cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical echocardiographic indices of left ventricular diastolic function correlate poorly with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure at 1 year following heart transplantation

Clinical echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function is routinely performed following orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). The purpose of this study was to determine whether echocardiographic indices of LV diastolic function correlate with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) in the transplanted heart. Patients who had OHT between June 2009 and November 2011 underwent transthoracic echocardiography and right heart catheterization (RHC) at approximately 1 year post transplantation. We retrospectively assessed 33 potential parameters of LV diastolic function using 2-dimensional, spectral Doppler and tissue Doppler echocardiography. We measured PCWP by RHC. We compared echocardiographic measures with PCWP using linear regression analysis. Ninety-five patients (mean age 49 ± 13 years, 73 males, mean LV ejection fraction 62 ± 10 %) were included in the study. Overall, echocardiographic parameters of LV diastolic function demonstrated poor correlation with PCWP. By linear regression, the parameter that most strongly correlated with PCWP was left atrial (LA) minimum area in the apical 4-chamber view (p = 0.002, r2 = 0.1). Comparing patients with PCWP ≤ 12 mmHg and those with PCWP > 12 mmHg, the parameter that demonstrated the most significant difference was LA minimum area in the apical 2-chamber view (p = 0.002), and comparing patients with PCWP ≤ 15 mmHg and those with PCWP > 15 mmHg, the most significant difference was peak early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (p = 0.02). In patients with cardiac allografts, clinical echocardiographic measures of LV diastolic function correlate poorly with PCWP.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Teletherapy in Depressed Adults

Telephone psychotherapy is an emerging form of delivery of care that has recently demonstrated utility and efficacy for adult depression when provided as an adjunct to antidepressant treatment in primary care trials. This study constitutes one of the initial evaluations of cognitive behavioral therapy-telephone treatment (CBT-TT) as a stand-alone treatment for adult depression in specialty care. Thirty adults initiating psychotherapy for depression at a mental health clinic participated in the trial. The majority of participants (69%) were very satisfied with the 8-session CBT-TT, reduction in depression severity was significant over 3 and 6 months, and 42% of participants were considered recovered at termination. These outcomes closely parallel the findings from an earlier primary care trial, despite specialty care participants beginning treatment with more severe depression and without adjunctive antidepressant medication. These findings suggest that CBT-TT for adult depression is feasible and has potential as a stand-alone treatment. Implementation of this telephone-based delivery approach in primary and specialty care settings is discussed.
Marathon desensitization groups: an innovative technique☆

The Effectiveness of desensitization therapy in treatment of phobias is a well documented finding (Rachman, 1967). Of current concern has been ways of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the application of desensitization. For example, a procedure for treating clients in a group setting has been used successfully, thereby saving therapist time (Lazarus, 1961; Paul, 1966; Suinn, 1968). Recently, Robinson and Suinn (1969) initiated a study of the effects of massed desensitization in the group treatment of spider phobia. Massing was defined as involving desensitization one hr a day consecutively for five days, treatment was completed in one week. Results indicated that significant recoveries occurred in all clients as measured by self-ratings and performance on a behavioral test with a live spider. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of massing over an even shorter time span, 24 hrs. If desensitization is effective over a one day treatment program, this would mean a crucial innovation has been identified. Such an innovation would conserve client and therapist time, and would be valuable in cases demanding immediate treatment but limited time available. A second purpose of this study was to put into effect a video-tape desensitization procedure. Again, successful results of such a procedure would be valuable information for therapists.
A unique unresponsive CD4+ T cell phenotype post TCR antagonism.

The functional outcomes of the T cell’s interaction with the peptide:MHC complex can be dramatically altered by the introduction of a single amino acid substitution. Previous studies have described the varied effects of these altered peptide ligands (APL) on T cell responses. These outcomes of T cell interaction with an APL include the induction of clonal unresponsiveness (anergy) and inhibition of T cell responses (antagonism). The phenotype of peptide-induced anergy, i.e. low proliferation and low IL-2 production, has been extensively described, and a number of groups have demonstrated antagonism. However, the response of T cells to an agonist ligand after encountering an antagonistic stimulus has not been previously characterized. Here, we show that T cells post-antagonism fail to proliferate but produce large quantities of IL-2 upon stimulation with their wild type ligand. This unique phenotype is not due to differences in IL-2 receptor expression or rates of apoptosis, and cannot be overcome by the addition of recombinant IL-2. The response of CD4 T cells to agonist stimulation after encountering an antagonist is a novel phenotype, and is distinct from previously described forms of anergy.
Maximizing the data utility of a data archiving & querying system through joint coding and scheduling

We study a joint scheduling and coding problem for collecting multi-snapshots spatial data in a resource constrained sensor network. Motivated by a distributed coding scheme for single snapshot data collection [7], we generalize the scenario to include multi-snapshots and general coding schemes. Associating a utility function with the recovered data, we aim to maximize the expected utility gain through joint coding and scheduling. We first assume non-mixed coding where coding is only allowed for data of the same snapshot. We study the problem of how to schedule (or prioritize) the codewords from multiple snapshots under an archiving model where data from all snapshots are of interests with additive utilities. We formalize the scheduling problem into a multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem. We derive the optimal solution using Git-tins Indices, and identify conditions under which a greedy algorithm is optimal. We then consider random mixed coding where data from different snapshots are randomly coded together. We generalize the growth codes in [7] to arbitrary linear-codes-based random mixed coding and show that there exists an optimal degree of coding. Various practical issues and the buffer size impact on performance are then discussed.
Intrapulse Depolarization in Optical Fibers

We show that the combination of cross-phase modulation and polarization-mode dispersion inside an optical fiber leads to the novel phenomenon of intrapulse depolarization. We use a pumpprobe configuration to reveal that pump-induced temporal fluctuations in the probe polarization affect the frequency chirp and lead to considerable spectral fluctuations.
The identification of oral microbial lectins by cell affinity chromatography

Whole-cell affinity chromatography was used as a novel screening technique for identifying and characterizing oral microbial lectins. First, affinity columns bearing oligosaccharides of defined structure were synthesized as lectin-binding reagents. Fetuin, transferrin (containing terminal NeuAc residues), asialofetuin and asialotransferrin (with terminal Gal residues) were covalently coupled to Sepharose 6MB and incubated with 3H-labeled bacterial suspensions in columns fitted with an 80-μm nylon filter. Bacteria specifically bound were then eluted with the appropriate sugar (NeuAc or Gal). Fusobacterium nucleatum was the most significant binder, with 80% specifically eluted from the asialo-derivatives. Actinomyces viscosus and Actinomyces naeslundii also showed unique specificity for galactose. In contrast, Streptococcus sanguis bound in greatest numbers to fetuin, consistent with the presence of a sialic acid-binding site on these bacteria.
Motor Vehicle Collision Patient with Simultaneous Duodenal Transection and Thoracic Aorta Injury: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Blunt polytrauma can present complex management decisions. Here we report the case of a 31-year-old male involved in a high speed motor vehicle collision resulting in both duodenal and thoracic aorta injury that was managed collaboratively between the trauma, vascular, and cardiothoracic surgical teams. The patient went on to a full recovery. We also review the management of such injuries which has evolved over the past two decades resulting in less morbidity and mortality.
Design and synthesis of glycodendrimers

Multivalent neoglycoconjugates with well-defined structures have considerable potential as inhibitors of cell surface protein-carbohydrate interactions and as tools for studying such recognition processes in vitro. In this review, we outline strategies and synthetic methods for making one such class of neoglycoconjugates based on dendrimers--the so-called glycodendrimers. Glycodendrimers can be classified as: (i) carbohydrate-coated; (ii) carbohydrate-centered; and (iii) fully carbohydrate-based. Approaches to their construction have included both the modification of commercially available dendrimers and de novo dendrimer synthesis. Examples from the authors' and other laboratories are drawn upon to illustrate design considerations and the application of dendritic synthetic principles--including divergent and convergent syntheses--for making glycodendrimers. Key coupling reactions for the synthesis of glycodendrimers include: amide and thiourea formation; glycosylation; photoaddition to allyl ethers; and reductive amination. The advantages and disadvantages of using protected and unprotected saccharide building blocks and potential applications for glycodendrimers in both biotechnology and materials science are also discussed.
Cardiovascular Effects of Weight Loss

Obesity is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease and chronic heart failure. It is associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance, in addition to vascular endothelial cell dysfunction and a proinflammatory prothrombotic state. Obesity furthermore, is associated with left ventricular remodeling leading to hypertrophy and diastolic and systolic dysfunction. Intentional weight loss of as little at 5% to 10% body weight improves cardiac and vascular function, blood pressure control, lipid profile, insulin resistance, diabetes control, and prevents or delays the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. These reductions in cardiovascular risk factors and improvements in cardiovascular function are seen with intentional weight loss achieved by any combination of exercise, calorie-restriction, behavioral weight loss programs, pharmacologic-induced, and surgical procedures. This review focuses on the cardiovascular effects of intentional weight loss achieved through intensive lifestyle modifications.
Effective Writing Assessment and Instruction for Young English Language Learners

The total number of English Language Learners in the American public schools is more than 4.5 million students or 9.6% of the total school population. This article focuses on instructional writing strategies and assessments for English Language Learners in the elementary classroom. This article provides early childhood education teachers with information about differences amongst English Language Learners because they are not a homogenous group. English Language Learners’ academic abilities can range from emergent readers, writers, and speakers of English to proficient readers, writers, and speakers of English.
Reverse zoning in the resurgent intrusions of the Grizzly Peak cauldron, Sawatch Range, Colorado

The deeply eroded Grizzly Peak cauldron, 17 by 23 km and source of the 34-m.y.-old Grizzly Peak Tuff, is located in the Sawatch Range in west-central Colorado. The Lincoln Gulch composite stock is exposed in the core of a resurgent dome in the northern part of the cauldron and consists of three units. Their forceful emplacement was a cause of cauldron resurgence. The first intrusion lifted its roof along a vertical fault that surrounds the stock. The second resurgent intrusion, a complex body with broad sill-like overhangs, was emplaced within the first intrusion by further piston uplift of the roof. The third intrusion, emplaced in the second, is a small funnel-shaped body. Normal faults in surrounding inter-layered intracaldera tuff and caldera-collapse breccia are radial to the intrusion-cored piston block. Most of the tuff dips away from the resurgent intrusions. Pyroclastic dikes cutting tuff that roofs the stock may have been emplaced by venting of the intrusions. The three resurgent intrusions are concentrically zoned, with the most differentiated material at the margins. From margin to core, compositions range from biotite granodiorite to hornblende-bearing biotite quartz monzodiorite. The intrusions are porphyroaphanitic throughout, but both phenocrysts and groundmass become coarser toward the cores. The compositional patterns are termed reverse zonations because most documented concentrically zoned intrusions become more silicic toward their cores. Crystal settling and marginal accretion of crystalline phases can be eliminated as means of forming reverse zoning because mafic-coreward gradients in element and mineral content are developed inward from contacts of all attitudes. Diffusion-based mechanisms of in situ differentiation are too slow, given the short solidification times for these sill-like bodies. We interpret reverse zonation to result from rearrangement of a vertically graded magma column during emplacement of the intrusions. Progressively more mafic magma from successively deeper levels in a subjacent chamber rose into the cores of the intrusions, displacing more silicic magma toward the margins. This emplacement pattern was preserved by rapid solidification, perhaps due to volatile loss on venting.
TUMOR FORMATION ON IRRADIATED LEAVES OF A TOBACCO HYBRID

Abstract Wounding of leaves of the tobacco hybrid Nicotiana glauca × N. langsdorffii caused tumor formation at the site of the wound where metabolites would have collected under normal transport conditions. Gamma irradiation, which above certain levels enhances tumor formation in this hybrid, changed neither the site nor the amount of tumor tissue formed. Tumor development closely followed the pattern of wound callus formation.
ANTICIPATORY HEART RATE IN ROPE CLIMBING

Using a newly developed telemetry system, records of heart-rate reaction of human subjects prior to the rope climb were obtained. The data presented on humans represents support for research by Rushmer, who experimented with dogs in demonstrating the role of the motor cortex in controlling the heart boat and particularly its involvement prior to vigorous exercise. The data consists of telemetered heart rates of 10 gymnasts prior to, during and following a rope climb for speed. The percentage of anticipatory heart rate increase over basal value of post-warm-up for the climb was approximately 25 per cent. This amount of anticipatory heart rate for the 10 subjects unassociated with actual energy expenditure would permit support of Rushmer's theory.
Estimation of time dependent virus inactivation rates by geostatistical and resampling techniques: application to virus transport in porous media

A methodology is developed for estimating temporally variable virus inactivation rate coefficients from experimental virus inactivation data. The methodology consists of a technique for slope estimation of normalized virus inactivation data in conjunction with a resampling parameter estimation procedure. The slope estimation technique is based on a relatively flexible geostatistical method known as universal kriging. Drift coefficients are obtained by nonlinear fitting of bootstrap samples and the corresponding confidence intervals are obtained by bootstrap percentiles. The proposed methodology yields more accurate time dependent virus inactivation rate coefficients than those estimated by fitting virus inactivation data to a first-order inactivation model. The methodology is successfully applied to a set of poliovirus batch inactivation data. Furthermore, the importance of accurate inactivation rate coefficient determination on virus transport in water saturated porous media is demonstrated with model simulations.
Predictability of anomalous river discharge in guyana

ESSENTIAL progress in climate prediction for the tropics has come from using empirically based methods, which combine extensive investigations of general circulation diagnostics with statistical analyses1–3. An immediate challenge for tropical climate prediction is presented by those areas where interannual rainfall variability is chiefly controlled by the anomalous behaviour of well defined quasi-permanent components of the large-scale circulation. Here I present a method which, applied to the Essequibo River in Guyana, predicts 74% of the interannual variance of water discharge in the January–February season of low stand, using as sole predictor the preceding September–October's sea surface temperature anomaly in the equatorial Pacific. The scheme allows the prediction of hydrological and, implicitly, climate conditions, and the results should be helpful in planning water resources and land use.
Bayesian Analysis of the Polarization of Distant Radio Sources: Limits on Cosmological Birefringence

A recent study of the rotation of the plane of polarization of light from 160 cosmological sources claims to find significant evidence for cosmological anisotropy. We point out methodological weaknesses of that study, and reanalyze the same data using Bayesian methods that overcome these problems. We find that the data always favor isotropic models for the distribution of observed polarizations over counterparts that have a cosmological anisotropy of the type advocated in the earlier study. Although anisotropic models are not completely ruled out, the data put strong lower limits on the length scale $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ (in units of the Hubble length) associated with the anisotropy; the lower limits of 95% credible regions for $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ lie between 0.43 and 0.62 in all anisotropic models we studied, values several times larger than the best-fit value of $\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\approx}0.1$ found in the earlier study. The length scale is not constrained from above. The vast majority of sources in the data are at distances closer than 0.4 Hubble lengths (corresponding to a redshift of $\ensuremath{\approx}0.8)$; the results are thus consistent with there being no significant anisotropy on the length scale probed by these data.
Intraoperative SSEP detection of ulnar nerve compression or ischemia in an obese patient: A unique complication associated with a specialized spinal retraction system

Abstract Baumann SB, Welch WC, Bloom MJ. Intraoperative SSEP detection of ulnar nerve compression or ischemia in an obese patient: a unique complication associated with a specialized spinal retraction system. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81:130-2. Objective: To report a case of peripheral nerve compression caused by a specialized spinal retraction system, the Thompson-Farley retractor system, that most likely would not have been detected without intraoperative monitoring of the ulnar nerve. Design: Bilateral median and peroneal nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were monitored continuously during a C5 corpectomy, as was core body temperature. Results: Within minutes after cervical soft-tissue retraction, the left ulnar nerve SSEP began to decline in amplitude. Peroneal nerve SSEPs were normal throughout the surgery; core body temperature remained at 36° ± 0.2°C. After much effort to reposition the patient, the SSEPs returned to baseline and the Thompson-Farley system was replaced by a self-retracting system. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report of peripheral nerve compression caused by the Thompson-Farley retractor system. Even with careful positioning on the operating table, obese patients may be particularly at risk for upper arm compression. Continuous monitoring of SSEPs is suggested to prevent postoperative morbidity. © 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Rotational bands in nuclei as induced group representations

Abstract A one-to-one correspondence between all constant deformation rotational bands in nuclei and the set of all unitary irreducible representations of the symmetry group T 5 ⊚ SU2 is successfully made. The physical observables corresponding to the generators of this noncompact symmetry group are the angular momentum operator j and the traceless mass quadrupole moment operator q. Three types of band structure are found: α bands, having zero quadrupole moment, and a single j value; β bands (three kinds: β|k|a and β0, ±a) representing axial nuclei; and γ bands (five kinds: γ±,±a,b and γτa,b) representing nonaxial deformed nuclei. The fifth γ-band type, γτ[sua,b], is especially interesting in that it has, intrinsically, half-integer angular momenta; this band, in particular, has not been obtained previously as an elementary structure. Properties of these bands (representations) are discussed in detail. It is noteworthy that all irreps of this symmetry group ( T 5 ⊚ SU2 ) find physically occurring counterparts, and, conversely, no known rotational band system fails to find an associated irrep structure.
Nanostructured Hybrid Silicon/Carbon Nanotube Heterostructures: Reversible High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Anodes

Lithium-ion batteries have witnessed meteoric advancement the last two decades. The anode area has seen unprecedented research activity on Si and Sn, the two anode alternatives to currently used carbon following the initial seminal work by Fuji on tin oxide nanocomposites. Recent reports on silicon nanowires, porous Si, and amorphous Si coatings on graphite nanofibers (GNF) have been very encouraging. High capacity and long cycle life anodes are still, however, elusive and much needed to meet the ever increasing energy storage demands of modern society. Herein, we report for the first time the synthesis of novel 1D heterostructures comprising vertically aligned multiwall CNTs (VACNTs) containing nanoscale amorphous/nanocrystalline Si droplets deposited directly on VACNTs with clearly defined spacing using a simple two-step liquid injection CVD process. A hallmark of these single reactor derived heterostructures is an interfacial amorphous carbon layer anchoring the nanoscale Si clusters directly to the VA...
Aminobisphosphonate Polymers via RAFT and a Multicomponent Kabachnik–Fields Reaction

Polyacrylamides containing pendant aminobisphosphonate groups are synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and a multicomponent postpolymerization functionalization reaction. A Moedritzer-Irani reaction installs the phosphonic acid groups on well-defined, RAFT-generated polymers bearing a pendant amine. An alternate route to the same materials is developed utilizing a three-component Kabachnik-Fields reaction and subsequent dealkylation. Kinetics of the RAFT polymerization of the polymer precursor are studied. Successful functionalization is demonstrated by NMR and FTIR spectroscopy and elemental analysis of the final polymers.
HIV sexual risk behavior and family dynamics in a Dominican tourism town.

Expansion of the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic has had far-reaching health consequences for the local population. Research suggests families with one or more members living in tourism areas experience heightened vulnerability to HIV/STIs due to exposure to tourism environments, which can promote behaviors such as commercial and transactional sex and elevated alcohol use. Nevertheless, little is known about how tourism contexts influence family dynamics, which, in turn, shape HIV risk. This qualitative study examined family relationships through in-depth interviews with 32 adults residing in Sosua, an internationally known destination for sex tourism. Interviewees situated HIV risk within a context of limited employment opportunities, high rates of migration, heavy alcohol use, and separation from family. This study has implications for effective design of health interventions that make use of the role of the family to prevent HIV transmission in tourism environments.
Case Report: Treatment of Silastic Catheter-Induced Central Vein Septic Thrombophlebitis

ABSTRACT Two patients with surgically implanted right atrial silastic catheters for home hyperalimentation developed central vein septic thrombophlebitis. Initial treatment including removal of the cathether and antibiotic therapy was unsuccessful and both patients had persistent fever and bacteremia. A clinical and microbiologic response occurred when anticoagulation therapy with heparin was added to the treatment regimen. Although a surgical approach has been emphasized in patients with peripheral vein suppurative thrombophlebitis, anticoagulation therapy may be a useful alternative in the treatment of patients with central vein infection.
More on partitioning triples of countable ordinals

Consider an arbitrary partition of the triples of all countable ordinals into two classes. We show that either for each finite ordinal m the first class of the partition contains all triples from a set of type ω + m, or for each finite ordinal n the second class of the partition contains all triples of an n-element set. That is, we prove that w 1 → (ω+ m, n) 3 for each pair of finite ordinals m and n.
Implementation and performance of a matrix organization structure

Abstract This paper presents a case study in the implementation and use of a matrix organization. This paper describes the matrix organization installed at the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering. The work explains how the need for a matrix structure was identified, reviews the creation of the matrix, describes the problems associated with the implementation of the new structure, and evaluates the effectiveness of the project management process within the matrix organization. The study finds that although implementation problems have occurred, the performance of the organization while operating under a matrix structure has improved with respect to project delivery.
Constrained path integrals and cosmic string self-intersections

Abstract We present a path integral formulation of the cosmic string self-intersection problem which exploits the fact that strings can be regarded as continuous approximations to discrete random walks. The problem is initially set up for free strings in flat space-time where techniques using the Kibble-Turok sphere are employed. In this picture, the relevant constraint is given by the Gaussian linkage of two closed curves. We then treat the intersection problem for closed loops subject to conservative forces. In both cases, the probability for a loop to intersect itself is computed in terms of the eigenvalues of a certain differential operator.
Optimal path planning for mobile backbone networks

Mobile Backbone Networks are heterogeneous wireless networks in which a subset of the nodes are more capable than others. The more capable nodes are referred to as Mobile Backbone Nodes (MBNs), whose primary role is to provide a mobile infrastructure in order to facilitate reliable end-to-end communication between nodes in the Network. In this paper, we consider the problem of optimally placing the MBNs over a finite time horizon. Specifically, we consider the path planning of a single MBN and aim to maximize the time-average system throughput. We present a discrete problem formulation, and develop an optimal solution for the single step velocity-constrained MBN placement problem. Using this as a sub-routine, we provide a greedy heuristic algorithm for the overall path planning problem. Next, we develop a dynamic programming based approximation algorithm for the problem. Finally, we compare the developed approaches via simulation.
Control of Browning and Microbial Growth on Fresh-Cut Apples by Sequential Treatment of Sanitizers and Calcium Ascorbate

This study investigated the efficacy of different sanitizers, including acidic electrolyzed water (AEW), peroxyacetic acid (POAA), and chlorine, on the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on fresh-cut apples. The effects of the sanitizers and sequential treatments of AEW or POAA followed by calcium ascorbate (CaA) on browning inhibition and organoleptic qualities of fresh-cut apples stored under different package atmospheres at 4 ◦ C were also evaluated. Changes in package atmosphere composition, product color, firmness, total aerobic bacterial counts, yeast and mold counts, and sensory qualities were examined at 0, 4, 8, 11, and 21 d. Among all sanitizer treatments, POAA and AEW achieved the highest reduction on E. coli O157:H7 populations. The sequential treatment of AEW followed by CaA (AEW-CaA) achieved the best overall dual control of browning and bacterial growth on fresh-cut apple wedges. Package atmospheres changed significantly over time and among package materials. Packages prepared with films having an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of 158 had significantly lower O2 and higher CO2 partial pressures than those prepared with 225 OTR films and the Ziploc TM bags. The effect of package atmospheres on the browning of
Hepatocarcinogenic potential of the glucocorticoid antagonist RU486 in B6C3F1 mice: effect on apoptosis, expression of oncogenes and the tumor suppressor gene p53

Glucocorticoids inhibit hepatocellular proliferation and modulate the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes via mechanisms involving the glucocorticoid receptor. Glucocorticoids also produce a receptor-mediated inhibitory effect on both basal and hormone-stimulated expression of a newly discovered family of molecules important for shutting off cytokine action. We therefore hypothesized that inhibiting glucocorticoid receptors may disturb hepatocellular growth and apoptosis. Consequently, we investigated the effect of RU486, a potent antagonist of the glucocorticoid receptor, on basal levels of hepatocellular proliferation and apoptosis in male B6C3F1 mice. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of this compound on cellular genes involved in the regulation of these important processes. Data show that treatment of male B6F3C1 mice with RU486 (2 mg/kg/d, ip) for 7 days dramatically inhibited liver cell proliferation by about 45% and programmed hepatocellular death by approximately 66%. RU 486 also significantly increased hepatic expression of the oncogenes mdm2 and JunB, while reducing that of the tumor suppressor gene p53. Exposure to RU486 may ultimately enhance the susceptibility of the liver to cancer risk by diminishing its ability to purge itself of pre-cancerous cells via apoptosis. This effect may be mediated through increases in the hepatic expression of the oncogene mdm2, coupled with decreases in that of the tumor suppressor gene p53. The decrease in hepatocellular proliferation caused by RU 486 may be related to effects other than its anti-glucocorticoid activity.
“Disappearing” spinal cord compression: Oncolytic effect of glucocorticoids (and other chemotherapeutic agents) on epidural metastases

Four patients suffering spinal cord compression resulting from epidural metastases were treated with adrenocorticosteroid hormones. For 2 patients, prompt relief of symptoms followed glucocorticoid therapy alone and was associated with marked shrinkage or disappearance of the metastasis, a direct oncolytic effect of the steroids. For the other 2 patients, glucocorticoids combined with other chemotherapeutic agents caused disappearance of the extradural tumor. For 1 patient, failure to recognize the oncolytic effects of the chemotherapy led to an unnecessary surgical procedure, and for a second patient an unnecessary operation was narrowly averted. Thus, for certain patients, glucocorticoids may occasionally have a marked oncolytic effect on epidural metastatic tumors.
Palatability and intake relationships in free-living humans: the influence of heredity.

Abstract The heritability of the before and after meal self-ratings of palatability and their relationship to food intake was investigated with 86 identical and 78 fraternal same-sex and 51 fraternal mixed gender adult twin pairs who were paid to maintain 7-day food intake diaries. From the diary reports, the total and meal intakes of food energy and the amounts of the macronutrients ingested were estimated. Participants rated the meals for palatability on a 7-point (Bad - Good) scale both before and after eating. Linear structural modeling was applied to investigate the nature and degree of genetic and environmental influences and revealed significant genetic influences on subjective palatability both before and after the meals. In addition, the relationship between palatability and intake was influenced by the genes. Significant dominance genetic effects were found for the change in meal size between low-moderate and high palatability meals, indicating that palatability and it's relationship with intake are to some extent heritable. This suggests that the level of subjective experience and the individuals responses to them are influenced by the genes and become part of the total package of genetically determined physiological, socio/cultural, and psychological processes that regulate energy balance.
Management Of Shiva Optics

In the design and procurement of a high power laser system such as the Shiva Fusion Laser at LLNL, the optical components are the single most important aspect for optimum laser performance. The cost, schedule and quality of the optics are the driving parameters for the entire program and many factors are involved in controlling, monitoring and evaluating these parameters. These factors include (1) the procurement cycle, (2) knowledge of the vendors, (3) realistic specifications, (4) understanding of the fabrication process, (5) the quality control and test requirements. Guidelines and examples of the methods used in the procurement and qualification of the optics in Shiva will be presented.
Low-dimensional models for compressible temporally developing shear layers

A methodology to achieve extremely-low-dimensional models for temporally developing shear layers is extended from incompressible flows to weakly compressible flows. The key idea is to first remove the slow variation (i.e. viscous growth of shear layers) through symmetry reduction, so that the model reduction using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)-Galerkin projection in the symmetry-reduced space becomes more efficient. However, for the approach to work for compressible flows, thermodynamic variables need to be retained. We choose the isentropic Navier–Stokes equations for the simplicity and the availability of a well-defined inner product for total energy. To capture basic dynamics, the compressible low-dimensional model requires only two POD modes for each frequency. Thus, a two-mode model is capable of representing single-frequency dynamics such as vortex roll-up, and a four-mode model is capable of representing the nonlinear dynamics involving a fundamental frequency and its subharmonic, such as vortex pairing and merging. The compressible model shows similar behaviour and accuracy as the incompressible model. However, because of the consistency of the inner product defined for POD and for projection in the current compressible model, the orthogonality is kept and it results in simple formulation. More importantly, the inclusion of compressibility opens an entirely new avenue for the discussion of compressibility effect and possible description of aeroacoustics and thermodynamics. Finally, the model is extended to different flow parameters without additional numerical simulation. The extension of the compressible four-mode model includes different Mach numbers and Reynolds numbers. We can clearly observe the change in the nonlinear interaction of modes at two frequencies and the associated promotion or delay of vortex pairing by varying compressibility and viscosity. The dynamic response of the low-dimensional model to different flow parameters is consistent with the vortex dynamics observed in experiments and numerical simulation.
Shaped-conical radiation pattern performance of the backfire quadrifilar helix

It is shown that shaped-conical radiation patterns can be realized by extending the resonant fractional-turn quadrifilar helix to an integral number of turns, i.e., the radiated energy can be concentrated into a cone with the gain decreasing from a maximum at the edge of the cone to a local minimum at the center. This pattern shape is near optimum for many spacecraft communications and navigation applications, providing approximately 3 dB improvement over cardioid shaped patterns.
Development of a Gene Therapy Method for Cervical Cancer Using Attenuated Coxsackievirus B3 as a Vector System

We previously reported the development of an attenuated coxsackievirus B3, known as YYFF, which functioned as a viral vector system for foreign gene expression. In this study, we demonstrated the potential use of YYFF as a gene therapy vector. Recombinant YYFF was constructed to express the human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) E7 gene, referred to as YYFF-HPV16-E7. Growth of YYFF-HPV16-E7 resembled the wild type, YYFF, and it expressed HPV16-E7 in cell culture. When YYFF-HPV16-E7 was directly injected into TC-1-transplanted C57/BL6 mice, there was no reduction in tumor size, because of the non-growth of YYFF in C57/BL6 mice. However, when YYFF-HPV16-E7-induced immune cells/serum that originated from BALB/c mice was passively delivered into BALB/c background TC-1-transplanted nude mice, it reduced the size of cervical tumors in the nude mice. This study indicates the potential use of YYFFHPV16-E7 as a gene therapy agent for treating HPV-induced cervical cancer.
Optimal efficiency speed control of induction motors by variable rotor impedance

An optimal method to control the speed of a wound-rotor induction motor by variable external rotor impedance is presented. The rotor impedance is adjusted so that, for any desired torque and slip values, the total copper losses are minimized. Motor efficiency is improved compared with the case of conventional speed control by variable rotor resistance only. An example illustrates the copper loss reduction and dynamic behavior of the drive. Simulation study results that show the percentage copper loss reduction is generally likely to be higher for lighter loads. For constant-torque loads, the reduction percentage reaches a peak at the lower slip values, whereas for fan-type loads the most significant percentage copper-loss reduction occurs at both the higher and lower slip values. The response time of the rotor speed for startup or a sudden change in the speed setting is considerably smaller than that achieved by pure rotor resistance control. >
Discretion Advocacy in Public Administration Theory Toward a Platonic Guardian Class

This article identifies a "discretion school" or position within current public administration theory and the proximate historical causes for its articulation. The extent to which administrative discretion is thought to be permissible, and the justifications for it, are explored by way of comparing current views to Plato `s explication of the functions of the guardian class in the ideal Republic. Contemporary analogues to "knowledge of the good " (public interest and regime values) and the role of education are arrayed. The article concludes by posing problematics heretofore insufficiently resolved by discretionist points of view.
Single-Atom Sensitivity for Solving Catalysis Problems

Albina Y. Borisevich*, Sanwu Wang**, Sergey N. Rashkeev**, Socrates T. Pantelides**,Karl Sohlberg***, and Stephen J. Pennycook*,***Condensed Matter Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831**Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235***Department of Chemistry, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Sub-Doppler cooling in a strontium magneto-optical trap

A systematic study of the sub-Doppler cooling in a strontium magneto-optical trap is presented. A detailed theoretical analysis of this system, based on a fully expanded multi-level theory, is also discussed. Furthermore, density-related radiation heating dynamics are found to play a crucial role in this system with reduced sub-Doppler cooling force.
An emerging eco-habitus: The reconfiguration of high cultural capital practices among ethical consumers:

Bourdieu's concept of habitus describes a set of tastes and dispositions operating according to a class homology - for example, a working-class preference for utility, or a bourgeois orientation toward luxury. In the United States, Holt found that high cultural capital consumers were characterized by their cosmopolitanism, idealism, con- noisseurship, and affinity for the exotic and authentic. In this article, we use Holt's analysis as a comparative case, finding an altered high cultural capital habitus incorpor- ating environmental awareness and sustainability principles, in a configuration that has been called ethical or ''conscious consumption.'' Using both quantitative survey data of self-described conscious consumers as well as four qualitative case studies, we argue that ethical consumers are overwhelmingly high cultural capital consumers, and that high cultural capital consumption strategies have shifted since Holt's study in the mid- 1990s. We show that on a number of dimensions - cosmopolitanism, idealism, and relation to manual labor - a new high cultural capital consumer repertoire privileges the local, material, and manual, while maintaining a strategy of distinction. While the critical literature on conscious consumers has suggested that such practices reflect neo-liberal tendencies that individualize environmental responsibility, our findings suggest that such practices are hardly individual. Rather, they are collective strategies of consumption - what we have termed an emerging high cultural capital ''eco-habitus.''
Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma in never-smokers: analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics and survival.

Objectives(1) To compare clinical characteristics, survival, and recurrence between never-smokers and ever-smokers with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). (2) To assess the relationship between clinicopathologic characteristics and survival/recurrence in OTSCC.Study DesignHistorical cohort study.SettingAcademic university medical center.Subjects and MethodsThis is a study of 120 patients with OTSCC who were treated from January 1999 to February 2010. Clinicopathologic factors were compared between never-smokers and ever-smokers using t tests and χ2 tests. Cox regression analyses examined their association with survival and recurrence.ResultsOf 120 subjects, 66 (55%) were prior or current smokers. There were no significant differences in clinicopathologic factors between ever-smokers and never-smokers. After adjustment for clinicopathologic factors, multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated decreased overall survival for never-smokers, but this difference was not significant (hazard ratio...
Faulting in the Burro Mountain Area, California Coast Ranges, and Its Relation to the Nacimiento Fault

The northwest-striking Nacimiento fault, in the southern Coast Ranges of California, has generally been regarded as the boundary between two major structural blocks: the Nacimiento block to the southwest, in which the basement rocks belong to the Franciscan Formation (Upper Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous), and the Salinian block to the northeast, in which the basement rocks are granitic and high-grade metamorphic. It has been found, however, that in the Burro Mountain area of the southern Santa Lucia Range, the “Nacimiento” fault of Jennings (1959) is nearly vertical and is within the Nacimiento block. In this area, the Franciscan Formation crops out northeast of the “Nacimiento” fault through windows in an older, low-angle thrust fault that brings the Asuncion Group of Taliaferro (1943) (Upper Cretaceous) over the Franciscan Formation. The fault boundary between the Nacimiento and the Salinian blocks must therefore lie farther to the northeast, where it may be buried beneath the Asuncion Group and younger strata. This conclusion is supported by Hanna9s recent aeromagnetic work (1969).
Perceptual grouping using global saliency-enhancing operators

Introduces saliency-enhancing operators capable of highlighting features which are considered perceptually relevant. One is able to extract salient curves and junctions and generate a description ranking these features by their likelihood of coming from the original scene. The authors suggest the global extension field as means of describing the behavior of a curve segment, in terms of its continuation. It is shown that a directional convolution of an edge image with the above field can produce useful descriptions. Other fields are also used in the same manner to produce similar results for domain-specific applications. The scheme is particularly useful and robust as a gap filler and in the presence of noise. >
Challenges From and To the Senior Editors of the Journal of Information Systems.

The article deals with the challenges from and to the senior editors of the "Journal of Information Systems" concerning accounting information systems (AIS). Topics discussed include the primary role of the journal, the nature of AIS, and the achievements of the journal under the leadership of senior editor Miklos Vasarhelyi. Also mentioned are the current and future trends in AIS research.
Partners in prevention: a mobilization plan for implementing Healthy People 2000.

acknowledged the nation’s progress in biomedical research and refocused emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention during the decade of the ’80s. Physicians, public health workers, health practitioners, health educators, and community health organizations have joined ranks to emphasize health promotion and disease prevention as a more humane and a more economical route to good health than the more costly, painful, and life-disruptive procedures necessitated by after-the-fact treatment and curative measures.
Rates of river incision and scarp retreat in eastern and central Grand Canyon over the past half million years: Evidence for passage of a transient knickzone: COMMENT

Abbott et al. (2015) and Crow et al. (2014), two Grand Canyon incision studies, come to very different conclusions despite apparent methodological similarities. Crow et al. (2014) used U-Th, Ar-Ar, and cosmogenic burial dating of material associated with Colorado River (CR) strath terrace sequences at 6 sites throughout Grand Canyon and concluded that average bedrock incision rates have been temporally steady at each site over at least the last 650 ka, but vary spatially from 100 to 160 m/Ma due to differential mantle-driven uplift. Abbott et al. (2015) used our unpublished Ar-Ar dating on a dike in western Grand Canyon, near river mile 159, plus U-Th dating of travertine-cement in sidestream alluvium, near Hermit Rapid, to suggest that incision rates were 1–4 km/Ma from 500 to 400 ka and <200 m/Ma after 400 ka, a difference they ascribe to a migrating knickpoint. The conclusions of these studies are contradictory.