cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Choice of Treatment for Stage I Floor-of-Mouth Cancer: A Decision Analysis

• Controversy exists over optimal treatment of stage I floor-of-mouth cancers, with advocation of either primary radiotherapy or surgical resection with or without a neck dissection. A decision analysis was undertaken to determine the outcomes of these treatment options. The quality-adjusted life expectancies were determined using best estimates from the literature of survival, recurrence, short-term morbidity, and quality of life for radiotherapy and surgical resection. The quality-adjusted life expectancies were as follows: for surgical resection with neck dissection, 18.50 years; for surgical resection without neck dissection, 14.48 years; and for primary radiotherapy, 7.95 years. Sensitivity analysis showed that these results varied with quality of life assumptions and survival data. Therefore, each institution needs to review its own survival data and question patients about quality of life to determine how treatment options fit into the decision analysis. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1990;116:951-956)
Debating the cause of a neurological disorder.

In his article “Guam's deadly stalker: on the loose worldwide?” (News Focus, 28 July, p. [428][1]), G. Miller presents an objective review of Cox's reformulated cycad hypothesis ([1][2]). This hypothesis suggests that ALS-PDC, a neurological disorder once common in the Chamorro people of Guam,
Development and Efficacy of a Rite of Passage for Evangelical Women.

Abstract Ritual theorist Ronald Grimes notes a lack of rites of passage in Western society, yet a parallel longing for them. Although Grimes hesitates to invent new rites, such invention is the interest of this article. Building on research that juxtaposes ritual theory and Evangelical values, this work narrates the invention and implementation of a rite of passage into womanhood for undergraduates. It is based on Grimes’ markers of effectiveness and four relationships that form the essence of an Evangelical woman. Qualitative markers of its efficacy suggest that this is a viable method of encouraging Christian maturity in women.
Alternatives to the Tensed S and specified subject conditions

The original evidence advanced to support the Tensed S Condition (TSC) and the Specified Subject Condition (SSC) in Chomsky's ‘Conditions on Transformations’ is reconsidered and viable alternatives to these constraints are provided. It is shown that TSC and SSC, in some instances, lead to a loss of linguistically significant generalization. Satisfactory alternatives can account for the relevant range of data and provide a more general account of additional data. Finally, counterevidence to Subjacency and Superiority is adduced, but explicit alternatives to these conditions are not offered.
Craniometric measurements of craniofacial malformations in the X-linked hypophosphatemic (Hyp) mouse on two different genetic backgrounds: C57BL/6J and B6C3H.

This study reports data on craniometric measurements in the X-linked hypophosphatemic (Hyp) mouse on two different genetic backgrounds: C57BL/6J and B6C3H. Heads of normal females «+/+,» normal males «+/Y,» heterozygous mutant females «Hyp/+,» and hemizygous mutant males «Hyp/Y» for each genetic background were examined. Data were collected via skull measurements. Of a C57BL/6J background, the neurocranium of mutants «Hyp/+and »Hyp/Y« was shorter and slightly higher than in normal counterparts
Failing atrial myocardium: energetic deficits accompany structural remodeling and electrical instability.

The failing ventricular myocardium is characterized by reduction of high-energy phosphates and reduced activity of the phosphotransfer enzymes creatine kinase (CK) and adenylate kinase (AK), which ...
Seed selection through ion channeling to produce uniformly oriented polycrystalline Si films on SiO2

Abstract 4800 A polycrystalline silicon films deposited via low-pressure chemical vapor deposition at 620°C on oxidized wafers have been amorphized by silicon ion implantation at normal incidence and subsequently recrystallized at 700° C. As a result of this implant/anneal treatment, the average grain size was enhanced from 700 to 3000 A, and the 〈110〉 directions in the silicon film were confined to within ±4° normal to the substrate, compared to ± 20° in the as-deposited layer. This is the first time that the channeling implant technique is used to produce uniformly oriented polycrystalline films on amorphous substrates.
Abstract CT409: Dexamethasone (dex) and asparaginase increase triglycerides during acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy in children

Although dyslipidemia has been reported during ALL therapy, there have been few systematic studies, and no prior study with dex pharmacokinetics (PK) or asparaginase biomarkers. We studied serum high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, and cholesterol in 313 pediatric ALL patients enrolled on St. Jude Total XV at baseline (day 15 consolidation), and weeks (wks) 7, 8 and 12 of continuation therapy. Patients on the standard/high risk (SHR) arm (n=163) were exposed to more asparaginase (wks 1-12) than those on the low risk (LR) arm (n=150, wks 7-9) as reflected by lower serum albumin at wks 7, 8, and 12 (p -6 , all time points). Dex was given during wks 1, 4, 7, and 9. Dex PK was assessed at the start and end of wk 7. LDL decreased after asparaginase (wk 8 in the LR and wk 7 in the SHR arm). HDL decreased from wk 7 to 8, after one wk of dex and asparaginase. Cholesterol increased during therapy. The largest effect of therapy was on triglycerides, which increased an average of 45% in the SHR patients from baseline to wk 7, when the patients received asparaginase but not dex in the preceding 2 wks. From wk 7 to 8, triglycerides increased 59% in LR and 72% in the SHR arm, after one wk of dex and asparaginase. Although hypertriglyceridemia developed in a majority (52%) of patients, it was not associated with pancreatitis, which occurred in six patients. The increase in triglycerides from baseline to wk 7 in SHR patients was related to older age (p=0.0001) and decrease in serum albumin (p=6.6 x 10 -5 ).The additional increase in triglycerides from wk 7 to 8 was related to dex PK (p=0.08). We conclude that both asparaginase and dex are likely to contribute to changes in serum lipids based on the timing of the changes in the serum lipids relative to therapy and the associations with asparaginase biomarkers and dex PK. Furthermore, these data suggest that asparaginase had a larger effect than dex on these changes and that the largest changes were in serum triglycerides. Citation Format: Laura B. Ramsey, Katherine M. Robinson, Jitesh D. Kawedia, Wenjian Yang, Chengcheng Liu, John C. Panetta, Sima Jeha, Deepa Bhojwani, Monika L. Metzger, Cheng Cheng, William E. Evans, Ching-Hon Pui, Mary V. Relling. Dexamethasone (dex) and asparaginase increase triglycerides during acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy in children. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr CT409. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-CT409
Ideal family size among white Americans: A quarter of a century’s evidence

Los datos sobre tamano idealdela familia recopilados de 13 investigaciones durante los pasados 25 anos, senalan. Para las mujeres una variabilidad de 1 hijo entre el promedio minimo y maximo, con un incremento en el tamanoidealde la familia durante los anos recientes. Entre los hombres la situacion es similar aunque la variabilidad es menor. Un periodo de gran cambio social no provoco un incremento drastico en los deseos de reproduccion del norteamericano blanco. EI rango “2 a 4 hijos” ha enmarcado los ideales de aproximadamente el 80–90% de los norteamericanos blancos desde mediados de la decada del 30. Sinembargo, los encuestados variaron sus metas de reproduccion dentro de este rango de 2 a 4 hiios. El analisis muestra un cambio desde 2–3 hijos hacia 3–4 hijos por familia entre las mujeres. Las familias de 3 hijos han comenzado aser la moda para las mujeres de la decada del 50 Y “2 hijos,” son elegidos por menos de la quinta parte de las mujeres entrevistadas en recientes investigaciones. Para aproximadamente el 40% de las mujeres que contestaron la entrevista, “excesiva fertilidad” (fertilidad superior al ideal) comienza solamente con el quinto hijo. El cambio hacia 3–4 hijos por familia, es particularmente agudo entre las mujerese ne dad reproductiva —menos de 30 anos y de 30–44 aos—mientras que los mujeres viejas—-45 anos y mas—-eligen un tamano de familia cercano al tope del rango a travez del periodo de tiempo. En anos recientes, las mujeres jovenes prefieren familias grandes mas que los hombres jovenes. Aunque la diferencia de opinion entre las mujeres jovenes y viejas ha disminuido, en diferentes estudios el tamano ideal de familia exibe un consistente patron de incremento con la edad. Tales resultados pueden quiza ser explicados en un aspecto por las distintas caracteristicas socio-economicas de la gente joven comparada con la gente vieja de cada epoca, y por otro lado, por el cambio en los ideales sobre tamano de la familia que los individuos tienen en el transcurso de su vida.
Evaluation of simultaneous 201Tl/99mTc dual-isotope cardiac SPECT imaging with model-based crosstalk compensation using canine studies

Background Simultaneous 201Tl/99mTc-sestamibi dual-isotope myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging can reduce imaging time and produce perfectly registered rest/stress images. However, crosstalk from 99mTc into 201Tl images can significantly reduce 201Tl image quality. We have developed a model-based compensation (MBC) method to compensate for this crosstalk. The method has previously been validated with phantom and simulation studies. In this study, we evaluated the MBC method using a canine model.
High temperature failure initiation in liquid phase sintered materials

Abstract The mechanisms for initiation of high temperature failure in liquid-phase sintered (L.P.S.) ceramics are investigated. Results of a transmission electron microscopy study on an L.P.S. silicon nitride exposed to creep strains at elevated temperature are used to propose a sequence for the early stages of cavitation damage. Interface failure time models are generated for each step in the sequence. Specifically, physical expressions are derived for the growth and coalescence times for oblate holes in thin-glass films along two-grain interfaces. Additionally, the times for formation of spherical holes along three-grain channel glass pockets and their subsequent growth to full-facet sized cavities, by viscous flow and solution/reprecipitation mechanisms, are evaluated. In combination, the failure expressions constitute the first step in the development of a complete time-to-failure model for high temperature deformation of L.P.S. ceramics.
Branding and the Distortion of Communication and Culture

Part of my job as book review editor is searching out new media ethics titles to feature in the Journal of Mass Media Ethics. However, some of the best books escape my attention. I am happy to rece...
Metabolism of Bovine Semen. X. Oxidation of Carboxy-C14-Labeled Fatty Acids by Bovine Spermatozoa

Summary Carbon 14 -labeled fatty acids have been used to show that washed bovine spermatozoa oxidize acetate, octanoate, and butyrate readily; the other acids tested (myristate, stearate, palmitate, and formate) were converted to C 14 O 2 at slower but appreciable rates. The production of C 14 O 2 from octanoate-1-C 14 was shown to be oxygen-dependent and blocked by azide, cyanide, and malonate, but stimulated by 2, 4-dinitrophenol and coenzyme A. Glucose and glycerol did not appear to be competitive with octanoate as substrates for spermatozoa, but the presence of unlabeled acetate, propionate, or butyrate caused some reduction in utilization of octanoate-1-C 14 .
Analysis of structure and transcriptional activation of an osmotin gene.

A Nicotiana tabacum gene encoding the basic PR-like protein osmotin was isolated and characterized. The gene is derived from the N. sylvestris parent of N. tabacum. In cell suspension cultures of tobacco, the osmotin gene was shown to be transcriptionally activated by treatment with ABA.
Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in infancy

Normal pulmonary vascular development in infancy requires maintenance of low pulmonary vascular resistance after birth, and is necessary for normal lung function and growth. The developing lung is subject to multiple genetic, pathological and/or environmental influences that can adversely affect lung adaptation, development, and growth, leading to pulmonary hypertension. New classifications of pulmonary hypertension are beginning to account for these diverse phenotypes, and or pulmonary hypertension in infants due to PPHN, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The most effective pharmacotherapeutic strategies for infants with PPHN are directed at selective reduction of PVR, and take advantage of a rapidly advancing understanding of the altered signaling pathways in the remodeled vasculature.
Determining driver visual attention with one camera

This paper presents a system for analyzing human driver visual attention. The system relies on estimation of global motion and color statistics to robustly track a person's head and facial features. The system is fully automatic, it can initialize automatically, and reinitialize when necessary. The system classifies rotation in all viewing directions, detects eye/mouth occlusion, detects eye blinking and eye closure, and recovers the three dimensional gaze of the eyes. In addition, the system is able to track both through occlusion due to eye blinking, and eye closure, large mouth movement, and also through occlusion due to rotation. Even when the face is fully occluded due to rotation, the system does not break down. Further the system is able to track through yawning, which is a large local mouth motion. Finally, results are presented, and future work on how this system can be used for more advanced driver visual attention monitoring is discussed.
Pike's Mystic Union and the Possibility of Theistic Experience

In his long-awaited Mystic Union, Nelson Pike offers a phenomenology of mysticism. His account is based on the reports and descriptions of third parties, not on his own, first-person experience. So he calls his enterprise ‘phenomenography’, an attempt to describe the experiential content of conscious states by way of reports of them. Pike finds in the Christian mystical tradition three different kinds of experiences of mystic union, the ‘prayer of quiet’, the ‘prayer of union’ and ‘rapture’. These experiences differ phenomenologically, i.e. in experiential content. But they are all ‘theistic’ experiences; that is, they are all phenomenologically of God. By this Pike means: (a) whether these experiences are veridical or not, their object – what they are veridical or hallucinatory experiences of – is God; and (b) that they are of God is part of, or given in, the phenomenological content of the experiences themselves.
Performance Evaluation of TCP over Optical Burst Switched (OBS) Networks Using Coordinated Burst Cloning and Forward-Segment Redundancy

Random contentions occur in optical burst-switched (OBS) networks because of one-way signaling and lack of optical buffers. These contentions can occur at low loads and are not necessarily an indication of congestion. The loss caused by them, however, causes TCP at the transport layer to reduce its send rate drastically, which is unnecessary and reduces overall performance. In this paper, we propose coordinated burst cloning and forward segment redundancy, a proactive technique to prevent data loss during random contentions in the optical core. With forward segment redundancy (FSR), redundant segments are appended to each burst at the edge and redundant burst segmentation (RBS) is implemented in the core so that when a contention occurs, primarily redundant data is dropped. With burst cloning, an entire redundant burst is created at the edge and sent at the same time as the original burst. Coordinated burst cloning and FSR creates clones of bursts (with FSR) and transmits them independently, creating a second-level of redundancy. We evaluate the performance of our proposed loss recovery technique through extensive simulations. We observe that the proposed hybrid technique significantly improves TCP performance at both low and high network loads.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging

Gliomas are infiltrative primary brain tumors that are extremely heterogeneous in terms of both their imaging characteristics and response to therapy. Anatomic magnetic resonance (MR) images are limited in terms of their ability to evaluate the spatial extent of the lesion and to distinguish recurrent tumor from treatment-induced necrosis. An in vivo molecular imaging technique that has shown promising results for assisting in the evaluation of gliomas is MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). Examples of these data are presented and compared with results obtained from diffusion-weighted and perfusion-weighted MR images.
Dry Bias in Vaisala RS90 Radiosonde Humidity Profiles over Antarctica

Middle to upper tropospheric humidity plays a large role in determining terrestrial outgoing longwave radiation. Much work has gone into improving the accuracy of humidity measurements made by radiosondes. Some radiosonde humidity sensors experience a dry bias caused by solar heating. During the austral summers of 2002/03 and 2003/04 at Dome C, Antarctica, Vaisala RS90 radiosondes were launched in clear skies at solar zenith angles (SZAs) near 83° and 62°. As part of this field experiment, the Polar Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (PAERI) measured downwelling spectral infrared radiance. The radiosonde humidity profiles are used in the simulation of the downwelling radiances. The radiosonde dry bias is then determined by scaling the humidity profile with a height-independent factor to obtain the best agreement between the measured and simulated radiances in microwindows between strong water vapor lines from 530 to 560 cm 1 and near line centers from 1100 to 1300 cm 1 . The dry biases, as relative errors in relative humidity, are 8% 5% (microwindows; 1) and 9% 3% (line centers) for SZAs near 83°; they are 20% 6% and 24% 5% for SZAs near 62°. Assuming solar heating is minimal at SZAs near 83°, the authors remove errors that are unrelated to solar heating and find the solar-radiation dry bias of 9 RS90 radiosondes at SZAs near 62° to be 12% 6% (microwindows) and 15% 5% (line centers). Systematic errors in the correction are estimated to be 3% and 2% for microwindows and line centers, respectively. These corrections apply to atmospheric pressures between 650 and 200 mb.
Practical review of oral antihyperglycemic agents for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This article gives a practical review of the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, safety, dosing, cost, and place in therapy for oral antihyperglycemic agents used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. There are 5 classes of oral antihyperglycemic agents available in the United States: sulfonylurea secretagogues, biguanides, α-glucosidase inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, and nonsulfonylurea secretagogues. These agents have distinct characteristics that help in their selection for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
FGFR3 is a negative regulator of the expansion of pancreatic epithelial cells

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) are key signaling molecules for pancreas development. Although FGFR3 is a crucial developmental gene, acting as a negative regulator of bone formation, its participation remains unexplored in pancreatic organogenesis. We found that FGFR3 was expressed in the epithelia in both mouse embryonic and adult regenerating pancreata but was absent in normal adult islets. In FGFR3 knockout mice, we observed an increase in the proliferation of epithelial cells in neonates, leading to a marked increase in islet areas in adults. In vitro studies showed that FGF9 is a very potent ligand for FGFR3 and activates extracellular signal-related kinases (ERKs) in pancreatic cell lines. Moreover, FGFR3 blockade or FGFR3 deficiency led to increased proliferation of pancreatic epithelial cells in vivo. This was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of potential islet progenitor cells. Thus, our results show that FGFR3 signaling inhibits the expansion of the immature pancreatic epithelium. Consequently, this study suggests that FGFR3 participates in regulating pancreatic growth during the emergence of mature islet cells.
Superresolution using the optimal recovery framework with automatic Generalized Cross-Validation

The optimal recovery deterministic estimation framework and a recently proposed Generalized Cross-Validation (GCV) approach are used in superresolution to perform the reconstruction of a high-resolution image from a series of low-resolution shifted images of the same scene. This method, an improved form of band-limited interpolation, incorporates knowledge of the shifts as well as of the known or desired spectral support of the resulting image. As a practical matter, the reconstruction is implemented piecewise using a block-by-block approach. The effects of noise and the sensitivity to the given data accuracy are mitigated by using regularization and a recently proposed GCV method for computing an optimal regularization parameter. The results compare favorably with established methods. The results using the GCV are comparable to those obtained using an experimentally chosen regularization parameter obtained using a direct computation of the actual reconstruction error.
Complex temporal regulation of capillary morphogenesis by fibroblasts.

Interactions between endothelial and stromal cells are important for vascularization of regenerating tissue. Fibroblasts (FBs) are responsible for expression of angiogenic growth factors and matrix...
A high-swing CMOS telescopic operational amplifier

A high-swing, high-performance CMOS telescopic operational amplifier is described. The high swing of the op-amp is achieved by employing the tail and current source transistors in the deep linear region. The resulting degradation in differential gain, common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR), and other amplifier characteristics are compensated by applying regulated-cascode differential gain enhancement and a replica-tail feedback technique. A prototype of the op-amp has been built in a 0.81-/spl mu/m CMOS process. Operating from a power supply of 3.3 V, it achieves a differential swing of /spl plusmn/2.15 V, a differential gain of 90 dB, unity-gain frequency of 90 MHz, and >50-dB CMRR. It is shown, analytically and through simulations, that the operational amplifier maintains its high CMRR even at high frequencies.
HFC-152a and HFC-134a emission estimates and characterization of CFCs, CFC replacements, and other halogenated solvents measured during the 2008 ARCTAS campaign (CARB phase) over the South Coast Air Basin of California

Abstract. This work presents results from the NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) study. Whole air samples were obtained on board research flights that flew over California during June 2008 and analyzed for selected volatile organic compounds, including several halogenated species. Samples collected over the South Coast Air Basin of California (SoCAB), which includes much of Los Angeles (LA) County, were compared with samples from inflow air masses over the Pacific Ocean. The levels of many halocarbon species were enhanced significantly over the SoCAB, including compounds regulated by the Montreal Protocol and subsequent amendments. Emissions estimates of HFC-152a (1,1-difluoroethane, CH3CHF2; 0.82 ± 0.11 Gg) and HFC-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, CH2FCF3; 1.16 ± 0.22 Gg) in LA County for 2008 were obtained using the observed HFC:carbon monoxide (CO) enhancement ratio. Emission rates also were calculated for the SoCAB (1.60 ± 0.22 Gg yr−1 for HFC-152a and 2.12 ± 0.28 Gg yr−1 for HFC-134a) and then extrapolated to the United States (32 ± 4 Gg yr−1 for HFC-152a and 43 ± 6 Gg yr−1 for HFC-134a) using population data. In addition, emission rates of the two HFCs in LA County and SoCAB were calculated by a second method that utilizes air quality modeling. Emissions estimates obtained using both methods differ by less than 25% for the LA County and less than 45% for the SoCAB.
A dither technique applied to a constant fuel-rate problem

A constant fuel-rate problem is defined. A solution to the constant fuel-rate problem is proposed which consists of a dither adaptive control technique. An illustration of this technique is presented as an analog computer solution to a simple problem.
Magnesium protects against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by regulating platinum accumulation

Despite its success as a potent antineoplastic agent, ∼25% of patients receiving cisplatin experience acute kidney injury (AKI) and must discontinue therapy. Impaired magnesium homeostasis has been linked to cisplatin-mediated AKI, and because magnesium deficiency is widespread, we examined the effect of magnesium deficiency and replacement on cisplatin-induced AKI in physiologically relevant older female mice. Magnesium deficiency significantly increased cisplatin-associated weight loss and markers of renal damage (plasma blood urea nitrogen and creatinine), histological changes, inflammation, and renal cell apoptosis and modulated signaling pathways (e.g., ERK1/2, p53, and STAT3). Conversely, these damaging effects were reversed by magnesium. Magnesium deficiency alone significantly induced basal and cisplatin-mediated oxidative stress, whereas magnesium replacement attenuated these effects. Similar results were observed using cisplatin-treated LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells exposed to various magnesium concentrations. Magnesium deficiency significantly amplified renal platinum accumulation, whereas magnesium replacement blocked the augmented platinum accumulation after magnesium deficiency. Increased renal platinum accumulation during magnesium deficiency was accompanied by reduced renal efflux transporter expression, which was reversed by magnesium replacement. These findings demonstrate the role of magnesium in regulating cisplatin-induced AKI by enhancing oxidative stress and thus promoting cisplatin-mediated damage. Additional in vitro experiments using ovarian, breast, and lung cancer cell lines showed that magnesium supplementation did not compromise cisplatin's chemotherapeutic efficacy. Finally, because no consistently successful therapy to prevent or treat cisplatin-mediated AKI is available for humans, these results support developing more conservative magnesium replacement guidelines for reducing cisplatin-induced AKI in cancer patients at risk for magnesium deficiency.
A writing-intensive course improves biology undergraduates' perception and confidence of their abilities to read scientific literature and communicate science

Most scientists agree that comprehension of primary scientific papers and communication of scientific concepts are two of the most important skills that we can teach, but few undergraduate biology ...
Powdery Mildew, Caused by Leveillula taurica, on Matilija Poppy in California

Romneya coulteri, known as matilija poppy or coulter's matilija poppy, is a perennial woody shrub (family Papaveraceae) that is native to southern California and northern Mexico. The plant is used in landscape settings and has the largest flowers, measuring up to 16 cm across, of any plant native to California. In August 2006, in Monterey County, CA, landscape plants of R. coulteri were found affected with a powdery mildew disease. Initial symptoms consisted of chlorotic, irregularly shaped, vein-delimited lesions. As disease progressed, grayish white sporulation was visible on lesions on adaxial and abaxial sides of affected leaves. In advanced stages of the disease, lesions expanded up to 2 cm long and the center tissue of the lesions turned necrotic. Symptoms and signs were observed on both mature and younger foliage. The small matilija poppy planting consisted of six or seven plants and all plants were affected by the disease. Epidermal strips from both sides of leaves and leaf cross sections were mounted in drops of lactophenol and aniline blue and examined with a light microscope. These preparations showed that conidiophores developed from endophytic mycelium and emerged through stomates. Conidiophores were sometimes branched and carried one or two conidia. Hyaline, single-celled conidia were dimorphic. Primary (terminal) conidia were lanceolate with distinct apical points and measured 53 to 61 × 17 to 25 μm. Secondary conidia were ellipsoid-cylindric and measured 53 to 67 × 16 to 22 μm. On the basis of these characters, the pathogen was identified as Leveillula taurica (1). Only the anamorph Oidiopsis taurica stage was observed on plants. To prove pathogenicity, diseased leaves were collected from the landscape plantings. One diseased leaf was gently rubbed against one leaf of a potted, healthy matilija poppy. Twelve leaves were inoculated in this way, and plants were kept in a humidity chamber for 48 h and then maintained in a greenhouse (24 to 26°C). After 14 days, chlorotic lesions appeared on inoculated matilija poppy leaves and sporulation of L. taurica was observed several days later. Untreated control plants did not develop powdery mildew. The experiment was repeated and the results were the same. To my knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew caused by L. taurica on matilija poppy. There was no indication that the disease affected the growth of the host; however, powdery mildew reduced the quality of the appearance of this ornamental plant. Reference: (1) H. J. Boesewinkel. Bot. Rev. 46:167, 1980.
Fingertip Touch as an Orientation Reference for Human Postural Control

Somatosensory* information from cutaneous and proprioceptive receptors serves a dual role in the control of upright posture. Unlike the vestibular receptors which are located in the head and therefore must infer information about the head relative to the trunk and other body components, somatosensory receptors are distributed throughout the skin surface (e.g., mechanoreceptors) and musculature (e.g., spindles), providing crucial information about the relative position of different body components. At the same time, somatosensory information may also provide functional information about contact of a body part to an external object or surface, such as texture and compliance as well as the forces applied to the surface, allowing for accurate and flexible control of handled objects and tools.
Conception et validation de plateformes de communication autour du corps humain, à l'échelle de l'individu et du groupe

Depuis plusieurs annees, beneficiant de nombreuses evolutions technologiques, le domaine de l'instrumentation sans fil a conquis de nouveaux champs d'application, comme le suivi de parametres physiologiques des personnes, par le developpement des reseaux de capteurs sans fil autour du corps humain (BAN, pour Body Area Networks). Majoritairement oriente vers le domaine medical et l'amelioration des conditions de vie des patients, ce type de plate-forme s'est plus recemment etendu a d'autres activites, notamment aux loisirs et au sport. Selon le contexte applicatif, les hypotheses et les contraintes liees a ces reseaux peuvent etre tres variees, c'est pourquoi le developpement de mecanismes de communication adaptes est necessaire. Au cours de mes travaux de these, je me suis interesse a la realisation de plate-formes de collecte de donnees pour des applications sportives en situation de mobilite. Dans une premiere partie est abordee la collecte d'informations individuelles, pour laquelle nous presentons une preuve de concept en contexte sportif, avant d'apporter des elements complementaires a la modelisation des canaux des BAN et aux strategies de communication pour la collecte individuelle. Ensuite, nous abordons la reflexion sur la collecte d'informations dans les reseaux denses et mobiles, en proposant des algorithmes distribues bases sur le consensus permettant d'identifier des groupes de facon dynamique, a petite et large echelle. Des realisations pratiques a chaque etape de mes travaux de these permettent la validation des plate-formes developpees, grâce a un ensemble consequent de donnees collectees sur le terrain. L'analyse des donnees fournit egalement des elements pour mieux caracteriser les communications, notamment a large echelle, ce qui ouvre de nombreuses pistes quant a de futurs travaux. De plus, si un fort contexte applicatif est present dans ces travaux, les methodes d'analyse et les algorithmes developpes sont valorisables et extensibles a d'autres domaines.
A Technique for Testing Acaricide Residues Against Two-Spotted Spider Mites on Field-Grown Roses

Since 1950 acaricides have been tested at Beltsville for their effectiveness on field-grown roses3 (Henneberry et al. 1961). Occasionally conducting these tests was hindered when populations of green two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus telarius (L.), designated as T. urticae (Koch) by European investigators, failed to develop even after artificial infestation or were lost owing to defoliation or heavy rains. Because of the difficulty in maintaining mite populations, and since we felt that limiting tests to the laboratory was undesirable, we turned to a method of testing which is carried out partly in the field and partly in the laboratory.
Characteristics of Intracellularly Grown Brucella Abortus

of altered bacteria seemed technically unfeasible, use was made of the blocking effect of immune serum to show that the change in resistance to normal serum bactericidal factors probably has a quantitative and not qualitative basis. In addition, data are presented which indicate that intracellularly grown B. abortus are more easily phagocytized and survive better following phagocytosis than their slant-grown sister
Design Method for Enterprise Position Description

Compilation of position description is the most fundamental work in enterprise's human resource management,and is also a basis for determining salary system,examination criteria as well as training content.Taking an executive post for human resource management in a power enterprise as an example,this paper discusses the design method for the position description,hoping to be helpful for human resouree management workers.
Neurodynamics of Decision-Making—A Computational Approach

Decision-making is a complex process that normally seems to involve several brain structures. In particular, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) seem to be essential in human decision-making, where both emotional and cognitive aspects are taken into consideration. In this paper, we present a stochastic population model representing the neural information processing of decision-making, from perception to behavioral activity. We model the population dynamics of the three neural structures significant in the decision-making process (amygdala, OFC, and LPFC), as well as their interaction. In our model, amygdala and OFC represent the neural correlates of secondary emotion, while the activity of OFC neural populations represents the outcome expectancy of alternatives, and the cognitive aspect of decision-making is controlled by LPFC. The results may have implications for how we make decisions for our individual actions, as well as for societal choices, where we take examples from transport and its impact on climate change.
Intrarenal Role of Angiotensin II in Controlling Sodium Excretion during Dehydration in Dogs

1. The intrarenal role of angiotensin II in controlling sodium excretion was examined in anaesthetized, dehydrated dogs by infusing the angiotensin II antagonist Sar1-Ile8-angiotensin II directly into the renal artery. Comparisons were made with dehydrated dogs receiving only sodium chloride solution intrarenally. 2. Intrarenal angiotensin II blockade resulted in significant increases in urinary sodium excretion and urine flow rate. 3. The results indicate that during the high-renin state of dehydration endogenous angiotensin II has intrarenal effects which lead to salt and water retention.
A soft computing approach to the autonomous space rendezvous problem

The feasibility of a Soft Computing approach to the problem of autonomous space rendezvous with a tumbling target is addressed. This is an extremely challenging task and will take extensive research through computer simulations, and hardware implementation and testing to validate the approaches for a fully autonomous rendezvous in space. Classical control approaches show promising results, but require precise mathematical models. They tend to be computational intensive, and can not take advantage of the knowledge from experienced human pilots who have manually performed the task. We propose using Soft Computing techniques for the autonomous rendezvous problem. Soft Computing can effectively model human knowledge, and is highly capable of handling model imprecision and uncertainty. A down-scaled version of the rendezvous problem is set up, where the target has a three-dimensional translational motion, but is assumed to have only a planar tumbling motion. This assumption provides a basis to examine the feasibility of using soft computing. A fuzzy controller and a neural controller are developed and simulated. The fuzzy controller is optimized using genetic algorithms. The neural controller is trained using the back propagation through time algorithm. Both controllers provide solid performance, and robustness against noise. Our study shows that Soft Computing can be considered as an effective candidate for controlling spacecrafts in autonomous rendezvous missions. While the dynamics of the target is made more realistic by including the three-dimensional tumbling motion it is perceived that suitable control architecture can be developed using a Soft Computing framework.
Long-term hypotensive effect of beta-agonist in conscious dogs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the arterial pressure response to long-term administration of beta-agonists in the chronically instrumented conscious animal model. Chronically instrumented dogs were given intravenous infusions of ritodrine (2 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) for a period of 2 wk. Several cardiovascular and renal parameters were monitored before, during, and after the ritodrine infusion, and renal function curves were constructed. After the 1st wk of infusion, a new steady state was reestablished, and this was characterized by hypotension, reduced plasma protein concentration, elevated cardiac output, expanded extracellular fluid space, and near normal levels of activity of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems. The renal function curve during ritodrine infusion shifted to the left with no change in slope. We propose the following: 1) the persistence of hypotension is most probably related to the resetting of the arterial pressure-kidney blood volume servocontrol mechanisms, and 2) the persistent elevation of cardiac output and reduction in peripheral resistance are most probably related to increased oxygen and nutrient demand during beta-agonist infusions.
[Study on mRNA expression of immune-related genes in patients with allergic dermatitis induced by trichloroethylene].

Objective To study mRNA expression of immune-related genes (Foxp3,GATA3,CTLA4 and T-bet) in peripheral blood of the patients with allergic dermatitis induced by trichloroethylene (TCE).Methods The peripheral blood samples were collected from 8 healthy workers (control group) and 8 patients with allergic dermatitis induced by TCE (case group).Real-time quantitative PCR was applied to detect mRNA expression of immune-related genes (Foxp3,GATA3,CTLA4,T-bet).Results The mRNA expression levels of Foxp3,GATA3 and CTLA4 genes increased by 115％,97％ and 241％ in case group,as compared with control group (P＜0.01).The mRNA expression level of T-bet gene decreased by 47％ in case group,as compared with control group (P＜0.01).Conclusion The mRNA expression levels of some immune-related genes changed in patients with allergic dermatitis induced by TCE,those genes may play an important role in TCE-induced allergy. Key words: Trichloroethylene; Dermatitis, Occupational exposure; Hypersensitivity; Gene expression
An Argument for Using Probabilistic Safety Assessment in Maritime Domain: Some Now, but More Later

This paper presents an argument for using more probabilistic safety assessment in the maritime transportation system. Currently, risk analysis takes place in a largely decentralized fashion and only a handful of quantitative risk analyses have been conducted. However, as the risk-informed system of managing maritime transportation matures, it is probable that more data will be collected and quantitative analyses will be conducted more often. An optimization perspective is presented to identify potential avenues of research in the maritime domain.
Ulcerative Colitis and Familial Polyposis

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disorder of the GI tract. Its cause is multifactorial including genetic predisposition, immunologic disarray, and luminal microbiota. It is characterized by chronic abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Although medical management is utilized with success to suppress chronic inflammation and alleviate symptoms, only surgical options offer a definitive cure for the disease. Surgical treatment modalities range from proctocolectomy and ileostomy, to restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Surveillance is still required, especially if a rectal cuff remains. Familial adenomatous polyposis is a disease of genetic predisposition caused by an abnormality of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene of chromosome 5. Although many patients are asymptomatic, their diagnosis and early intervention is integral to achieving satisfactory outcomes and avoiding early onset colorectal carcinoma. All patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) will develop malignancy by age 40. Thus, it is imperative to remove the entire colon for treatment. Options for attaining this result include total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis (IRA), total proctocolectomy with ileostomy and RPC with or without mucosectomy, and IPAA. In addition to surgical intervention, life-long surveillance must be conducted because of the significantly reduced but not eliminated risk of malignant transformation in the retained rectal tissue or ileal pouch.
A Peroxynitrite Dicopper Complex: Formation via Cu-NO and Cu-O2 Intermediates and Reactivity via O-O Cleavage Chemistry.

A mixed-valent Cu(I)Cu(II) complex, [CuI,II2(UN-O–)]2+ (1), reacts with NO(g) at −80 °C to form [CuI,II2(UN-O–)(NO)]2+ (2), best described as a mixed-valent nitrosyl complex that has a ν(N–O) band at 1670 cm–1 in its infrared (IR) spectrum. Complex 2 undertakes a one-electron oxidation via the addition of O2(g) to generate a new intermediate, best described as a superoxide and nitrosyl adduct, [CuII2(UN-O–)(NO)(O2–)]2+ (3), based on its distinctively blue-shifted ν(N–O) band at 1853 cm–1. Over the course of 20 min at −80 °C, 3 is converted to the peroxynitrite (PN) complex [CuII2(UN-O–)(−OON═O)]2+ (4), which was characterized by low-temperature electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and IR spectroscopy; ν(N–O) absorptions at 1520 and 1640 cm–1 have been assigned as cis- and trans-conformers of the PN ligand in 4. Alternatively, the superoxide complex [CuII2(UN-O–)(O2•–)]2+ (5) is found to react with NO(g) to generate the same intermediate superoxide and nitrosyl adduct 3 (based on IR criteria)...
Patient prioritization of comorbid chronic conditions in the Veteran population: Implications for patient-centered care

Objective:Patients with comorbid chronic conditions may prioritize some conditions over others; however, our understanding of factors influencing those prioritizations is limited. In this study, we...
Thrombocytopenia In Severe Anemia of Iron Deficiency

Abstract 5153 Introduction: Iron deficiency suppresses hemoglobin synthesis and erythropoiesis, but the resulting anemia is frequently associated with thrombocytosis. Methods: The clinical and hematologic data of seven women with severe iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and thrombocytopenia were retrospectively analyzed. Results: All patients were African-American women with symptomatic IDA, due to bleeding from uterine fibroids in 6 and from colonic diverticulosis in 1. They were 31–70 years of age, median 38. None had palpable splenomegaly. Hemoglobin ranged from 2.9–5.5, median 4.2 g/dL. MCV ranged from 57–70 fl, median 68. Absolute reticulocyte counts ranged from 19,000 – 23, 000/mm3. The initial serum ferritin ranged from 2 to 42 ng/ml, median 4. Serum iron levels ranged from 10 to 70 mcg/dl with median 30, while iron-binding capacities ranged from 381–426 mcg/dl. Serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels were >2000U/ml in two of the patients. Serum lactic dehydrogenase, bilirubin levels and liver function tests were normal; and Coombs9 test negative in all cases. White blood cell counts were normal. The platelet counts ranged from 12 to 103, with a median of 46 × 109/L. Peripheral blood smears showed microcytic hypochromic red blood cells (RBC), with no evidence of platelet clumping. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy on two patients showed increased numbers of normal megakaryocytes, erythroid hyperplasia and absent iron stores. Six patients were treated with packed RBC transfusions, and ferrous sulphate 325 mg orally was initiated at presentation in 7. Their thrombocytopenia was not treated with steroids or other agents. Three patients9 platelet count reached normal or super-normal levels within 72 hours. Six patients were seen at ≥3 months after presentation, and all had achieved normal platelet counts and hemoglobin. Conclusions: These data imply that severe IDA can sometimes cause thrombocytopenia rather than thromobocytosis. We cannot be sure whether these patients9 uniform normalization of platelet counts was due to treatment of their anemia by transfusion, or iron therapy. Though bone marrow megakaryocyte numbers were increased in 2 patients, there is no evidence for peripheral platelet destruction. Platelet release from megakaryocytes may have decreased in these patients. Pharmacologic EPO therapy can occasionally cause thrombocytopenia, and high endogenous EPO levels in our patients may have reduce their platelet counts. This conclusion is consistent with their apparent response to transfusion. Though the pathogenesis of IDA-associated thrombocytopenia is not known, our data suggest that the results of anemia and iron deficiency treatment should be evaluated before investigating thrombocytopenia as an independent problem. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.