cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lumbar Zygapophysial Joint Radiofrequency Denervation: a Long-Term Clinical Outcome Study

Zygapophysial joint (z-joint) pain has long been suggested to be one of the sources of low back pain. Radiofrequency denervation of the medial branches of the dorsal rami to treat z-joint pain is an outpatient minimally invasive treatment option. There have been many short-term studies to determine the outcome of the procedure, but few long-term studies have been conducted. Our goal is to clarify whether radiofrequency denervation has any long-term clinical benefit. In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 42 patients (25 women and 17 men), with an average follow-up of 3.5 years, with clinical signs of zygapophysial joint involvement who had failed conservative treatment (pre-procedure symptom duration mean 6.03 years; range 5 months to 48 years) and had a favorable response to a diagnostic medial branch block or zygapophysial joint injection, were identified. The identified subjects underwent radiofrequency denervation at the Hospital for Special Surgery Physiatry Department from 1998 to 2006. Patient’s records were reviewed, and a questionnaire was provided, completed on phone call follow-up, or mailed by the patient. The success of this intervention in providing improvement in pain and function was analyzed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)—11, North American Spine Society (NASS) four-point satisfaction index, and a modified Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Fifty-two percent of patients reported a successful outcome with improved function at a minimum follow-up period of 2 years (mean 3.5 years, range 2–8.8 years). Patients in the failure group were more likely to be older and have moderate to severe neuroforaminal stenosis (77.8%) compared to patients in the success group (24.2%). Radiofrequency denervation in selected patients with chronic zygapophysial joint-mediated low back pain provides long-term reduction in pain and improved function with minimum morbidity.
Error estimates for Gaussian quadrature

This paper is concerned with estimating the Gaussian quadrature error in the numerical integration of an analytic [email protected]?(x) over the interval-1
Food uptake in the mixotrophic Dinophysis acuminata

Evidence of food uptake in the photosynthetic genus Dinophysis comes solely from the presence of food vacuoles, as no photosynthetic cells have ever been observed in the act of feeding. We examined the feeding ecology of D. acuminata in natural populations and under laboratory conditions. Using depth-integrated sampling of the water column, we determined the frequency of food vacuolated cells at 2-h intervals over a 24-h period in a shallow marine embayment. Food vacuoles in preserved cells were enumerated using Nomarski differential interference contrast microscopy; ultrastructural characters were recorded by transmission electron microscopy. A peak in the feeding activity was observed toward dusk for an abundant June population, with 26% of cells with at least one food vacuole. Mechanisms of concurrent carbon acquisition were evident from the presence of chloroplasts with starch grains and food vacuoles within the same cell. Vacuole content could not be identified. In a preliminary 2-wk long simulated grazing experiment, a mixture of two hypothesized preys, Rhodomonas salina and Dunaliella tertiolecta, was offered to D. acuminata; the Dinophysis populations decreased steadily and at the same rate, whether food was present or not. The evaluation of the food vacuole frequency will be repeated in the coming season to verify the observed pattern, while grazing experiments will include a variety of food items and incubation conditions. Our current inability to successfully culture any photosynthetic Dinophysis limits ecophysiological approaches, either at the population or cellular level, to manipulation of field samples. Supported by National Institutes of Health Grant GM62126-01A1.
Effect of cold storage on tissue and cellular glutathione

One of the mechanisms thought to cause injury in preserved organs is the formation of oxygen free radicals. The cell is protected from oxidative stress by many defense mechanisms. A major defense mechanism involves glutathione and glutathione-dependent enzymes. During organ preservation by simple cold storage the loss of glutathione may sensitize the organ to free radical damage after transplantation. In this study we show that glutathione is depleted from the rabbit liver, kidney, and heart cold-stored (5 degrees C) for up to 72 h in the UW solution without glutathione. In the first 24 h kidney glutathione decreased to 84 +/- 3% of control values, liver glutathione decreased to 49 +/- 3% of control values, and heart glutathione decreased to 73 +/- 3% of control values. After 48 h of storage the kidney and liver lost an additional 30 and 20%, respectively, whereas heart glutathione changed very little. By 72 h all three organs had lost more than 50% of the glutathione found in freshly obtained tissue. To determine if glutathione added to the UW solution can effectively prevent this loss of glutathione during preservation, hepatocytes were cold-stored for up to 72 h in a preservation solution with and without glutathione. We found that adding glutathione to the preservation solution slowed the rate of loss of glutathione from the cells. These data suggest that at hypothermia the cell may be permeable to GSH. Methods to suppress the loss of glutathione during preservation of organs may be an important factor in suppressing oxygen free radical injury.
Improvement of intraocular lens power calculation using empirical data

A simple lens power calculation formula of the form: Predicted implant power = A + B X axial length + C X keratometry, can be produced with different constants (A, B, and C) for each type of lens implant and each manufacturer. We have determined the constants for iris-fixated, anterior chamber and posterior chamber lens implants, based on data from 923 cases. The results have been more accurate than those from presently available theoretical formulas, and the well-known phenomenon of predicting too much dioptric power in eyes with short axial lengths has been avoided. Only 1% of the cases had a predicted lens power more than 3 diopters in error.
Metabolism of C14-diethylstilbestrol in the chicken: conversion in vivo.

Cockerels were each injected with 10 μ of C14-labeled diethylstilbestrol (DES), and blood, liver, ingesta, feces-urine and bile were collected after 6 hours, extracted and fractionated to separate the metabolites of the compound into conjugates, acids, phenols and neutrals. The C14 content of each of these fractions was determined, as was the radioactivity in fractions separated after acid hydrolysis of the tissue extracts. The major portion of the DES was in the form of a conjugate, presumably a glucuronide. The highest percentage of conjugation was in the bile and the blood. Conjugation occurred to a lesser extent in the liver and the ingesta, and the least conjugation occurred in the excreta. Excreta had the most diversified metabolites with respect to distribution and chemical nature.
Facing Requests for Physician-Assisted Suicide: Toward a Practical and Principled Clinical Skill Set

Requests for physician-assisted suicide are not a new phenomenon, and many physicians are likely to face this challenging situation. This article proposes for professionals an 8-step approach to respond to requests for physician-assisted suicide. The approach seeks to identify and treat the root causes of the request and aims to present a plan for consistent application of a set of clinical skills. Justification for the steps requires only 2 noncontentious principles: the patient should be free of unwanted intervention, and the physician is obligated to provide suffering patients with comfort care. Care based on these 2 principles alone does not include physician-assisted suicide. The approach does, however, justify patient refusal of oral intake in specific circumstances. The approach could resolve a majority of requests for physician-assisted suicide and should be tested further for clinical efficacy.
Market planning with computer models: A case study in the software industry

Abstract Product planners spend a great deal of time collecting and analyzing data in order to engage effectively in marketing activity. In increasingly competitive environments, this task is more critical due to the multiplicity of options and factors the planner must consider. For business or industrial markets in particular, an added difficulty is often the lack of reliable data pertaining to market statistics and market dynamics. This paper describes a computer-based marketing decision support system (MKDSS) that was developed for use in support of the marketing function at an expert system company. It was used to support the product planner's strategy for marketing the company's central product, an expert system shell, by aiding in the selection of a suitable marketing mix. The case examines MKDSS development issues and discusses several considerations and implications for the design and use of MKDSS in business markets.
Direct Conversion of Glycerol into Formic Acid via Water Stable Pd(II) Catalyzed Oxidative Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage.

Abstract Using our tridentate NHC-amidate–alkoxide Pd(II) complex, we developed a catalytic method for oxidative C–C bond cleavage of glycerol. The glycerol was degraded exclusively to formic acid and CO 2 . Two possible degradation pathways were proposed through 13 C labeled studies.
Formulas for component scores

General formulas for obtaining scores for individuals on components (factors derived from correlation matrices with unit communality estimates) are given. They are specialized to give Hotelling's formula for principal component scores. Formulas for scores on components rotated from principal components are developed.
The molecular weight of the extracellular haemoglobin of Lumbricus terrestris determined by electron microscopy

1. The mol. wt of the extracellular haemoglobin of the oligochaete Lumbricus terrestris was determined by counting in negatively stained electron micrographs. 2. The value obtained using apoferritin as a mol. wt standard is (3.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(6), in agreement with recent determinations employing different physical methods. 3. We conclude that all annelid extracellular haemoglobins and chlorocruorins which have the same dimensions as Lumbricus haemoglobin probably have the same mol. wt.
Defects In The Biochemistry Of Collagen In Diseases Of Connective Tissue

The collagens are the major structural glycoproteins of connective tissues. A unique primary structure and a multiplicity of post-translational modification reactions are required for normal fibrillogenesis. The post-translational modifications include hydroxylation of prolyl and lysyl residues, glycosylation, folding of the molecule into triple-helical conformation, proteolytic conversion of precursor procollagen to collagen, and oxidative deamination of certain lysyl and hydroxylysyl residues. Any defect in the normal mechanisms responsible for the synthesis and secretion of collagen molecules or the deposition of these molecules into extracellular fibers could result in abnormal fibrillogenesis: such defects could result in a connective tissue disease. Recently, detects in the regulation of the types of collagen synthesized and in the enzymes involved in the post-translational modifications have been found in heritable diseases of connective tissue. Thus far, the primary heritable disorders of collagen metabolism in man include lysyl hydroxylase deficiency in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VI, p-collagen peptidase deficiency in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VII, decreased synthesis of type III collagen in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV, lysyl oxidase deficiency in X-linked cutis laxa and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type V and decreased synthesis of type I collagen in osteogenesis imperfecta.
From Folklore to Fiction: A Study of Folk Heroes and Rituals in the Black American Novel

"Learn It to the Younguns": Passing on Folk Wisdom by Daryl Cumber Dance Preface Introduction Afro-American Folklore: Identification and Interpretation Preachers and Bad Niggers Tricksters Rituals
The use of water and some inorganic salt solutions to advance sugar beet seed. I: Laboratory studies

SUMMARY The emergence of sugar beet seedlings is often slow or irregular and insufficient plants may be established for the crop to yield fully. Treating the seed prior to sowing, such that the subsequent germination percentage is not reduced but germination is more rapid and better synchronised should be beneficial. A series of laboratory experiments was made to investigate seed treatment procedures involving water and various inorganic salt solutions. Many treatment combinations were identified which gave faster germination without decreasing germination percentage and left the seed dry and intact and suitable for sowing with conventional precision drills. No treatment was found which ‘primed’ the sugar beet seed and the term seed ‘advancement’ describes, more accurately, the effects observed. There was little difference in the performance of seeds optimally treated with water or some salt solutions generating an osmotic potential of between about –10 and –20 bars. However, the use of salt solutions, although more complicated, was preferred to water as inadvertent germination during treatment was less likely. The optimum treatment for the one bulk of sugar beet seed studied was, firstly, to wash the seeds for 3.5 h with water, then after air-drying, to moisten them on filter paper dampened with –15 bar (0–34 M) sodium chloride solution for 6 days at 15oC followed by a final wash and air-drying.
Influence of Washing, Oiling, and Holding Conditions on Change in Haugh Units, Weight Loss and Ease of Cleaning Eggs

Abstract IN THE production and marketing of commercial eggs, problems associated with egg washing and methods of retarding loss of quality are of particular concern to the producer. One of the problems of washing eggs is the amount of time involved in doing this task. Many producers wash only soiled eggs while others wash both clean and soiled eggs in an effort to simplify this operation. Natural clean eggs and eggs cleaned by washing are often oiled as a supplement to refrigeration in order to retard breakdown of albumen quality. Stewart and Bose (1948) found that eggs oiled very soon after laying had an undersirable amount of thin white after storage. Bigbee et al. (1961) reported that eggs washed in an oil-in-water emulsion lost more weight during storage than eggs which had been washed in a solution containing a commercial detergent-sanitizer, followed by an oil spray. Davis and Brunson (1961) found…
A model for a time-dependent economic threshold for chemical control of corn earworm on soybean

Abstract A model was developed for the economic threshold for chemical control of corn earworm on soybean. The methodology involves development of analytic and piecewise analytic models, based on simulation experiments with mechanistic process level models, supplemented with field observations and laboratory data. The model for the corn earworm population describes the population as a vector, whose elements represent age groups within each developmental stage. The economic threshold was initially derived as a time-dependent surface and operationalized by projecting to a single dimension (medium size larvae or medium plus large size larvae). The resulting threshold is time dependent. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the threshold curve is most sensitive to errors in the description of moth influx and of crop phenology.
High-Basicity Determination in Mixed Water−Alcohol Solutions by a Dual Optical Sensor Approach

The activity of NaOH is known to be significantly affected by the presence of an alcohol in aqueous solutions. A novel linear relationship between (∂A/∂Calcohol) and Cbase was found in the highly alkaline, mixed H2O−ROH solutions (R = Me, Et, i-Pr). The use of this linear relationship led to a dual-transducer approach to decompose the optical signals of optical base sensors and to give base and alcohol concentrations in concentrated NaOH−H2O−ROH solutions ([OH-] = 0.05−3.6 M). The scope of the new dual-sensor approach was evaluated, and errors in Cbase and Calcohol were analyzed. The optical base sensors consist of sol−gel SiO2−ZrO2−organic polymer composites doped with high-pKa indicators. The pKas of the indicators encapsulated in the composite films were determined and found to be affected by the composition of the sol−gel composites.
The poets and the power: Heiner Müller, Christa Wolf, and the German Literaturstreit

In the summer of 1990, the publication of Christa Wolf's novella What's Left prompted a heated debate among German cultural critics. The controversy quickly expanded into (1) an investigation of the moral function of intellectuals working within an oppressive system, (2) the discrediting of leftist culture (East and West), and (3) the call for a literature in the united Germany which would no longer subscribe to a model of aesthetics tied to social/moral responsibility. Wolf and Heiner Muller became key figures in the German public's confrontation with socialist culture. The debate sharpened after the discovery of these authors’ involvement with the East German secret police. This essay offers a reading of the Literaturstreit as a spectacular performance in the German print and television media. At the same time, the Literaturstreit operated as a performative text that organized inter‐German relations in a constellation that accorded former East Germans a morally and culturally inferior position. The arti...
BNP Levels Predict Outcome in Pediatric Heart Failure Patients Post Hoc Analysis of the Pediatric Carvedilol Trial

Background—The ability of serum B-type natriuretic peptide levels (BNP) to predict outcomes in children with heart failure (HF) has not been well demonstrated. This study was designed to determine whether BNP levels predict outcomes in patients with moderate symptomatic HF. Methods and Results—We investigated whether enrollment BNP levels for the Pediatric Carvedilol Trial were associated with baseline characteristics. Freedom from a composite end point of HF hospitalization, death, or transplantation at 9 months was compared using a threshold BNP level identified using receiver operating curve analysis. Median BNP level was 110 pg/mL (interquartile range, 22.4 to 342.0 pg/mL) in 138 subjects. Median age was 3.4 years (interquartile range, 1.1 to 11.0 years). Diagnoses were cardiomyopathy (60%) and congenital heart disease (40%); 73% had a systemic left ventricle. BNP levels correlated moderately with left ventricular ejection fraction (R=0.39, P<0.001) but did not differ by HF class, age, diagnosis, sex,...
Perception of sniff phase in mouse olfaction

Olfactory systems encode smells not only by which neurons respond, but also by when they respond. In mice, sniffing a particular odour evokes a precise sequence of activity across olfactory neurons, but it is not known whether such timing information is actually read out and used. To test whether mice perceive the timing of olfactory activation relative to sniffs, Dmitry Rinberg and colleagues activated olfactory neurons using optogenetics. They find that mice can behaviourally report timing differences of as little as 10 milliseconds, and that such timing information is encoded in the olfactory bulb downstream. Olfactory systems encode odours by which neurons respond and by when they respond1,2,3. In mammals, every sniff evokes a precise, odour-specific sequence of activity across olfactory neurons4,5,6. Likewise, in a variety of neural systems, ranging from sensory periphery7,8 to cognitive centres9, neuronal activity is timed relative to sampling behaviour and/or internally generated oscillations. As in these neural systems, relative timing of activity may represent information in the olfactory system10,11. However, there is no evidence that mammalian olfactory systems read such cues12,13. To test whether mice perceive the timing of olfactory activation relative to the sniff cycle (‘sniff phase’), we used optogenetics in gene-targeted mice to generate spatially constant, temporally controllable olfactory input. Here we show that mice can behaviourally report the sniff phase of optogenetically driven activation of olfactory sensory neurons. Furthermore, mice can discriminate between light-evoked inputs that are shifted in the sniff cycle by as little as 10 milliseconds, which is similar to the temporal precision of olfactory bulb odour responses14,15. Electrophysiological recordings in the olfactory bulb of awake mice show that individual cells encode the timing of photoactivation in relation to the sniff in both the timing and the amplitude of their responses. Our work provides evidence that the mammalian olfactory system can read temporal patterns, and suggests that timing of activity relative to sampling behaviour is a potent cue that may enable accurate olfactory percepts to form quickly11,16.
An unusual epimerization of the α-OH-1 group of the norditerpenoid alkaloid delphisine

Abstract Solvolysis of delphisine in refluxing methanol gives 8-deacetyl-8- O -methyl-1- epi -delphisine. Similarly, hydrolysis of delphisine in boiling water affords 14- O -acetyl-1- epi -neoline and solvolysis of 8- O -acetylneoline in methanol gives 8- O -methyl-1- epi -neoline. The structures of the products have been proved by spectral data and comparison with authentic samples. For epimerization to occur, both a α-OH-1 and a OAc-8 group are necessary. Mechanisms for the epimerization are discussed.
Evolution of MHC genetic diversity: a tale of incest, pestilence and sexual preference

Evidence from the house mouse (Mus) suggests that the extreme diversity of genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) results from three different forms of selection involving infectious disease (pestilence), inbreeding (incest) and MHC-based mating (sexual) preferences. MHC-based disassortative mating preferences are presumed to have evolved because they reduce homozygosity throughout the genome, and particularly within loci linked to the MHC. Progeny derived from such disassortative matings would enjoy increased fitness because of both reduced levels of inbreeding depression and increased resistance to infectious disease arising from their increased MHC heterozygosity.
Impact of Natural Organic Matter on Uranium Transport through Saturated Geologic Materials: From Molecular to Column Scale

The risk stemming from human exposure to actinides via the groundwater track has motivated numerous studies on the transport of radionuclides within geologic environments; however, the effects of waterborne organic matter on radionuclide mobility are still poorly understood. In this study, we compared the abilities of three humic acids (HAs) (obtained through sequential extraction of a peat soil) to cotransport hexavalent uranium (U) within water-saturated sand columns. Relative breakthrough concentrations of U measured upon elution of 18 pore volumes increased from undetectable levels (<0.001) in an experiment without HAs to 0.17 to 0.55 in experiments with HAs. The strength of the HA effect on U mobility was positively correlated with the hydrophobicity of organic matter and NMR-detected content of alkyl carbon, which indicates the possible importance of hydrophobic organic matter in facilitating U transport. Carbon and uranium elemental maps collected with a scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM) revealed uneven microscale distribution of U. Such molecular- and column-scale data provide evidence for a critical role of hydrophobic organic matter in the association and cotransport of U by HAs. Therefore, evaluations of radionuclide transport within subsurface environments should consider the chemical characteristics of waterborne organic substances, especially hydrophobic organic matter.
Understanding managed behavioral health care

Managed care is neither a well-defined concept nor a discrete entity. That which we think of as managed care consists of a broad range of strategies for organizing, financing, and delivering mental health and substance abuse services. Each strategy, as it is implemented, is shaped by the host environment and influenced by local history, politics, laws, and regulations. Thus, managed care emerges with many different functions and in an infinite array of forms. Managed care may constitute sweeping, large-scale change that completely reorganizes the delivery of health care, or it may be as minor as adding some utilization-management strategies within a single provider organization. At times, managed care may be a highly visible public sector initiative in which the contracting process and review of performance and outcomes is subject to consumer, provider, and legislative oversight. Alternatively, it may be an arrangement between an employer and managed care organization (MCO) in which the contracts and data on outcomes remain proprietary and confidential. In an attempt to comprehend this major force, consumers and providers tend to oversimplify. Many condemn managed care, viewing it narrowly as an unethical attempt to cuts costs by denying needed services. Those with an opposing perspective are at times equally narrow in their view that managed care is the solution to the many purported ills of traditional services. Consumers and providers most often try to understand and define managed care by example, citing that which was implemented in a specific state or by a specific employer. These are limited views and approaches to understanding managed care and its many complexities. The purpose of this article is twofold. First the origins of managed care are traced, placing it in historical perspective. Then, an approach to examining specific managed care initiatives, to understand better their core structures, processes, and effects, is outlined. A case example that highlights the utility of this approach is included. The authors' premise is that understanding a specific managed care initiative is best accomplished by examining it on 10 dimensions.
Charge Localization in Cation−Sulfate Complexes: Implications for Thermodynamic Surface Complexation Models of the Mineral/Water Interface

The applicability of separating charges of oxyanions across inner- and outer-Helmholtz planes according to the charge distribution model was tested by investigating the theoretical charge distribution in 13 metal−sulfate complexes (Be2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pd2+, Cd2+, Al3+, and Ga3+) using the methods of atoms in molecules and of the electron localization function. Density functional theory gas-phase geometry optimization calculations revealed that unbound oxygens of the sulfate molecules contracted to relatively constant S−O bond lengths of 1.432 ± 0.019 (3 σ) A irrespective of the bond strength with the metal ions. The populations of the valence basins of the unbound oxygens also remained relatively constant, showing that even the strongest complexation induces very little charge distribution across the sulfate molecule. Maps of the Laplacian of the electron density and of the electron localization function revealed that although charge is relatively localized at the oxygen ...
A sample size computation method for non‐linear mixed effects models with applications to pharmacokinetics models

We propose a simple method to compute sample size for an arbitrary test hypothesis in population pharmacokinetics (PK) studies analysed with non-linear mixed effects models. Sample size procedures exist for linear mixed effects model, and have been recently extended by Rochon using the generalized estimating equation of Liang and Zeger. Thus, full model based inference in sample size computation has been possible. The method we propose extends the approach using a first-order linearization of the non-linear mixed effects model and use of the Wald chi(2) test statistic. The proposed method is general. It allows an arbitrary non-linear model as well as arbitrary distribution of random effects characterizing both inter- and intra-individual variability of the mixed effects model. To illustrate possible uses of the method we present tables of minimum sample sizes, in particular, with an illustration of the effect of sampling design on sample size. We demonstrate how (D-)optimal or frequent sampling requires fewer subjects in comparison to a sparse sampling design. We also present results from Monte Carlo simulations showing that the computed sample size can produce the desired power. The proposed method greatly reduces computing times compared with simulation-based methods of estimating sample sizes for population PK studies.
Counter-Storytelling with African Proverbs: A Vehicle for Teaching Social Justice and Global Understanding in Urban, U.S. Schools

Although the current demographics of urban schools in the United States reflect a rapid growth of culturally and linguistically diverse students, curricula continue to emphasize mainstream culture; cultural and linguistic experiences of these diverse students are ignored. In this article, the author examines how the use of counter storytelling in the form of African proverbs can serve as a tool for teaching the concepts of social justice in the urban, U.S. school setting.
Compositional phrasal verbs with up : direction, aspect, intensity

This study examines a corpus of 300 compositional phrasal verbs in English using the particle up. Whereas frozen phrasal verbs clearly do not have the same meaning without the particle and must be listed in the lexicon grammar of idiomatic expressions (e.g., break up the audience “cause to laugh”), compositional phrasal verbs merely add an aspectual element to the simple verb, and particle usage might be better analyzed as a property of the simple verb. Although this meaning is difficult to characterize precisely, it generally indicates direction (ride up the elevator), completion (open up the store), intensity (hype up the book), or combinations (polish up the silverware, completion and intensity). These properties are added to the table of compositional phrasal verbs. Optional particle usage can also identify the meaning of a potentially ambiguous simple verb. For example, the simple verb call “phone” can take the particle up but not out, while the simple verb call “announce” can take the particle out but not up. The simple verb tables, however, will become enormously complex when all English particles (fifteen different particles according to B. Fraser 1976) are taken into account.
Models, extensions, and applications of data envelopment analysis: A selected reference set

Abstract We provide a brief survey of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in an attempt to bring readers abreast of recent progress in DEA research and uses. Selected references are presented which cover the various DEA models, extensions to the methodology, and example applications in the areas of education, health care, regional planning, and information systems.
Optimal linear regulators with incomplete state feedback

An optimal linear regulator calls for feedback of all the state variables in the plant. If the plant state is not completely known (i.e., if some of the plant state variables are not available for measurement and feedback), the optimal control law obtained from the available state variables should minimize the maximum (with respect to all initial states of the plant) deviation (increase) in the value of the performance index. Necessary and sufficient conditions for such a control law to be optimal are derived and design procedure is developed to compute such optimal control laws.
Response to chilling stress in plant cells I. Changes in cyclosis and cytoplasmic structure

Cytoplasmic structure and rates of cyclosis in trichomes from chilling-sensitive watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) andEpiscia reptans plants and from chilling-resistant foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) andVeronica persica were examined with differential interference contrast optics (DIC) as the temperature of the microscope stage was lowered. Below the chilling threshold, the rate of streaming in chilling-sensitive species fell markedly. At chilling temperatures the complex network of transvacuolar strands in the cytoplasm disappeared and the cytoplasm became vesiculated. During rewarming of the chilled cells, the vesicles fused into pleiomorphic blebs, which gradually stretched out into fully functional strands. These events were not seen during the chilling and rewarming of chilling-resistant plant cells. Similar inhibition of cyclosis and changes in cytoplasmic structure were observed in cells from all species studied when they were treated with the actin inhibitor, cytochalasin B, or with uncoupling agents. Phalloidin had no detectable effect. Cyclosis in colchicine-, nocodazole-, trifluralin- and IPC-treated cells was not affected for many hours and did not cause the structural changes seen with chilling. The possible role of actin in these low-temperature effects on cytoplasmic structure and function is discussed.
A simple description of differential cross sections for heavy ion induced reactions

Abstract A semi-quantitative picture of heavy-ion induced transfer reactions is presented for non-vanishing angular momentum transfer L . The distinctive physics of the heavy-ion reactions, as reflected in the phase and magnitudes of the radial integrals, plays a crucial role in the derivation. The result is a simplified and inclusive description of the angular shapes and magnetic-state ( M ) dependence of the partial cross sections σ M L .
Interleukin-1 modification of the effects of cyclophosphamide and fractionated irradiation.

Abstract Studies were performed to determine whether recombinant human interleukin-1 (IL-1) modifies the tumor cytotoxicity of cyclophosphamide (CY) combined with fractionated X-irradiation. RIF-1 tumors were implanted intradermally in C3HKm mice and therapeutic effect was evaluated by the regrowth delay method, that is, the time for treated tumors to grow to 3 times their volume at the start of treatment relative to that for untreated tumors. A single intraperitoneal treatment of 15 μ/kg IL-1 given 24 hr after 100 or 200 mg/kg CY and immediately before the first of 5 daily fractionated treatments of 1–4 Gy increased tumor growth delay beyond that produced by CY and irradiation without the IL-1. However, the IL-1 given with either CY or fractionated irradiation did not extend the time for tumor regrowth beyond that produced by the agents themselves. Thus, while CY and fractionated irradiation together produce a greater than additive effect, IL-1 seems to extend this phenomenon. From these findings, it appears that IL-1 enhances the cytotoxic effects of CY and X ray against tumors, an effect that would have considerable practical significance in the light of the protective effects shown elsewhere for the same lymphokine on normal tissues.
Bcl-2 Expression Inhibits Liver Carcinogenesis and Delays the Development of Proliferating Foci

Tumor development is thought to require both increased proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis. However, the relationship between cell replication and cell death in liver tumorigenesis is complex because both proliferation and apoptosis increase during hepatocarcinogenesis. To investigate the effect of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 in liver carcinogenesis, we established a line of double transgenic mice that express transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α), a liver mitogen, and Bcl-2. Double transgenic mice, TGF-α and Bcl-2 single transgenics, and wild type received an injection of diethylnitrosamine at 15 days of age. This alkylating agent induces liver carcinogenesis and its effect is greatly enhanced by TGF-α. We report that Bcl-2 expression inhibited diethylnitrosamine-induced liver carcinogenesis and counteracted the enhancing effect of TGF-α. Bcl-2 delayed the growth of proliferative foci at the early stages of carcinogenesis and inhibited cell proliferation in these foci. The effect of Bcl-2 on liver carcinogenesis is consistent with its reported ability to interfere with cell replication. The data demonstrate that the expression of an anti-apoptotic gene during liver carcinogenesis causes a delay rather than an increase in tumorigenesis.
Dietary Similarity of Some Primary Consumers

The dry—weight composition of the diets of richardson ground squirrels (Citellus richardsonii), mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex), and six species of grasshoppers (Xanthippus corallipes, Circotettix rabula, Aeropedellus clavatus, Melanoplus infantalis, Melanoplus bruneri, and Melanoplus alpinus), collected at Prairie Divide, Colorado, was determined. Many food plants were shared by these herbivores. Vetch (Astragalus spp.), sandwort (Arenaria fendleri), fungi, parry oatgrass (Danthonia parryi), bluegrass (Poa spp.), fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and sedge (Carex spp.) were major foods. Bluegrasses, vetch, and sandwort would probably become limiting if population peaks of several of these herbivores coincided. The ranking of the food niches of these herbivores from specialized to generalized based on mean indices of dietary similarities is X. corallipes, A. clavatus, C. rabula, M. alpinus, A. simplex, M. bruneri, C. richardsonii, and M. infantalis. Males ate fewer...
Body Image Measurement in Overweight Females

This article details two studies of the reliability and validity of three instruments to measure body image and suggestions for their use in interventions for weight control programs. Weight contro...
Electron microscopy and microanalysis of advanced materials

The characterization of advanced ceramics requires the application of advanced electron microscopy, diffraction and microanalysis. Examples are given here of high resolution (atomic) imaging and microanalysis by energy loss spectroscopy together with their main limitations. These limitations inevitably refer to instrumentation capabilities, and especially the quality and thinness restrictions of specimens. Examples are presented of atomic resolution for structure analysis of nanostructure/fiber ceramics and parallel energy loss spectroscopy and energy filtering for evaluating processing problems in BN-SiC fiber composites.
Synuclein-γ (SNCG) may be a novel prognostic biomarker in uterine papillary serous carcinoma

Abstract Objectives SNCG in breast cancer is a marker for advanced and aggressive disease thereby correlating with a poor prognosis in patients. We set out to determine if SNCG expression in UPSC correlates with aggressive cellular properties, poor prognosis, and chemoresistance, and if silencing SNCG can reverse these attributes in vitro . Methods A focused, real time PCR array was performed comparing a papillary serous (SPEC2) and an endometrioid (Ishikawa) endometrial cancer cell line. SNCG was the most differentially expressed gene. SNCG expression was confirmed by real time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlated with outcomes in a pilot set of 20 UPSC patients. A stably transfected SPEC2 cell line was created using shSNCG oligonucleotides. The effect of SNCG knockdown in SPEC2 cells on cell proliferation and sensitivity to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis was measured using a cell viability assay, BrdU incorporation assay, as well as cleaved PARP analyses. Results SNCG mRNA as well as protein was highly expressed in SPEC2 cells while minimally to undetectable in several endometrioid endometrial cancer and normal endometrial cell lines. IHC also confirmed unique SNCG expression in UPSC tumors compared to low grade endometrial cancers. In UPSC patients, SNCG expression by IHC correlated with advanced stage and decreased progression-free survival. Knockdown of SNCG in SPEC2 cells caused a significant decrease in cell proliferation and increased sensitivity to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Conclusions SNCG is a novel biomarker for aggressive disease and chemoresistance in UPSC and merits further investigation both as a prognostic tool and as a therapeutic target.
Rationale for the increased use of conifers as functional green infrastructure: A literature review and synthesis

Green infrastructure is the aggregate of plants and green spaces in the urban landscape. This infrastructure provides many benefits that are becoming increasingly valuable as municipalities strive for urban sustainability. The value of the urban forest is an integral part of securing funding and support for urban forestry initiatives: the higher the value the more support is gained, and benefits accrued. According to available data from street tree inventories, most species that make up street trees in urban forests in the United States and Canada are broadleaf, deciduous species. Since many urban tree benefits are attributed to the tree canopies, benefits effectively drop to negligible levels during the leaf-off period. When a rain event occurs during this season, the canopy cover afforded by evergreen tree species, in concert with the canopy architecture and density of evergreen conifers will help to maintain canopy-dependent benefits. This paper investigates the role that conifers play in increasing th...
Assessing risk of thyroid cancer using resonance-frequency based electrical impedance measurements

The incidence of thyroid cancer has risen faster than many malignancies and has nearly doubled in the USA over the past 30 years. Palpable nodules and subclinical nodules detected by imaging are found in a large percentage of the USA population. Most of these (.>95%) are fortunately benign. This vast reservoir of nodules makes the detection and diagnosis of thyroid cancer a diagnostic dilemma. Ultrasound guided Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) is excellent for triaging patients but up to 25% of FNABs are inconclusive. As a result, definitive diagnosis is often only possible with a diagnostic lobectomy; many thousands of these are performed in the USA annually for ultimately benign disease. It would be extremely beneficial if we could develop a non-invasive procedure that could assist the diagnostician in reliably predicting the likelihood of malignancy of otherwise indeterminate thyroid nodules, thereby reducing the number of these "exploratory/diagnostic" lobectomies performed under general anesthesia. Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was considered as a possible approach to address this problem. However, the diagnostic accuracy of EIS is too low for routine clinical use to date. In our group, we developed a substantially modified technology termed Resonance-frequency Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (REIS), which yields usable information for classifying risk of having breast abnormalities. We preliminarily applied REIS to measure signals on participants having thyroid nodules aiming to assess whether we can assist in improving diagnosis of indeterminate thyroid nodules. In this study we present a new multi-probe based REIS device specifically designed for the assessment of indeterminate thyroid nodules. Our preliminary assessment presented here demonstrates the feasibility of using this proposed REIS device in a busy tertiary care center.
Expression of the rice Osgrp1 promoter-Gus reporter gene is specifically associated with cell elongation/expansion and differentiation

To study the expression and regulation of a rice glycine-rich cell wall protein gene, Osgrp1, transgenic rice plants were regenerated that contain the Osgrp1 promoter or its 5' deletions fused with the bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. We report here a detailed histochemical analysis of the Osgrp1-Gus expression patterns in transgenic rice plants. In roots of transgenic rice plants, GUS expression was specifically located in cell elongation and differentiation regions, and no GUS expression was detectable in the apical meristem and the mature region. In shoots, GUS activity was expressed only in young leaves or in the growing basal parts of developing leaves, and little GUS activity was expressed in mature leaves or mature parts of developing leaves. In shoot apices, GUS activity was detected only in those leaf cells which were starting to expand and differentiate, and GUS expression was not detected in the apical meristem and the young meristematic leaf primordia. GUS activity was highly expressed in the young stem tissue, particularly in the developing vascular bundles and epidermis. Thus, the expression of the Osgrp1 gene is closely associated with cell elongation/expansion during the post-mitotic cell differentiation process. The Osgrp1-Gus gene was also expressed in response to wounding and down-regulated by water-stress conditions in the elongation region of roots. Promoter deletion analysis indicates that both positive and negative mechanisms are involved in regulating the specific expression patterns. We propose a simple model for the developmental regulation of the Osgrp1 gene expression.
The complete conversion of spermidine to a peptide derivative in Escherichia coli

Abstract When full-grown cultures of Escherichia coli were incubated anaerobically, all of the intracellular spermidine was converted to a derivative that has been identified tentatively as glutathionylspermidine. This is in contrast to E. coli growing logarithmically, in which little, if any, of this derivative was present. This spermidine derivative was very rapidly converted to spermidine when cells containing the derivative were transferred to fresh medium, and subjected to vigorous aeration. An enzyme has been demonstrated in E. coli sonicates which carries out this cleavage.
Lateral shifts of optical beams on reflection by slanted chiral sculptured thin films

Abstract A theoretical investigation of lateral shifts of circularly polarized beams on reflection by a slanted chiral sculptured thin film (STF) is presented. First, the response of the slanted chiral STF to an obliquely incident plane wave is obtained by rigorous coupled-wave analysis; then, the angular-spectrum representation of beams is exploited for beam diffraction. Two types of lateral shifts of Gaussian beams are studied in detail. One is the lateral shift of a 2D co-handed beam that is mostly reflected due to the circular Bragg phenomenon. This lateral shift can be either forward or backward, depending on the angle of incidence. The other type of lateral shift is the Goos–Hanchen shift that occurs when a beam is totally reflected. The Goos–Hanchen shift comprises components both in and normal to the plane of incidence, when the incident beam is 3D Gaussian. The Goos–Hanchen shift is affected by both the structural handedness and the slantedness of the slanted chiral STF in nanotechnologically significant ways.