cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disparities in Surgical Oncology: Management of Advanced Cancer

Significant variations in the patterns of care, incidence, and mortality rates of several common cancers have been noted. These disparities have been attributed to a complex interplay of factors, including genetic, environmental, and healthcare-related components. Within this review, primarily focusing on commonly occurring cancers (breast, lung, colorectal), we initially summarize the burden of these disparities with regard to incidence and screening patterns. We then explore the interaction between several proven genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences that are known to contribute to these disparities.
Rituximab-Associated Flare of Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis.

Background Patients with cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) can develop disease flare after rituximab administration. The objective of our study was to describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics, predisposing factors, and outcomes of patients with rituximab-associated flare of CV. Methods We conducted a retrospective study in a tertiary referral center until March 25, 2020. Results Among 64 patients with CV who received rituximab therapy in our center, 14 (22%) developed disease flare. Median age was 67.5 years. Seven patients (50%) had type II CV and the other half had either type I (n = 6) or type III (n = 1). Twelve patients (86%) had an underlying B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder as the cause of their CV. CV flare occurred after a median time of 5.5 days (range: 2–8 days). The organ systems most involved were the skin (n = 10), kidneys (n = 5), and peripheral nerves (n = 3). Five patients (36%) developed acute kidney injury (AKI), 3 of whom presented with nephritic syndrome secondary to biopsy-proven membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Treatment was directed against the underlying disease in addition to supportive care. Patients who developed flare were more likely to have B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder as the underlying etiology of their CV (P = 0.03). Eight patients (57%) died after a median time of 27 months. Conclusions Rituximab-associated flare can occur in all types of CV, tends to arise approximately 2 days and less than 1 week after rituximab administration, and is more likely to happen in patients with an underlying B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. It does not indicate treatment failure, and rituximab should not be abandoned altogether. AKI is a common manifestation, and mortality rate at 2 years is high.
Neuroprotection During Dissection Repair

Neurological outcomes remain critical for acute aortic syndromes. This requires thoughtful planning for anesthesia induction, cannulation, preservation of brain and spinal cord perfusion through bypass and reconstruction, and adequate fluid and coagulation resuscitation through the perioperative period.
The Antiquity of the Cam Deformity: A Comparison of Proximal Femoral Morphology Between Early and Modern Humans.

Background: The precise etiology of cam impingement continues to be incompletely understood. The prevailing hypothesis posits that the deformity arises as a developmental injury prior to skeletal maturation. There is a possible evolutionary role, with an aspherical femoral head affording upright humans better stability. We set out to identify the antiquity of the cam deformity to better understand the comparative roles of modern behavior and evolution in its development. Methods: We used 249 physical specimens of femora from the Libben osteological collection, a set of bones from an ancient population who lived between the eighth and the eleventh century. These femora were photographed in four different orientations, and six specific proximal femoral angles were measured. The values were also compared with those from modern human femora using the Student t test, with a two-tailed p value of 0.05 denoting significance. Results: In total, 249 femora from 175 individuals were included in the final analysis. The ages of the individuals ranged between seventeen and fifty-five years. Interobserver and intraobserver correlation was good or excellent for all variables measured. Compared with modern populations, ancient human hips were significantly more anteverted (19.96° versus 12.85°; p 50°). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: It appears that the cam deformity was nonexistent among ancient humans and is perhaps predominantly a product of modern-day stresses. Further clinical investigation into behavioral modifications in adolescence is warranted to potentially prevent the development of deformity and impingement.
Is teacher immediacy actually related to student cognitive learning

Based on an extensive body of research, many scholars believe that increases in teacher immediacy cause increases in student cognitive learning. This article examines the research that led to that conclusion. Taken as a whole, that line of research suffers from several shortcomings: (a) It lacks cognitive theoretical foundations, (b) it uses self‐report measures that may be flawed or ill‐suited, and (c) it founds causal claims on inappropriate data. As a result, the data that demonstrate a causal relationship between immediacy and cognitive learning may instead be reflecting a halo effect. This article proposes an alternative conception of how immediacy may function in the classroom, and reports an exploratory study intended to determine whether there is merit in farther pursuing the suggested alternative. Based on the theoretical arguments reviewed and data generated in this study, a revised agenda is proposed for advancing our understanding of how immediacy functions in the college classroom.
Focus Groups: A Valuable Tool for Assessing Male and Female Adolescent Perceptions of School-Based Mental Health Services

Research documenting adolescents' perceptions about positive outcomes and quality care for students receiving school-based mental health services is needed. Information from focus groups examining the perceptions of students receiving and not receiving school-based mental health services is presented. High schools were located in urban areas. Students attending these schools were predominantly African-American and from low-income families. Results, based on qualitative analyses, provided information about how to improve service delivery, assess factors related to positive outcomes, and develop model programs. Important differences in focus group themes were found for males versus females. For example, females placed greater value on the relationship with the therapist, while males placed greater value on specific skills training. Focus groups yielded a great deal of information about services, were inexpensive, and were deemed an acceptable research tool by the adolescents themselves.
Role of the Cellular Oxidation-Reduction State in Methotrexate Binding to Dihydrofolate Reductase and Dissociation Induced by Reduced Folates

Abstract 5-Formyltetrahydrofolate promotes the net dissociation of methotrexate bound to dihydrofolate reductase in the Ehrlich ascites tumor (L. H. Matherly et al. , Cancer Res., 43: 2694–2699, 1983). Treatment of Ehrlich tumor cells with glucose or inhibitors of electron transfer stabilized the association of the antifolate with dihydrofolate reductase as reflected by a 2-fold increased fraction of dihydrofolate reductase-bound methotrexate and an abolition of the 5-formyltetrahydrofolate-induced dissociation of the inhibitor-enzyme complex. Glucose and azide were also found to increase the intracellular ratio of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP + ) in the tumor approximately 8- and 11-fold, respectively. However, other agents which enhanced the association between methotrexate and its target enzyme were less effective in increasing the intracellular level of NADPH relative to NADP + . Micromolar concentrations of NADPH promoted methotrexate binding to the purified Ehrlich tumor dihydrofolate reductase. Bound methotrexate could be dissociated from the purified enzyme by 5-methyltetrahydrofolate but less readily by 5-formyltetrahydrofolate and only in the presence of reduced levels of NADPH relative to NADP + . The tetraglutamate derivative of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate was even more effective than the underivatized compound in dissociating methotrexate from dihydrofolate reductase. These findings suggest a critical role for the cellular oxidation-reduction state in determining the affinity of dihydrofolate reductase for methotrexate and thus the cellular sensitivity to the antifolate. In addition, the data are consistent with the possibility that dihydrofolate reductase is a key locus for intracellular competitive interactions between reduced folates and methotrexate during leucovorin rescue from the pharmacological effects of the antifolate.
LIFETIME PREVALENCE OF DSM‐IV MENTAL DISORDERS AMONG NEW SOLDIERS IN THE U.S. ARMY: RESULTS FROM THE ARMY STUDY TO ASSESS RISK AND RESILIENCE IN SERVICEMEMBERS (ARMY STARRS)

Background The prevalence of 30-day mental disorders with retrospectively reported early onsets is significantly higher in the U.S. Army than among socio-demographically matched civilians. This difference could reflect high prevalence of preenlistment disorders and/or high persistence of these disorders in the context of the stresses associated with military service. These alternatives can to some extent be distinguished by estimating lifetime disorder prevalence among new Army recruits. Methods The New Soldier Study (NSS) in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) used fully structured measures to estimate lifetime prevalence of 10 DSM-IV disorders in new soldiers reporting for Basic Combat Training in 2011–2012 (n = 38,507). Prevalence was compared to estimates from a matched civilian sample. Multivariate regression models examined socio-demographic correlates of disorder prevalence and persistence among new soldiers. Results Lifetime prevalence of having at least one internalizing, externalizing, or either type of disorder did not differ significantly between new soldiers and civilians, although three specific disorders (generalized anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and conduct disorders) and multimorbidity were significantly more common among new soldiers than civilians. Although several socio-demographic characteristics were significantly associated with disorder prevalence and persistence, these associations were uniformly weak. Conclusions New soldiers differ somewhat, but not consistently, from civilians in lifetime preenlistment mental disorders. This suggests that prior findings of higher prevalence of current disorders with preenlistment onsets among soldiers than civilians are likely due primarily to a more persistent course of early-onset disorders in the context of the special stresses experienced by Army personnel.
Design and methods of the Gentle Cardiac Rehabilitation Study--A behavioral study of tai chi exercise for patients not attending cardiac rehabilitation.

Abstract Introduction Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs reduce overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients with a history of acute coronary events or revascularization procedures, but only 30% of patients enroll in CR and attrition rates reach up to 60%. Tai chi, a mind-body practice based on light/moderate aerobic exercise accompanied by meditative components could be a possible exercise option for patients who do not attend CR. Methods/design Sixty patients will be randomized to a “LITE” condition (one tai chi session twice weekly for 12 weeks) or to a “PLUS” condition (one tai chi session 3 times weekly for 12 weeks, followed by maintenance classes 1–2 times weekly for an additional 12 weeks). Measurements will be conducted at baseline, 3-, 6-, and 9 months after enrollment. The primary outcome is to determine the feasibility, acceptability and safety of each dose. Secondary outcomes include estimates of effect size of each dose on accelerometry-assessed physical activity; the proportion of patients meeting current recommendations for physical activity; and measures of fitness, quality of life, body weight, and sleep. In addition, we will collect exploratory information on possible mediators (exercise self-efficacy, perceived social support, resilience, mindfulness, and depression). Conclusions Findings from this pilot study will provide preliminary indications about the usefulness of tai chi as an exercise option for patients not attending traditional CR programs. Results will also shed light on the possible mechanisms by which tai chi practice may improve overall physical activity among patients with atherosclerotic coronary heart disease.
Os cuidados paliativos nos cuidados de saúde primários - O desafio para o século XXI

The aging of the Portuguese population poses challenges in end-of-life care for primary care and family physicians. The de- velopment of palliative care as an autonomous discipline has led to an understanding that the involvement of primary care and family physicians is essential for the global provision of care. There is evidence that this is an important factor in allowing pa- tients to die at home. This is the preferred place of death for most Europeans, including the Portuguese. Portugal has one of the highest hospital death rates in Europe, possibly reflecting a lack of investment in training primary care physicians for end-of- life care. The creation of the National Plan for Palliative Care, the passage of the Palliative Care Law in Portugal, the creation of the National Network for Continuous Care (in which many family physicians are already taking part), and the provision of in- centives for home visits are examples of recent important measures. However, there are still many barriers to overcome to help family physicians improve the quality of palliative care given by generalists. Areas such as training, the availability of resources, and coordination with specialist palliative care should be targeted for improvement. We are still far from the standards set by other European countries in our ability to offer good end-of-life care to our patients. It is ethically imperative to make pallia- tive care a priority on the General Practice agenda in Portugal.
Teratogenic studies with 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D in the hamster.

Commercial samples of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) were feticidal and teratogenic in the golden Syrian hamster when administered orally on days 6 – 10 of organogenesis, and the incidence of effects increased with the content of the impurity, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin). Abnormalities per live litter were clearly related to dose levels of 2,4,5-T in combination with dioxin. With dioxin, the abnormalities caused by 2,4,5-T consisted chiefly of absence of eyelid and delayed head ossification. Dioxin contamination increased the level of hemorrhages in the liveborn, and also produced marked edema. Terata were produced occasionally with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and the fetal viability per litter decreased, but neither effect was clearly dose-related. Fused ribs were seen with the greatest frequency among the terata produced by 2,4-D.
Hexapeptide repeat structure in Dictyostelium spore coat protein.

Abstract The sequences of the NH2-termini of two spore coat proteins of Dictyostelium , discoideum have been determined. One of them (SP60) consists of perfect hexapeptide repeats of the sequence Gly-Asp-Trp-Asn-Asn-Asx-. The sequence has some homology to the parvovirus capsid protein which does not display periodicity. The NH2-terminal sequence of the second protein, SP70, contains a modified amino acid in two positions and like SP60 is highly hydrophilic and acidic.
The Classless Society: Comment on Stearns

An English reviewer once referred to what he described as the "frenzy" about class which afflicts many nineteenth-century historians across the Atlantic. Professor Stearns, betraying no sign of hysteria, meets the subject forthrightly and with a rare judiciousness. The result is a most learned and stimulating article, for which the author deserves high praise. I hope that the comments that follow do not appear merely carping or ungenerous; it is all too easy to reduce an argument to caricature, particularly one so compressed and wide-ranging as this, and I would not wish to appear to be doing so. My problems with the article are of three kinds. They arise from the way in which the material is presented, the theoretical position taken in the body of the article, and the factual support offered for that position. The article has caused me considerable difficulty, not because of the style, which is clear, but because the argument is so condensed that at places I cannot be sure that I fully understand, or even understand at all. For one thing, the range of time and space involved is so great that it is hard to know at every point just which country and what time are being discussed, and some of the general statements do not seem very securely anchored in a specific historical context. Furthermore, there seems a troubling discrepancy between two levels of argument. There is a detailed, precise shredding of the notion of class as commonly used by social historians; on this level the article is almost purely destructive in effect, devoted as it is to an effective exposure of bland generalities and inexact thinking. The second level is one of generalization and outlines a positive theory of class, but this positive theory needs support that it does not receive in the paper. While well aware of the limitations imposed by length, I found myself frequently wishing that Stearns had written an article at least twice the length, or even better three or four times the length, of this one. Stearns starts from the insistence that we use social class in three ways that are theoretically distinct and that depend on the particular purposes of
Bayesian structured variable selection in linear regression models

In this paper we consider the Bayesian approach to the problem of variable selection in normal linear regression models with related predictors. We adopt a generalized singular $$g$$g-prior distribution for the unknown model parameters and the beta-prime prior for the scaling factor $$g$$g, which results in a closed-form expression of the marginal posterior distribution without integral representation. A special prior on the model space is then advocated to reflect and maintain the hierarchical or structural relationships among predictors. It is shown that under some nominal assumptions, the proposed approach is consistent in terms of model selection and prediction. Simulation studies show that our proposed approach has a good performance for structured variable selection in linear regression models. Finally, a real-data example is analyzed for illustrative purposes.
Are HPV vaccination services accessible to high-risk communities? A spatial analysis of HPV-associated cancer and Chlamydia rates and safety-net clinics

Purpose While HPV vaccines can greatly benefit adolescents and young women from high-risk areas, little is known about whether safety-net immunization services are geographically accessible to communities at greatest risk for HPV-associated diseases. We explore the spatial relationship between areas with high HPV risk and proximity to safety-net clinics from an ecologic perspective.
The effect of Confucius Institutes on US Exports to China: A state level analysis

Abstract This paper uses the trade gravity model to examine the effects of Confucius Institutes (CIs) on the exports of US states to China in 2006–2010. Overall, we detect a 5–6% increase in state exports for each additional CI branch established in a given state. This provides strong robust evidence that CIs provide direct economic benefits to the United States.
GC-03INTRACRANIAL NONGERMINOMATOUS GERM CELL TUMORS: TREATMENT STRATEGIES AND OUTCOMES

INTRODUCTION: Intracranial germ cell tumors are a histologically diverse set of neoplasms. Compared to the germinomatous variant, nongerminomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCTs) have poorer outcomes and best management remains uncertain. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 24 patients who received definitive NGGCT treatment between 1986-2010 at UCSF and used Kaplan-Meier analysis to determine progression free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Median diagnostic age was 11.7 years (range 0.6-52 years), with a 4:1 M:F gender ratio. Histological variants included mixed germ cell tumor (83.3%), embryonal carcinoma (12.5%), and yolk sac tumor (4.2%). Anatomically, 14 (58.3%) tumors were pineal and 3 (12.5%) were bifocal. Median follow-up was 7.3 years (IQR 1.2-14.5 years). Treatment was typically multimodal but varied with most common regimens being surgery, chemotherapy and radiation (29.2%) or surgery and chemotherapy (20.8%). Of the 13 patients irradiated as part of their initial regimen, 7 received focal radiotherapy alone, 3 received ventricular or whole brain radiation plus tumor boost and 3 received craniospinal irradiation (CSI). Median dose was 54 Gy. Following initial therapy, 45.8% of patients had no evidence of disease, 37.5% had residual tumor and 12.5% were unknown. Five-year PFS rate was 42.9% (95% CI 9.8-73.5%) and 5 and 10 year OS rate were 95.2 (95% CI 70.7-99.3%) and 87.9% (95% CI 58.5-96.6), respectively. There was no association between therapeutic modality and PFS. Over the follow-up period, 8 (33.3%) patients had recurrent disease (50% local, 50% craniospinal axis), half were salvaged with CSI and half received stem cell transplant +/− focal radiotherapy. There were 7 total cohort deaths, 6 of which were attributed to NGGCT. CONCLUSION: Despite over 50% progression in patients treated with multimodality therapy, late OS was high at 88% due to successful salvage therapy. This might be due to a very small proportion being treated with CSI as part of initial therapy.
Remembrances of Things Past: SSSR's Formative Years

The name Society for the Scientific Study of Religion was adopted in 1956. For the period from 1951 to 1956, the organization was called the Committee for the Scientific Study of Religion. In its founding year 1949, and in 1950, it was the Committee for the Social Scientific Study of Religion. The switch from Committee to Society is understandable enough. It was simply not appropriate for a group numbering in the hundreds, as it did in 1956, to continue to be called a Committee. If anything, it is something of a mystery as to why this particular change took as long as it did. More perplexing, however, is why the word social was dropped. Even today, it would seem to be more appropriate to call ourselves the Society for the Social Scientific Study of Religion. The founding fathers J. Paul Williams and Walter Houston Clark thought so too, since they called their invention the Committee for the Social Scientific Study of Religion. Why was the designation so quickly abandoned? Bill Newman in his historical essay on the Society, to which Ralph Burhoe referred in his remarks, offers no explanation. Indeed, he was apparently unaware that the Committee had ever been called the Committee for the Social Scientific Study of Religion. My search of the archives did not provide an answer. For a long time, however, I have thought I knew the answer. In early 1950, Clark and Williams recruited Ralph Burhoe, among others, to help them in nurturing the fledgling organization. It was Ralph, I suspected, who was responsible for the name Social being dropped and the Committee being renamed. Ralph, then the Executive Director of the Massachusetts-based American Academy of Arts and Sciences, had been trained in the natural sciences and also in theology. He had no formal training in the social sciences. In becoming associated with the CSSR, it was his hope that it would come to include a natural science component and involve natural scientists working alongside social scientists and religious scholars in the study of religion and from a perspective that, among other things, would include efforts to strengthen the religious component of life. Williams and Clark and the others they had recruited to help nurture the Committee, I assumed, were open to the possibility of the Committee broadening its vision to include Burhoe's aspirations and agreeable to having this reflected in a change in the Committee's name. One problem with my surmises, I discovered when I began to do research for this paper, was that except for a paper by Burhoe himself, entitled "A Scientific Theory of Soul," natural scientists were not represented among those giving papers at Committee meetings, nor were natural scientists in evidence on the early Committee mailing lists.
An aortic projection of lumbar paravertebral sympathetic neurons in the bullfrog

A population of sympathetic neurons which projects from paravertebral ganglia to the dorsal aorta was identified in the bullfrog based on its electrophysiology and anatomy. The aorta is bilaterally supplied by about a dozen connective nerves arising from sympathetic ganglia 7-10. From compound action potentials, the majority of fibers can be identified as postganglionic axons belonging to both the B- and C-cell groups. Tracing experiments indicated that 95 +/- 21 (mean +/- SD) neurons project into each connective and that axons in connectives penetrate the wall of the aorta where they break into small bundles. Staining wholemounts of the aorta for neuropeptide Y revealed a plexus of varicose axons which presumably arise from sympathetic C neurons. These observations imply that the aorta is sympathetically innervated by paravertebral C neurons.
Erythropoietin amplifies stroke-induced oligodendrogenesis in the rat

Background Erythropoietin (EPO), a hematopoietic cytokine, enhances neurogenesis and angiogenesis during stroke recovery. In the present study, we examined the effect of EPO on oligodendrogenesis in a rat model of embolic focal cerebral ischemia. Methodology and Principal Findings Recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) at a dose of 5,000 U/kg (n = 18) or saline (n = 18) was intraperitoneally administered daily for 7 days starting 24 h after stroke onset. Treatment with rhEPO augmented actively proliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) measured by NG2 immunoreactive cells within the peri-infarct white matter and the subventricular zone (SVZ), but did not protect against loss of myelinating oligodendrocytes measured by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNPase) positive cells 7 days after stroke. However, 28 and 42 days after stroke, treatment with rhEPO significantly increased myelinating oligodendrocytes and myelinated axons within the peri-infarct white matter. Using lentivirus to label subventricular zone (SVZ) neural progenitor cells, we found that in addition to the OPCs generated in the peri-infarct white matter, SVZ neural progenitor cells contributed to rhEPO-increased OPCs in the peri-infarct area. Using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) for birth-dating cells, we demonstrated that myelinating oligodendrocytes observed 28 days after stroke were derived from OPCs. Furthermore, rhEPO significantly improved neurological outcome 6 weeks after stroke. In vitro, rhEPO increased differentiation of adult SVZ neural progenitor cells into oligodendrocytes and enhanced immature oligodendrocyte cell proliferation. Conclusions Our in vivo and in vitro data indicate that EPO amplifies stroke-induced oligodendrogenesis that could facilitate axonal re-myelination and lead to functional recovery after stroke.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Community-Based Diabetic Patients Effect of feedback to patients and their physicians: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE —To demonstrate improvements in diabetes care stimulated by comprehensive evaluation of community-based diabetic patients with feedback to the patients and their physicians. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —A comprehensive evaluation of community-based diabetic patients with annotated reporting of results to both patients and their physicians (universal intervention) was followed by random assignment of 50% of patients to individual counseling (randomized intervention). In four communities, two large and two small, 55 type 1 and 376 type 2 diabetic patients were recruited, evaluated, and reassessed at 1 year. Outcome measures were HbA 1c , serum cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS —There were significant improvements in all outcome measures for type 2 diabetic patients randomized to individual counseling ( P = 0.03; follow-up rate 84%) and significant improvements in all outcome measures for all high-risk type 2 patients (highest P value = 0.004; follow-up rate 85%). CONCLUSIONS —Comprehensive evaluation of diabetic patients at the community level with annotated reporting of results to the patients and their physicians was associated with improvement of mean HbA 1c , cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, particularly in patients in high-risk status for these outcome variables. Individual counseling of 50% of patients, randomly selected, enhanced these results.
Physiognomic cues to age and the activation of stereotypes of the elderly in interaction

This article reports the results of a study on the relationship between physiognomic cues to age and the activation of positive versus negative stereotypes of elderly individuals in interaction. Predictions were based upon a model of the role of elderly stereotypes in interaction. One group of undergraduates sorted photographs of elderly adults into four age categories, fifty-five to sixty-four, sixty-five to seventy-four, seventy-five and older, and other. Those photographs that were placed in the same age category by two-thirds or more of the students were used as a pool for the second phase of the study. This process produced a set of twenty-four photographs, eight (4 male and 4 female) from each of the three elderly age groups. A second group of students paired these photographs with sets of traits describing ten stereotypes of elderly persons, some positive and some negative. Results indicated that, as predicted by the stereotype-communication model, participants associated the positive stereotypes of elderly individuals with young-old physiognomic characteristics, whereas they associated the negative ones with old-old physiognomy. The results also suggested that gender may be a component of some stereotypes, and that some physiognomic characteristics may be considered prototypical of particular stereotypes. These results illustrate the importance of passive nonverbal elements of the communication situation in the activation of stereotypes of elderly individuals in interaction.
Interactions of SO2 with Ca(AlCl4)2SO2Cl2 electrolyte: raman studies

Abstract Raman spectra of Ca(AlCl4)2SO2Cl2 electrolytes with, and without, added SO2 have been obtained and analyzed. Added SO2 preferentially complexes with calcium cations. The altered solvation sheath surrounding calcium cations in the presence of added SO2 improves ion transport and increases cathode life.
Multiple dendrochronological responses to the eruption of Cinder Cone, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Abstract Two dendrochronological properties – ring width and ring chemistry – were investigated in trees near Cinder Cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park, northeastern California, for the purpose of re-evaluating the date of its eruption. Cinder Cone is thought to have erupted in AD 1666 based on ring-width evidence, but interpreting ring-width changes alone is not straightforward because many forest disturbances can cause changes in ring width. Old Jeffrey pines growing in Cinder Cone tephra and elsewhere for control comparison were sampled. Trees growing in tephra show synchronous ring-width changes at AD 1666, but this ring-width signal could be considered ambiguous for dating the eruption because changes in ring width can be caused by other events. Trees growing in tephra also show changes in ring phosphorus, sulfur, and sodium during the late 1660s, but inter-tree variability in dendrochemical signals makes dating the eruption from ring chemistry alone difficult. The combination of dendrochemistry and ring-width signals improves confidence in dating the eruption of Cinder Cone over the analysis of just one ring-growth property. These results are similar to another case study using dendrochronology of ring width and ring chemistry at Paricutin, Michoacan, Mexico, a cinder cone that erupted beginning in 1943. In both cases, combining analysis with ring width and ring chemistry improved confidence in the dendro-dating of the eruptions.
Pharmacological characterization of cardiac histamine receptors: sensitivity to H1-and H2-receptor agonists and antagonists.

In the isolated guinea pig heart, histamine H1-receptor antagonists inhibit the histamine-induced negative dromotropic effect, but not the positive inotropic and chronotropic effects (Levi and Kuye, 1974, European J. Pharmacol. 27, 330). Burimamide, the H2-receptor antagonist, inhibits the positive chronotropic effect of histamine (Black et al., 1972, Nature 236, 385). In this study, the hypothesis that H1- and H2-receptors selectively mediate the various cardiac effects of histamine was tested: (a) by investigating the inhibition of cardiac histamine effects by burimamide; (b) by studying the cardiac effects of 2-methylhistamine (an H1-agonist) and 4-methylhistamine (an H2-agonist). Burimamide, as a function of concentration, inhibited the positive inotropic and chronotropic effects of histamine, whereas it attenuated the negative dromotropic effect of histamine at the higher concentration only. 4-Methylhistamine caused dose-dependent positive inotropic and chronotropic but not negative dromotropic effects; conversely, with 2-methylhistamine the negative dromotropic effect prevailed. Sinus tachycardia and slowing of atrioventricular conduction were also obtained in the guinea pig in vivo by the i.v. administration of histamine. Burimamide selectively antagonized the positive chronotropic effect, whereas promethazine (an H1-antagonist) selectively inhibited the negative dromotropic effect. These results substantiate the hypothesis that H2-receptors mediate the histamine-induced increase in rate and contractility, whereas H1-receptors mediate the slowing of atrioventricular conduction.
Subcellular localization of immunoreactive α-melanocyte stimulating hormone in human brain

The regional and subcellular distribution of immunoreactive alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSHi) in the post mortem adult human brain was investigated. alpha-MSHi was highly concentrated in medial basal hypothalamic tissue (1.02 ng/mg protein). Lower levels of alpha-MSHi were present in the optic chiasm and mammillary bodies, 0.08 and 0.11 ng/mg protein, respectively. The concentrations of alpha-MSHi in cerebellum and frontal cerebral cortex were 1/1,000th that of the medial basal hypothalamus. When medial basal hypothalamic homogenates were subjected to discontinuous or continuous sucrose density gradients, alpha-MSHi was found to be associated primarily with subcellular particles which resembled isolated nerve terminals, i.e., synaptosomes. Low to undetectable amounts of alpha-MSHi were found in the cytosol or the myelin/microsome fraction of the gradients. The results of these studies are consistent with the view that alpha-MSH is a neuronal peptide in the human brain.
The Grain Economy of Mamluk Egypt

Scholarly studies of the economy of Egypt in the Middle Ages, from the Fdtimid through the Mamlik periods, have stressed two seemingly contradictory themes. On the one hand, the extraordinary involvement of the state in economic affairs is manifest. At different times, and in various ways, the ruling regimes of Egypt monopolized or strictly controlled certain primary or strategic products. Wood and metals, both domestic and imported, were strictly controlled to assure the availability of military supplies. Certain export products like natron were sometimes made state monopolies. So too products of unusual commercial importance were exploited, especially by the Mamliik Sultans, to gain monetary advantages. Sugar production, often in the hands of rulers and officials, was also, on occasion, a state monopoly. At another level, the state participated in economic activity it did not monopolize. Either the governing bureaus themselves, or elite members of the regime, were responsible for irrigation and other investments essential to agricultural productivity. In the trading sphere, though state-sponsored trading expeditions are unknown, state support for trade by treaty arrangements, by military and diplomatic protection, and direct participation in the form of investments placed with merchants were characteristic activities. How much of the capital of trade was "booty" or political capital we shall never know. In other spheres, state participation gave way to state controls for the purposes of taxation. Regulation of the movements of merchants, or the distribution of goods, facilitated taxation. For religious or moral reasons state controls also extended to the supervision, regulation, or prohibition of certain illicit trades. Finally, by a complex of controls, interventions, and regulations, the most important aspect of the Egyp-
Persistent hyperglycemia in critically ill children.

Objectives To determine the prevalence and prognostic significance of hyperglycemia among critically ill nondiabetic children. Study design We performed a retrospective cohort study using point-of-care blood glucose measurements, hospital administrative databases, and a computerized information system; 942 nondiabetic patients admitted to our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) from October 2000 to September 2003 were included. The prevalence of hyperglycemia was based on initial PICU glucose measurement, highest value within 24 hours, and highest value measured during PICU stay up to 10 days after the first measurement. Primary outcome was in-hospital death with PICU lengths of stay (LOS) as secondary outcome. Results Through the use of three cutoff values (120 mg/dL, 150 mg/dL, and 200 mg/dL), the prevalence of hyperglycemia was 16.7% to 75.0%. The relative risk (RR) for dying increased for maximum glucose within 24 hours >150 mg/dL (RR, 2.50; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26 to 4.93) and highest glucose within 10 days >120 mg/dL (RR, 5.68; 95% CI, 1.38 to 23.47). LOS was decreased for admission glucose >120 mg/dL and 150 mg/dL but increased for all threshold values for maximum glucose within 10 days. Conclusions Hyperglycemia occurs frequently among critically ill nondiabetic children and is correlated with a greater in-hospital mortality rate and longer LOS.
Tumor hypoxia can be exploited to preferentially sensitize tumors to fractionated irradiation

The present study describes a new way in which tumors may be made more sensitive to fractionated irradiation without affecting the sensitivity of surrounding normal tissues. It involves exploiting the cycling or intermittent hypoxia that occurs in at least some solid tumors, but not in normal tissues, using a new drug SR 4233, a benzotriazine di-N-oxide, which is rapidly metabolized in hypoxic cells to a product that kills these cells. Using this approach with a rodent tumor in a fractionated x-ray treatment regimen similar to that used in human radiotherapy, the addition of SR 4233 produced a large enhancement of the radiation response of the tumor with no change in the sensitivity of normal mouse skin. Under identical circumstances, there was no effect of the hypoxic cell radiosensitizer SR 2508, showing that SR 4233 with intermittent hypoxia was superior to a protocol which sensitized the hypoxic cells to doses of 2.5 Gy per fraction.
High-temperature performance of ohmic contacts to n-type GaN and GaAs

Cu3Ge was studied as an Ohmic contact to n-GaN and n- type GaAs. Specific contact resistance of Cu3Ge to n- type GaAs was found to be sensitive to annealing conditions, doping concentrations, and Ge compositions. After vacuum annealing at 400 degree(s)C for 30 min, Cu3Ge exhibited ohmic behavior to n-type GaN with doping concentrations of approximately 1.0 X 1018 cm-3. Unprotected Cu3Ge ohmic contacts suffered from oxidation when exposed at temperatures higher than 300 degree(s)C. Aging tests at 400 degree(s)C where Cu3Ge covered with TiW and Au was used as ohmic contact to n-type GaAs, and TiPtAu covered with Au to p-type GaAs, revealed unchanged I-V characteristics after 120 hr annealing which showed that this contact was suitable for device application at high temperature. Pseudomorphic HEMT employing protected Cu3Ge ohmic contacts and Ti/Pt/Au gates has achieved peak transconductance of 330 mS/mm at room temperature for 2- micrometers long gate. The I-V characteristic of Pd/Al, covered with TiW/Pt changed from Ohmic to Schottky after aging at 350 degree(s)C for 2 hours. By depositing a very thin Cr layer between Ti/Al and Au layers, contact resistance of Ti/Al contacts remained the same even after an aging of 130 hr at 350 degree(s)C and 130 hr at 400 degree(s)C. However, specific contact resistance increased from 2.4 X 10-6 (Omega) cm2 to 3.8 X 10-6 (Omega) cm2 after annealing at 500 degree(s)C for 2 hr.
Single Mothers' Views of Young Children's Everyday Routines: A Focus Group Study

Consistent daily routines have been associated with children's well-being, but children of single parents are less likely to engage in regular family meals or bedtime routines. This study explored routines and the challenges of maintaining routines as experienced by single mothers with a preschool age (3–5) child. Four focus groups (N = 12) were conducted and qualitative content analysis was used. Mothers described routines as an integral part of their parenting role and a reflection of successful parenting but maintaining routines around bedtimes and mealtimes were major concerns. Difficulties managing their child's behavior and their own fatigue were major challenges but mothers described a wide range of helpful strategies as well.
QCD on the lattice and light hadron spectroscopy

Abstract Results in lattice Quantum Chromodynamics with fermions are reviewed. Estimates for the hadron spectrum on large lattices without and with light fermion polarization loops are discussed, and the results for different fermion regularizations are compared. The effects of the loops are found to be significant in lattice units, but to a greater part they can be reabsorbed in a redefinition of the overall scale. New estimates for the light quark masses with Wilson fermions are also presented. They differ substantially from previous estimates obtained by other methods in the continuum, and are much smaller. Finally it is argued that staggered fermions can lead to some anomalous results, which arise because of the doubling problem.
Comparison of a semiclassical stochastic-master-equation approach to laser fluctuations with the Scully-Lamb theory

The analogy of a laser with an autocatalytic chemical reaction is used to write down a macroscopic stochastic master equation of the birth-and-death type for the photon probability function in a semiclassical laser formalism. This equation may be solved exactly in the steady state using a generating function. This leads to a prescription for calculating all the higher-order moments of the photon number as well as providing a unique truncation of the hierarchy of moment equations at any given order. Further, the variance is given by a Poisson distribution, in agreement with the strong-signal Scully-Lamb theory. This master equation is also shown to lead to an exact Fokker-Planck equation by using a modified Kramers-Moyal expansion. A comparison between our results and the (microscopic) Scully-Lamb theory shows that the two approaches give the same results at large photon number.
Ligand-independent activation of c-Met by fibronectin and α 5 β 1 -integrin regulates ovarian cancer invasion and metastasis

Ligand-independent activation of c-Met by fibronectin and α 5 β 1 -integrin regulates ovarian cancer invasion and metastasis
Chemical and photophysical properties of AuI, AuII, AuIII, and AuI-dimer complexes

Abstract Various AuI, AuII, AuIII, and AuI-dimer complexes were probed using density-functional theory (DFT), specifically the B3PW91 hybrid functional, and relativistic effective core potentials. The research aimed to investigate the photophysical properties of gold complexes, and inspect the factors that influence the geometry and bonding properties of gold compounds. The results illustrate that the geometry of AuI complexes (ground-state singlet) is very sensitive to the electronic nature of the ligands: σ-donors give a two-coordinate, linear shape; however, π-acceptors yield a three-coordinate, trigonal planar geometry. Doublet AuIIL3 complexes distort to a T-shape coordination geometry, and are thus ground state models of the corresponding AuIL3 triplet excitons. The disproportionation of AuIIL3 to AuIL3 and AuIIIL3 complexes is endothermic for all ligands investigated, suggesting that these complexes, neglected by experimentalists, are interesting subjects for study and may display unique photochemical properties. For dimeric AuI complexes, the optimized triplet exciton shows a Jahn–Teller distortion around only one of the gold centers. Furthermore, the Au–Au distance is reduced in the dimer excited state versus the ground state, which should yield interesting Stokes’ shifts.
Market Research and Innovation Strategy in a Duopoly

We model a duopoly in which ex ante identical firms must decide where to direct their innovation efforts. The firms face market uncertainty about consumers' preferences for innovation on two product attributes and technology uncertainty about the success of their research and development (R&D) investments. Firms can conduct costly market research before setting R&D strategy. We find that the value of market information to a firm depends on whether its rival is expected to obtain this information in equilibrium. Consequently, one firm may forgo market research even though its rival conducts such research and learns the true state of demand. We examine both vertical and horizontal demand structures. With vertical preferences, firms are a priori uncertain about which attribute all consumers will value more. In this case, a firm that conducts market research always attempts innovation on the attribute it discovers that consumers prefer and expends more on R&D than a rival that has not conducted market research. With horizontal preferences, distinct segments exist---each caring about innovation on only one attribute---and firms are a priori uncertain how many consumers each segment contains. In this case, a firm that conducts market research may follow a niche strategy and attempt innovation to serve the smaller segment to avoid intense price competition for the larger segment. A firm that conducts market research may therefore invest less in R&D and earn lower postlaunch profits than a rival that has forgone such research.
Studies of high charge state Rydberg ions

Abstract High charge state Rydberg ions formed through charge capture are being studied using a novel Rydberg analyzer. The analyser, following the design of MacAdam and Rolfes [K.B. MacAdam and R.G. Rolfes, Rev. Sci. Instr. 53 (1982) 592], uses electric field ionization to give P(n), the population of the level characterized by principal quantum number n, differentially in n. However, it differs significantly from the MacAdam device in that: (1) electrons, not ions, are energy analyzed; (2) electron energies are measured at 0° with respect to the ion beam axis; and (3) because of (1) and (2) the analyzer is capable of evaluating Rydberg populations even in high charge state, high energy ions. As an example, we have examined the Rydberg states created in collisions of 0.5 MeV/amu highly charged fluorine with neon. Data and some operating modes of the device will be presented.