cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Depletion of high-energy phosphates in the central nervous system of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, as determined by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can produce profound disturbances in the central nervous system, characterized by encephalopathy, focal neurologic deficits, cerebral infarction, psychosis, and seizures. We used 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the in vivo levels of high-energy phosphates in the central nervous system of 10 patients with SLE and 10 age-matched normal controls. 31P NMR spectroscopy was performed on a 1.5-Tesla unit equipped with a dual-tuned 1H-31P surface coil and a software-directed DRESS (depth resolved surface coil spectroscopy) pulse sequence. This procedure detected ADP, ATP, sugar phosphates, phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate, phosphomonoesters, and phosphodiesters in the brain tissue of all study subjects. Levels of ATP in the deep white matter of 10 SLE patients were significantly decreased compared with the levels in 10 normal controls, as quantitated by the ratio of ATP:ATP + ADP (mean +/- SD 0.81 +/- 0.11 versus 0.91 +/- 0.05; P less than 0.02). In a subgroup of 4 patients, PCr levels were decreased to a greater extent than the ATP levels. NMR spectroscopic alterations were not related to obvious anatomic lesions, as determined by standard cranial proton magnetic resonance imaging. In 4 SLE patients with markedly abnormal 31P NMR spectra, treatment with prednisone (80 mg/day) normalized the levels of ATP and PCr. Restoration of a normal 31P profile was accompanied by an obvious improvement in the patients' mental status and clinical symptoms. 31P NMR spectroscopy is a powerful new technique for monitoring high-energy phosphate metabolism, and may be particularly useful for characterizing central nervous system disease in patients with neuropsychiatric SLE.
Uranium Startup Fast Reactors with Metal Fuel Using Once-Through Fuel Cycle

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the neutronic feasibility and competitive fuel cycle economics of sodium fast reactors operating with uranium metal (UZr) fuel on a once-through fuel cycle. Uranium startup fast reactors (USFRs) decouple their deployment from that of expensive reprocessing and recycle facilities. This could facilitate and speed up the deployment of conventional fast reactors, which, in their traditional designs, heavily depend on the availability of reprocessing facilities for transuranic fuel production. The uranium requirement and fuel cycle cost of studied USFR core designs are calculated to be comparable to those of typical light water reactors. The main design constraint is the fast neutron fluence imposed on the cladding material, which is required to be below 5.0 × 1023 n/cm2 even for advanced oxide dispersion strengthened steels. Therefore, moderators need to be inserted in the fuel assemblies to lower the fast neutron flux so that the fuel residence time limited by neutron fluence can be extended to match the reactivity limited fuel residence time. In this study, magnesium oxide is used for reflectors as well as for the moderator.
Bioactive surface coatings for nanoscale instruments: Effects on CNS neurons

A method is described for depositing onto medical instruments highly biocompatible and bioactive surface coatings that can promote and stabilize cell attachment. The coatings were made by first depositing thin films of materials, such as diamond-like carbon, or metals, including tantalum, tungsten, platinum, gold, iridium, palladium, and brass. These surfaces were further altered to either promote or inhibit cell growth and spreading by an additional overcoat of biological materials, including the extracellular matrix proteins, laminin, fibronectin, and collagen IV. The deposition technique used a metal or carbon plasma, and the important properties of film adhesion, hardness, density, and smoothness are tailored by control of the ion bombardment energy. The films are translucent enough to permit high resolution light microscopy for rapid and detailed examination of tissue response. These bioactive substrates have been tested on primary central nervous system neurons, and the growth response is excellent. Equally successful have been our attempts to anchor neurons, without associated proliferation of non-neuronal cells, using coatings of poly-d-lysine. The method and the materials could have important ramifications in a number of areas of research and biotechnology, for example for chronic implantation of microelectrode arrays in the cerebral cortex for neuroprosthetic and neural monitoring application and for research on the human central nervous system. Possible applications in non-neuronal fields, such as for coronary artery stents and pacemaker electrodes, also are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 40, 264–274, 1998.
The prize collecting traveling salesman problem: II. Polyhedral results

The task of developing daily schedules for a steel rolling mill has been formulated as a Prize Collecting Traveling Salesman (PCTS) Problem, in which a salesman who gets a prize for every city he visits seeks a minimum-cost tour including enough cities to collect a required amount of prize money. This paper addresses the facial structure of the PCTS polytope, the convex hull of solutions to the PCTS problem. In an earlier paper, we generalized to the PCTS polytope the subtour elimination inequalities for the Asymmetric Traveling Salesman (ATS) polytope. Here, we give a general method for deriving a facet defining inequality for the PCTS polytope from any facet defining inequality for the ATS polytope. We apply the procedure to several well-known families of facets inducing inequalities for the ATS polytope : comb, odd CAT, SD, clique tree, and lifted cycle inequalities. We also extend the cloning and clique lifting procedure for the ATS polytope to the PCTS polytope
Genetic variability affects the development of brown adipocytes in white fat but not in interscapular brown fat

Cold exposure induces brown adipocytes in retroperitoneal fat (RP) of adult A/J mice but not in C57BL/6J (B6) mice. In contrast, induction of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 gene (Ucp1) in interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) shows no strain dependence. We now show that unlike iBAT, in which Ucp1 was expressed in the fetus and continued throughout life, in RP, Ucp1 was transiently expressed between 10 and 30 days of age and then disappeared. Similar to the lack of genetic variation in the expression of Ucp1 in iBAT during cold induction of adult mice, no genetic variation in Ucp1 expression in iBAT was detected during development. In contrast, UCP1-positive multilocular adipocytes, together with corresponding increases in Ucp1 expression, appeared in RP at 10 days of age in A/J and B6 mice, but with much higher expression in A/J mice. At 20 days of age, brown adipocytes represent the major adipocyte present in RP of A/J mice. The disappearance of brown adipocytes by 30 days of age suggested that tissue remodeling occurred in RP. Genetic variability in Ucp1 expression could not be explained by variation in the expression of selective transcription factors and signaling molecules of adipogenesis. In summary, the existence of genetic variability between A/J and B6 mice during the development of brown adipocyte expression in RP, but not in iBAT, suggests that developmental mechanisms for the brown adipocyte differentiation program are different in these adipose tissues.
Bone density, structure, and strength in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: importance of disease severity and muscle deficits.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common pediatric rheumatic disease (1). Risk factors for low bone mass in JIA include chronic inflammation, delayed pubertal maturation, malnutrition, muscle weakness, physical inactivity, and glucocorticoid therapy (2). The impact of childhood arthritis on bone health may be immediate, resulting in childhood fractures, or it may be delayed, resulting from suboptimal peak bone mass attainment or persistent disease activity. In a population-based study, we demonstrated that childhood arthritis was associated with an elevated risk of fracture in patients older than 10 years (3). Recent investigations using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in JIA demonstrated significant deficits in trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), cortical bone mass, and estimates of bone strength in the appendicular skeleton (4–6). Adjustment for low muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) eliminated the bone deficits in JIA (5), or it paradoxically resulted in the appearance of greater bone mass (4) in children with JIA as compared with healthy controls. The mechanostat theory states that bone adapts to the mechanical or muscle forces to which it is subjected in order to keep the strain on the bone at a constant set point (7). Investigators hypothesized that since muscle and bone deficits in JIA were highly correlated, interventions to improve muscle mass and strength will optimize bone health (4–6). In the study outlining an approach to assessing the “functional muscle–bone unit” in children, muscle mass was first assessed relative to height or age, and bone was then assessed relative to muscle mass (8). This strategy did not account for the strong, independent relationship between bone length and both bone and muscle mass (9). Without adjustment for bone length, the assessment of the functional muscle–bone unit may be confounded in JIA, a disease often complicated by muscle wasting and both systemic and local disturbances of limb growth. In the previous studies of bone health in JIA (4–6), the study patients had high levels of disease activity. With the advent of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) inhibitor therapy, greater numbers of children with JIA achieve clinical remission (10) and, potentially, normalization of muscle and bone deficits. Therefore, we used pQCT of the tibia to assess muscle and bone deficits in a population of JIA patients with a spectrum of disease activity as compared with controls, to identify JIA disease characteristics and therapies associated with muscle and bone mass deficits, and to demonstrate that the interpretation of the functional muscle–bone unit in children and adolescents with JIA is dependent on the magnitude of muscle deficits and is sensitive to limb-length adjustment.
Mechanisms of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: the pathway to prevention.

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is cited as the cause of nearly 2,000 deaths per year in the USA alone, and accounts for as many as 15% of epilepsy-related deaths. Controversy prevails over the relative contributions of cardiac failure and respiratory arrest to SUDEP. Here, the authors discuss the mechanisms that cause cardiac, respiratory and arousal abnormalities during the ictal and postictal periods, and highlight possible preventive interventions that might reduce the risk of SUDEP. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of death in patients with refractory epilepsy, with an estimated 35% lifetime risk in this patient population. There is a surprising lack of awareness among patients and physicians of this increased risk of sudden death: in a recent survey, only 33% of Canadian paediatricians who treated patients with epilepsy knew the term SUDEP. Controversy prevails over whether cardiac arrhythmia or respiratory arrest is more important as the primary cause of death. Effective preventive strategies in high-risk patients will rely on definition of the mechanisms that lead from seizures to death. Here, we summarize evidence for the mechanisms that cause cardiac, respiratory and arousal abnormalities during the ictal and postictal period. We highlight potential cellular mechanisms underlying these abnormalities, such as a defect in the serotonergic system, ictal adenosine release, and changes in autonomic output. We discuss genetic mutations that cause Dravet and long QT syndromes, both of which are linked with increased risk of sudden death. We then highlight possible preventive interventions that are likely to decrease SUDEP incidence, including respiratory monitoring in epilepsy monitoring units and overnight supervision. Finally, we discuss treatments, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, that might be personalized to a specific genetic or pathological defect.
The mystery of the CO dimer: assignments from variable-temperature jet-cooled infrared spectra

Abstract The infrared absorption spectrum of the CO dimer was studied in the vicinity of the CO fundamental band in both axisymmetric and planar supersonic jet expansions. By probing the jet at varying distances downstream, we observed (CO) 2 spectra over a range of effective rotational temperatures from about 15 down to 1 K. The temperature dependence of the transitions enabled us to identify one perpendicular and two parallel subbands arising from the lowest rotational levels of the dimer. The effective intermolecular separation for (CO) 2 was determined to be about 4.35 A. The only previous assignment of CO dimer spectra is incompatible with our results.
Changes in the size of pores during shrinkage (or expansion) of cement paste and concrete

The often-argued and seldom-resolved issue of relating the bulk shrinkage of concrete to changes in the size of pores is analyzed using a simple model. It is shown that the pores in a composite containing both shrinking and nonshrinking solid phases can themselves either shrink or expand when the matrix shrinks, depending on the amount of restraint in the system. The analysis also applies to expansive deformations, which occur with some types of chemical attack of cement paste. A mathematical relationship between the degree of restraint in a composite and the relationship between bulk volume changes and pore volume changes is given. These observations provide guidelines for interpreting the meaning of gaps that often form between aggregate and paste in concrete.
Holographic data storage using azobenzene polymer

It is well known that holographic data storage can significantly increase data storage capacity. However, the technological maturity of holographic data storage is believed to be impeded by the lack of good holographic material that can be erased and recorded optically with almost unlimited rewriting cycles, large index modulation for large capacity multiplexed data recording, long lifetime, and immunity to destructive readout for archival applications. The performance of an azobenzene polymer is presented for holographic data storage applications. Initial experiments demonstrated that it is capable of satisfying many of above requirements. Recording of holograms without follow-up processing and being stable in application environment are its most attractive features. Applications of such material to other adaptive structures are possible.
Why deficit news affects interest rates

Abstract This article provides evidence on the relationship between budget deficits and interest rates. Wachtel and Young have demonstrated that announcements of larger deficits have raised interest rates. They offered three explanations for this: Agents expected larger deficits to crowd out private spending and raise real rates; they expected, according to the neo-Ricardian model, that government spending increases would raise interest rates; or they expected larger deficits to be monetized and cause inflation. Here evidence from exchange rates and government spending changes is used to demonstrate that financial markets expected deficits do crowd out investment and net exports, raising real interest rates and the dollar.
Polyneuropathy in nonmalignant IgM plasma cell dyscrasia: A Morphological study

Six patients had peripheral neuropathy and nonmalignant IgM plasma cell dyscrasia. In two of them, immunological studies indicated that the monoclonal immunoglobulin reacted with myelin-associated glycoprotein, a constituent of peripheral nerve myelin. Sural nerve biopsy specimens from both patients showed morphological signs of primary damage to the myelin sheath. In the other four patients, two of whom had a monoclonal IgMk reactive with chondroitin sulfate C, the axon rather than the myelin sheath was considered the chief site of nerve injury. The morphological findings suggest that the pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies in IgM plasma cell dyscrasia is heterogeneous. Moreover, the observations are consistent with a pathogenic interaction of the IgM paraprotein with autoantigens in peripheral nerve in some instances.
Nosocomial infection with Asaia lannensis in two paediatric patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

This is the first report, to our knowledge, of two temporally and geographically related nosocomial Asaia lannensis infections in a paediatric setting. Two patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy awaiting cardiac transplantation developed bacteraemia during their hospital stay. The physical location of both patients, the temporal association of infections, as well as the isolation of two identical pathogens suggested a nosocomial transmission. Commonly used identification methods and instruments failed to identify the isolated pathogens and only 16S rRNA gene sequencing provided definitive identification. These isolates of A. lannensis showed an unfavourable susceptibility pattern including resistance to carbapenems, all β-lactam agents and fluoroquinolones.
Multidimensional optimum signal constellation design for few-mode fiber based high-speed optical transport

In this paper, we propose an algorithm to determine the N-dimensional optimum signal constellation design (ND-OSCD), in MMSE sense, for channel capacity achieving source distribution. The simulation results indicate that the proposed LDPC-coded polarization-division-multiplexed (PDM) ND-OSCD significantly outperforms conventional PDM-QAM (by 4.35 dB for 64-ary 3D constellation at BER of 10−7). In addition, the ND-OSCD outperforms sphere packing constellations (by 0.36 dB for 8-ary 3D constellation at BER of 10−7).
Dislocation-induced spin tunneling in Mn 12 acetate

A comprehensive theory of quantum spin relaxation in ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}$ acetate crystals is developed that takes into account imperfections of the crystal structure and is based upon the generalization of the Landau-Zener effect for incoherent tunneling from excited energy levels. It is shown that linear dislocations at plausible concentrations provide the transverse anisotropy which is the main source of tunneling in ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}.$ Local rotations of the easy axis due to dislocations result in a transverse magnetic field generated by the field applied along the c axis of the crystal, which explains the presence of odd tunneling resonances. Long-range deformations due to dislocations produce a broad distribution of tunnel splittings. The theory predicts that at sub-Kelvin temperatures the relaxation curves for different tunneling resonances can be scaled onto a single master curve. The magnetic relaxation in the thermally activated regime follows the stretched-exponential law with the exponent depending on the field, temperature, and concentration of defects.
Efficient communication at telecom wavelengths using wavelength conversion and silicon photon-counting detectors

Silicon Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (Si GM-APDs) have desirable properties for an optical photon-counting receiver, including high single-photon detection efficiency, low reset time, and low timing jitter; however, they do not detect near-IR photons. In this work, we demonstrated a sensitive photon-counting receiver in the near-IR by combining a wavelength converter consisting of a periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide and a commercial Si GM-APD detector. We measured a receiver sensitivity from 1.4 to 3.5 incident photons/bit from 5.5 Mb/s to 22 Mb/s for a single detector, and achieved a sensitivity of 4 photons/bit at 78 Mb/s using an emulated array of 25 detectors.
A new species of Eleocharis subgen. Limnochloa (Cyperaceae) from Bolivia

Systematic study of several species complexes inEleocharis subgen.Limnochloa resulted in the discovery of a new South American species,E. steinbachii. This new species is closely related toE. acutangula, differing in features of the perianth bristles, achene, tubercle, and narrow neotropical distribution. A description and illustration of the new species is provided along with a key to separate it from other triquetrous-culmed species ofEleocharis subgen.Limnochloa with which it has been confused.
On the Boltzmann-Hamel Equations of Motion: A Vectorial Treatment

This paper presents a direct vectorial derivation of the famous Boltzmann Hamel equations of motion of discrete mechanical systems, in general nonlinear non-holonomic coordinates and under general nonlinear (velocity) nonholonomic constraints. The connection between particle and system vectors is stressed throughout, in all relevant kinematic and kinetic quantities/principles/theorems. The specialization of these results to the common case of linear nonholonomic coordinates and linear nonholonomic (i.e., Pfaffian) constraints is carried out in the paper's appendix
Magnetogastrographic detection of gastric electrical response activity in humans

The detection and characterization of gastric electrical activity has important clinical applications, including the early diagnosis of gastric diseases in humans. In mammals, this phenomenon has two important features: an electrical control activity (ECA) that manifests itself as an electric slow wave (with a frequency of 3 cycles per minute in humans) and an electrical response activity (ERA) that is characterized by spiking potentials during the plateau phase of the ECA. Whereas the ECA has been recorded in humans both invasively and non-invasively (magnetogastrography—MGG), the ERA has never been detected non-invasively in humans before. In this paper, we report on our progress towards the non-invasive detection of ERA from the human stomach using a procedure that involves the application of principal component analysis to MGG recordings, which were acquired in our case from ten normal human patients using a Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer. Both pre- and post-prandial recordings were acquired for each patient and 20 min of recordings (10 min of pre-prandial and 10 min of post-prandial data) were analysed for each patient. The mean percentage of ECA slow waves that were found to exhibit spikes of suspected ERA origin was 41% and 61% for pre- and post-prandial recordings, respectively, implying a 47% ERA increase post-prandially ( P< 0.0001 at a 95% confidence level). The detection of ERA in humans is highly encouraging and points to the possible use of non-invasive ERA recordings as a valuable tool for the study of human gastric disorders. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Family relationships, mental health, and injury among OEF/OIF veterans postdeployment

As the number of military service personnel who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) approaches 3 million, concern mounts about potential negative effects of long and multiple combat-related deployments on military families. This study used secondary analysis to compare the mental health status and family functioning of postdeployment National Guard members with and without children. Among guard members with children, comparison was made between those who did and did not report behavioral problems in their children. Finally, the study identified how mental health status and deployment experiences (including injury) were jointly and uniquely associated with children's problems. Veterans with children were more likely to be married and older; to endorse more symptoms of depression, interpersonal violence, and anger; and to indicate lower satisfaction with family and social relationships than veterans without children. Veteran parents reporting children's problems...
Extended-technicolor signatures at the Superconducting Super Collider.

We consider signatures at the Superconducting Super Collider of extended-technicolor (ETC) models that contain only one doublet of techniquarks. In these models, the ETC gauge bosons carry color and can be produced in the gluon-gluon subprocess of pp collisions. We find that the predominant signal is the production and decay of bound states of ETC gauge bosons. The bound-state levels are split by the hyperfine interaction and the color force. A major decay mode yields t t\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} ${Z}^{0}$ in the final state. The bound states are expected to be narrow enough that one could observe their spectroscopy in this channel. For \ensuremath{\surd}s =40 TeV, the cross section times branching ratio should be about 4 nb if the ETC-boson mass is 1 TeV. The signal falls rapidly for larger masses due to the smaller effective gluon-gluon luminosity.
Intracavernous pharmacotherapy inpsychogenic impotence

Abstract Twenty five men with psychogenic impotence but without serious psychopathologywere considered for intracavernosal therapy with papaverine hydrochloride and phentolamine mesylate. A total of 20 proved suitable and began self-injection in conjunction with sex therapy; 8 patients had return of spontaneous erections without pharmacotherapy, although one of them needs to keep the medication in his refrigerator. The other 12 patients are continuing self-injection therapy. Psychotherapy with self-injection may be helpful in the management of psychogenic erectile impotence.
Putting Item Response Theory into Perspective

Abstract Item response theory (IRT) is a mathematically rigorous and computationally complex measurement theory which has potential utility in psychomotor measurement. The present paper complements Spray's heuristic description of IRT and one of its applications “adaptive testing“; presenting additional applications of IRT in physical education, drawbacks of IRT parameter estimation and theory, and recommendations for future IRT research in physical education.
Platelet status, stress and social support in the elderly

Using data from a study of social support, stressful life events, and nutritional status among the elderly (n = 424), models based on earlier work by Kaplan were tested in order to determine the effects of adverse life events, lack of social support, and dysphoria on the platelet status of elderly women and men. Platelet status is a risk factor in coronary heart disease and has been shown in laboratory studies to be negatively affected by experimentally induced stressful circumstances. The present study takes into account naturally occurring life events as well as social support. It also takes into account additional factors known to affect platelet status such as age, health status, medication, and social class background. The findings suggest that the platelet status of elderly men and women is affected by differing adverse life experiences and differing kinds of social support and social support network characteristics.
Advanced Glycation in Health and Disease: Role of the Modern Environment

It is believed that intracellular and extracellular advanced glycation (AGEs) or lipoxidation end products (ALEs), together with dysregulated glucose and lipid metabolism, are important contributors to oxidant or carbonyl stress, enhanced cellular redox-sensitive transcription factor activity, and impaired innate immune defense, causing over time inappropriate inflammatory responses. However, neither the magnitude nor the persistent nature of this increased prooxidant state are completely understood. A significant correlation has been found between ingested and circulating AGEs in humans in recent years. Based on animal studies, the injurious impact of diet-derived AGEs to vascular and kidney tissues is estimated to rival or even exceed that caused by hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia. Consistent with this view, dietary AGE restriction has been associated with suppression of several immune defects, insulin resistance, and diabetic complications, whether genetically or diet induced, despite persistent diabetes. These findings are in support of clinical evidence from subjects with diabetes or vascular or kidney disease. Most recently, evidence from animal studies points to AGE restriction as an effective means for extending median life span, similar to that previously shown by marked caloric restriction. We conclude that excessive AGE consumption, in the current dietary/social structure, represents an independent factor for inappropriate oxidant stress responses, which may promote the premature expression of complex diseases associated with adult life, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A Legendary Glaciologist: Academician Shi Yafeng on His Ninetieth Birthday

Systematic study of glaciers and permafrost in China began in the late 1950s, initiated and led by Academician Shi Yafeng, the pioneer and father of glaciology in China. This tribute honors Academi...
Some Navajo Indian Opinions About Alcohol Abuse and Prohibition: A Survey and Recommendations for Policy*

In this study a questionnaire was administered to a sample of Navajo Indians in the southwestern region of the reservation to examine (1) their knowledge about the consequences of alcohol abuse and (2) their opinions about alcohol abuse, the etiology of abuse and alcohol legalization. Survey responses indicate that the Navajo surveyed are quite knowledgeable about the various adverse consequences of alcohol abuse. The survey found that 52% of these Navajo adults currently drink at all, and the opinion responses generally characterize alcohol consumption, even in small amounts, as a negative behavior. Sixty-three percent of all Navajos agreed with the popular, but scientifically unsubstantiated, belief that Indians have a physical weakness to alcohol that non-Indians do not have. Alcohol legalization on the reservation is opposed by 81% of the Navajos surveyed. Opinions about alcohol use and policy do not vary greatly even when knowledge of alcohol consequences and current drinking status is considered. Th...
Program directors' views of the effect of managed care on substance abuse programs in Los Angeles County

OBJECTIVE: This study sought information about the effect of managed care on substance abuse treatment programs through a survey of program directors. METHODS: Fifty program directors who supervised a total of 134 substance abuse treatment programs in Los Angeles County completed a survey during the period from January to May 1997 on program changes made in response to managed care, major concerns, the advantages and disadvantages of managed care, and plans for further program changes to succeed in the managed care environment. RESULTS: Program directors reported that the most frequent change made in response to managed care was increased outreach and marketing. Their greatest concern in the managed care environment was being forced to provide the least costly service, rather than the best care for patients. Respondents identified an increased focus on outcomes as an advantage of managed care and restrictions on services due to contractual agreements as a disadvantage. Planned program changes addressed th...
Mono-(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate-Induced Disruption of Junctional Complexes in the Seminiferous Epithelium of the Rodent Testis Is Mediated by MMP2

Tight junctions between Sertoli cells of the testicular seminiferous epithelium establishes the blood-testis barrier (BTB) and creates a specialized adluminal microenvironment above the BTB that is required for the development of the germ cells that reside there. Actin filament-based anchoring junctions between Sertoli cells and germ cells are important for maintaining close physical contact between these cells as well as regulating the release of mature spermatids into the lumen. Previously, we reported that Sertoli cell injury in rodents after mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) exposure results in the activation of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and increases the sensitivity of germ cells to undergo apoptosis. A disruption in the physical association between Sertoli cells and germ cells and premature loss of germ cells from the seminiferous epithelium has been widely described after phthalate treatment. In this study, we investigate the functional participation of MMP2 in the mechanism underlying MEHP-induced disruption of junction complexes and the resultant loss of germ cells. Exposure of C57BL/6J mice to MEHP (1 g/kg, oral gavage) decreased the expression of occludin in the tight junctions between Sertoli cells and caused gaps between adjacent Sertoli cells as observed by transmission electron microscopy. A reduced expression of laminin-gamma3 and beta1-integrin in apical ectoplasmic specializations between Sertoli cells and germ cells in a time-dependent manner was also observed. Treatment with specific MMP2 inhibitors (TIMP2 and SB-3CT) both in vitro and in vivo significantly suppressed MEHP-induced germ cell sloughing and changes in the expression of these junctional proteins, indicating that MMP-2 plays a primary role in this process. Furthermore, the detachment of germ cells from Sertoli cells appears to be independent of the apoptotic signaling process since MEHP-induced germ cell detachment from Sertoli cells could not be prevented by the addition of a pan-caspase inhibitor (z-VAD-FMK).
Ultrasound Processing and Computing: Review and Future Directions

Since the introduction of medical ultrasound in the 1950s, modern diagnostic ultrasound has progressed to see many major diagnostic tools come into widespread clinical use, such as B-mode imaging, color-flow imaging, and spectral Doppler. New applications, such as panoramic imaging, three-dimensional imaging, and quantitative imaging, are now beginning to be offered on some commercial ultrasound machines and are expected to grow in popularity. In this review, we focus on the various algorithms, their processing requirements, and the challenges of these ultrasound modes. Whereas the older, mature B and color-flow modes could be systolically implemented using hardwired components and boards, new applications, such as three-dimensional imaging and image feature extraction, are being implemented more by using programmable processors. This trend toward programmable ultrasound machines will continue, because the programmable approach offers the advantages of quick implementation of new applications without any additional hardware and the flexibility to adapt to the changing requirements of these dynamic new applications.
THE DEBT-EQUITY RATIO†

THIS IS A theoretical and empirical investigation of how firms establish their capital structures. Though in a few instances an attempt is made to explain the diversity of the bond market, why several liens of bonds with different legal provisions and terms to maturity are found in the capital structure of a single firm, most of the theory is concerned with how a firm sets the proportion between stocks and (one lien of) bonds in its capital structure as a whole. The nub of the problem is to study what adjustments can be made in traditional economic theory in order to explain a market in which stocks and bonds are purchased by people who not only hold dissimilar opinions about the prospects of the firm but are themselves in doubt about its value. The foundation is a precise definition of risk. Risk is treated like a normal commodity for which an investor is willing to pay a price depending on the intensity of his risk aversion. A firm is, therefore, a joint commodity composed of "risk" and "capital." The commodity, risk, may be subdivided; the issuing of bonds automatically divides the risk associated with the firm as a whole (prior to the issuing of bonds) into stock risk and bond risk, each of which has a value depending on (a) the riskiness of the firm as a whole, (b) the debt-equity ratio, and (c) the degree of risk aversion of the investors who are buying the stocks and bonds. The risk of a firm as seen by an investor is a probability distribution of its possible future earnings. There need be no uniformity of opinion among investors about the mean, dispersion, or shape of the distribution of any one firm. Several models are developed on various simplifying assumptions about the stock and bond market. The main model postulates that (a) there is uniformity of opinion among all investors about the shape of the probability distribution of some given firm; (b) the market for stocks and bonds is divided into two groups of people, those with small risk aversion, who, so the theory implies, buy the stocks of the firm, and those with great risk aversion, who buy bonds; and (c) the object of a firm is to maximize its market value.
Structure of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of poliovirus

Abstract Background: The central player in the replication of RNA viruses is the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The 53 kDa poliovirus polymerase, together with other viral and possibly host proteins, carries out viral RNA replication in the host cell cytoplasm. RNA-dependent RNA polymerases comprise a distinct category of polymerases that have limited sequence similarity to reverse transcriptases (RNA-dependent DNA polymerases) and perhaps also to DNA-dependent polymerases. Previously reported structures of RNA-dependent DNA polymerases, DNA-dependent DNA polymerases and a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase show that structural and evolutionary relationships exist between the different polymerase categories. Results: We have determined the structure of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of poliovirus at 2.6 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. It has the same overall shape as other polymerases, commonly described by analogy to a right hand. The structures of the ‘fingers' and ‘thumb' subdomains of poliovirus polymerase differ from those of other polymerases, but the palm subdomain contains a core structure very similar to that of other polymerases. This conserved core structure is composed of four of the amino acid sequence motifs described for RNA-dependent polymerases. Structure-based alignments of these motifs has enabled us to modify and extend previous sequence and structural alignments so as to relate sequence conservation to function. Extensive regions of polymerase–polymerase interactions observed in the crystals suggest an unusual higher order structure that we believe is important for polymerase function. Conclusions: As a first example of a structure of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, the poliovirus polymerase structure provides for a better understanding of polymerase structure, function and evolution. In addition, it has yielded insights into an unusual higher order structure that may be critical for poliovirus polymerase function.
Influences of Sea Surface Temperature Gradients and Surface Roughness Changes on the Motion of Surface Oil: A Simple Idealized Study

AbstractThe authors' modeling shows that changes in sea surface temperature (SST) gradients and surface roughness between oil-free water and oil slicks influence the motion of the slick. Physically significant changes occur in surface wind speed, surface wind divergence, wind stress curl, and Ekman transport mostly because of SST gradients and changes in surface roughness between the water and the slick. These remarkable changes might affect the speed and direction of surface oil. For example, the strongest surface wind divergence (convergence) occurring in the transition zones owing to the presence of an oil slick will induce an atmospheric secondary circulation over the oil region, which in turn might affect the surface oil movement. SST-related changes to wind stress curl and Ekman transport in the transition zones appear to increase approximately linearly with the magnitude of SST gradients. Both surface roughness difference and SST gradients give rise to a net convergence of Ekman transport for oil c...
The Design and Realization of Online Virtual Campus of NEU

In the 21st century, the technology of Web develops very fast and so does with the education way by Web. It is focus on the design and complement of virtual campus based on Torque Game Engine in this thesis. It uses Torque script as source code to do programming works. Then it uses constructor, 3D Studio Max and Photoshop to deal with modeling work of building and player and drawing of texture. In the end it realizes the demand of multi-access by one PC as server and others as client.
Phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase-mediated triacylglycerol biosynthesis is crucial for protection against fatty acid-induced cell death in growing tissues of Arabidopsis.

Summary Phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT) and diacylglycerol:acyl CoA acyltransferase play overlapping roles in triacylglycerol (TAG) assembly in Arabidopsis, and are essential for seed and pollen development, but the functional importance of PDAT in vegetative tissues remains largely unknown. Taking advantage of the Arabidopsis tgd1–1 mutant that accumulates oil in vegetative tissues, we demonstrate here that PDAT1 is crucial for TAG biosynthesis in growing tissues. We show that disruption of PDAT1 in the tgd1–1 mutant background causes serious growth retardation, gametophytic defects and premature cell death in developing leaves. Lipid analysis data indicated that knockout of PDAT1 results in increases in the levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) and diacylglycerol. In vivo 14C-acetate labeling experiments showed that, compared with wild-type, tgd1–1 exhibits a 3.8-fold higher rate of fatty acid synthesis (FAS), which is unaffected by disruption or over-expression of PDAT1, indicating a lack of feedback regulation of FAS in tgd1–1. We also show that detached leaves of both pdat1–2 and tgd1–1 pdat1–2 display increased sensitivity to FFA but not to diacylglycerol. Taken together, our results reveal a critical role for PDAT1 in mediating TAG synthesis and thereby protecting against FFA-induced cell death in fast-growing tissues of plants.
Impact of a monitored program of care on incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia: results of a longterm performance-improvement project

Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains a major source of morbidity, mortality, and expense in the ICU despite therapies directed against it. Study Design A retrospective review of a prospectively developed performance-improvement project monitoring the incidence of VAP in two adjacent ICUs was conducted. In response to an excessive VAP rate, weekly multidisciplinary team meetings were instituted to review data, develop care protocols, and modify care routines. Protocol compliance was monitored daily and feedback provided weekly to the care teams. VAP rates were determined by the institutional Infection Control Committee and reviewed monthly with the ICU multidisciplinary team. Duration of the investigational period was 10 years. Results A standardized ventilator-weaning protocol was instituted with confirmed 95% use. Additional modifications of care, such as patient positioning, use of specific endotracheal tubes to minimize aspiration of supraglottic secretions, an oral-care regimen, and aggressive antibiotic stewardship were standardized, with a compliance rate >90%. VAP rates dropped from 12.8 per 1,000 patient-days in 1998 to 1.1 in 2007 in the burn trauma ICU and from 21.2 to Conclusion A systematic, monitored program of standardized care protocols can markedly reduce VAP rate in the ICU.
Dynamics of synaptic plasticity: a comparison between models and experimental results in visual cortex

Receptive fields in the visual cortex can be altered by changing the visual environment, as has been shown many times in deprivation experiments. In this paper we simulate this set of experiments using two different models of cortical plasticity, BCM and PCA. The visual environment used is composed of natural images for open eye and of noise for closed eyes. We measure the response of the neurons to oriented stimuli, and use the time course information of the neuronal response to provide a preliminary quantitative comparison between the cortical models and experiment.
Fibroepithelial Lesions With Cellular Stroma on Breast Core Needle Biopsy AreThere Predictors of Outcome on Surgical Excision

Fibroepithelial lesions with cellular stroma (FELCS) in breast core needle biopsy (CNB) specimens may result in either fibroadenoma or phyllodes tumor at excision. We evaluated histologic features, proliferation indices (by Ki-67 and topoisomerase II a immunostaining) and p53 expression in 29 cases of FELCS in CNB specimens and correlated these with excision findings in a blinded manner. On excision, 16 patients had fibroadenomas and 12 had phyllodes tumors. All CNB specimens with mildly increased stromal cellularity were fibroadenomas on excision (n=4), and all with markedly cellular stroma were phyllodes tumors (n=4). Among CNB specimens with moderate cellularity (12 fibroadenomas and 8 phyllodes tumors), only stromal mitoses were discriminatory histologically. Stromal proliferation indices were significantly higher in CNB that were phyllodes tumors vs fibroadenomas. Assessment of stromal cellularity, mitoses, and proliferation indices might help determine the probability of phyllodes tumor occurring and guide management of these cases.
The role of the nurse practitioner in congenital heart surgery.

Pediatric nurse practitioners are often members of the interdisciplinary team caring for children with congenital heart disease. The collaborative practice model, in which a physician-led team of physicians, nurse practitioners, and other clinicians work together to provide comprehensive, quality patient care, has had positive benefits for patients and their families, physicians, and nurses. The acute care pediatric nurse practitioner combines advanced training in assessment, diagnosis, and management of common pediatric health problems with advanced nursing expertise in patient education, counseling, and health promotion to meet the specialized needs of children with complex acute and chronic illnesses. This article focuses on the development and current practice of pediatric nurse practitioners in acute care settings and concludes with a discussion of the role of nurse practitioners on the postoperative cardiac surgery service at Children’s Hospital, Boston.
Classification via Minimum Incremental Coding Length (MICL)

We present a simple new criterion for classification, based on principles from lossy data compression. The criterion assigns a test sample to the class that uses the minimum number of additional bits to code the test sample, subject to an allowable distortion. We prove asymptotic optimality of this criterion for Gaussian data and analyze its relationships to classical classifiers. Theoretical results provide new insights into relationships among popular classifiers such as MAP and RDA, as well as unsupervised clustering methods based on lossy compression [13]. Minimizing the lossy coding length induces a regularization effect which stabilizes the (implicit) density estimate in a small-sample setting. Compression also provides a uniform means of handling classes of varying dimension. This simple classification criterion and its kernel and local versions perform competitively against existing classifiers on both synthetic examples and real imagery data such as handwritten digits and human faces, without requiring domain-specific information.
Accurate L-band measurements of the dielectric constant of seawater

A new temperature controlled microwave cavity system to measure the complex dielectric constant of seawater at 1.413 GHz is discussed. The system is being developed to measure seawater for temperatures from 0degC to 30degC and salinities from 10 to 40 psu. The paper discusses the construction of the measurement system and initial stability tests.