cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy and Yttrium-90 in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comparison of Outcomes and Costs

Purpose/Objective(s) Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) and Yttrium-90 (Y90) are two modalities utilized for non-operative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although there is increasing use of these two modalities, data comparing outcomes and cost are limited. Gaining an understanding of treatment outcomes and costs of SBRT and Y90 would help guide decisions made by multidisciplinary tumor boards. We hypothesize that use of SBRT and Y90 will result in similar oncologic outcomes and costs. Materials/Methods Patients treated for HCC with SBRT or Y90 Segmentectomy between January 2018 and January 2020 at one institution were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic, treatment, and outcome data were collected. Demographic and treatment specifics were compared between treatment modalities utilizing Chi square tests. Oncologic outcomes were compared utilizing Kaplan Meier analysis. A subset of SBRT and Y90 patients were randomly selected for cost analysis. Common Procedural Terminology and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes were gathered for the patients' treatments using the institution's Clinical Research Database then entered in Medicare's Physician Fee Schedule and Outpatient Prospective Payment System to determine and compare total cost. Results Eighty-seven patients were analyzed, 24 treated with SBRT and 63 treated with Y90. Median follow-up was 315 days. There were no differences in age, race, sex, and number of co-morbidities between the treatment cohorts. Patients treated with SBRT were more likely to have received prior liver directed therapy than those treated with Y90 (66.7% SBRT vs 12.7% Y90, P = 0.000011), to have larger tumors (4.52cm vs 2.96cm, P = 0.000879), and have a greater AJCC staging (P = 0.011606). The treatment related toxicity for the entire cohort was 51.7%, with no difference in toxicity between the treatment groups (50.0% for SBRT vs 52.4% for Y90, P = 0.986424). The one-year local control rate was 87%, with no difference between the treatment groups (87% vs 89%, P = 0.76). In both treatment groups, death was more attributable to other causes (62.5% SBRT vs. 53.8% Y90) than disease progression (37.5% SBRT vs. 38.5% Y90). Average total cost of SBRT was $12,885. Physician professional charges were $1,383 and facility charges were $11,502. Average total cost of Y90 was $19,393. Physician professional charges were $2,178, including charges for both Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, and facility charges were $17,215. Conclusion Both SBRT and Y90 appear to be effective treatments in the management of HCC with high rates of local control. Treatment with SBRT, on average, was at a lower cost than Y90. More research is needed to further evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness in treating non-operable HCC with SBRT and Y90.
The Effects of Advertising Stimulus Concreteness and Familiarity on Consumer Attitudes and Intentions

In an attempt to utilize the Maclnnis and Price (1987) framework, an experimental design manipulating the concreteness of wording and familiarity of the stimulus is conducted using a print ad. Concreteness is found to affect attitude toward the ad and toward the brand; whereas, familiarity is not found to affect these variables. The implications of these results as well as suggestions for enlightened future research are provided by the authors.
THE ARMY'S NEW FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL MEDICINE*

Excerpt INTRODUCTION The United States Army is now engaged in an "all-out" war in the tropics. Since December 1941, American soldiers have been sent to new frontiers scattered throughout the tropic...
Simulations of the LEDA LEBT with H/sup +/, H/sub 2//sup +/, and e/sup -/ particles

The low-energy-beam transport (LEBT) system for the Low-Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA) transports the beam from the ion-source plasma surface to the LEDA RFQ entrance. The code PARMELA performed these simulations of the beam transport through the LEBT. This code can simultaneously transport three particle types of different charge-to-mass ratio. Electrostatic fields, magnetic fields, and space charge influence the beam particles in this simulation. The electrostatic fields exist in the ion-source extractor. The magnetic field exists in the ion source and in the solenoid lenses. The e/sup $/particles, introduced into the beam of H/sup +/ and H/sub 2//sup +/, simulate the space charge neutralization by the residual gas in the LEBT. The H/sup +/ and H/sub 2//sup +/ ions leaving the source emerge from a longitudinal magnetic field, which causes the beam to rotate.
A Case of Docetaxel Induced Myositis and Review of the Literature

In phase I and II trials taxane chemotherapeutic agents reported side effects, including myelosuppression, peripheral edema, and fluid retention. With further use of these agents, studies in the late 1980s and early 1990s began to report peripheral neuropathy and proximal muscle weakness as common complaints, the later with unexplained pathophysiology. We report a 65-year-old Hispanic woman with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positive invasive ductal breast carcinoma who presented with right thigh pain and swelling eight days after her third infusion of docetaxel (a taxane chemotherapeutic) and cyclophosphamide. Laboratory findings were notable for elevation in creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aldolase, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her lower extremities showed evidence of bilateral muscle edema involving the anterior compartment muscles of the thighs. A workup to rule out other causes of myositis was negative. Docetaxel was not reintroduced and the patient improved with corticosteroids. Since 2005 this is, to our knowledge, the fifth reported case of docetaxel related inflammatory myositis. Taxanes have been noted to cause disabling but transient arthralgias and myalgias; it is important to consider the possibility of inflammatory myopathy as a possible complication in patients undergoing treatment with these agents.
Exacerbated tissue homing of neutrophils during sepsis and TLR2-induced cytokine production are regulated by integrin α3β1. (CAM5P.230)

Neutrophil migration to sites of infection is vital for pathogen clearance, but massive neutrophil infiltration during systemic inflammation leads to tissue injury and host mortality. While β2 integrins are well known to mediate neutrophil firm adhesion and crawling, the role of β1 integrins in vascular extravasation has been less explored. In this study, we evaluated the surface expression kinetics of β1 and β3 integrin heterodimers on neutrophils during sepsis using mouse models (CLP and endotoxemia) and human samples. We show that only integrin α3β1 becomes significantly upregulated. Moreover, human subjects with sepsis, but not SIRS (systemic inflammation w/o infection) upregulated α3β1. The increased expression of α3β1 on neutrophils correlated with their activation state. Administration of synthetic peptide (LXY2), which binds at the ligand binding site on α3β1, and conditional gene deletion of the integrin in granulocytes significantly reduced the number of extravasated neutrophils and improved mouse survival. Host bacterial clearance remained unaffected. Interestingly, LXY2 binding to α3β1 on neutrophils was associated with a reduction in TLR2-, but not TLR4-induced IL-10 secretion in vitro. Previous studies suggest a role for IL-10 as a regulator of the transition from mild sepsis to irreversible septic shock. Thus, integrin α3β1 upregulation promotes enhanced neutrophil migration and, in turn, could regulate sepsis progression by modulating neutrophil IL-10 release.
Children's Books For and About the Hmong

Children's books for and about the Hmong follow a pattern of the same literary development as those of previous immigrants and refugees who came to the United States of America. However, their oral language was written down and codified for the first time only recently, in the 1950s. This, and the tragic aftermath of the Vietnam War, mean that texts for, by and about the Hmong are only now just starting to be produced.
Legionella Fairfieldensis Sp. Nov. Isolated From Cooling Tower Waters in Australia

Three Legionella-like organisms were isolated from water from the cooling towers of two Australian institutions. The strains grew on buffered charcoal-yeast extract (BCYE) agar but not on BCYE agar in the absence of L-cysteine. Gas-liquid chromatography profiles of the isolates were consistent with those for Legionella spp. They were serologically distinct from other legionellae in a slide agglutination test. DNA hybridization studies showed that the three isolates belong to a new species of Legionella, Legionella fairfieldensis (ATCC 49588).
A Competitive In Vitro Assay of Human Sperm Fertilizing Ability Utilizing Contrasting Fluorescent Sperm Markers

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC) were evaluated for use as contrasting fluorescent labels on living human spermatozoa. Unlabeled (control), FITC-labeled (green fluorescence), TRITC-labeled (red fluorescence), and mixed FITC-TRITC-labeled sperm suspensions were incubated with non-fertilizable human oocytes for assessing sperm penetration of the zona pellucida and with zona-free hamster eggs for assessing sperm incorporation into the ooplasm. Fluorochrome-labeled spermatozoa were as efficient as unlabeled cells from the same donors in penetrating the human zona pellucida and in entering the hamster ooplasm. The middle and principal pieces of spermatozoa undergoing nuclear decondensation within the hamster ooplasm retained their fluorescent label, allowing visual differentiation between FITCand TRITC-labeled spermatozoa. Videomicrographic analyses of the movement characteristics (percentage of motile cells and mean swimming speeds) of labeled and unlabeled spermatozoa before and after incubation with ova revealed no detrimental effect on the motility of labeled cells. We conclude that the fluorescent dyes FITC and TRITC do not impair the function of human spermatozoa as assessed by motility characteristics and by their ability to penetrate ova in vitro. The contrasting colors of the two fluorochromes make them particularly useful in the competitive assessment of the in vitro fertilizing p0-
Pleiotrophin stimulates fibroblasts and endothelial and epithelial cells and is expressed in human cancer

Previously we reported the purification of the heparin-binding growth factor pleiotrophin (PTN) from supernatants of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. To investigate further the biological activities of PTN and its potential role in cancer, we cloned a PTN cDNA and expressed the gene in a human kidney and in a human adrenal carcinoma cell line (SW-13). The supernatants harvested from cells transfected with PTN contained a heparin-binding specific protein of an apparent molecular mass of 18 kDa. These supernatants stimulated the proliferation of endothelial cells as well as the anchorage-independent growth of SW-13 cells and of normal rat kidney fibroblasts. Furthermore, SW-13 cells transfected with PTN acquired autonomous growth in soft agar and were tumorigenic in athymic nude mice. In contrast to these results with PTN from human cells, PTN obtained from insect cells (Sf9) using recombinant baculovirus as a vector was biologically inactive. We detected high levels of PTN mRNA in 16 of 27 primary human breast cancer samples (62%) as well as in 8 of 8 carcinogen-induced rat mammary tumors. Furthermore, 9 of 34 human tumor cell lines of different origin showed detectable PTN mRNA. We conclude that PTN may function as a tumor growth and angiogenesis factor in addition to its role during embryonic development.
Status of repetitive pulsed power at Sandia National Laboratories

Multi-kilojoule repetitive pulsed power technology moved from a laboratory environment into its first commercial application in 1997 as a driver for ion beam surface treatment. Sandia's RHEPP II (Repetitive High energy Pulsed Power), a repetitive 2.5 kJ/pulse electron beam accelerator, has supported the development of radiation treatment processes for polymers and elastomers, food products, and high dose-rate effects testing for defense programs since early 1996. Dos Lineas, an all solid-state testbed, has demonstrated synchronization techniques for parallel magnetic modulator systems and is continuing the development of design standards for long lifetime magnetic switches and voltage adders at a shot rate capability that exceeds 5/spl times/10/sup 6/ pulses per day. This paper describes progress in multi-kilojoule class repetitive pulsed power technology development, magnetic switching technology for modulator applications, and future research and development directions.
Constructing Authenticity: A Review of Trends and Influences in the Process of Authentication in Consumption

I review the processes surrounding consumption in the arts and leisure activities, through which consumers, producers, and marketers construct products as authentic. I examine how producers and marketers authenticate their products to differentiate them in an increasingly saturated global market, meeting consumer demand for products that appear ‘true’ or ‘real’. Such authentication creates value for products, which promotes consumption. I delineate what generic forms of authentication people favor, along with how individuals and organizations use various cultural resources to promote products as authentic. These forms include what I term otherizing and traditionalizing. Every time we look to make a purchase, we must decide on one product by differentiating between many. In an age filled with mass production, we often desire products that seem real, unique, or high quality, instead of plastic or fake. We might view products as ‘real’ because they seem to represent a true culture, rather than the mass produced or contrived culture of the mainstream. People may look for this realness at the store around the corner, across their country, or beyond international borders. However, the products that seem authentic are marketed as any other and must be constructed to appeal to these consumer desires. In this article, I look at the processes by which marketers and producers construct the authenticity of products and how consumers, in turn, construct definitions of authenticity by which they judge products. These processes broadly relate to those involved in the consumption process – even large corporations like Starbucks and Coors attempt to fulfill consumers’ desires for authenticity. These processes are important to understand, as consumers’ construction of authenticity can affect products’ market success. Consumers take consumption decisions seriously and personally not only for financial reasons, but because they view purchases as reflecting their senses of self. Thus, when consumers desire authenticity in their products, they will disregard products perceived as fake. Additionally, we must realize that product images are manufactured, reflecting our biases, perceptions, and what marketers believe we find, or should find, important.
Building And Evolving Data Warehousing And Business Intelligence Artefacts: The Case Of Sysco

This paper investigates use of data warehouse and business intelligence capabilities to integrate with customers in the supply chain and improve insights into customer sales. By making internal data warehouse sales information available to customers, additional value to those customers is created, eliminating asymmetries of information in the supply chain. In addition, the evolution of data warehousing into business intelligence is investigated, expanding sales information to include marketing associate performance analysis generated for internal use. Further, a methodology that was used for building a business intelligence system is also examined. Finally, what appears to be a business-intelligence-driven focus on enterprise resource planning systems is analyzed. These issues are illustrated using real-world data warehousing and business intelligence artefacts developed at SYSCO. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Efficiency Frontier of For-Profit Hospitals

This study evaluates the efficiency of small and large for-profit hospitals using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). For this study, small for-profit hospitals are 35 beds or less which is consistent with the Federal designation of critical access hospitals (CAH). Large for-profit hospitals are 36 beds and greater. Results indicate overall efficiency in small for-profit hospitals was 60% in 2013. In contrast, the overall efficiency in large for-profit hospitals was 71% in 2013. The number of small for-profit hospitals operating on the efficiency frontier was 18 which represent 12%. Similarly, the number of large for-profit hospitals operating on the efficiency frontier was 49 which represent 8%. This clearly documents for-profit hospitals’ overall efficiency increases with greater size. Hospital executives, healthcare policymakers, taxpayers and other stakeholders benefit from studies that improve hospital efficiency. From a policy perspective, this study demonstrates a positive association between increased hospital size and increased efficiency within the for-profit hospital industry.
Factors Associated With Interhospital Variability in Inpatient Costs of Liver and Pancreatic Resections.

Importance In an era of accountable care, understanding variation in health care costs is critical to reducing health care spending. Objective To identify factors associated with increased hospital costs and quantify variations in costs among individual hospitals in patients undergoing liver and pancreatic surgery in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective analysis of total costs among 42 480 patients undergoing hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2011, using a nationally representative data set (Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project). Analysis was conducted in May 2015. Main Outcomes and Measures Total inpatient costs and proportional variation in inpatient costs among individual hospitals. Results Among the 42 480 patients who underwent liver or pancreatic resection, the median age was 62 years, 52.4% were female, and 72.9% had a Charlson Comorbidity Index of 2 or higher. The median cost for the entire cohort was $21 535 (interquartile range, $15 373-$31 104), varying from $3320 to $279 102 among individual hospitals. On multivariable analysis, increasing patient comorbidity (coefficient, 2000.30; 95% CI, 1363.33-2637.27; P P P P P = .004), and a longer length of stay were most strongly predictive of higher inpatient cost (length of stay >14 days: coefficient, 44 162.24; 95% CI, 43 125.56-45 198.92; P Conclusions and Relevance Significant variability was noted in hospital costs among patients undergoing pancreatic and liver surgery. Future policies should focus on reducing variations in costs by promoting payment paradigms that support a better quality of care and lower costs.
Chemokine and cytokine levels in inflammatory bowel disease patients

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are chronic, relapsing, and tissue destructive lesions that are accompanied by the uncontrolled activation of effector immune cells in the mucosa. Recent estimates indicate that there are 1.3 million annual cases of IBD in the United States, 50% of which consists of CD and 50% of UC. Chemokines and cytokines play a pivotal role in the regulation of mucosal inflammation by promoting leukocyte migration to sites of inflammation ultimately leading to tissue damage and destruction. In recent years, experimental studies in rodents have led to a better understanding of the role played by these inflammatory mediators in the development and progression of colitis. However, the clinical literature on IBD remains limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate systemic concentrations of key chemokines and cytokines in forty-two IBD patients with a range of disease activity compared to levels found in ten healthy donors. We found a significant increase in an array of chemokines including macrophage migration factor (MIF), CCL25, CCL23, CXCL5, CXCL13, CXCL10, CXCL11, MCP1, and CCL21 in IBD patients as compared to normal healthy donors (P<0.05). Further, we also report increases in the inflammatory cytokines IL-16, IFN-γ, IL-1β and TNF-α in IBD patients when compared to healthy donors (P<0.05). These data clearly indicate an increase in circulating levels of specific chemokines and cytokines that are known to modulate systemic level through immune cells results in affecting local intestinal inflammation and tissue damage in IBD patients. Blockade of these inflammatory mediators should be explored as a mechanism to alleviate or even reverse symptoms of IBD.
Bioenergy futures: framing sociotechnical imaginaries in local places.

Sociotechnical imaginaries are collectively imagined forms of social life reflected in the design and fulfillment of technological projects. While it is implied that there may be contention around sociotechnical imaginaries, the literature on how that contention is manifested is scant. We use a frame-analytic approach to demonstrate the potency of collective action frames for making sense of the national imaginaries underpinning siting proposals. As a case study, we use woody biomass bioenergy development in northern Michigan. After briefly outlining the multiple frames that are encompassed in the imaginary of bioenergy development, we focus on the “wood for energy” frame, employing the concept of “frame keys” to demonstrate how national imaginaries are interpreted differently by local and nonlocal actors involved in community sitings of proposed facilities. We find not only that frame keys are essential to how the national imaginary of bioenergy is interpreted, (re)produced, and responded to but also that framing processes are related to social movements that coalesce around competing collective memories of place.
Identification of the D3h Isomer of Carbon Trioxide (CO3) and Its Implications for Atmospheric Chemistry

The CO 3 molecule is considered an important reaction intermediate in the atmospheres of Earth and Mars for quenching electronically excited oxygen atoms and in contributing to the anomalous 18 O isotope enrichment. The geometry of the CO 3 intermediate plays an important role in explaining these effects; however, only the cyclic (C 2v ) isomer has been experimentally confirmed so far. Here, we report on the first spectroscopic detection of the acyclic (D 3h ) isomer of carbon trioxide ( 12 C 16 O) via its ν 1 and ν 2 vibrational modes centered around 1165 cm -1 under matrix isolation conditions; the identification of the 12 C 18 O 3 , 13 C 16 O3, 13 C 18 O 3 , 16 O 12 C 18 O 2 , and 18 O 12 C 16 O 2 isotopomers of the acyclic isomer confirms the assignments.
The subjective pronoun in the late style of Henry James

(1971). The subjective pronoun in the late style of Henry James. English Studies: Vol. 52, No. 1-6, pp. 436-441.
Time of day effects on problem solving: When the non-optimal is optimal

In a study examining the effects of time of day on problem solving, participants solved insight and analytic problems at their optimal or non-optimal time of day. Given the presumed differences in the cognitive processes involved in solving these two types of problems, it was expected that the reduced inhibitory control associated with non-optimal times of the day would differentially impact performance on the two types of problems. In accordance with this expectation, results showed consistently greater insight problem solving performance during non-optimal times of day compared to optimal times of day but no consistent time of day effects on analytic problem solving. The findings indicate that tasks involving creativity might benefit from a non-optimal time of day.
Zooplanktivory by Alewives in Lake Michigan: Ontogenetic, Seasonal, and Historical Patterns

Abstract We extended a bioenergetics model of growth for the average individual alewife Alosa pseudoharengus to the Lake Michigan population of this species in the mid-1970s. We used the model to estimate patterns of total consumption of zooplankton by alewives. About 10% of total annual zooplankton consumption by Lake Michigan alewives could be attributed to larval fish feeding during the first 40 d of life. Young-of-year and larval fish together accounted for 50% of total annual consumption by alewives. Typical adult (age-3 and older) fish accounted for only 21% of total consumption. We evaluated the sensitivity of estimates of consumption by alewife larvae by using upper and lower bounds on metabolic rate and energy density of larvae. Total consumption estimates based on the low and high metabolic rates differed by a factor of 3. Consumption was relatively insensitive to energy density. Modeling a 29-d, normally distributed spawning period versus a single-day spawning period resulted in a 9% increase i...
Fluorinated Thiolates of Divalent and Trivalent Lanthanides. Ln−F Bonds and the Synthesis of LnF3

Fluorinated thiolates form particularly stable chalcogenolate complexes with the lanthanides. Both Sm(SC6F5)3 and Eu(SC6F5)2 were prepared by transmetalation. The Sm compound is a dimer in the solid state, with a pair of bridging thiolate ligands connecting the two Sm(III) ions, while the Eu(II) compound is polymeric. In both compounds there are clearly defined Ln−F interactions. Thermolysis of the Sm compound gives SmF3 and (C6F4S)n (n = 2, 3, 4).
Ras as a therapeutic target in hematologic malignancies

The RAS gene product is normally a membrane-localized G protein (N-Ras, K-Ras and H-Ras) of 21 kDa classically described as a molecular off/on switch. It is inactive when bound to guanosine diphosphate and active when bound to GTP. When mutated, the gene produces an abnormal protein resistant to GTP hydrolysis by GTPase, resulting in a constitutively active GTP-bound protein that stimulates a critical network of signal transduction pathways that lead to cellular proliferation, survival and differentiation. At least three downstream effector pathways have been described, including Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/AKT and RalGDS, but they are not completely understood. Ras pathways are also important downstream effectors of several receptor tyrosine kinases localized in the cell membrane, most notably the BCR-ABL fusion protein seen in patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia. An important consideration in designing strategies to block Ras stimulatory effect is that Ras proteins are synt...
Metabolic syndrome, endothelial dysfunction, and risk of cardiovascular events: the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS).

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) predisposes to cardiovascular disease. Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We tested the hypothesis that both MetS and endothelial dysfunction are vascular risk factors and provide additive prognostic values in predicting cardiovascular events in a multiethnic community sample. Methods The study population consisted of 819 subjects (467 female, mean age 66.5 ± 8.8 years, 66% Hispanic) enrolled in the NOMAS. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the revised Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured using high-resolution ultrasound. Endothelial dysfunction was defined as FMD Results During 81 ± 21 months of follow-up, events occurred in 84 subjects. Metabolic syndrome was independently associated with cardiovascular events in a multivariate model, including cardiovascular risk factors (adjusted hazard ratio 2.08, 95% CI 1.27-3.40). Subjects with both MetS and endothelial dysfunction were at higher risk for cardiovascular events than those with either one of them alone (adjusted hazard ratio 2.60, 95% CI 1.14-5.92). Conclusions Metabolic syndrome is associated with incident cardiovascular events. Combined use of MetS and FMD identifies those who are at higher risk of cardiovascular events. Metabolic syndrome and noninvasive FMD testing can be used concurrently for cardiovascular risk prediction.
OLD-GROWTH NORTHERN HARDWOOD FORESTS: SPATIAL AUTOCORRELATION AND PATTERNS OF UNDERSTORY VEGETATION

The goal of this research was to examine spatial patterns of forest understory vegetation at a fine resolution for future work on underlying processes. We used a cyclic, two-dimensional sampling design, sampling plants in 2100 quadrats (0.25 m2), placing one 62 × 29.5 m grid within each of four old-growth northern hardwood (Acer saccharum–Betula alleghaniensis) stands. The specific plan used was designed to maximize spatial information and sampling efficiency. The study was done in the Sylvania Wilderness Area, Ottawa National Forest, Upper Michigan, USA. Spatial patterns of ground-layer species vary with the environment, species ecological characteristics, and their interactions. Competition with maple saplings may be a strong determinant of understory spatial patterns of these forests. Based on 95% confidence intervals, spatial analysis showed that most ground-layer species were positively autocorrelated to distances of <2.5 m in stands with high sapling density, while many of these same species were autocorrelated at up to 21 m in stands with low sapling density. Most ground-layer species also had distributions indistinguishable from random at three other resolutions (9.0 × 10.5 m to 9.0 × 31.5 m blocks) in stands with high sapling density, but aggregated distributions in stands with low sapling density. Logistic regression analysis yielded direct and indirect negative correlations between ground-layer species and maple saplings. Plant species temporal guilds were autocorrelated according to the following rank distances: spring ephemerals > evergreen ≥ early summer > late summer > dimorphic. More species were autocorrelated to greater distances on loamy soils than on sandy soils. Plant species dispersal guilds were autocorrelated according to the following rank distances: ballistic ≥ spores ≥ ant > ingested > adhesive. Thus there is a general inverse relationship between autocorrelation distance and migration rates of dispersal guilds. The spatial distribution of microtopography and decayed, coarse woody debris appears to be important for the maintenance of plant diversity and heterogeneity in old-growth stands. Forest managers can help maintain biological diversity by giving preferential management to those species that are rare and, if once locally extirpated, have poor re-colonization ability. This requires maintaining regional landscape diversity, as well as within-stand microhabitats.
Effect of tolmetin sodium dihydrate on adhesion formation by intraperitoneal administration of antineoplastic agents

Antineoplastic agents are currently being administered through catheters placed intraperitoneally to treat cancer localized to the peritoneum. This route allows for high local concentrations of antineoplastic drug at the tumor site with low levels of the drug systemically, thereby reducing the systemic toxicity. However, there are complications with this mode of delivery, including a decrease in catheter patency and induction of adhesion formation, which leads to decreased drug dispersion and limits continuing drug administration. A model was developed in rats to mimic this method of antineoplastic drug administration that produced fibrin deposition around the catheter and adhesion formation invoving bowel, intestines and liver. All antineoplastic agents tested, including Adriamycin, methothexate, bleomycin, mitoxantrone and cisplatin, induced moderate to severe adhesion formation with varying effects on catheter patency. When an intraperitoneal bolus of tometin encapsulted in liposomes was tested with Adriamycin delivered via an osmotic minipump, a reduction in adhesion formation was observed. However, highly significant adhesion reduction was found when tolmetin was coadministered with the antitumor agents.
Dangerous Discourses: Methodological Conservatism and Governmental Regimes of Truth:

Years ago, while on a European trip, I met a former student of Pierre Bourdieu's-a bright, witty, and amusing fellow who'd studied in France with the great man. He recounted a story of how some of the most profound theoretical statements in postmodern times eventuated. He was sitting in on a conversation with Bourdieu and a half dozen of his colleagues and their own doctoral students while the senior professors were discussing the meaning of the rise of feminism, identity politics, postcolonial critiques (particularly from out of North Africa, where France had had a presence for many years in Algeria), poststructural critiques of literary theory, and the like. There was great consternation among the sociologists for what they believed to be displacement of their rightful ownership of the Great Ideas of Western history. After some serious and lengthy discussion of what to do about these women, colonial peoples, and other interlopers into the canon, Bourdieu is reported to have expostulated vehemently, All right [Eh, bien].... If we cannot be the center, there IS no center! [Si nous ne peut pas etre le centre, il n'y a pas le centre!]
Increases in protein-precursor incorporation in the denervated neuropil of the dentate gyrus during reinnervation

Abstract Cellular metabolic events accompanying postlesion synaptogenesis in the hippocampus were studied by analyzing incorporation of protein precursor ([ 3 H]leucine) in the dentate gyrus. Adult rats were injected intravenously with [ 3 H]leucine at periods from 2 to 60 days following unilateral destruction of the entorhinal cortex, and were killed 30 min later. Precursor incorporation was quantified autoradiographically by counting silver grains over the cell bodies and dendrites of dentate granule cells ipsiand contralateral to the lesion. The relative grain density was increased over the denervated portion of the neuropil at 6–12 days postlesion, corresponding to the early phase of terminal proliferation and reactive synaptogenesis. Whereas incorporation was increased over the denervated neuropil, the availability of [ 3 H]leucine was decreased relative to the contralateral side in autoradiographic preparations designed to reveal the concentration of the unincorporated 3 H-labeled precursor and its diffusible degradation products. Silver grains were not selectively associated with glial cell bodies or vascular elements, but rather were distributed diffusely throughout the neuropil. Increases in grain density over the denervated zone were observed when animals were killed 8 min after the leucine injection, suggesting that the increases were not due solely to rapid transport from granule cell bodies to dendrites. We propose that an increased incorporation of protein precursor occurs primarily within the denervated dendrites of granule cells during the early phase of reinnervation, and that protein synthetic activity in these cells might be involved in the process of reinnervation.
Adsorption of Zirconium−Phosphonate Multilayers onto Phosphate-Derivatized Glassy Carbon Substrates

Two methods were developed to modify glassy carbon surfaces with phosphoric acid groups. In the first method, phosphoryl chloride was reacted directly with oxides on the glassy carbon surface. Oxidative and reductive pretreatment of the polished surface improved the phosphate site density, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In the second method, the carbon surface was modified with an ω-aminoalcohol by electrochemical oxidation, prior to phosphorylation, yielding similiar phosphate site densities. Zirconium 1,10-decanediylbis(phosphonic acid) (Zr-DBP) multilayers were deposited upon these modified glassy carbon substrates. Variable takeoff angle XPS studies and the steady increase of zirconium and of phosphorus with each metal−phosphonate deposition indicate regular adsorption of each multilayer. Higher than ideal zirconium-to-phosphorus ratios are attributed to deposition kinetics, signal attenuation, and the random character of the glassy carbon surface. Zr−DBP layers exhibited ellipsome...
A Knowledge-Based System for Earthquake Risk Inventories

Techniques for seismic risk assessment have improved rapidly in the past decade. Much more is known about how different types of structures respond to an earthquake. To make assessments of seismic risk, this earthquake hazard information must be combined with an inventory of buildings by structure type. The cost of obtaining such inventory information presents a key stumbling block to implementing risk assessment techniques for large urban areas. Structure inventories based on field surveys are too expensive and become outdated as soon as they are completed. No single secondary data source contains the detailed structural information required by today's risk assessment techniques. A knowledge-based system is described that makes inferences about structure types based on secondary data. Existing land use, structure age, size, number of stories, and improvement are used to classify buildings by structure type. The knowledge-based system uses a set of rules to make inferences about structure type based on th...
The Optimal Alphabetic Tree Problem Revisited

TheOptimal Alphabetic Binary Tree(OABT) problem is equivalent to the Optimal Binary Search Tree problem where the weights are associated only with the leaves. The problem can be solved inO(nlogn) time, while the best known lower bound is ?(n).In this paper we relate the complexity of the problem to the complexity of priority queue operations and the complexity of sorting. We giveO(nlogP(k))-time algorithm for the general OABT problem an-time algorithm for the integer OABT problem wherekis a number at most at large as the number of local minima,P(k) is the time complexity of priority queue insert/delete_min operation, andS(n) is the complexity of sorting in the given domain of weights. Our algorithms also give rise to linear time algorithms for some special cases.
Transient Fluid Flow In Heterogeneous Porous Media

A stable Alternating Direction Implicit finite difference algorithm is used to model transient fluid flow in heterogeneous porous media. In connection with the laboratory system for pressure transient testing of core permeability, the effects of permeability heterogeneities on the characteristics of pressure transient are investigated. The results show that the early portion of the pressure transient is sensitive to the heterogeneity, while the late time portion is primarily controlled by the effective permeability of the sample. As in the steady flow case, lineation in permeability distribution produces anisotropy in measured permeability. Particularly, in the caSe of lineated fractures, where the background permeability is small, such anisotropy can produce orders of magnitude difference in permeability.
The magnetic susceptibility of Buckminsterfullerene

Abstract It is argued that the analysis of the magnetic susceptibility of icosahedral C 60 given by Haddon and Elser in a recent Letter underestimates the aromatic character of Buckminsterfullerene. Instead, it is argued that, when compared against the best available local reference structure, the ab initio calculation of Fowler, Lazzeretti, and Zanasi should be interpreted as showing a significant degree of delocalization consistent with an aromatic structure.
Chemical Speciation of Uranium(VI) in Marine Environments: Complexation of Calcium and Magnesium Ions with [(UO2)(CO3)3]4− and the Effect on the Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

The interactions of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) with [UO2 (CO3 )3 ](4-) were studied by calcium ion selective electrode potentiometry and spectrophotometry. The stability constants of ternary Ca-UO2 -CO3 and Mg-UO2 -CO3 complexes were determined with calcium ion selective electrode potentiometry and optical absorption spectrophotometry, respectively. The enthalpies of complexation for two successive complexes, [CaUO2 (CO3 )3 ](2-) and [Ca2 UO2 (CO3 )3 ](aq), were determined for the first time by microcalorimetry. The data help to revise the speciation of uranium(VI) species under seawater conditions. In contrast to the previously accepted assumption that the highly negatively charged [UO2 (CO3 )3 ](4-) is the dominant species, the revised speciation indicates that the dominant aqueous uranium(VI) species under seawater conditions is the neutral [Ca2 UO2 (CO3 )3 ](aq). The results have a significant impact on the strategies for developing efficient sorption processes to extract uranium from seawater.
Inhibition of Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase by 2-Carboxyarabinitol-1-Phosphate

In some plants, 2-carboxy-d-arabinitol 1-phosphate (CA 1P) is tightly bound to catalytic sites of ribulose, 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco). This inhibitor's tight binding property results from its close resemblance to the transition state intermediate of the carboxylase reaction. Amounts of CA 1P present in leaves varies with light level, giving CA 1P characteristics of a diurnal modulator of rubisco activity. Recently, a specific phosphatase was found that degrades CA 1P, providing a mechanism to account for its disappearance in the light. The route of synthesis of CA 1P is not known, but could involve the branched chain sugar, hamamelose. There appear to be two means for diurnal regulation of the number of catalytic sites on rubisco: carbamylation mediated by the enzyme, rubisco activase, and binding of CA 1P. While strong evidence exists for the involvement of rubisco activase in rubisco regulation, the significance of CA 1P in rubisco regulation is enigmatic, given the lack of general occurrence of CA 1P in plant species. Alternatively, CA 1P may have a role in preventing the binding of metabolites to rubisco during the night and the noncatalytic binding of ribulose bisphosphate in the light.
Composite formation from hydroxyapatite with sodium and potassium salts of polyphosphazene

The low temperature synthesis of composites potentially suitable as bone substitutes which form in vivo, was investigated. The composites were comprised of stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (SHAp) and water-soluble poly phosphazenes. These constituents were selected because of their biocompatibility, and were mixed as powders with a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) to form the composites. The effects of poly[bis(sodium carboxylatophenoxy)phosphazene] (Na-PCPP) or poly[bis(potassium carboxylatophenoxy) phosphazene] (K-PCPP) on stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (SHAp) formation from tetracalcium phosphate and anhydrous dicalcium phosphate were assessed. The kinetics and reaction chemistries of composite formation were followed by isothermal calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In the presence of 1% by weight of polyphosphazenes, composites comprised of SHAp and calcium cross-linked polymer salts were formed. Thus a mechanism for binding between polymer chains was established. Elevated proportions (5 and 10% by weight) of polyphosphazene, however, resulted in the inhibition of SHAp formation. This is attributed to the formation of viscous polymer solution coatings on the calcium phosphate precursors, retarding their reaction, and consequently inhibiting SHAp formation.
The electronic spectroscopy of oxamides

Abstract The electronic emission and absorption spectra of various oxamides for which the dihedral angles vary from 0° to 180° have been studied experimentally and computationally. The interpretation of the computational data proceeds along a composite-molecule point of view in which the electronic states of oxamide are related to those of component amides. By this means, we have identified the lower-energy excited singlet states of various trans -planar, cis -planar, and twisted oxamides and have determined their dependence on the dihedral angle between the two carbonyl groups. The phosphorescence characteristics of the oxamides are not unambiguously interpretable. Nonetheless, if oxamide be viewed as a member of the large set of isoelectronic α-dicarbonyls and if our singlet state assignments be accepted, we find it possible to rationalize the phosphorescence characteristics of oxamides in terms of vibronic mixing of 3 Γ nπ ∗ and 3 Γ ππ ∗ state.
A study of the long-range effectiveness of teaching blood pressure screening in a dental college

It was found that although students con be influenced and educated to become competent in taking blood pressures, this does not assure continued application after graduation. The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry has been actively involved in teaching the fundamentals of blood pressure screening since 1964. To determine the effectiveness of this instruction a sample of practitioners who have graduated since 1964 was surveyed to determine the degree to which they use blood pressure screening in their practices.
The protein products of the myc and myb oncogenes and adenovirus E1a are structurally related.

Structural and functional homologies have been found among proteins encoded by several retroviral oncogenes, demonstrating the existence of families of these genes1. Because the retroviral oncogenes have cellular homologues1,2, the existence of similar families among these ‘cellular oncogenes’ is also implied (for a review, see ref. 2). Cellular genes belonging to these families have been found in such evolutionarily distant species as humans3,4, fruit flies5,6, nematodes5 and brewer's yeast (E. Scolnick and S. Reed, personal communications), consistent with the hypothesis that these genes have evolved from a small number of ancestral sequences2. We extend these observations by showing here that the proteins encoded by the oncogenes myc, myb and adenovirus E1a are structurally related. Our findings suggest that oncogenes of RNA and DNA tumour viruses may in at least some instances share evolutionary origins and function according to common principles.
Uncertainty and the choice of instruments in a two-country monetary-policy game

In the two-country, monetary-policy game of this paper, each policymaker can choose his money supply or his interest rate as his instrument. With no uncertainty there are four noncooperative equilibria, one for each possible instrument pair. A policymaker is indifferent between instruments: his payoff depends not on his choice but on his opponent's. With uncertainty, the number of equilibria is reduced, sometimes to one. A policymaker is not indifferent between instruments; his payoff depends on his choice as well as on his opponent's. In some cases each policymaker prefers the equilibrium instrument choice of his opponent, but in others at least one would prefer another choice.
Tetralogy of Fallot

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease, occurring in 1 in 3,600 live births [1]. Complete repair of TOF was devised over 50 years ago (first reported by Lillehei in 1954) and can result in complete intra-cardiac repair in early infancy [2]. However, despite excellent short- and medium-term survival rates, the 30 year actuarial survival for patients repaired before their 5th birthday is 90 % of the expected survival rate and the annualized risk of death triples in the third postoperative decade [2, 3]. Late morbidity and mortality, in particular related to pulmonary incompetence, has been observed in many patients long after total repair.