular activated smad signals were detected in neurons adjacent to the infarct. Activin was also increased after 2 h of 11% hypoxia. Activin mRNA increased at 1 h but not 4 or 24 h after hypoxia, similar to the time course of erythropoietin and vascular endothelial growth factor induction. These findings identify activin as an early-regulated gene response to transient ischemia and hypoxia, and its function in cortical neuron survival during oxidative challenge provides a basis to test activin as a potential therapeutic in stroke injury.
Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: Correlation with response to chemotherapy and organ preservation

Objectives/Hypothesis: Induction chemotherapy and definitive radiation therapy in advanced laryngeal cancer has been shown to achieve survival rates that are similar to total laryngectomy and postoperative radiation therapy. In patients with advanced laryngeal cancer, quality of life can be significantly enhanced by treatment regimens that preserve the larynx. However, which patients will respond best to organ preservation protocols remains unknown. The Bcl-2 family proteins are involved in control of apoptosis and, potentially, tumor response to chemotherapy. Study Design: Retrospective analysis of immunohistochemical tumor characteristics and clinical outcome. Methods: To determine whether Bcl-2 family proteins were predictive of successful organ preservation, immunohistochemical analysis of tissue specimens from 47 patients with advanced laryngeal cancer from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Program (VA CSP-268) were evaluated for the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-X L , and Bax protein expression. Tumor response was classified as either complete or partial/nonresponse after induction chemotherapy. Protein expression was correlated with tumor response, organ preservation, and overall patient survival. Results: The Bcl-2 protein was expressed at high levels in only 15% of specimens, but five of seven tumors with high Bcl-2 showed complete response (P = .10). The majority of tumors expressed high levels of Bcl-X L (74%). Reduced expression of Bcl-X L was associated with a complete response (P = .143) and with larynx preservation (P = .06). Most patients (81%) had increased levels of Bax expression. Reduced expression of Bax was associated with a complete response rate (P = .074), but there was no correlation between Bax expression and larynx preservation. Conclusions: The findings indicate that laryngeal cancer cells typically produce high levels of only one of the apoptosis protective proteins, Bcl-2 or Bcl-X L . Prospective studies of larger numbers of patients are under way to determine whether Bcl-X L expression will be a useful marker predicting larynx preservation.
A comparison of the carbohydrate composition of the hemolymph and fat body of Phormia regina during larval development

Abstract 1. 1. The glycogen content of the fat body of Phormia regina increased nearly ninefold during third-instar development and represented 8·9–10·9 per cent of the total fat body dry weight. 2. 2. The predominant non-glycogen cargohydrate of the hemolymph was glucose which varied from 155 mg% to 46 mg%. 3. 3. Trehalose was observed in the fat body throughout third-instar development, but was undetectable in the hemolymph until just before puparium formation. 4. 4. A substance with carbohydrate characteristics appeared in the fat body at puparium formation and may have a developmental significance.
Fatigue behaviour of SiCp-reinforced aluminium composites in the very high cycle regime using ultrasonic fatigue

The fatigue behaviour of a 2009/SiC/15p-T4 DRA composite has been examined in the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime where 10 7 < N f < 10 9 cycles. Ultrasonic fatigue was used to achieve the very high cycle counts. Careful processing yielded a composite with a very homogeneous particle distribution with minimal clustering. Fatigue crack initiation was observed almost exclusively at AlCuFe inclusions with no crack initiation observed at SiC particle clusters. Fatigue lives at a given stress level exhibited minimal scatter and subsurface crack initiation was observed in all cases. This behaviour is consistent with the presence of a low number density of critical inclusions that are responsible for crack initiation very early in fatigue life.
Carcinoma of the gallbladder

One hundred ten cases of primary carcinoma of the gallbladder occurring over a 25 year period were reviewed. Except for anemia and weight loss, the signs, symptoms, laboratory, and roentgenographic studies were of little value in the preoperative diagnosis of the disease. Most patients presented with advanced disease with extension to the liver and metastases to the common bile duct nodes. In nine patients the tumor was not clinically apparent at the time of cholecystectomy, the diagnosis being made postoperatively by the pathologist. By the end of the first postoperative year, 85 percent of the patients had died. Only two patients survived more than 5 years, for an overall 5 year survival rate of 2 percent. Usually the only survivors are patients with lesions resected early that were not apparent to the operating surgeon and without deep invasion of the gallbladder wall. The best hope for reducing the mortality from this disease lies in earlier cholecystectomy in patients with benign gallbladder disease and in extending the limits of resection when small, and presumably early, lesions are encountered.
Affairs of party: The political culture of Northern Democrats in the mid-nineteenth century

Affairs of party, Jean Baker asserts, were a central feature of public life in nineteenth-century America. In this book she explores the way in which the Northern Democrats of the mid-eighteen hundreds lived their public lives. She begins with a psychobiographical explanation of how people became Democrats, weighing the importance of such influences as education and family life. She then discusses two major elements that set Democrats apart from members of other political organizations: a modified Republican ideology tailored to the circumstances of the Civil War, and a mordant racism conveyed most strikingly through minstrelsy. Finally, Baker studies the neglected subject of partisan behavior, concentrating on the significance of parades, voting, and other rituals. In Affairs of Party Jean Baker brings together the three basic components of a political culture-education, thought, and behavior-and provides an understanding of the collective values of Northern Democrats and an insight into the elusive meaning of party experience. In her new preface, Professor Baker places her book in the context of both recent scholarship and recent political and cultural developments.
Patient perspectives on decision making in heart failure.

Abstract Background Patients with heart failure (HF) face an array of challenging decisions involving medications, devices, and transplants. The goal of this qualitative study was to describe patients' perceptions surrounding difficult decisions along with factors that influenced their decisions. Methods and Results We studied 22 patients with symptomatic HF from the University of Colorado Hospital using in-depth, semistructured interviews. We used descriptive theme analysis in an iterative process to analyze responses to the question: “Can you tell me about any important or difficult decisions you have had to make about your heart condition?” Two distinct decision-making styles emerged: active (55%) and passive (45%). Active decision makers identified interventions such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, medications, and transplants to be the most difficult decisions and weighed concerns for side effects, family, and quality of life. Passive decision makers generally did not identify a difficult decision and described factors such as trust in God, trust in the physician, and power of the physician as reasons for their passivity. Conclusions Patients with HF use active and passive decision styles in their approach to medical decision making. Future work should investigate communication techniques to assure that passive decision makers receive health care that is concordant with their values.
Empirical Study of the Universum SVM Learning for High-Dimensional Data

Many applications of machine learning involve sparse high-dimensional data, where the number of input features is (much) larger than the number of data samples, d *** n . Predictive modeling of such data is very ill-posed and prone to overfitting. Several recent studies for modeling high-dimensional data employ new learning methodology called Learning through Contradictions or Universum Learning due to Vapnik (1998,2006). This method incorporates a priori knowledge about application data, in the form of additional Universum samples, into the learning process. This paper investigates generalization properties of the Universum-SVM and how they are related to characteristics of the data. We describe practical conditions for evaluating the effectiveness of Random Averaging Universum.
A Mathematical Logic Approach for the Transformation of the Linear Conditional Piecewise Functions of Dispersion-and-Store and Cell Transmission Traffic Flow Models into Linear Mixed-Integer Form

The modeling of traffic control systems for solving such problems as surface street signalization, dynamic traffic assignment, etc., typically results in the appearance of a conditional function. For example, the consistent representation of the outflow discharge at an approach of a signalized intersection implies a function that is conditional on the signal indication and the prevailing traffic conditions. Representing such functions by some sort of constraint(s), ideally linear, so as to be considered in the context of a mathematical programming problem, is a nontrivial task, most often resolved by adopting restrictive assumptions regarding real-life process behavior. To address this general problem, we develop two methodologies that are largely based on analogies from mathematical logic that provide a practical device for the transformation of a specific form of a linear conditional piecewise function into a mixed integer model (MIM), i.e., a set of mixed-integer linear inequality constraints. We show the applicability of these methodologies to transforming into a MIM virtually every possible conditional piecewise function that can be found when one is modeling transportation systems based on the widely adopted dispersion-and-store and cell transmission traffic flow models, as well as to analyzing existing MIMs for identifying and eliminating redundancies.
Least Squares Analysis of Tectonite Fabric Data

The graphical techniques presently in use in structural petrology are unsatisfactory, except in special cases, due to (1) their limiting assumptions and (2) their inherent imprecision. These difficulties may be overcome by introducing more general assumptions and by treating the data more directly. The “best” axis may be defined for any given set of fabric data by a least squares criterion, based upon a general conical model. In the limits this model reduces to (1) the point distribution which is analyzed in beta diagrams and centrosymmetric point maxima of lineations, and (2) the great circle distribution, which is analyzed in pi diagrams. As defined by the least squares criterion, the best axis may be interpreted as the “factor” (by analogy with factor analysis) which explains a minimum of the variance in the data. A variance surface may be constructed from spacially distributed trial axes, plotted on a spherical surface, and then projected onto a plane. Such surfaces show how the variance explained by trial axes varies with orientation. Variance surfaces allow development and testing of models that approximate the structures under consideration. Examples from metamorphic rocks of the Sierra Nevada show how data may be analyzed and models may be developed.
Seed reserves and light intensity affect the growth and mycorrhiza development of the seedlings of an Australian rain-forest tree

Interspecific variation in seed size can affect seedling establishment in the light-limited understorey of rain forests. Large seeds with extensive seed reserves may allow seedlings to (1) persist in the deep shade, thereby increasing the likelihood of exposure to a canopy gap (Leishman & Westoby 1994, Saverimuttu & Westoby 1996); (2) promote growth, thereby allowing seedlings to reach higher light strata or to develop sufficient photosynthetic tissue to meet their energy needs in low light (Foster 1986); and (3) allow compensation for tissue losses to herbivores and pathogens (Armstrong & Westoby 1993, Foster 1986, Harms & Dalling 1997). However, comparisons of shade tolerance among species that vary in seed size have produced conflicting results; short-term seedling survival was strongly positively associated with seed size in several studies (Grime & Jeffrey 1965, Leishman & Westoby 1994), but only weakly in others (Augspurger 1984, Grubb & Metcalfe 1996).
Occupational Mobility Among Legal Immigrants to the United States

Using data from the New Immigrant Survey Pilot, which follows immigrants for one year after receiving green cards, occupation in the U.S. is compared with that of the last job abroad. Fifty percent of immigrants experience downgrading. Among the highest-skilled immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean, more than three-fourths end up in lower-skilled jobs than what they had abroad. Human capital acquired in Latin America and the Caribbean is valued less than that from Europe, Australia, and Canada in the U.S. labor market, while immigrants with some U.S. education can increase the returns to that acquired previously abroad.
GOVERNMENT BONDS AND THE CROSS-SECTION OF STOCK RETURNS

We study basic return comovement and predictability patterns in U.S. government bonds and the cross-section of stocks. Government bonds comove most strongly with bond-like stocks, i.e. stocks of large, mature, low-volatility, profitable, dividend-paying firms that are neither high growth nor distressed. Government bonds and bond-like stocks are also copredictable in the sense that time-series variables that predict returns on one asset class also predict returns on the other. In addition to traditional explanations for comovement and copredictability, the evidence is particularly consistent with the hypothesis that fluctuations in investor sentiment affect the demand for both bonds and bond-like stocks relative to the demand for speculative stocks.
Receiver measurements at 1267 GHz using a diffusion-cooled superconducting transition-edge bolometer

We report receiver noise temperature measurements using a quasioptically coupled diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer at a local oscillator frequency of 1267 GHz, and an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz. A best double-sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature of 1880 K was measured, with an estimated mixer noise of 945 K (DSB), and a conversion efficiency including coupling losses of -19 dB (DSB). The coupled local oscillator power requirement for this device is estimated at roughly 6 nW. The mixer noise temperature is less than twice that measured earlier in a waveguide receiver at 530 GHz, which shows that the sensitivity of this type of mixer does not degrade sharply with increasing frequency in this regime.
Understanding the Desirability of English Language Education in Taiwan.

The popularity and desirability of English language education has become somewhat unbeatable in Taiwan. This article seeks to understand the multiple threads of reasoning systems that come together to constitute and sustain the desirability of English learning. It conceptualizes that language education is more than teaching and learning a new/foreign language. Language is intertwined with the sphere of culture. Thus, it is hoped to encourage an alternative perspective for rethinking English language education in Taiwan. The importance of English has become unquestionable in Taiwan. Outside the field of education, English language education is promoted as a significant element of a 'lifelong' learning project for all by the central government. Inside the field of education, English language education has been classified as a required and mandatory curriculum/subject area in Taiwan's national compulsory educational system since 1968.(1) In addition, starting from the late 1990s, changes in English language education, including augmentation of credit hours and an earlier starting point for the teaching and learning of English, have been planned and implemented.(2) Current changes concerning English language education signify the growing status of English language and illustrate the desirability of English language education in Taiwan. The desirability of English language education is multilayered. At one level, it is informed by the global circulation of linguistic and language acquisition research studies and brain research literature that are related to a critical period hypothesis of language acquisition (Lenneberg, 1964, 1967; Krashen, 1981, 1985; Hoffmann, 1997; Birdsong, 1999; Chen, 2001). At another level, the drive towards an early start on English language learning in Taiwan is related to a present construction of a particular national imaginary that is related to a Taiwanese interpretation of globalization and 'appropriate' modern education. In the following sections of this article, a brief discussion on reconceptualizing the desirability of English language education is presented to understand and analyze the desirability of English in Taiwan.