cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activation of liver macrophages following phenobarbital treatment of rats

Phenobarbital is a potent inducer of hepatic cytochrome P-450 and is a tumor promoter in the two-stage model of liver carcinogenesis. In the present studies, we show that phenobarbital also induces an accumulation of activated macrophages in the livers of treated rats. These macrophages are larger and more stellate than resident Kupffer cells and are highly vacuolated. In addition, macrophages isolated from livers of phenobarbital-treated rats display increased phagocytosis of sheep red blood cells, chemotaxis toward the complement fragment C5a and enhanced production of hydrogen peroxide. Biologically active mediators released by activated macrophages have been implicated in tumor promotion as well as in the regulation of cytochrome P-450-mediated drug biotransformation. We propose that the activated macrophages that accumulate in the liver following phenobarbital treatment may contribute, at least in part, to the biological responses to this drug.
A “Partitioned-Problem” Approach to Microstructural Modeling of a Glass-Ceramic

The indentation response of a mica-containing glass-ceramic is studied. In this type of material, Hertzian cone cracks, which normally occur in brittle materials that have been loaded with a hard spherical indenter, are suppressed in favor of distributed subsurface damage, which is indicative of yield. Theoretical analysis, finite-element modeling, and experimental results are used to establish a connection between the macroscopic behavior of the material and events that occur on a microstructural scale. This association is achieved by first determining the macroscopic material properties, such as the yield stress and the strain-hardening index, in terms of the microstructure. Then, these properties are used to predict the macroscopic indentation response of the material. Thus, the problem is partitioned into microstructural and macroscopic domains. This work is particularly relevant to the design of structural ceramics in machining, wear, and bearings applications.
Contextual Antecedents and Political Consequences of Adolescent Political Discussion, Discussion Elaboration, and Network Diversity

Understanding how adolescents come to be informed participants in a democracy is a key concern in political socialization scholarship. However, our understanding of this process is hampered by limited research on the antecedents of a sufficiently wide array of communication behaviors and cognitions, in addition to a limited repertoire of knowledge outcomes in adolescent research. This study seeks to further the literature by addressing how discussion frequency, elaboration, and network diversity are related to factual and structural knowledge among adolescents. In addition, we utilize multilevel modeling to assess both school and parental effects on the various elements of political discussion. Results suggest that frequency of discussion is related to both factual and structural knowledge, whereas discussion elaboration is related only to structural knowledge. The multilevel models suggest that aspects of both schools and families are related to discussion frequency, elaboration, and network diversity.
The 2003 Benjamin Franklin medal in chemistry for pioneering the development of ultra-fast and multi-dimensional spectroscopies and their applications is presented to Robin M. Hochstrasser

Abstract Throughout his distinguished career of over 40 years, Robin Hochstrasser has made significant contributions to several areas of science in the fields of chemical and biochemical physics. He has been at the forefront and made fundamental contributions to the fields of photochemistry, solid-state chemistry, ultra-fast laser spectroscopies, and protein dynamics. He has been a prolific researcher, producing over 560 publications. His work has been characterized by experts in the fields as “a constant stream of experiments of lasting significance” (J. Phys. Chem. 100 (1996) 11791). Robin began his career in the 1960s using a variety of magnetic and electric field measurements to study crystals at low temperatures to understand spin quantization in solids and electron exchanged-mediated energy transfer. This work, described as a “classic contribution” (J. Phys. Chem. 100 (1996) 11791) was the basis for much of the subsequent experimental and theoretical work on the effect of magnetic fields on molecular spectra and on the measurements of dipole moments. In the late 1970s, Robin recognized the power of laser technology for the study of molecules and soon became a leader in the field investigating solid, gas phase, and condensed phase systems. He developed and applied various ultra-fast laser techniques to study the structure and dynamics of complex molecules in liquid phase, chemical, and biochemical reactions. He made seminal contributions to the development of two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) on a time scale of a picosecond or less. This 2D IR spectroscopy measures coupling between two functional groups in a large molecule and can thus be used to measure distances, as for example, two amide carbonyl groups in a peptide molecule. On the ultra-fast timescale, one application of 2D IR is to gain information on the rate of protein folding and unfolding in solution. Some of Robin's greatest contributions to understanding biomolecules are said to be in the experimental studies on the picosecond and femtosecond dynamics of heme proteins. Using techniques he developed he was able to observe the interactions of oxygen, carbon monoxide, and nitric oxide with hemoglobin inside the protein.
Positivity of transport coefficients for cellular automata.

Using the Green-Kubo relations it is shown that the generalized Onsager matrix for cellular automaton fluids is positive semidefinite. This implies linear stability of the hydrodynamic modes about equilibrium. The result applies to all lattice-gas automata admitting a stationary equilibrium state that is invariant under translations of the lattice.
LEFT-HANDEDNESS AND TONGUE-ROLLING ABILITY

948 undergraduates at The Ohio State University were administered the 10-item Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and asked to indicate the extent to which they could turn up the sides of their tongues....
Age and extent of potassic volcanism on the Colorado Plateau

Abstract Six K-Ar ages on phlogopite from minettes in and near the Buell Park diatreme establish that minette and coeval kimberlitic volcanism occurred 25 m.y. ago. Two altered phlogopites yield younger ages, while on phlogopite sample with an age of 34 m.y. may contain excess argon. Published apatite fission-track ages for inclusions in the kimberlitic tuff at Buell Park are too old, perhaps due to partial retention of pre-eruption tracks. Published ages for other minette localities on the Colorado Plateau are insufficient to precisely define the duration of volcanism, but some eruptions may be as old as 30 m.y. Potassic volcanic rocks similar to the felsic minettes at Buell Park erupted at about the same time at Chino Valley, Arizona, in the transition zone of the Colorado Plateau. The correlation between the two localities of unusual potassic rocks is evidence that these rocks may reflect mantle conditions associated with the stability of the Plateau, and that these conditions contrasted with those in adjacent tectonic provinces at least as early as 25 m.y. ago.
The Effect of Sequential and Simultaneous Breast Pumping on Milk Volume and Prolactin Levels: A Pilot Study

Mothers who must express milk for a prolonged period frequently report that milk volumes decrease. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of having a sample of lactating mothers of preterm infants follow a specific breast pumping protocol, express milk mechanically for six weeks, and have a subsample consent to venipuncture. This pilot study compared the effects of pumping breasts sequentially or simultaneously on milk volume and prolactin levels in mothers of preterm infants. Nine lactating mothers were randomly assigned to a sequential single or simultaneous double electric breast pumping system. Prolactin levels were examined in four mothers on days 21 and 42 postpartum. The sequential single and simultaneous double groups had mean baseline prolactin levels of 50.8 ng/ml and 40.6 ng/ml, respectively on day 21, and 26.6 ng/ml and 34.5 ng/ml, respectively, on day 42 postpartum. At 9 and 12 weeks postpartum mothers were queried about their lactational status. The results suggested that milk yield may be maintained or increased with frequent use of the simultaneous double pumping system. Further study is needed to confirm results of this pilot study.
Soviet enterprise behavior under uncertainty

Abstract Input-supply uncertainty is a well-documented characteristic of Soviet economic planning. The formal literature on Soviet enterprise behavior is found to be asymmetric in its development. A more general model of the enterprise's behavior under uncertainty is developed. Among other results, it is demonstrated that all agents, regardless of attitude toward risk, will overorder an input subject to supply uncertainty.
Cytological observations on the blood and hemopoietic tissue in the crab, Callinectes sapidus. I. The fine structure of hemocytes from intermolt animals.

A fine structural analysis of hemocytes recovered from the pericardial sinus of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) demonstrates that hyaline cells, intermediate cells, and granuloyctes are present in the hemolymph. A detailed consideration of their shared and differing cytological features suggests that the various blood cells represent different stages of cytogenesis along a common or single path of cellular differentiation. The potential functional complexity of the hemocytes is attested to by the occurrence within their cytoplasm of three and/or possibly four morphologically distinct types of inclusion bodies, and other membrane-bounded compartments (e.g., lysosome-like structures, autophagic vacuoles, peroxisome-like bodies) whose function is unknown. Preliminary examination of the well-developed Golgi organelle in the intermediate cells and granulocytes indicates its probable participation in the elaboration of the inclusion bodies; however, the details of its role in granulogenesis and in the known plurifunctional capacities of these cells remain obscure.
Summary of workshop on document search interface design at the JCDL'02

On July 18th, 2002 the First Workshop on Document Search Interface Design and Intelligent Access took place at the Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, Portland, Oregon. Seven papers were selected for presentation, and about 20 people were in attendance. The papers presented at the workshop can be grouped under three broad categories: 1) enhanced interaction and interface support, 2) domain-centric analysis of search needs, and 3) behavioral analysis of search and user interaction.
Lichenoid drug eruption to salsalate

Cutaneous lichenoid eruptions can arise as a result of exogenous compound exposures. Pharmaceutical drugs, industrial compounds, and inhaled particles have been implicated as causative agents. To date, there have been no recorded cases of lichenoid drug eruptions (LDEs) caused by clinical use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug salsalate. We describe a patient who experienced a lichenoid eruption after the initiation of salsalate for relief of arthritic pain. This eruption emerged after 1 month of therapy with salsalate, persisted for as long as salsalate was administered, and cleared within 3 weeks of discontinuing the medication. LDEs can clinically and histologically resemble idiopathic or classic lichen planus. Integrating drug history, clinical morphology, clinical distribution, and histopathology can aid in the differentiation. As in our patient's case, curative treatment for LDE requires discontinuation of the drug.
Angiographic patterns of restenosis after angioplasty of multiple coronary arteries

To assess angiographic patterns of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of multiple coronary arteries, angiograms were reviewed in 40 patients with clinical recurrence after PTCA of multiple arteries. Clinical recurrence was defined as return of symptoms after successful PTCA of more than 1 major artery or branch and angiographic evidence of restenosis of 1 or more lesions. In these 40 patients, 83 arteries (2.1 arteries per patient) and 103 narrowings (2.6 narrowings per patient) were successfully dilated. Restenosis developed in 57 of 83 arteries at risk (69%): 23 patients (58%) had restenosis in only 1 artery and 17 (42%) in 2 arteries. Restenosis occurred in 63 of 103 lesions at risk (61%): 20 patients (50%) had restenosis of 1 narrowing, 17 (43%) had restenosis of 2 narrowings and 3 (7%) had recurrence of 3 narrowings. Only 13 patients (33%) had restenosis of all narrowings dilated. Predictors of restenosis of individual narrowings were: higher pre-PTCA percent stenosis (87 ± 10% in narrowings with restenosis vs 82 ± 10% in narrowings without, p
A Measure Of Scene Content

A new measure of scene content based on the concept of structural entropy is presented. The measure utilizes unary and binary relationships extracted from a relational representation of a scene. Bounds on the entropy measure are dependent only on the number of unary and binary relations. Experimental results illustrating the concepts developed in the paper are presented.
Spin-polarized electronic structure for the layered two-dimensional [ Fe II ( TCNE ) ( NCMe ) 2 ] [ Fe III Cl 4 ] organic-based magnet

The results of first-principles density-functional theory and the local-spin-density approximation [L(S)DA] with a Hubbard Coulombic $U$ and projector-augmented wave method electronic-structure calculations for the layered two-dimensional organic-based magnet $[{\text{Fe}}^{\text{II}}(\text{TCNE}){(\text{NCMe})}_{2}][{\text{Fe}}^{\text{III}}{\text{Cl}}_{4}]$ are reported. The $\text{L}(\text{S})\text{DA}+U$ method accounted for the on-site Coulomb interaction between the ${\text{Fe}}^{\text{II}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{4}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{[\text{TCNE}]}^{\ifmmode\bullet\else\textbullet\fi{}\ensuremath{-}}$ ions. The results from the spin-polarized calculations are in agreement with the antiferromagnetically coupled ferrimagnetic ground state. The magnetic moments for ${\text{Fe}}^{\text{II}}$ and ${[\text{TCNE}]}^{\ifmmode\bullet\else\textbullet\fi{}\ensuremath{-}}$ are 3.70 and $0.27\text{ }{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\text{B}}$, respectively, which are reduced from the sum of the isolated ions (4 and $1\text{ }{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\text{B}}$, respectively) due to antiferromagnetic coupling, which are in accord with molecular-cluster model calculations. Spin-polarized partial density-of-states calculations reveal strongly spin-polarized ${\text{Fe}}^{\text{II}}{[\text{TCNE}]}^{\ifmmode\bullet\else\textbullet\fi{}\ensuremath{-}}$ conduction and valence bands. The highest majority band primarily consists of a ${\text{Fe}}^{\text{II}}\text{ }{d}_{xz}$-based band with hybridization $(\ensuremath{\sim}33%)$ by a ${[\text{TCNE}]}^{\ifmmode\bullet\else\textbullet\fi{}\ensuremath{-}}$ $p$ band at 2.60 eV below the Fermi level $({E}_{\text{F}})$, and the highest minority band primarily consists of a ${[\text{TCNE}]}^{\ifmmode\bullet\else\textbullet\fi{}\ensuremath{-}}$ $p$ band with hybridization $(\ensuremath{\sim}40%)$ by ${\text{Fe}}^{\text{II}}\text{ }d$ bands at 0.09 eV below ${E}_{\text{F}}$, and the materials is an insulator.
Psychological Testing in Child Custody Evaluations With Ethnically Diverse Families: Ethical Concerns and Practice Recommendations

Given increasing ethnic diversity of divorcing families, it is more important than ever for family court evaluators to understand the ethical concerns and principles underlying the use of psychological testing with ethnic family members. Major professional organizations have promulgated the guidelines of child custody evaluation with an imperative to consider cultural factors in the evaluation. However, there is a paucity of literature that addresses ethnicity and psychological testing in child custody evaluations. This article addresses three major ethical domains: (a) competence, (b) test fairness, and (c) test interpretation when psychological tests are used. Practice recommendations provide guidelines to ensure ethical standards and competence in using psychological testing with ethnically diverse families in child custody and other family court evaluations.
Progress in the characterization of nanophase diamond films uniquely produced by a laser plasma discharge source

Abstract Films of nanophase diamond can be deposited at room temperature with a laser plasma discharge source of multiply charged carbon ions, without the use of any catalyst in the growth mechanism. The beam from a pulsed Nd:YAG laser is focused on graphite at intensities in excess of 1011W cm-2 and the resulting plasma ejects carbon ions carrying energies of about 1 keV through a discharge space to the substrates to be coated. The high energies of condesation produce interfacial layers between the film and substrate materials, which provide levels of adhesion which can support the protection of substrates subjected to harsh environmental conditions. In this paper, recent advances in the characterization of nanophase diamond films are given. Emphasis has been placed on studies of the bonding and properties realized in one example; i.e. the deposition of nanophase diamond on stainless steel. Measurements with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry showed that the diamond coatings deposited from laser plasmas were bonded to the stainless steel substrates through interfacial layers with significant thickness. The resistance to wear was estimated with a modified sandblaster and it was shown that a coating of only 2 μm of nanophase diamond can increase the lifetime of the sample by a factor of better than 36. The results of other mechanical measurements, such as those obtained by friction tests, are also given.
Role of the mother's touch in failure to thrive: a preliminary investigation

ABSTRACT Objective This study investigated the hypothesis that specific types of maternal touch that might promote infant growth are reduced in cases of failure to thrive (FTT) and tested reports that maternal physical interaction and physical affection are diminished in FTT. Method Frequencies of operationally defined maternal touch categories were scored by blinded raters from videotaped mother-child feeding and play interactions of 21 children, aged 9 to 19 months, with FTT and 18 normally growing comparison children. After scoring and statistical analyses were completed, investigators unblinded to group status and clinical data reviewed the videotapes of the dyads with the lowest touch scores. Results Mothers of children with FTT provided less matter-of-fact touch in feeding ( p = .017) and unintentional touch in play ( p = .048) than the comparison group, and there was a trend ( p = .082) for them to provide less proprioceptive stimulation in play. Unblinded case reviews indicate that, among children with FTT, extremely infrequent touch signals a marked touch aversion by either the mother or child. Conclusions Types of maternal touch that may promote growth or facilitate feeding are reduced in FTT, due, in extreme cases, to maternal or child touch aversion. Clinicians evaluating FTT should be alert to very infrequent touch in the mother-child interaction and consider whether it may represent a maternal intolerance of physical contact with her infant or a problem with the infant's feeding competence.
Abandon all hope? The therapeutic misconception and informed consent.

Felicitous phrases have a way of taking on a life of their own. In the world of biomedical ethics a good example is “informed consent,” which has created a veritable industry—or rather several indu...
Pairing and Blocking in High-K Isomers: Variation of the Collective Parameter gR

Using the principle of additivity, the quasi-particle contribution to magnetism in high-K isomers of Lu - Re has been estimated. Based on these estimates band structure branching ratio data is used to explore the behavior of the collective contribution as the number and neutron/proton nature (Np , Nn ), of the quasi-particle excitations, change. A striking systematic variation of the collective g-factor gR with the difference, Np – Nn , is revealed. Basic ideas of pairing, its quenching by quasi-particle excitation and the consequent changes to moment of inertia and collective magnetism are discussed. The new found systematic behaviour of gR opens a fresh window on these effects amenable to detailed theoretical investigation.
Effects of resistance and capacitance on the chronoamperometry of polymer-coated electrodes as modeled by a finite elements digital simulation

A finite elements digital simulation of chronoamperometry with polymer-coated electrodes is presented. The model takes account of mass transport by diffusion and migration, and the effects of the uncompensated resistance and capacitance of the system. A graphical method for the analysis of experimental data was introduced and applied to electrodes coated with poly[Ru(II)(bipy)2(4-vpy)2]+PF−6.
Observing the onset of a magnetic substorm

Magnetic substorms, the disruptions in geomagnetic activity that cause brightening of auroras, may sometimes be driven by a different process than generally thought, a new study shows.
A database of cardiac arrhythmias.

Objective: To describe a database of cardiac arrhythmia recordings, useful for the development and testing of ECG rhythm processing or monitoring algorithms and devices. Methods: The raw data were acquired within the Wisconsin-Dane County emergency medical technician-defibrillation program and contained emergency rhythm recordings of an average length of 30 minutes. The raw data were integrated into a software platform designed for the annotation and visualization of the recordings. Results: Currently the database contains the following arrhythmia episodes: ventricular fibrillation (56), asystole (65), electromechanical dissociation (31), and other arrhythmias (42). The software, resident on personal computers, also can transmit any of the database recordings, through a digital-to-analog converter board, to a device under test. Conclusions: The database technique described will provide a useful means of objectively assessing electronic devices for their ability to detect arrhythmias. The database is unique in that it contains lengthy episodes of arrhythmias. The database will be extended to include additional cases.
Comparison of MMPI clinical scale and critical item changes of adult outpatients and parents of child psychiatry outpatients during the 1970s

The present investigation is a replication of the Holmes, Sabalis, Chestnut, and Khoury (1984) study of MMPI critical item endorsement changes and MMPI clinical scale shifts in the parents of children seen at the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, Columbia, South Carolina during the 1970s. The current study evaluates MMPIs (N = 749) of adult, female, and male psychiatric outpatients seen during the 1970s. The general MMPI changes observed in the adult psychiatric outpatient population were not similar to those changes seen in the parent population. However, an important specific change on the Masculine/Feminine Scale for the adult outpatients was discussed.
Conformational stability from variable temperature infrared spectra of krypton solutions, ab initio calculations, vibrational assignment, and r0 structural parameters of 1,3-difluoropropane.

Abstract The infrared spectra (3200–400 cm −1 ) of krypton solutions of 1,3-difluoropropane, FCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 F, at variable temperatures (−105 to −150 °C) have been recorded. Additionally, the infrared spectra (3200–50 cm −1 ) of the gas and solid have been recorded as well as the Raman spectrum of the liquid. From a comparison of the spectra of the fluid phases with that in the solid, all of the fundamental vibrations of the C 2 conformer ( gauche – gauche ) where the first gauche indicates the form for one of the CH 2 F groups and the second gauche the other CH 2 F, and many of those for the C 1 form ( trans – gauche ) have been identified. Tentative assignments have been made for a few of the fundamentals of the other two conformers, i.e. C 2v ( trans – trans ) and C s ( gauche – gauche ′). By utilizing six pairs of fundamentals for these two conformers in the krypton solutions, an enthalpy difference of 277±28 cm −1 (3.31±0.33 kJ mol −1 ) has been obtained for the C 2 versus C 1 conformer with the C 2 conformer the more stable form. For the C 2v conformer, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 716±72 cm −1 (8.57±0.86 kJ mol −1 ) and for the C s form 971±115 cm −1 (11.6±1.4 kJ mol −1 ). It is estimated that there is 64±3% of the C 2 form, 34±3% of the C 1 form, 1% of the C 2v form and 0.6% of the C s conformer present at ambient temperature. Equilibrium geometries and total energies of the four stable conformers have been determined from ab initio calculations with full electron correlation by the perturbation method to second order as well as by hybrid density functional theory calculations with the B3LYP method using a number of basis sets. The MP2 calculations predict the C 1 conformer stability to be slightly higher than the experimentally determined value whereas for the C 2v and C s conformers the predicted energy difference is much larger than the experimental value. The B3LYP calculations predict a better energy difference for both the C 1 and C 2v as well as for the C s conformers than the MP2 values. A complete vibrational assignment is proposed for the C 2 conformer and many of the fundamentals have been identified for the C 1 form based on the force constants, relative intensities and rotational–vibrational band contours obtained from the predicted equilibrium geometry parameters. By combining previously reported rotational constants for the C 2 and C 1 conformers with ab initio MP2/6-311 + G ( d , p ) predicted parameters, adjusted r 0 parameters have been obtained for both conformers. Comparisons are made with the parameters obtained for some other molecules containing the FCH 2 group. The spectroscopic and theoretical results are compared to the corresponding properties for some similar molecules.
Anomaly detection in premise energy consumption data

Demand Response (DR) programs are designed to reduce energy consumption for relatively short time periods (e.g., a few hours per event). It has been widely recognized that DR can help to meet both reliability and market needs. In order for DR programs to achieve their full benefits, however, it is critical for utilities to accurately predict the reduction in energy consumption during events and increases due to the rebound effect after events. Currently, DR prediction is performed based on the historical energy consumption data without the impacts of anomalous data points. However, days with anomalous energy consumption, such as when the consumer is on vacation, can bias analysis of historical consumption behavior, and therefore significantly decrease the accuracy of DR prediction. This is especially the case when anomalous days occur during DR event periods or baseline measurement periods, where there is a small sample size for evaluation. This paper presents a method to accurately identify anomalous days for individual premises so that they can be removed from the premise data. This will enable more accurate assessments of energy consumption patterns, including normal usage, consumption baselines used for billing, and DR estimation algorithms. Several different methodologies for anomaly detection are discussed. These methods either utilize attributes generated from the customers' energy consumption profiles or use the profiles directly. Numerical results demonstrate that the anomaly detection methods can correctly identify the majority of anomalous days. The anomaly detection algorithms are validated using a detailed data set that has both premise level and device level consumption data. The anomalous days can be detected and eliminated when the customers' energy consumption profiles are carefully studied and the detection models are well tuned.
Slow waves in fractures filled with viscous fluid

Stoneley guided waves in a fluid-filled fracture generally have larger amplitudes than other waves, and therefore, their properties need to be incorporated in more realistic models. In this study, a fracture is modeled as an infinite layer of viscous fluid bounded by two elastic half-spaces with identical parameters. For small fracture thickness, I obtain a simple dispersion equation for wave-propagation velocity. This velocity is much smaller than the velocity of a fluid wave in a Biot-type solution, in which fracture walls are assumed to be rigid. At seismic prospecting frequencies and realistic fracture thicknesses, the Stoneley guided wave has wavelengths on the order of several meters and an attenuation Q factor exceeding 10, which indicates the possibility of resonance excitation in fluid-bearing rocks. The velocity and attenuation of Stoneley guided waves are distinctly different at low frequencies for water and oil. The predominant role of fractures in fluid flow at field scales is supported by permeability data showing an increase of several orders of magnitude when compared to values obtained at laboratory scales. These data suggest that Stoneley guided waves should be taken into account in theories describing seismic wave propagation in fluid-saturated rocks.
Diet-induced weight loss, exercise, and chronic inflammation in older, obese adults: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Background Persistent, low-grade inflammation is an independent predictor of several chronic diseases and all-cause mortality. Objective The intention of this study was to determine the independent and combined effects of diet-induced weight loss and exercise on markers of chronic inflammation. Design Three hundred sixteen community-dwelling, older (> or = 60 y), overweight or obese [body mass index (in kg/m2) > or = 28], sedentary men and women with radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to four 18-mo treatments: healthy lifestyle control, diet-induced weight loss, exercise, and diet plus exercise. The exercise intervention consisted of combined weight training and walking for 1 h 3 times/wk. The weight-loss intervention consisted of a weekly session with a registered dietitian to provide education and support for lowering energy intake. Results The diet-induced weight-loss intervention resulted in significantly greater reductions in concentrations of C-reactive protein (P = 0.01), interleukin 6 (P = 0.009), and soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 1 (P = 0.007) than did no weight-loss treatment. Changes in soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 1 but not in C-reactive protein or interleukin 6 correlated with changes in body weight. Exercise training did not have a significant effect on these inflammatory biomarkers, and there was no significant interaction between weight loss and exercise training. Conclusions These findings provide evidence from a randomized controlled trial that a dietary intervention designed to elicit weight loss reduces overall inflammation in older, obese persons. Additional studies are needed to assess the effects of different modes and intensities of exercise on inflammation.
Migration front of post-moult emperor penguins

The moult is arguably the most critical period in the life of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri). Birds from western Ross Sea colonies travel yearly to and from the pack ice of the eastern Ross Sea to moult. Despite the suspected large numbers of penguins involved, this migration had never been directly observed. Here, we provide the first description of a migratory front of penguins travelling east to west between their moulting habitat and to the breeding colonies. Early autumn ship-bound visual surveys showed density of birds increased significantly as we approached the eastern Ross Sea and was not related to ice type, per cent ice cover or primary productivity. This supports the hypothesis of a dense “source” of post-moult birds in the eastern Ross Sea migrating in near-synchrony and gradually dispersing towards breeding colonies in the southwest and northwest Ross Sea. Emperor penguins travelled alone or in small groups of up to 8 individuals, concentrating around narrow leads or isolated water holes, and were occasionally seen far from open water, suggesting they move primarily by swimming, complemented by tobogganing. Their new coats indicated they had completed the moult. Aggregations of birds and guano stains suggested they were feeding while migrating.
Complications of phonosurgery: Results of a national survey

Objective: Medialization laryngoplasty (ML) and arytenoid adduction (AA) have become common treatments for vocal fold paralysis. The widespread use of these procedures has required many surgeons to learn these new surgeries through postgraduate education sources. Little is known regarding the efficacy of the learning methods and the types and incidence of complications in a large number of surgeons' experience. Method: A survey consisting of 23 questions regarding complications of ML and AA was sent to 7364 otolaryngologists. Results: A 33% response rate resulted in 2436 returned surveys of which 43% stated they performed ML and/or AA (n = 1039). The survey represents 14,621 cases of ML. The average respondent performed 12 ML in the past 5 years. Forty-two percent of the respondents reported experience with one or more major complication. Airway complications requiring intervention occurred more frequently following AA than ML. The most common major complications were implant migration and failure to improve voice quality. The ML revision rate was 5.4% and the reported voice quality following revision was positive in 90% of cases. A statistically significant difference in major ML complication rate was found between surgeons with experience doing fewer than 10 MLs and those with experience doing more than 10 MLs. Similar findings showed that a higher major complication rate occurred for surgeons performing fewer than two MLs per year compared with counterparts who average two or more MLs per year. A near 1% implant extrusion rate was found. Most of the extrusions occurred into the airway. Conclusions: This is a study of the use and complications of ML/AA based on more than 14,000 procedures. Wide-spread use of ML for vocal fold paralysis was found. A notable rate of poor voice quality following ML/AA was identified and led to a 5.5% revision rate for ML. Revision ML resulted in an improved voice quality in more than 90% of the reported cases. There appears to be a “learning curve” for performing ML as well as an increased complication rate for those surgeons who perform fewer than two MLs per year and have a total career experience of fewer than 10 procedures. These findings suggest that ML may result in increased complications if the surgeon is not experienced or does not perform the surgery regularly. Laryngoscope, 108:1697–1703, 1998
The Structuring of Structure1

THERE is a somewhat dogmatic belief in certain schools of anthropology that those events which can be explained psychologically and those which can be explained structurally are mutually exclusive. Thus, it is often written that psychological variables are not suitable as explanatory devices for social events. Frequently those who believe that psychological explanation has no place in the social sciences do not support this view with logical or empirical evidence but merely refer their audience to the assertions of some eminent authority who has held similar views. For example, Needham (1962:4), who holds that psychological explanations are inapt to the solution of sociological problems supports this belief primarily by selectively quoting Durkheim's assertions on the subject. Service (1962:201) does much the same in a recent work intended as an advanced introduction to "primitive" social organization. These appeals to authority have no place in any work that aspires to scientific standards of validity. The canonization of the method and theory of the pioneers in social science can only lead to sterile repetitions of their work. The purpose of scholarship is not to ritualize, but to question. The intent of this paper is to examine the role of psychological variables in the explanation of social phenomena. This necessarily entails a delineation of the relationships between psychological and structural explanation. In doing this, I am in no way attempting to say the final word on the subject but merely to present what I think is a clarification useful in the formulation and analysis of problems. For my point of departure, I view explanation as involving two elements. The thing or event to be explained and the process of explanation itself. The event may be either positive or negative; i.e., we try to explain not only why certain events occur but also why certain ones do not occur. Analytically, the two approaches are quite different since one is based on observations in the real world and the other on logical considerations alone. For example, it is known that FZD marriage is associated with matrilineality. This is an empirical event of which we may inquire why it occurs and hope to find an explanation in human behavior. On the other hand, it is known that FZD marriage is not associated with matrilocality in matrilineal groups. It is again proper to inquire why this is so, but can we again hope to find an explanation in human behavior? I think that we might consider this possible, but I also believe that it is first necessary to inquire whether the association is logically possible. By this, I mean that it is acceptable to look for empirical explanations of what in fact exists, since anything that exists is obviously possible, but what does not exist is purely a construct and constructs must first be analyzed to determine whether they have logical validity. Thus, it may readily be seen
Sizing synchronization queues: a case study in higher level synthesis

In synthesizing a circuit from its description in a concurrent programming language, it is necessary to make decisions about how to implement synchronization constructs such as send and receive statements. The semantic model of these constructs is an infinite length FIFO queue that can handle all send events until they are paired up with corresponding receive events. In this paper, we describe an algorithm to size these synchronization queues while permitting the maximum parallelism between the communicating processes (circuits). It is an example of higher level synthesis in that the user does not include an explicit description of the queue in the specification as is necessary in current high level synthesis systems.
Team-based learning: From educational theory to emotional intelligence

Team-based learning (TBL) is a method of teaching and learning that was first developed by Larry Michaelsen for business education (Michaelsen et al. 2002) and then later introduced to health profe...
The Control of Carding Wastes

Carding wastes can be reduced on the average by about one-half (23/4 % of lap weight) without lowering yarn appearance or yarn strength. Flat strips and motes and fly comprise about 3/4 of the total carding wastes; it is in the control of these wastes that the greatest saving is realized.
Impact of the time interval between surgery and postoperative radiation therapy on locoregional control in advanced head and neck cancer

Between January 1975 and December 1980, 111 patients with AJCC stages III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were treated with surgery followed by planned postoperative radiation therapy. A previous analysis of a subgroup of these patients showed that, when radiation was delayed more than 6 weeks from surgery, a higher incidence of regional failure occurred compared with the incidence observed when therapy began within a 6 week period. We have looked back at this group of patients plus others in an attempt to determine whether other factors played a role in the results obtained. In the current study, 50 patients had a delay of 6 weeks or more and, of these, 11 (22%) suffered a locoregional recurrence. However, 8 of these 11 patients received suboptimal radiation doses (less than 56 Gy) for permanent control of the disease. In fact, of 17 patients who received at least 60 Gy and had more than a 6 week delay, only 2 (12%) had locoregional failure. This was similar to the incidence of failure in the patients who received at least 60 Gy and who started radiation within the first 6 weeks from surgery (3/20 [15%]). The effect of delay was apparent only in those who received less than 60 Gy (27% vs. 7%, P less than 0.05). Therefore, we cannot validate the previous conclusion that a greater than 6 week delay in the delivery of postoperative radiation therapy in advanced head and neck cancers produces poorer results. The current analysis suggests that a prolonged delay in postoperative radiation therapy in itself does not have a negative impact on locoregional control as long as appropriate tumorcidal doses of more than 60 Gy are employed.
Measuring the Outcomes of State Policies for Gifted Education: An Equity Analysis of Texas School Districts.

Policy research in gifted education continues to maintain a relatively narrow focus, dealing primarily with policy inputs like the presence and design of written mandates or the existence or lack of state finding. Yet, little attention has been paid to the actual distribution of programming opportunities for gifted children. There continues to be a vast disconnect between policy analysts and gifted educators. The objective of this article is to help bridge that gap by (1) introducing a set of policy tools for measuring the outcomes of gifted education policies and (2) applying those tools to data on the distribution of gifted education spending and designated personnel in the state of Texas. According to generally accepted policy benchmarks, the analyses performed indicate (a) continued vast inequities across school districts in the availability of resources and (b) unacceptable correlations between student population characteristics, community wealth, and the availability of opportunity.
A 3-year follow-up study of various types of orthodontic canine-to-canine retainers

SUMMARY The present study was performed to test the tendency for plaque and calculus build-up along the wire of different types of bonded orthodontic canine-to-canine retainers, whether the presence of such retainers causes any damage to the teeth involved, the failure rate of the retainers, and any changes in incisor alignment during a 3-year period of retention. The four test groups received either retainers made of thick plain wire bonded only to the canines (n = 11); thick spiral wire bonded only to the canines (n = 13); thin, flexible spiral wire bonded to each tooth (n = 11); or removable retainers (n = 14). Accumulation of plaque and calculus along the gingival margin, gingival inflammation and probing attachment level were scored in lingual areas from canine to canine at the time of fixed appliance removal and again 3 years after retainer insertion. Incisor irregularity was measured on plaster models made at the same time periods. Accumulation of plaque and calculus and development of caries along the wire were scored at follow-up. Retainer failures were recorded whenever they occurred. The results revealed no intergroup differences in changes between baseline and follow-up examinations or status along the retainer wire for any of the variables. Gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation were scored less frequently after 3 years in retention than at the time of debonding. No signs of caries were seen adjacent to the wire. Failures were observed of one, four and three of the fixed retainer types, respectively. These patients showed a greater increase in incisor irregularity than the other patients.
ADOPTING THE SYSTEM-JUSTIFYING ATTITUDES OF OTHERS: EFFECTS OF TRIVIAL INTERPERSONAL CONNECTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Although system justification research has focused most on the needs to explain and control the social world, system justification may also be regulated by the need to maintain social connections with others. Three experiments demonstrate that trivial interpersonal ties to system-justifying others can facilitate the endorsement of system-justifying attitudes, sometimes even in the face of social exclusion. In Experiment 1, participants exhibited stronger implicit pro-system, anti-labor attitudes after playing a game of catch with economically advantaged, high-status (vs. equal-status) partners. Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that social exclusion (vs. inclusion) by system-justifying partners increased endorsement of implicit anti-system attitudes—unless participants believed that they shared a birthday or food preference with their partners. In sum, results suggest that system-justifying attitudes are based in part on motivations to regulate interpersonal relationships, including relationships that are ...
The life course in the making: gender and the development of adolescents' expected timing of adult role transitions.

Adolescents’ expectations about the timing of adult role transitions have the potential to shape their actual transitions, setting the stage for their adult lives. Although expectations about timing emerge by early adolescence, little is known about how these expectations develop across adolescence. This longitudinal study examined developmental trajectories of adolescents’ anticipated ages of school completion, job entry, marriage, and parenthood over the high school years, focusing on gender differences. Latent growth curve analysis of data from 411 rural youths followed from Grades 9 through 12 (age at Grade 9: M 14.35, SD 0.77) indicated a significant increase in adolescents’ anticipated ages of entry into work and parenthood as well as gender differences in the trajectory of the expected age of marriage. Gender role attitudes, school performance, romantic relationships, and expected educational and occupational attainment were associated with the anticipated timing of role transitions, with significant variations by gender. Adolescents’ expected ages of entry into adult family roles predicted their educational attainment and family role transitions in early adulthood. The findings provide insights into the process through which adolescent boys and girls construct their expectations regarding the transition to adulthood and, in turn, their future life course.
Nearly circular pump guides

How nearly circular can a double-clad fiber's pump guide be and still have good absorption in the core? D's and octagons have good absorption but can be hard to cleave and lose pump power or brightness through splices with circular fibers. Ray tracing cannot be trusted since the perturbations to the circle can be smaller than a transverse wavelength. Using an algorithm well suited to near-circular boundaries, we have computed statistics of core-overlap of the lowest 10,000 modes of many pump-guide shapes. Some with 3% radial modulation have nearly as good core-overlap as an octagon.
Antibody-mediated protection against intracellular pathogens

The view that antibody-mediated protection is unimportant against intracellular pathogens is not supported by the literature. In fact, there is convincing evidence that antibody can protect against many important intracellular pathogens. The challenge now is to identify antigens that elicit protective antibodies, use them in vaccine design and understand how humoral and cellular immune mechanisms cooperate.