cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interpersonal Difficulties as an Underlying Mechanism in the Anxiety-Depression Association

Objectives: Interpersonal difficulties have been implicated in both anxiety and depression. However, much less is known about whether interpersonal difficulties may account for, in part, the high level of comorbidity between mood and anxiety symptoms. This study examined whether various interpersonal difficulties, assessed with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, Short Circumplex (IIP-SC), were underlying mechanisms in the relationship between anxiety and depression symptoms in a high-risk sample of late adolescents with clinical levels of anxiety. Methods: 144 late adolescents with clinical levels of anxiety (mean age = 18.63 years; SD = 0.92) reported on their trait anxiety, worry, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and interpersonal problems. Results: Consistent with hypotheses, the IIP-SC overly nurturant subscale partially accounted for the relationship between anxiety and depression. The IIP-SC non-assertive and social avoidant subscales did not significantly account for the anxiety-depression relationship. Conclusions: Findings suggest that interpersonal behaviours characterised by excessive attempts to please and accommodate others may ultimately contribute to our understanding of the anxiety-depression association. We discuss the implications of our findings and how they may be applied to evidence-based assessment and treatment of anxiety problems.
Boundary condition perturbation technique for use in spatial homogenizatton method in transport theory

Abstract An expression is derived for the first-order change in the ratio of linear functionals of the fundamental solution of the neutron transport equation due to a perturbation in the boundary condition of the system. The perturbation formula is derived in the context of energy dependent transport theory. The multigroup formulation is also given. Two numerical examples are used to verify the correctness of the formalism. As an application, use of this method for improving spatial homogenization techniques is also discussed
The external approach for submucosal lesions of the larynx.

OBJECTIVE: The surgical excision of benign submucosal lesions of the larynx can be performed using a variety of techniques including direct laryngoscopy and external approaches. We propose that small submucosal lesions of the larynx can be removed via the external approach without a tracheotomy.STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review.SETTING: Six patients at The Long Island Jewish Medical Center and at the New York University School of Medicine underwent an external approach for the removal of benign submucosal laryngeal lesions without tracheotomies. Lesions included a mixed laryngopyocele, an internal laryngopyocele, a mixed laryngocele, a paraganglioma, a neurilemmoma and a lymphoma. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 9 years.RESULTS: All patients were female with an average age of 72. No patient required a tracheotomy. One patient remained intubated for 24 hours postoperatively to ensure an adequate airway. Mild dysphagia was noted in all patients, but it was short-lived and did not require alternate methods...
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS UTILIZING HEAT‐SHRINKABLE TUBING

Hydraulic conductivity studies of a consolidated pozzolanic material indicate that heat-shrinkable tubing can be utilized to encase cylinders for use in a permeameter. The materials required for encasement of a sample include: heat-shrinkable tubing, hose clamps, polyvinyl chloride discs, glass tubing, and an electric oven. The procedure requires that the assembled PVC discs, filters, shrinkable tubing, and sample be placed on a support stand in an electric oven for three to four minutes at a temperature between 450–500° F. Upon removal from the oven, hose clamps are placed around each PVC disc. The method has several advantages. It saves time and expenses over conventional methods such as pneumatic pressurized core holders or triaxial testing units and preserves the original interstitial bore spaces of the sample.
On the application of wave scattering theory for the diagnosis of muscle diseases.

Abstract This investigation is concerned with a scattering matrix approach which is proposed for the non-destructive, differential diagnosis of muscle diseases. A number of muscle diseases are classified according to their various pathological indications and appropriate material parameters are derived for utilization as input data for a theoretical model. In the mathematical analysis phase of the model, Waterman's T-matrix approach in conjunction with statistical averaging for both position and orientation of muscle fibers are employed to obtain the attenuation due to geometric dispersion for a wide range of frequencies. The numerical results not only exhibit qualitative agreement with existing experimental data for normal muscle but also display differentiable patterns for the various muscle disease cases. The formulation is an improvement over the previously applied scattering theory in that it obtains the attenuation over a continuous frequency spectrum.
The Genetic Basis of Precursor Supply for the Biosynthesis of Macrolide and Polyether Antibioticsa

Macrolide and polyether biosynthesis in actinomycetes is regulated at the level of precursor supply by effects of nutrients on the sources of the low-molecular-weight fatty acids used to build the carbon framework of these antibiotics. Ammonium ion appears to suppress the first enzymes of valine and threonine catabolism and also inhibits their activity. Disruption of the valine dehydrogenase (vdh) gene of Streptomyces coelicolor destroys its ability to grow on branched-chain amino acids as the sole nitrogen source in a minimal medium but has no effect on the biosynthesis of the acetate-derived antibiotic, actinorhodin. Expression of the vdh gene is repressed by > 25 mM ammonium ion or glucose but not by valine, glycerol, or maltose. Vdh enzyme activity is stimulated by valine induction. These results suggest that the inhibition of valine catabolism by ammonium and/or glucose could explain why macrolide production is inhibited by ammonium ion.
Low noise microwave generation with high power, high linearity photodiodes

We use modified uni-traveling carrier photodetectors in conjunction with a Ti:sapphire-based optical frequency divider to generate 10 GHz microwaves with +14 dBm power, <3 fs absolute timing jitter and phase noise floors of −177 dBc/Hz.
Helicobacter pylori infection treated with a tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate and metronidazole combination.

Seventy-two patients with H. pylori infection in their antral mucosa took part in the study. Forty-three received metronidazole 400 mg t.d.s. for two weeks, plus De-Nol tabs 2 b.d. for four weeks, and the remaining 29 patients received metronidazole 400 mg t.d.s. for two weeks plus De-Nol liquid 5 ml q.d.s. for four weeks. Seven of 57 H. pylori isolates were found to have pre-treatment metronidazole resistance. Success, in terms of eradication of H. pylori, was assessed using a one-month post-treatment 14C urea breath test. Successful eradication of H. pylori was achieved in 72% and 79%, respectively, of the metronidazole/De-Nol tablet and metronidazole/De-Nol liquid groups. These figures increased to 87% and 84%, respectively, if the patients whose organisms were known to be metronidazole-sensitive were considered in isolation. H. pylori was successfully eradicated in only one of seven patients with a metronidazole-resistant organism.
WRF/Chem simulated springtime impact of rising Asian emissions on air quality over the U.S.

Abstract This paper examines the impact of tripled anthropogenic emissions from China and India over the base level (gaseous species and carbonaceous aerosols for 2000) on air quality over the U.S. using the WRF/Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting – Chemistry) model at 1° resolution. WRF/Chem is a state-of-the-science, fully coupled chemistry and meteorology system suitable for simulating the transport and dispersion of pollutants and their impacts. The analyses in this work were focused on MAM (March, April and May). The simulations indicate an extensive area of elevated pollutant concentrations spanning from the Arabian Sea to the Northern Pacific and to the Northern Atlantic. MAM mean contributions from the tripled Asian emissions over the U.S. are found to be: 6–12 ppbv for CO, 1.0–2.5 ppbv for O3, and 0.6–1.6 μg m−3 for PM2.5 on a daily basis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and tissue factor expression in macrophages.

A number of earlier studies reported the occurrence of thrombotic complications, particularly disseminated intravascular coagulation and deep vein thrombosis, in tuberculosis (TB) patients. The aberrant expression of tissue factor (TF), the primary activator of coagulation cascade, is known to be responsible for thrombotic disorders in many diseases including bacterial infections. Further, expression of TF by cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage is also shown to contribute to the development and progression of local and systemic inflammatory reactions. In the present study, we have investigated whether Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection induces TF expression in macrophages, and various host and pathogenic factors responsible for TF expression. We have tested the effect of live virulent Mtb H37Rv, gamma-irradiated Mtb H37Rv (γ-Mtb) and various components derived from Mtb H37Rv on TF expression in macrophages. The data presented in the manuscript show that both live virulent Mtb and γ-Mtb treatments markedly increased TF activity in macrophages, predominantly in the CD14+ macrophages. Detailed studies using γ-Mtb showed that the increased TF activity in macrophages following Mtb treatment is the result of TF transcriptional activation. The signaling pathways of TF induction by Mtb appears to be distinct from that of LPS-induced TF expression. Mtb-mediated TF expression is dependent on cooperation of CD14/TLR2/TLR4 and probably yet another unknown receptor/cofactor. Mtb cell wall core components, mycolyl arabinogalactan peptidoglycan (mAGP), phosphatidylinositol mannoside-6 (PIM6) and lipomannan (LM) were identified as factors responsible for induction of TF in the order of mAGP>PIM6>LM. A direct contact between bacteria and macrophage and not Mtb-released soluble factors is critical for TF induction by Mtb. In summary, our data show that Mtb induces TF expression in macrophages and Mtb signaling pathways that elicit TF induction require cooperation of multiple receptors, co-receptors/co-factors including Toll-like receptors. The importance of TF in granuloma formation and containment of Mtb is discussed.
Increased synaptic availability of norepinephrine following desipramine is not essential for increases in GR mRNA

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 7 days with the norepinephrine (NE) uptake inhibitors desipramine (DMI) or (+)-oxaprotiline or the inactive (-)-enantiomer of oxaprotiline. DMI, as previously reported, significantly increased hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA while the equipotent NE uptake inhibitor (+)-oxaprotiline like the inactive (-)-oxaprotiline did not alter hippocampal levels of GR mRNA. The results indicate that an increase in the synaptic availability of NE as a consequence of uptake inhibition is not responsible for the action of DMI on GR gene expression.
Claiming a Place Land and Identity in Two Communities in Northwestern Argentina

A pesar del reciente progreso que se ha logrado en Argentina en reconocer redamos indigenas sobre la tierra, las comunidades han experimentado resultados muy diversos no solo en cuanto a la efectivizacion de esos reclamos sino tambien en el significado que adquieren para ellas los reclamos que son exitosos. La relacion entre la tierra y la cultura es compleja y presenta varias facetas; el paisaje natural esta cargado tanto de significados culturales como de una importancia economica. Y asi como la tierra se convierte en el centro de reclamos politicos, la identidad cultural tambien se ve transformada. Este articulo analiza las principales diferencias entre dos comunidades indigenas en la provincia de Salta, los Wichi de Los Blancos y los Kolla de Rodeo Colanzuli, en cuanto a sus relaciones con la tierra. Se examina como el proceso de reclamo de tierras en estos dos pueblos afecta la relacion entre la tierra y su identidad cultural
Interdisciplinary approach to toxicity test development and validation.

Abstract Toxicological processes are complex interactions of biological systems at various levels of organization. These interactions evolve in time in response to the perturbation resulting from the interaction of the toxicant, or its metabolite, with molecular targets in the organism. The successful development and validation of new in vitro toxicity tests for the toxicological evaluation of chemicals and commercial products require the concerted effort of an interdisciplinary research team. Such a team should consist of the following types of experts: (1) cell physiologist/cell culturist—someone who not only can grow cells of various origin but also can investigate the normal state of cells and how in vitro culture conditions affect this state; (2) molecular toxicologist—someone who understands the molecular mechanisms of toxicological responses (mechanisms of action) and can experimentally investigate their nature; (3) measurement technologist—an expert in instrumental technology and the application of these technologies to the measurement of cellular function and responses; (4) theoretical toxicologist/modeller—the integrator for the team who can pull the various aspects of the problem together into a unified picture connecting in vitro and in vivo; (5) chemist/structure-activity expert—an expert in chemical structure and its relationship to biological activity to guide the selection of chemicals for investigation; (6) in vivo toxicologist/pathologist—the individual who provides contact with reality; (7) kineticist—an expert in the kinetics/metabolism of chemicals in biological systems who can experimentally investigate this aspect both in vitro and in vivo; (8) statistician—an expert in experimental design and data analysis with the ability to develop new analytical tools to compare in vitro and in vivo data. Most research teams consist of a small group comprising a subset of these areas of expertise and therefore struggle with various aspects of the problem, depending on the pieces missing. It is hoped that the resources of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) will be adequate to pull together such an interdisciplinary team to make rapid progress in the development and validation of new testing methodologies.
MMSE-based groupwise successive interference cancellation scheme for multirate CDMA systems

In this work, group-wise successive interference cancellation (GSIC) scheme for multi-rate CDMA systems is proposed. A multi-rate CDMA system is a CDMA system that can support voice users together with data users which may have different data rates. In the proposed group-wise detection, users with the same information rate are grouped and detected together. Users with the highest information rate are detected first, neglecting the presence of the other users in the system. Interference between the groups is cancelled in a successive order. The proposed scheme is based on the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion. We also studied the decision feedback interference cancellation for multi-rate CDMA systems. The performance of the proposed detection scheme is compared with that of conventional detector, the decorrelating detector, and the linear MMSE detector for multi-rate CDMA systems. The proposed scheme achieves better performance than the above-mentioned detectors. The proposed scheme also provides significantly high spectral efficiency under certain conditions. The algorithms in the proposed scheme are suitable for both terrestrial and satellite applications of multi-rate CDMA systems. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Avian metabolism: its control and evolution

This review discussed metabolism in poultry and wild birds with an emphasis on what remains to be elucidated. Circulating concentrations of glucose are much greater in both poultry and wild birds than in mammals which in turn are higher than in reptiles. The basis for this difference is unknown but does not appear to be related to the requirements of flight. Furthermore, birds exhibit a refractoriness to potential adverse effects of very high circulating concentrations of glucose. Again the basis of this is unclear. There is substantial information on the control of metabolism in poultry, although which hormones are exerting physiologic roles remains to be clarified. There is a tacit but unverified assumption that the control mechanisms are the same in wild birds and in poultry. Despite, significant research focus on metabolism in poultry and to a less extent wild birds, there is a dearth of studies determining metabolism in a quantitative manner.
Radar micro-doppler for long range front-view gait recognition

We seek to understand the extraction of radar micro-Doppler signals generated by human motions at long range and with a front-view to use them as a biometric. We describe micro-Doppler algorithms used for the detection and tracking, and detail the gait features that can be extracted. We have measurements of multiple human subjects in outdoor but low-clutter backgrounds for identification and find that at long range and front-view, the probability of correct classification can be over 80%. However, the micro-Doppler signals are dependent on the direction of motion, and we discuss methods to reduce the effect of the direction of motion. These radar biometric features can serve as identifying features in a scene with multiple subjects. Ground truth using video and GPS is used to validate the radar data.
Synthesis and characterization of (Me3Si)2AsCH2RCH2As(SiMe3)2 (R = CH2, SiME2) and

The synthesis and characterization of (Me3Si)2AsCH2RCH2As(SiMe3)2 [R = CH2 (1), SiMe2 (2)] is described. Compound 1 reacts with four equivalents of Ph2GaCl to produce (3), whose structure was deduced by use of 1H and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy.
Boundary and hydrodynamic lubrication

Abstract Models of typical characteristics of the surfaces of two interfacing solids under pressure and sliding against each other are described. In the first model, the asperities, wedges of the harder surface, indent into the softer surface due to the applied pressure, producing opposing ridges on the surface of the softer component. The gap between the opposing asperities is filled with liquid, establishing boundary lubrication. As sliding is maintained, the ridges are mobilized and an eddy flow is established in the trapped lubricant. The power required to mobilize the ridges and to establish eddy flow in the lubricant is calculated and thus the friction resistance to sliding is determined. The pressure generated in the liquid due to shear is also evaluated. It becomes clear that the height of the ridge due to indentation is inversely proportional to the speed of sliding. The higher the sliding speed, the higher is the liquid pressure that is countering the loading pressure and the smaller is the indentation. At high enough speed (to be replaced in due course by the Sommerfeld number), the entire load is supported by the pressure generated in the liquid, indentation is eliminated and hydrodynamic lubrication commences. The classical model for hydrodynamic lubrication where two inclined surfaces slide against each other is described. The gap between the two surfaces ϵ min at their closest point is a monotonically increasing function of Sommerfeld number S . The resistance to sliding, established through the shear in the liquid, determines the friction valve. This model leads directly to the characteristics where for diminishing values of Sommerfeld number the resistance to sliding is proportional to the pressure (τ = μp) and the proportionality factor is equal to the tangent of the angle of inclination (μ= tan α). The increase in friction with increasing values of Sommerfeld number is also determined. Combining the two models, one notices that at low speed and Sommerfeld number, the liquid pressure is not sufficient to float the two surfaces and indentation prevails, with boundary lubrication. With increasing speed (Sommerfeld number), the height of the ridge (by the first model) decreases. When it diminishes to values lower than those predicted for the gap between the surfaces in the second model for the same speed, the boundary lubrication ceases and hydrodynamic lubrication commences.
Energy conversion unit with optimized waveform generation

This paper proposes an energy conversion unit constituted by a single-phase DC-AC converter. The proposed converter has an optimized relationship between the number of levels per number of switches (nL/nS). The proposed five-level four-switch converter has nL/nS=5/4, which is by far the best relationship among the converters proposed in the technical literature. The most important characteristics of the proposed configuration are: (i) reduced number of semiconductor devices, while keeping a high number of levels at the output converter side, (ii) only one DC source without any need to balance capacitor voltages, and (iii) high efficiency. Details regarding the operation of the configuration and modulation strategy are presented, as well as the comparison between the proposed converter and the conventional ones. Simulated results are presented to validate the theoretical expectations.
A failure of amygdaloid lesions to alter agonistic behavior in the laboratory rat

Abstract Male rats exhibit high levels of agonistic behavior when they are confronted with an intruder male in their home cages. Twenty-four resident males received bilateral amygdaloid lesions and their preoperative and postoperative performance was compared. Virtually no change in the expression of agonistic behavior could be detected. Similarly, no change in agonistic behavior, pre- and postoperatively, apeared in a control experiment in which 14 males received sham operations. The difference between our results and those reported by others (in which amygdaloid lesions led to deficits in aggressive behavior) is attributed to differences in (1) the kind of aggressive behavior measured, (2) the species employed, and (3) the context of the experimental test situation.
Practices and impact of primary outcome adjustment in randomized controlled trials: meta-epidemiologic study.

Objective To assess adjustment practices for primary outcomes of randomized controlled trials and their impact on the results. Design Meta-epidemiologic study. Data sources 25 biomedical journals with the highest impact factor according to Journal Citation Reports 2009. Study selection Randomized controlled trials published in print in 2009 that reported primary outcomes. The search yielded 684 eligible papers of randomized controlled trials, of which 200 were randomly selected. Data extraction Two researchers independently extracted data on study population, intervention, primary outcome, and the adjustment plan for primary outcomes. They also recorded the magnitude and statistical significance of the intervention effect with and without adjustments, and estimated whether adjustment made a difference in the level of nominal significance. They also compared the analysis plan for model adjustment in the published trial versus the trial protocol with information on the protocol collected from registries, design papers, and communication with all corresponding authors. Results 54% of the trials used stratified randomization, 96% presented baseline characteristics in the compared arms, and 46% also evaluated differences in baseline factors with statistical testing. Half of the trials performed adjusted analyses for the main outcome, as the sole analysis (29%) or along with unadjusted analyses (21%). Adjustment for stratification variables and for baseline variables was performed in 39% (42/108) and 42% (84/199) of the trials, respectively. Among 40 comparisons with both adjusted and unadjusted analyses, 43% had statistically significant effects, 40% had non-significant effects, and 18% had significant effects with only one of the two analyses, but not with the other. Information on analysis plan regarding model adjustment was available in 6% (9/162) of trial registry entries, 78% (21/27) of design papers, and 74% (40/54) of protocols obtained from authors. The analysis plan disagreed between the published trial and the registry, protocol, or design paper in 47% (28/60) of the studies. Conclusions There is large diversity on whether and how analyses of primary outcomes are adjusted in randomized controlled trials and these choices can sometimes change the nominal significance of the results. Registered protocols should explicitly specify adjustments plans for main outcomes and analysis should follow these plans.
Regulation of the Kv2.1 potassium channel by MinK and MiRP1

Kv2.1 is a voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel α-subunit expressed in mammalian heart and brain. MinK-related peptides (MiRPs), encoded by KCNE genes, are single–transmembrane domain ancillary subunits that form complexes with Kv channel α-subunits to modify their function. Mutations in human MinK (KCNE1) and MiRP1 (KCNE2) are associated with inherited and acquired forms of long QT syndrome (LQTS). Here, coimmunoprecipitations from rat heart tissue suggested that both MinK and MiRP1 form native cardiac complexes with Kv2.1. In whole-cell voltage-clamp studies of subunits expressed in CHO cells, rat MinK and MiRP1 reduced Kv2.1 current density three- and twofold, respectively; slowed Kv2.1 activation (at +60 mV) two- and threefold, respectively; and slowed Kv2.1 deactivation less than twofold. Human MinK slowed Kv2.1 activation 25%, while human MiRP1 slowed Kv2.1 activation and deactivation twofold. Inherited mutations in human MinK and MiRP1, previously associated with LQTS, were also evaluated. D76N–MinK and S74L–MinK reduced Kv2.1 current density (threefold and 40%, respectively) and slowed deactivation (60% and 80%, respectively). Compared to wild-type human MiRP1–Kv2.1 complexes, channels formed with M54T– or I57T–MiRP1 showed greatly slowed activation (tenfold and fivefold, respectively). The data broaden the potential roles of MinK and MiRP1 in cardiac physiology and support the possibility that inherited mutations in either subunit could contribute to cardiac arrhythmia by multiple mechanisms.
Vascular endothelial growth factor regulation of Weibel-Palade-body exocytosis

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) not only regulates angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and vasodilation but also promotes vascular inflammation. However, the molecular basis for the proinflammatory effects of VEGF is not understood. We now show that VEGF activates endothelial cell exocytosis of Weibel-Palade bodies, releasing vasoactive substances capable of causing vascular thrombosis and inflammation. VEGF triggers endothelial exocytosis in part through calcium and phospholipase C-γ (PLC-γ) signal transduction. However, VEGF also modulates endothelial cell exocytosis by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) production of nitric oxide (NO), which nitrosylates N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) and inhibits exocytosis. Thus, VEGF plays a dual role in regulating endothelial exocytosis, triggering pathways that both promote and inhibit endothelial exocytosis. Regulation of endothelial exocytosis may explain part of the proinflammatory effects of VEGF.
Wear with low-lubricity fuels II. Correlation between wear maps and pump components

Abstract Increasingly severe refinery processes remove many of the compounds necessary for effective lubrication with diesel fuels. No widely recognized lubricity test or standard currently exists relating to the needs of the fuel injection system on compression ignition equipment. The Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator (BOCLE) is commonly used by the US Air Force to measure aviation turbine fuel lubricity. However, the tribological requirements of fuel-lubricated components in aviation may not coincide with the needs of ground vehicles. This study uses the wear-mapping technique developed in the preceding paper (“Development of a wear mapping technique”) to indicate the significance of the BOCLE test methodology in this context. In particular, the work highlights the effects of various contact parameters on fuel-lubricated wear that are not revealed by the BOCLE results. Where possible, both the BOCLE and wear map data are compared with the results of full-scale pump stand tests detailed in the previous paper. Additional nonstandard bench wear tests were performed to further evaluate the contact conditions present within the operating pump. The wear mechanisms of each fluid were determined to be strong functions of both metallurgy and contact stress. Moreover, the onset and severity of each wear mechanism appear to be controlled by different fuel properties. As a result, the relative lubricity observed between fuels depends on the test conditions chosen so it is unlikely that fuel lubricity may be uniquely defined by a single bench wear test procedure.
The Swelling & Water Uptake of Tablets III: Moisture Sorption Behavior of Tablet Disintegrants

AbstractWater vapor sorption properties and the thermal behavior of four disintegrants including microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH102), croscarmellose sodium (Ac-di-sol), corn starch, and sodium starch glycolate (Primojel), were studied. They all exhibited type II-like isotherm. The apparent monolayer sorption for each of disintegrants was found to be significantly greater than the specific surface obtained from nitrogen adsorption. It is proposed that water molecules interact with specific sites on the disintegrant glassy polymer. Water tends to stay as a condensed phase on the polymer, rather than to diffuse into the bulk. Water plasticization caused glass transition temperature (Tg) of all disintegrant polymers to decrease. It facilitated a change from glass to the rubber state. Because the sorption sites were in the glassy state, the change from glass to rubber, which in turn kinetically reduced the available sites, would reflect the sorption capacity of a disintegrant polymer. In addition, the di...
Spatial normalization of 3D brain images using deformable models.

Purpose : The spatial normalization and registration of tomographic images from different subjects is a major problem in several medical imaging areas. including functional image analysis, morphometrics, and computer-aided neurosurgery. The focus of this article is the development of a computerized methodology for the spatial normalization of 3D images. Method : We propose a technique that is based on geometric deformable models. In particular, we first describe a deformable surface algorithm that finds a mathematical representation of the outer cortical surface. Based on this representation, a procedure for obtaining a map between corresponding regions of the outer cortex in two different images is established. This map is subsequently used to derive a 3D elastic warping transformation, which brings two images into register. Results : The performance of out algorithm is demonstrated on several data-sets. In particular, we first test out deformable surface algorithm on MR images. We then register MR images to atlas images. In out third experiment, we apply a procedure for matching distinct cortical features identified through the curvature map of the outer cortex. Finally, we apply out technique to images from elderly individuals with substantial ventricular enlargement, and we show a good registration in the ventricular area and the surrounding brain structures. Conclusion : We present a highly automated methodology for spatial normalization of images, using deformable models. Applications of out methodology include stereotactic normalization of functional and structural images, morphological analysis of the brain, and computer-aided neurosurgery.
Contributions of the care-giving role to women's development

It was hypothesized that older widows (N=309) who had been care givers to their husbands would have undertaken a greater number of household responsibilities than had women who had not been care givers. Findings indicated that, prior to the husband's death, more traditionally male and more traditionally female tasks were performed by the care-giving wives (n=158). This was particularly true in the case of Alzheimer's care givers (n=21). More importantly, widows' present feelings of competence were related to undertaking household responsibilities, with those who had been care givers expressing significantly higher levels of competence.
A Cbl:clathrin complex involved in NGF signaling for neurite outgrowth

Cbl regulates receptor tyrosine kinase activity by promoting the endocytosis of receptors from the plasma membrane. The mechanism of this effect is unclear, but recent evidence suggests that Cbl mediates ubiquitin-dependent sorting of receptors following recruitment to phosphotyrosine motifs in the activated receptor. Moreover, recent findings support a role for Cbl in the clathrin-mediated endocytosis of receptor tyrosine kinases. We provide evidence that Cbl is found in complex with clathrin and is localized to clathrin-coated vesicles following NGF stimulation of TrkA. We also show that overexpression of Cbl enhances clathrin-mediated endocytosis of 125I-NFG, and that this increased internalization is correlated with a substantial acceleration of neurite outgrowth in response to NGF. Our data suggest that Cbl may participate in the formation of a multi-protein complex involved in the clathrin-mediated endocytosis of receptor tyrosine kinases, and that Cbl may function as a positive regulator of such kinases in specific cellular contexts.
Surgical outcome of T4a and resected T4b oral cavity cancer

BACKGROUND. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 2002 staging system (AJCC 2002) suggested that squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (OSCC) with T4b is unresectable. The current retrospective results show that selected T4b patients were resectable with favorable outcomes. METHODS. From January 1996 to December 2000, 103 consecutive untreated T4 OSCC patients (reclassified by AJCC 2002) without carotid artery encasement and skull base extension were eligible for radical treatment. All received head-and-neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computed tomography (CT) scans before operation. The surgical principles were safety margins of ≥1 cm for primary tumors, modified/radical neck dissections for clinical lymph node-positive disease, and supraomohyoid neck dissection for lymph node-negative disease. In all, 95.1% of patients (98 of 103 patients) underwent free-flap reconstructions. Adjuvant radiotherapy or concomitant chemoradiotherapy was administed to those with pathological T4 (AJCC 1997), cervical lymph node metastasis, or close margins (≤4 mm). Survivals were calculated according to the method of Kaplan and Meier. RESULTS. In all, 58 patients were classified as having T4a disease and 45 were classified as having T4b disease. No statistical difference was observed in the 5-year local control, neck control, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates between the T4a and T4b groups. In multivariate analyses, pathologic lymph node status (pN0-1 vs. pN2) was found to be the sole independent predictor for T4b for local control (P = .012), disease-free survival (P = .005), and overall survival (P = .008). CONCLUSIONS. Selected T4b OSCC patients were found to be resectable with outcomes that were comparable to those of T4a OSCC patients and may benefit from radical surgery, free-flap reconstruction, and adjuvant therapy. A pathologic lymph node status of ≥2 was found to be the sole independent predictor for T4b disease in local control and survival. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Essential Roles for the Abl and Arg Tyrosine Kinases in Neurulation

The Abl and Arg tyrosine kinases play fundamental roles in the development and function of the central nervous system. Arg is most abundant in adult mouse brain, especially in synapse-rich regions. arg(-/-) mice develop normally but exhibit multiple behavioral abnormalities, suggesting that arg(-/-) brains suffer from defects in neuronal function. Embryos deficient in both Abl and Arg suffer from defects in neurulation and die before 11 days postcoitum (dpc). Although they divide normally, abl(-/-)arg(-/-) neuroepithelial cells display gross alterations in their actin cytoskeleton. We find that Abl and Arg colocalize with each other and with actin microfilaments at the apical surface of the developing neuroepithelium. Thus, Abl and Arg play essential roles in neurulation and can regulate the structure of the actin cytoskeleton.
Transport and turbulence studies in the linear ohmic confinement regime in Alcator C-Mod

Transport in ohmically heated plasmas in Alcator C-Mod was studied in both the linear (LOC) and saturated (SOC) ohmic L-mode confinement regimes and the importance of turbulent transport in the region r/a = 0.5–0.8 was established. After an extensive analysis with TGLF and GYRO, it is found that using an effective impurity ion species with Zi = 8, and moderately high Zeff (2.0–5.6), in the LOC regime electron transport becomes dominant due to TEM turbulence. The key ingredient in the present results is the observation that dilution of the main ion species (deuterium) by impurity species of moderate charge state reduces dominant ITG turbulence, in contrast to the SOC regime with little, if any dilution. The turbulent spectrum measured with the phase contrast imaging (PCI) diagnostic is in qualitative agreement with predictions of a synthetic PCI diagnostic adopted to Global GYRO. The toroidal rotation in the low-density LOC regime is in the co-current direction but as the density is raised in the SOC regime the rotation reverses to the counter current drive direction. The impurity content of the plasma was measured recently and an effective Zi of 9 was deduced.
Activin and activin receptors in the normal urinary bladder: immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and RT-PCR.

Abstract To determine whether rat urinary bladder produces activin-A, a multifunctional growth factor in the transforming growth factor β superfamily (TGFβ), we have conducted immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies for activin βA-subunit which were raised against a synthetic cyclic fragment of the βA-subunit of activin. The mature activin-A molecule was identified at transitional epithelial cells, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells. To determine if messenger RNAs for the βA-subunits of activin-A and activin receptors are expressed in these cells, both in situ hybridization with specific probes and the reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique with primers specific for the βA-subunit of activin and activin receptors, respectively, were used. Messenger RNA expression of the βA-subunit of activin-A and activin receptors were detected by RTPCR and localized in the transitional epithelial, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells as determined by in situ hybridization. In addition, the identity of the cDNA product of RT-PCR was verified with DNA sequencing. The localization of mature activin-A protein and its corresponding message as well as that of activin receptors to urinary bladder cells suggest that activin-A may have an autocrine function in the urinary bladder, perhaps in the transitional epithelial, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells themselves.
Concurrent changes in net CO2 assimilation and chloroplast ultrastructure in nitrogen deficient citrus leaves

Abstract To elucidate a mechanistic basis for the reductions in chlorophyll (Chl) and inhibition of CO2 assimilation ( A C O 2 ) in nitrogen (N) starved citrus leaves, changes in Chl concentration and net gas exchange rates were examined together with chloroplast ultrastructure in N-deficient (125 mmol N m−2) and N-sufficient (286 mmol N m−2) citrus leaves. Two-year-old ‘Hamlin’ orange (Citrus sinensis L.) trees were field-grown with and without N. N-deficient leaves exhibited smaller chloroplasts (3.30 μm in length) with reduced Chl concentration per unit area (0.06 mmol N m−2), but a greater Chl a/b ratio (3.7) than the N-sufficient leaves. The reductions in Chl and A C O 2 of N-deficient leaves paralleled with high intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci; 259 ppm) in the mesophyll and prodigious accumulation of starch granules (2.71 μm2) in the chloroplasts. Starch granules significantly reduced stroma size and caused disassembly and disruption of the internal membrane system, the grana and stroma lamellae. Concomitant with destruction of membrane assembly was the presence of numerous large plastoglobuli (15 in number). In contrast, A C O 2 increased and Ci declined in N-sufficient leaves. Furthermore, chloroplasts from N-sufficient leaves had well-developed grana and stroma lamellae in parallel alignment with a few small or no starch granules in the large stroma. Thus, it appeared that the loss of chloroplast ultrastructural integrity brought about by starch accumulation facilitated reductions in Chl concentration and CO2 assimilation in N-deficient citrus leaves.
Effects of Smoking on Survival for Patients with End-Stage Liver Disease

Background Smokers with chronic liver disease can become eligible for transplantation, but some insurers refuse reimbursement pending smoking cessation. Study Design Our hypothesis is that liver transplantation candidates and recipients who smoke have inferior survival compared with nonsmokers. Using a retrospective cohort study design, three Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to determine covariate-adjusted mortality from transplantation evaluation and transplantation based on smoking status at evaluation, transplantation, and posttransplantation followup. Results From 1999 to 2007, 2,260 patients were evaluated. Seven hundred sixty were active smokers, and 1,500 were nonsmokers. Smokers at evaluation were younger (49.3 versus 51.7 years), were more likely to be men (65.9% versus 58.7%), have hepatitis C (54.2% versus 30.1%), have a lower Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (10.5 versus 12.3), and less likely to receive transplant (12.2% versus 18.6%) (all p Conclusions Providers should continue encouraging potential liver transplantation candidates to stop smoking, but insurer-driven mandated smoking cessation might not improve survival.
Corrosion behavior of vanadium-base alloys in pressurized water at 288°C☆

The aqueous corrosion behavior of two heats each of V-15Cr-5Ti and V-20Ti, and of a single heat of VANSTAR-7® ∗∗, was investigated at 288°C in high-purity pressurized water containing 4, 0.19, and 0.03 wppm dissolved O2. Total exposure time in each case was 2000 h. The V-15Cr-5Ti alloy was found to exhibit substantially lower corrosion rates than did the other two alloys at all three dissolved O2 levels. It was the only alloy that appeared to satisfy the maximum corrosion wastage rate criterion of 0.005 to 0.020 mm/yr for fusion reactor first-wall materials. The phases VO2, TiO2 (rutile), and possibly Cr0.10V0.90O2 and TiV2O6 were identified in the corrosion product formed on the V-15Cr-5Ti specimens. TiO2 was the only phase observed on the V-20Ti specimens, and the corrosion product formed on the VANSTAR-7® specimens could not be identified.
Examining the Effects of School-based Drug Prevention Programs on Drug Use in Rural Settings: Methodology and Initial Findings

Context Although there have been substantial advances in knowledge about drug prevention over the last decade, the majority of school-based drug prevention studies have been conducted in urban settings. There is little knowledge about the effectiveness of such programs when they are implemented in rural populations.
When science is nonscientific

It is understandable why scientists are strongly tempted to wax philosophical from time to time. Those who are not merely technicians are bound to have their theoretical moments, during which they wonder about their own specialized corner of the natural world, as well as the other areas that border it. Furthermore, no science is wholly empirical. Every branch of science rests on certain philosophical presuppositions about what nature is like and what observation is, as well as methodological assumptions about which investigative and explanatory procedures are appropriate to the domain in question. Therefore, whether they realize it nor not, scientists adopt numerous philosophical positions, even as they go about their daily professional activities. But therein lies a problem. In the time of Aristotle, and for many centuries thereafter, the philosophical foundations of science were out in the open. Only relatively recently have the various branches of what used to be called natural philosophy become sufficiently detailed and systematic to survive on their own. And that autonomy has made it all too easy for scientists to forget that their fields are extensions of a more thoroughly abstract and speculative discipline. Hence, few scientists appreciate the complexities of their philosophical roots, or even realize that one may properly evaluate a science with respect to the adequacy of its conceptual foundations. As a result, manY dare to publish their "scientific" views on the nature of reality, despite gaping lacunae in their philosophical education generally, and almost certainly without
Identifying and predicting timing-critical instructions to boost timing speculation

Circuit-level timing speculation has been proposed as a technique to reduce dependence on design margins and eliminating power/performance overheads. Recent work has proposed microarchitectural methods to dynamically detect and recover from timing errors in processor logic. To a large extent existing work has relied on statistical error models and has not evaluated potential disparity of error rates at the level of static instructions. In this paper, we analyze gate-level hardware models for an execution pipeline and demonstrate pronounced locality in instruction-level error rates due to value locality and data dependences. We propose timing error prediction to dynamically anticipate timing errors at the instruction-level and error padding techniques to avoid the full recovery cost of timing errors. We show that with simple prediction strategies our mechanism can reduce 80% of the performance penalty incurred by error recovery on average. This allows us to alleviate some limitations of timing speculation and improves energy-efficiency by 21% when compared to baseline timing speculation techniques using the same dynamic adaptive tuning mechanism.
Detection and follow-up of important extra-arterial lesions with helical CT angiography.

Abstract AIM: To determine the prevalence and significance of extra-arterial findings detected prospectively on helical computed tomographic angiography (CTA). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The official reports of 802 consecutive CTAs performed over a 4.5-year period on 624 patients and the reports of all radiographic follow-up studies were reviewed for identification of important extra-arterial findings. Medical records and imaging studies of all patients with previously unknown extra-arterial findings on CTA were reviewed to assess follow-up. In cases where follow-up was not indicated in the medical record, referring physicians were contacted directly. RESULTS: Important, previously unknown, extra-arterial findings were detected on 35 CTAs (4.4% of all CTAs, 5.6% of all patients), with 33 of 35 detected prospectively. Six lesions were consistent with and/or proven to be malignant. Important non-tumoural lesions were discovered on nine CTAs. Of 13 lesions with imaging features that were suspicious for malignancy. Five of these lesions proved to be benign, but radiographic and/or clinical follow-up was not obtained or could not be documented in eight patients. CONCLUSION: With the increasing use of CTA as a replacement for conventional angiography, careful attention should be paid to the visualized extra-arterial structures. Extra-vascular findings that are believed to be significant, may not be adequately followed-up by referring vascular specialists.