cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment and outcomes of fingertip injuries at a large metropolitan public hospital

BACKGROUND Fingertip injuries are the most common hand injuries presenting for acute care. Treatment algorithms have been described based on defect size, bone exposure, and injury geometry. The authors hypothesized that despite accepted algorithms, many fingertip injuries can be treated conservatively. METHODS A prospectively collected retrospective review of all fingertip injuries presenting to Bellevue Hospital between January and May of 2011 was conducted. Patients were entered into an electronic database on presentation. Follow-up care was tracked through the electronic medical record. Patients lost to follow-up were questioned by means of telephone. Patients were analyzed based on age, mechanism of injury, handedness, occupation, wound geometry, defect size, bone exposure, emergency room procedures performed, need for surgical intervention, and outcome. RESULTS One hundred fingertips were injured. Injuries occurred by crush (46 percent), laceration (30 percent), and avulsion (24 percent). Sixty-four percent of patients healed without surgery, 18 percent required operative intervention, and 18 percent were lost to follow-up. Patients requiring operative intervention were more likely to have a larger defect (3.28 cm versus 1.75 cm, p < 0.005), volar oblique injury (50 percent versus 8.8 percent, p < 0.005), exposed bone (81.3 percent versus 35.3 percent, p < 0.005), and an associated distal phalanx fracture (81.3 percent versus 47.1 percent, p < 0.05). Patients requiring surgical intervention had a longer average return to work time when compared with those not requiring surgical intervention (4.33 weeks versus 2.98 weeks, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Despite current accepted algorithms, many fingertip injuries can be treated nonoperatively to achieve optimal sensation, fine motor control, and earlier return to work. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, III.
Mixed neurologic and psychiatric disorders: Pharmacological issues

The number of patients with mixed neurologic and psychiatric disturbances is large. The psychiatric disturbances are often atypical in presentation and fit poorly into standard psychiatric nomenclature. They can be difficult to treat using standard psychopharmacologic approaches. This report reviews the impact of brain dysfunction on the use of conventional and nonconventional psychotropic agents in this mixed population.
Quantitative and cytometric analysis of the ventral cochlear nucleus in man.

Abstract A systematic quantitative and cytometric study of the ventral cochlear nucleus has been performed on 3 groups of histologically normal brains, ranging in age from 20 weeks of gestation to adult life. Serial sections, 20 μm in thickness, through the length of the nucleus were obtained from paraffin-embedded blocks of the ponto-medullary junction. Every 10th section was analyzed with a Cambridge Imanco quantimet 720 Image Analyzing system. The surface area of the nucleus was determined on each slide. Cells showing neuronal characteristics were individually counted and classified into 18 pre-determined cell size classes. The raw total number of cells was then corrected for periodicity and split cell error. The total volume of the nucleus and cell packing density were estimated. The mean total number of neurons was 26,098 in premature, 31,802 in full term and 30,440 in adult cases. There was no significant difference among these values. The mean volume of the nucleus was 1.32 mm 3 in premature, 3.84 in full term and 5.43 in adult cases. Positive correlation coefficients were found comparing volume versus age. A negative correlation coefficient was detected comparing cell packing density versus age from the full term period to adult life. A significant increase in the number of cells in the largest cell classes was also found with increasing age. The mean neuronal diameter did not change significantly between premature and full term cases but was significantly different between full term and adult cases. These findings are discussed and compared to already reported quantitative studies of the ventral cochlear nucleus in man, which involved manual counting techniques.
Periodic BV solutions of hyperbolic balance laws with dissipative source

Abstract We establish the existence and long time behavior of spatially periodic BV solutions to strictly hyperbolic systems of balance laws with partially dissipative source satisfying the Kawashima condition.
How Scientific Does Marine Environmental History Need to Be

AbstractOver the past decade, marine environmental historians have begun to mobilize the major themes of “traditional” environmental history—wilderness and the frontier—to provide insight into our ...
Congenital long QT syndrome: a case report of LQT2 and LQT13 in a neonate.

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of ventricular myocardial repolarization characterized by a prolonged QT interval on the electrocardiogram (ECG). At least 12 different genes in patients with congenital LQTS have been described, designated LQT 1 through 12. However, more recently …
Finding Our Way: Ten Guidelines for Integrating Technology into Secondary Instruction.

The guidelines presented here are based on my experience as a classroom teacher and a staff development coordinator for technology, and upon my study of the literature regarding the use of technology for instruction. I do not present these guidelines as a recipe for success in integrating the use of computers into instruction, nor as an exhaustive list of what must be done for integration to occur. To do so would be an oversimplification of a complex issue. There are many difficult decisions that schools need to make, and I offer these guidelines as a means for drawing upon the experience of those of us who are in the process of integrating technology into instruction. Even those of us who are heavily involved in this work feel as though we are just finding our way. I hope that what I have shared in this article will help others to find their way as well.
Neuroscience: Binge drinking and brain stress systems

The discovery that interactions between two stress-associated neuropeptide hormones regulate binge drinking in mice provides insight into the biological mechanisms that underpin the bingeing cycle.
Title VII and Disparate-Treatment Discrimination Versus Disparate-Impact Discrimination The Supreme Court’s Decision in Ricci v. DeStefano

In June 2009, the Supreme Court decided the employment discrimination case of Ricci v. DeStefano . In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the City of New Haven, Connecticut, discriminated against W...
Deterrence and System Management: The Case of North Korea

The recent North Korean crisis is the latest phase in a lengthy U.S.-North Korean deterrence relationship. That relationship, particularly its problems and limitations, is reviewed and the effectiveness of each side's contemporary deterrence posture is assessed. It is noted that deterrence and compellence have not prevented the emergence of the North's nuclear proliferation efforts, nor has it brought North Korea a large improvement in security. The recent crisis is also examined to assess the mistakes in U.S. efforts to further pursue deterrence and compellence to end the North Korean nuclear weapons program. Lessons of the crisis for the use of deterrence for system security management are briefly discussed.
Can We Develop Measures of Hypothetical Constructs

Abstract A rational approach to item development and scoring was used to assess six dimensions considered relevant to a law enforcement position. Factor analysis, reliability analysis, and correlations with various other measures indicated reasonable “construct validity” for three of the six original measures. All six final measures were easily interpretable, but three were inconsistent with our original concepts or were much more narrow representations of the intended construct. All measures displayed low correlations with job performance measures.
Mutagen formation during the cooking of fish

Compounds mutagenic toward Salmonella typhimurium strains sensitive to frameshift mutation (1537, 1538 and TA98) were formed when fish flesh was fried at 190 degrees c. Four species of marine fish commonly consumed in the United States were cooked in an electric skillet and broiled beneath the elements of an electric oven. Organic extracts of the fish were tested in the Salmonella mutagenic assay using strains 1535, 1537, 1538, TA98 and TA100. Basic organic extracts of fried but not raw or broiled samples exhibited significant mutagenicity with metabolic activation. Mutagenic activity ratios ranging from 3.3 to 15.7 for the extract from 20 g of fish were observed. The mutagenicity produced during the frying of fish was dependent on time. Frying times of less than 6 min produced no mutagenic activity, while at 6 min or greater substantial mutagenicity was generated.
A microcomputer-based interactive presentation development system

Abstract Under the primary sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) NASA PC R&D project is conducting a variety of research activities addressing microcomputer-based support for instructional activities. The Interactive Presentation Development System (IPDS), one product of this research, is intended to minimize the overhead involved in the preparation and presentation of instructional material while significantly increasing instructor control over the dynamics of such presentations. This paper presents a brief overview of the USL NASA PC R&D project, a detailed explanation of IPDS capabilities, and an analysis of IPDS's effect on the instructional presentation process.
Memory system support for image processing

Image processing applications tend to access their data non-sequentially and reuse that data infrequently. As a result, they tend to perform poorly on conventional memory systems due to high cache and TLB miss rates and are particularly sensitive to the growing latency of main memory. In this paper, we analyze the memory performance of three image processing algorithms (volume rendering, image warping, and image filtering) on both a conventional memory system and on the Impulse memory system. The Impulse memory system allows application software to control how, when, and where data are loaded into a conventional processor cache. It does this by letting software configure how the memory controller interprets the physical addresses exported by the processor, which enables an application to dynamically change how data are fetched. Sparse data can be accessed densely, which improves both cache and TLB utilization, and memory latency is hidden by prefetching data within the memory controller. We find that for these image processing codes, using an Impulse memory system yields speedups of 40% to 226% over an otherwise identical machine with a conventional memory system.
Effect of Dietary Fat and Cholesterol on Uptake of Oleic Acid and Triolein by Everted Sacs of Bovine Small Intestine

The influence of dietary fats on in vitro lipid absorption by bovine intestine was studied in 14 calves. Holstein bull calves were fed for 16 wk five liquid diets containing skim milk plus either 3.5% milk fat, 3.5% tallow, 3.5% tallow and .2% cholesterol, 7.0% tallow, or 7.0% tallow and .2% cholesterol. Uptake of oleic acid or triolein by everted jejunal or ileal sacs was measured after incubation for 30 min at 37°C in pH 7.4 micellar solutions containing tritium-labeled oleic acid or tritium-labeled triolein. Lipids were extracted from homogenates of sacs and separated into lipid classes by thin layer chromatography. Equal amounts of oleic acid were taken up by jejunal or ileal sacs. Triolein uptake was less than oleic acid uptake, but uptakes by jejunal or ileal sacs did not differ. Oleic acid incorporation into triglyceride was three to four times greater in intestnal sacs from milk fat-fed calves than in sacs from calves fed either 3.5 or 7% tallow. Oleic acid incorporation in intestinal sacs from calves fed cholesterol as well as tallow was equal to that in milk fat-fed calves. Intestinal uptake and metabolism of oleic acid proceeded faster when calves were fed milk fat than when fed tallow. The lower intestinal incorporation with tallow increased if cholesterol was fed, suggesting that cholesterol either stimulated absorption or increased esterification.
A simple model for the difference between coherence time and radiative lifetime in NO2

Abstract An intramolecular mechanism is proposed to reconcile the different lifetimes obtained from direct radiative decay measurements and from Hanle effect measurements on NO 2 . This mechanism predicts a dependence of the coherence lifetime on the excited state rotational quantum number which is in good agreement with the previous experiments.
Effect of Neonatal Administration of Testosterone Propionate Upon Mammary Gland Growth in Female Rats

The growth of the mammary glands of normal virgin rats was compared with that of a group treated with testosterone propionate (TP) neonatally. Using the mean content of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as an index, it was shown that the glands of the experimental group contained significantly (18%) less DNA than those of the control group (p<0.05). Similarly, the mean DNA's of the glands of ovariectomized control and experimental groups were compared after treatment with 2 μg estradiol benzoate (EB) and 6 mg progesterone (P) for 19 days. The mean DNA of the TP-treated group was highly significantly lower (33%) than that of the control group (p<0.001). (Endocrinology 79: 443, 1966)
Recovery of the cortical evoked potential from auditory stimulation in children and adults

The recovery of cortical evoked potentials to auditory stimulation was studied in a group of 12 young adults and 12 children aged 9.0–13.3 years. Subjects listened to single clicks and to pairs of clicks in which the interstimulus intervals (ISI's) varied, taking on values of 50, 100, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 msec. Average evoked potentials (AEP's) based on 50 repetitions were obtained to single clicks by coherent averaging and to the 2nd click of the pairs by automatically subtracting the evoked potential to each single click from the evoked potential to the corresponding pair and coherently averaging the remainder. In children, peak latencies of the P1, N1, and P2 components of the AEP to the 2nd click of the pairs increased significantly with decreasing ISI; in adults, latencies similarly increased except in the case of the N1 component. These increases were significantly larger in children than in adults, indicating that cortical recovery is slower in children and suggesting that cortical excitability in children may be lower. Peak latencies of the P1, N1, and P2 components of the AEP to single clicks were significantly longer (16–21 msec) in the children.
How to establish a lasting relationship with your host: lessons learned from Mycobacterium spp.

How to establish a lasting relationship with your host: Lessons learned from Mycobacterium spp.
Enzymatic fluorometric determination of acetylcholine in biological extracts.

Abstract— Acetylcholine was determined fluorometrically by the following enzymic reactions: (1) ACh = Acetate + Choline (2) Acetate + ATP + CoASH = Acetyl-SCoA + AMP + PPi (3) Malate + NAD+= Oxalacetate + NADH (4) Oxalacetate + Acetyl-SCoA = CoASH + Citrate The fluorescence produced by NADH was stoichiometric with the ACh present and the citrate formed. The complete system contained acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7), acetyl-CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.1), malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37), and citrate condensing enzyme (EC 4.1.3.7). The acetyl-CoA synthetase was rate limiting in the system. Authentic samples of ACh (10−8 to 10−9mol) were measured with ±5 per cent reproducibility; this corresponds to the content of an 80 mg (fresh weight) sample of brain. Tissue levels of ACh in this concentration range, within normal biological variation, were determined with ±15 per cent reproducibility. The method can also be employed to measure acetate and acetyl-SCoA with the same degrees of sensitivity and reproducibility. The method can be used to measure ‘total’ and ‘bound’ ACh and thus to estimate ‘free’ ACh, by varying the extraction procedure. Values obtained in the manner described agree with those previously reported in the literature. Troublesome fluorescence in brain extracts was effectively removed with acid-washed Florisil.
Basilic vein transposition fistula: a good option for maintaining hemodialysis access site options?

Abstract Purpose The primary use of autogenous arteriovenous access for chronic hemodialysis is recommended by the National Kidney Foundation–Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative practice guidelines. We review the outcomes of basilic vein transposition (BVT) to assess its value as a primary upper arm arteriovenous access option. Methods A retrospective review of 56 patients undergoing BVT was performed. Thirty patients were men; average age was 56 years. Etiology of end-stage renal disease, complications, and time to maturation were tabulated. Primary and secondary patency rates were determined by using life table methods. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to assess risk factors for fistula failure. Results Renal failure was associated with diabetes in 32 (57%) patients, and BVT was the primary access procedure in 22 (39%) patients. Perioperative complications occurred in 5 (9%) patients and included hematoma (n = 3), myocardial infarction (n = 1), and death (n = 1). The average time to maturation was 74 days (range, 12-265 days), and maturation failure occurred in 21 (38%) patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that age older than 60 years was associated with poorer maturation and patency rates. On an intent-to-treat basis, 1-year primary and secondary patencies were 35% and 47%, respectively, but only 18% and 28%, respectively, for age >60 years. Forty-two percent of failed BVT were subsequently replaced with a prosthetic graft by using the same upper arm vessels. Conclusion BVT frequently do not mature in patients older than 60 years, which compromises its utility as a primary access. However, fistulas that mature provide acceptable patency rates, and subsequent conversion to a prosthetic access is frequently possible. Selective use of BVT might improve the utilization of available access sites.
A Qualitative Study of Literacy and Patient Response to HIV Medication Adherence Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to elicit patient feedback regarding the perceived clarity and level of difficulty associated with self-report human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medication adherence measurement tools. HIV-infected patients from clinics in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Chicago, Illinois, were recruited to participate in four focus group discussions. Three groups consisted of patients with limited literacy skills ( or = ninth-grade reading ability). Five themes emerged: (1) respondent understanding of the term "adherence," (2) recall, (3) question format, (4) visual aids, and (5) instrument administration. Participants struggled to define adherence, relied on visual cues to identify medications, and had a short recall time frame for missed doses (< or =3 days). Most preferred simple question formats and for their physician to assess adherence orally. Patients receiving treatment for HIV infection, especially those with limited literacy skills, may find it difficult to respond to existing HIV medication adherence questionnaires.
Manufacturable full-color AMLCDs for military head-mounted displays and viewer applications

We report the progress in full-color 0.97-inch-diagonal SXGA and 0.57"-inch-diagonal XGA active matrix liquid crystal displays. The circuits for these displays are fabricated on 8-inch silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, which are then transferred to glass wafers to produce transmissive liquid crystal displays. Significant power savings and display performance improvements have been made with innovations in display architectures and the use of indium tin oxid (ITO) pixels. The new thin efficient backlight with improved color spectrum also contributes to lower power consumption and better color gamut. The Mantech program for the SXGA display has enabled the processing of many wafers to resolve various production issues, which will result in substantially higher yield for the SXGA microdisplays.
Fear Extinction Causes Target-Specific Remodeling of Perisomatic Inhibitory Synapses

A more complete understanding of how fear extinction alters neuronal activity and connectivity within fear circuits may aid in the development of strategies to treat human fear disorders. Using a c-fos-based transgenic mouse, we found that contextual fear extinction silenced basal amygdala (BA) excitatory neurons that had been previously activated during fear conditioning. We hypothesized that the silencing of BA fear neurons was caused by an action of extinction on BA inhibitory synapses. In support of this hypothesis, we found extinction-induced target-specific remodeling of BA perisomatic inhibitory synapses originating from parvalbumin and cholecystokinin-positive interneurons. Interestingly, the predicted changes in the balance of perisomatic inhibition matched the silent and active states of the target BA fear neurons. These observations suggest that target-specific changes in perisomatic inhibitory synapses represent a mechanism through which experience can sculpt the activation patterns within a neural circuit.
Dissociative disorders among adults in the community, impaired functioning, and axis I and II comorbidity.

Objective To investigate the association of dissociative disorder (DD) with impaired functioning and co-occurring Axis I and personality disorders among adults in the community. Method Psychiatric interviews were administered to a sample of 658 adult participants in the Children in the Community Study, a community-based longitudinal study. Results Depersonalization disorder (prevalence: 0.8%), dissociative amnesia (prevalence: 1.8%), dissociative identity disorder (prevalence: 1.5%), and dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (prevalence: 4.4%), evident within the past year, were each associated with impaired functioning, as assessed by the clinician-administered Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. These associations remained significant after controlling for age, sex, and co-occurring disorders. Individuals with anxiety, mood, and personality disorders were significantly more likely than individuals without these disorders were to have DD, after the covariates were controlled. Individuals with Cluster A (DD prevalence: 58%), B (DD prevalence: 68%), and C (DD prevalence: 37%) personality disorders were substantially more likely than those without personality disorders were to have DD. Conclusions DD is associated with clinically significant impairment among adults in the community. DD may be particularly prevalent among individuals with personality disorders.
Students' perceptions of being graded as a group in the college classroom: relations among students' age, employment, and perceived group satisfaction.

This investigation compared and measured for different age groups of students, hours of employment, and previous grading experiences of one student cohort in relation to their perceived overall satisfaction with being graded as a group. A cohort of 230 students from a large southern metropolitan university enrolled in sections of two undergraduate classes, Group Interaction and Decision Making and Conflict Management, participated. Analysis indicated that (a) older students (28-47 years) were more likely to be dissatisfied with a group grade experience than middle (23-27 years) and younger (18-22 years) students. (h) Older students working part time were significantly more dissatisfied with the overall group experience than the younger part-time working students. (c) Older part-time working students were significantly more dissatisfied with the overall experience of working and being graded as a group than the middle part-time and middle full-time working students. Differences were noted between the older and younger students, which supported older students' overall dissatisfaction with their experience of being graded as a group. Common complaints by older students were that younger students were immature, irresponsible, lacked "real-life" experience, and had misplaced priorities. Common complaints by younger students were that older students were too serious and rigid. It is recommended that this work be extended to include other comparison groups, graduate students, and other disciplines.
Teratogenic effects of retinoic acid are modulated in mice lacking expression of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor‐α

BACKGROUND Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-α (TGFα) regulate cell proliferation and differentiation in the embryo. The induction of cleft palate (CP) by all trans-retinoic acid (RA) was associated with altered expression of TGFα, EGF receptor, and binding of EGF. This study uses knockout (KO) mice to examine the roles of EGF and TGFα in teratogenic responses of embryos exposed to RA. METHODS Pregnant wild-type (WT) mice of mixed genetic background, EGF KO, C57BL/6J, and TGFα KO mice were given a single oral dose of RA (100 mg/kg, 10 ml/kg) or corn oil on GD 10 at 12 PM, GD 11 at 12 PM or 4 PM, or GD 12 at 8 AM or 12 PM (plug day = GD 0). GD 18 fetuses were examined for external, visceral, and skeletal effects. RESULTS After exposure to RA on GD 12, the incidence of CP in EGF KO was significantly reduced relative to WT. In TGFα KO fetuses, RA exposure on GD 10 increased the incidence of CP versus C57BL/6J. The incidence of skeletal defects in the limbs, vertebrae, sternebrae, and ribs were also affected by lack of expression of EGF or TGFα with region-specific amelioration or exacerbation of the effects of RA. In TGFα KO fetuses, incidences of forelimb long bone and digit defects increased relative to C57BL/6J. In EGF KO fetuses, relative to WT, the incidence of hindlimb oligodactyly was increased. In EGF KO, but not WT, RA produced short, bent radius, humerus, and ulna. Both TGFα and EGF KO mice had increased incidences of dilation of the renal pelvis and this was reduced by RA. CONCLUSIONS RA exposure produced skeletal and visceral defects in all genotypes; however, EGF or TGFα KO influenced the incidence and severity of defects. This study supports a role for EGF and TGFα in the response to RA. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Grassroots activism in Louisiana

This paper refects on African American activism and Community Based Organizations (CBOS) in Louisiana where a number of communities were targeted to become sacrifice zones for toxic waste inthe United States. It is hoped that an examination of African American activism in Louisiana will result in greater awareness and mutual respect among environmental, civil rights, and social justice groups as well as among political leaders, corporate elites, and governemental officials. As environmental grassroots activist address individual community concerns they are also promoting human rights, efficacy, and greater stakeholder participation and public involvement in environmental decision-making
Transcriptional Regulatory Networks Activated by PI3K and ERK Transduced Growth Signals in Human Glioblastoma Cells

Determining how cells regulate their transcriptional response to extracellular signals is key to the understanding of complex eukaryotic systems. This study was initiated with the goals of furthering the study of mammalian transcriptional regulation and analyzing the relative benefits of related computational methodologies. One dataset available for such an analysis involved gene expression profiling of the early growth factor response to platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in a human glioblastoma cell line; this study differentiated genes whose expression was regulated by signaling through the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) versus the extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. We have compared the inferred transcription factors from this previous study with additional predictions of regulatory transcription factors using two alternative promoter sequence analysis techniques. This comparative analysis, in which the algorithms predict overlapping, although not identical, sets of factors, argues for meticulous benchmarking of promoter sequence analysis methods to determine the positive and negative attributes that contribute to their varying results. Finally, we inferred transcriptional regulatory networks deriving from various signaling pathways using the CARRIE program suite. These networks not only included previously described transcriptional features of the response to growth signals, but also predicted new regulatory features for the propagation and modulation of the growth signal.
Secretory group V phospholipase A2 : a new player in thrombosis?

The protein C anticoagulant system plays a critical role in the regulation of haemostasis and inflammation. Binding of protein C to endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) and the subsequent activation of EPCR-bound protein C by thrombin/thrombomodulin are the key steps in the protein C anticoagulant system. Activated protein C (APC) -mediated cell signalling, supported by its binding to EPCR or independent of EPCR, activates anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective pathways [1]. Therefore, pathophysiologic conditions that impair the interaction of protein C with EPCR have the potential to decrease APC generation. Such reduced binding to EPCR may not only contribute to thrombotic disorders, but also result in the loss of endogenous APC-mediated cytoprotection..
Nicotine Dependence Treatment During Inpatient Treatment for Other Addictions: A Prospective Intervention Trial

This study assessed the effect of treating nicotine dependence in smokers undergoing inpatient treatment for other addictions. It was a prospective, nonrandomized, controlled trial with a 1-year outcome. The subjects were smoking patients (50 controls, 51 in intervention group) in an inpatient addictions treatment unit in a medical center. The enrollment of subjects was sequential: controls were enrolled first, after a 6-week washout period, intervention subjects were enrolled. Controls received usual care, and the intervention group received nicotine dependence treatment consisting of a consultation, 10 intervention sessions, and a structured relapse prevention program. Smoking cessation rate and abstinence from alcohol or other drug use were the main outcome measures. The confirmed smoking cessation rate at 1 year was 11.8% in the intervention group and 0.0% in the control group (p= 0.027). Nicotine dependence intervention did not seem to interfere with abstinence from alcohol or other drugs (1-year relapse rate was 31.4% in the intervention group and 34.0% in controls). In this study, nicotine dependence treatment provided as part of addictive disorders treatment enhanced smoking cessation and did not have a substantial adverse effect on abstinence from the nonnicotine drug of dependence.
Introduction to symposium on climate change

Contemporary climate change, and the efforts to mitigate it and adapt to it, may pose the most formidable challenges the world has ever faced. The fundamentals are well known. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the atmosphere is increasingly being filled with greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that are produced by human endeavors dependent on carbon-based energy. Human beings have also been cutting down forests, which has the effect of releasing carbon into the atmosphere. The accumulation of greenhouse gases occurs because these gases stay in the atmosphere for long periods of time, in the case of carbon for many centuries. The effect of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is that the atmosphere traps heat that normally leaves the earth’s system. As a consequence of the gradual accumulation of greenhouse gases, the average temperature of the earth has been slowly but surely increasing. The most obvious effects of this warming have been the warming of the oceans and the consequent slow melting of the polar ice caps with the predictable consequence that the sea levels are raising slowly. This is a fairly general effect of global warming. Many other consequences are more localized. Deserts become hotter and drier, extreme weather events become more frequent and more violent, and agriculturally productive lands become less productive. As these consequences become more pronounced, conflicts over resources are likely to become more pronounced. What seems clear is that if human beings are to mitigate climate change, they will need to transform fundamentally the energy basis of the world economy in a relatively short period of time. This change is likely to require significant sacrifices on the part of the current generation and our near descendants. While an overwhelming majority agrees that if the world continues with business as usual for a long time, we are very likely courting disaster, there is still significant uncertainty and disagreement about the exact effects of climate change. Will there be some
Advances in the application of ATM technology to tactical army communications networks

In a demonstration conducted by CECOM, USACOM, and the Proteus Program Office, a secure tactical ATM network was overlaid onto the subscriber equipment of the 2nd Armored Division (2AD) of III Corps, Fort Hood, TX, demonstrating the seamless flow of multimedia telecommunications services across global spans and multiple echelons, using the Army's legacy communications systems. A secure commercial ATM network was also extended out to the battlefield to allow a reach-back capability to national-level intelligence and data for use and collaboration during the simulated Warfighter exercises.
Boundary shock waves

Gas flow at high speed out of solid or liquid surface accompanied by heat transfer investigated for boundary shock wave occurrence
Robot navigation using image sequences

We describe a framework for robot navigation that exploits the continuity of image sequences. Tracked visual features both guide the robot and provide predictive information about subsequent features to track. Our hypothesis is that image-based techniques will allow accurate motion without a precise geometric model of the world, while using predictive information will add speed and robustness.A basic component of our framework is called a scene, which is the set of image features stable over some segment of motion. When the scene changes, it is appended to a stored sequence. As the robot moves, correspondences and dissimilarities between current, remembered, and expected scenes provide cues to join and split scene sequences, forming a map-like directed graph. Visual servoing on features in successive scenes is used to traverse a path between robot and goal map locations.In our framework, a human guide serves as a scene recognition oracle during a map-learning phase; thereafter, assuming a known starting position, the robot can independently determine its location without general scene recognition ability. A prototype implementation of this framework uses as features color patches, sum-of-squared differences (SSD) subimages, or image projections of rectangles.
The reliability of FPGA circuit designs in the presence of radiation induced configuration upsets

FPGAs are an appealing solution for space-based remote sensing applications. However, in a low-Earth orbit, FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) are susceptible to Single-Event Upsets (SEUs). In an effort to understand the effects of SEUs, an SEU simulator based on the SLAAC-1V computing board has been developed. This simulator artificially upsets the configuration memory of an FPGA and measures its impact on FPGA designs. The accuracy of this simulation environment has been verified using ground-based radiation testing. This simulation tool is being used to characterize the reliability of SEU mitigation techniques for FPGAs.
CIMBLE: Distributed Team Training via HLA

CADETT is researching the use of advanced and emerging technologies in adult and workplace training. CIMBLE is the current result of that research. It provides a distrib uted and collaborative virtual environment for conducting team training. This paper describes the technology and application of CIMBLE and how HLA was used in its implementation.
Fast solution methods in electromagnetics

Various methods for efficiently solving electromagnetic problems are presented. Electromagnetic scattering problems can be roughly classified into surface and volume problems, while fast methods are either differential or integral equation based. The resultant systems of linear equations are either solved directly or iteratively. A review of various differential equation solvers, their complexities, and memory requirements is given. The issues of grid dispersion and hybridization with integral equation solvers are discussed. Several fast integral equation solvers for surface and volume scatterers are presented. These solvers have reduced computational complexities and memory requirements.
Calprotectin Expression by Gingival Epithelial Cells

Calprotectin, a heterodimer of MRP8 and MRP14 with antimicrobial properties, is found in the cytosol of neutrophils, monocytes, and human gingival keratinocytes. During inflammation of the oral mucosa, the expression of immunoreactive calprotectin appears upregulated. Given the possible cell sources, we sought to learn if epithelial cells upregulate calprotectin in response to proinflammmatory agents. First, human gingival keratinocytes were maintained in primary culture until senescence. At each passage, cells were harvested and analyzed for quantitative expression of MRP8 and MRP14 subunit mRNA by RNase protection assays and calprotectin complex by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Calprotectin expression was constitutive in the primary gingival keratinocytes, but calprotectin-specific mRNA and protein tended to increase as the cells neared senescence. To test whether calprotectin expression was inducible, immortalized gingival keratinocyte cultures were treated for 2 to 4 h with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or interleukin-1β (IL-1β). As a positive control for inducible expression, immortalized keratinocytes were incubated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) (50 ng/ml) for 24 h. Incubation with PMA stimulated increased expression of MRP8 and MRP14 mRNA within 2 h, peaking within 5 h. MRP8- and MRP14-specific mRNA expression by immortalized keratinocytes appeared to be unaffected by LPS or IL-1β. In contrast, LPS, IL-1β, and PMA each upregulated IL-8. These data show that calprotectin mRNA is expressed constitutively in cultured keratinocytes, while expression by immortalized cells appears to be independent of the exogenous proinflammatory agents LPS and IL-1β.
Regulatory Network Controlling Extracellular Proteins in Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora: FlhDC, the Master Regulator of Flagellar Genes, Activates rsmB Regulatory RNA Production by Affecting gacA and hexA (lrhA) Expression

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora produces an array of extracellular proteins (i.e., exoproteins), including plant cell wall-degrading enzymes and Harpin, an effector responsible for eliciting hypersensitive reaction. Exoprotein genes are coregulated by the quorum-sensing signal, N-acyl homoserine lactone, plant signals, an assortment of transcriptional factors/regulators (GacS/A, ExpR1, ExpR2, KdgR, RpoS, HexA, and RsmC) and posttranscriptional regulators (RsmA, rsmB RNA). rsmB RNA production is positively regulated by GacS/A, a two-component system, and negatively regulated by HexA (PecT in Erwinia chrysanthemi; LrhA [LysR homolog A] in Escherichia coli) and RsmC, a putative transcriptional adaptor. While free RsmA, an RNA-binding protein, promotes decay of mRNAs of exoprotein genes, binding of RsmA with rsmB RNA neutralizes the RsmA effect. In the course of studies of GacA regulation, we discovered that a locus bearing strong homology to the flhDC operon of E. coli also controls extracellular enzyme production. A transposon insertion FlhDC(-) mutant produces very low levels of pectate lyase, polygalacturonase, cellulase, protease, and E. carotovora subsp. carotovora Harpin (Harpin(Ecc)) and is severely attenuated in its plant virulence. The production of these exoproteins is restored in the mutant carrying an FlhDC(+) plasmid. Sequence analysis and transcript assays disclosed that the flhD operon of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, like those of other enterobacteria, consists of flhD and flhC. Complementation analysis revealed that the regulatory effect requires functions of both flhD and flhC products. The data presented here show that FlhDC positively regulates gacA, rsmC, and fliA and negatively regulates hexA (lrhA). Evidence shows that FlhDC controls extracellular protein production through cumulative effects on hexA and gacA. Reduced levels of GacA and elevated levels of HexA in the FlhDC(-) mutant are responsible for the inhibition of rsmB RNA production, a condition conducive to the accumulation of free RsmA. Indeed, studies with an RsmA(-) FlhDC(-) double mutant and multiple copies of rsmB(+) DNA establish that the negative effect of FlhDC deficiency is exerted via RsmA. The FlhDC-mediated regulation of fliA has no bearing on exoprotein production in E. carotovora subsp. carotovora. Our observations for the first time establish a regulatory connection between FlhDC, HexA, GacA, and rsmB RNA in the context of the exoprotein production and virulence of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora.
Pharmacokinetics of amitriptyline in rabbit skin and plasma following iontophoretic administrations.

Background: Amitriptyline (AMT) is a tricyclic antidepressant with demonstrated local analgesic effects in human skin. Aim: We investigated the feasibility and mechanisms of iontophoretic delivery of AMT to rabbit dermis and plasma. Method: Two microdialysis probes were inserted into the upper dorsal shaved skin of tranquilized rabbits. After 1 hour, an iontophoresis cartridge was placed on top of one probe. The cartridge consisted of a stainless steel electrode covered with a pad that was filled with a 4.3 % AMT glycerin/water (50:50). Iontophoresis was performed at 100, 200, or 300 μA/cm2 constant-current density for 60 minutes. Dialysate samples were collected every 8 minutes for 3 hours and analyzed for AMT via a validated high-performance liquid chromatographic assay. Retrodialysis was performed at the other site. Blood samples were collected serially for 4 hours. Results: In vivo retrodialysis recovery was 89 ± 2%. AMT skin exposure increased non-proportionally with current density: AUCs were 19 ± 7...
Transfer of in vivo primed transgenic T cells supports allergic lung inflammation and FIZZ1 and Ym1 production in an IL-4Rα and STAT6 dependent manner.

CD4+ T helper type 2 (TH2) cells, their cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 and the transcription factor STAT6 are known to regulate various features of asthma including lung inflammation, mucus production and airway hyperreactivity and also drive alternative activation of macrophages (AAM). However, the precise roles played by the IL-4/IL-13 receptors and STAT6 in inducing AAM protein expression and modulating specific features of airway inflammation are still unclear. Since TH2 differentiation and activation plays a pivotal role in this disease, we explored the possibility of developing an asthma model in mice using T cells that were differentiated in vivo. In this study, we monitored the activation and proliferation status of adoptively transferred allergen-specific naive or in vivo primed CD4+ T cells. We found that both the naive and in vivo primed T cells expressed similar levels of CD44 and IL-4. However, in vivo primed T cells underwent reduced proliferation in a lymphopenic environment when compared to naive T cells. We then used these in vivo generated effector T cells in an asthma model. Although there was reduced inflammation in mice lacking IL-4Rα or STAT6, significant amounts of eosinophils were still present in the BAL and lung tissue. Moreover, specific AAM proteins YM1 and FIZZ1 were expressed by epithelial cells, while macrophages expressed only YM1 in RAG2-/- mice. We further show that FIZZ1 and YM1 protein expression in the lung was completely dependent on signaling through the IL-4Rα and STAT6. Consistent with the enhanced inflammation and AAM protein expression, there was a significant increase in collagen deposition and smooth muscle thickening in RAG2-/- mice compared to mice deficient in IL-4Rα or STAT6. These results establish that transfer of in vivo primed CD4+ T cells can induce allergic lung inflammation. Furthermore, while IL-4/IL-13 signaling through IL-4Rα and STAT6 is essential for AAM protein expression, lung inflammation and eosinophilia are only partially dependent on this pathway. Further studies are required to identify other proteins and signaling pathways involved in airway inflammation.
On the capacity of network coding for random networks

We study the maximum flow possible between a single-source and multiple terminals in a weighted random graph (modeling a wired network) and a weighted random geometric graph (modeling an ad-hoc wireless network) using network coding. For the weighted random graph model, we show that the network coding capacity concentrates around the expected number of nearest neighbors of the source and the terminals. Specifically, for a network with a single source, l terminals, and n relay nodes such that the link capacities between any two nodes is independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) /spl sim/X, the maximum flow between the source and the terminals is approximately nE[X] with high probability. For the weighted random geometric graph model where two nodes are connected if they are within a certain distance of each other we show that with high probability the network coding capacity is greater than or equal to the expected number of nearest neighbors of the node with the least coverage area.
Intersections of Randomly Embedded Sparse Graphs are Poisson

Suppose that $t \ge 2$ is an integer, and randomly label $t$ graphs with the integers $1 \dots n$. We give sufficient conditions for the number of edges common to all $t$ of the labelings to be asymptotically Poisson as $n \to \infty$. We show by example that our theorem is, in a sense, best possible. For $G_n$ a sequence of graphs of bounded degree, each having at most $n$ vertices, Tomescu has shown that the number of spanning trees of $K_n$ having $k$ edges in common with $G_n$ is asymptotically $e^{-2s/n}(2s/n)^k/k! \times n^{n-2}$, where $s=s(n)$ is the number of edges in $G_n$. As an application of our Poisson-intersection theorem, we extend this result to the case in which maximum degree is only restricted to be ${\scriptstyle\cal O}(n \log\log n/\log n)$. We give an inversion theorem for falling moments, which we use to prove our Poisson-intersection theorem.