cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-Related Increase in Cross-Sensory Noise in Resting and Steady-State Cerebral Perfusion

Behavioral research indicates that healthy aging is accompanied by maintenance of voluntary attentional function in many situations, suggesting older adults are able to use attention to enhance and suppress neural activity. However, other experiments show increased distractibility with age, suggesting a failure of attention. One hypothesis for these apparently conflicting findings is that older adults experience a greater sensory processing load at baseline compared to younger adults. In this situation, older adults might successfully modulate sensory cortical activity relative to a baseline referent condition, but the increased baseline load results in more activity than younger adults after attentional modulation. This hypothesis was tested by comparing average functional brain activity in auditory cortex using quantitative perfusion imaging during resting state and steady-state visual conditions. It was observed that older adults demonstrated greater processing of task-irrelevant auditory background noise than younger adults in both conditions. As expected, auditory activity was attenuated relative to rest during a visually engaging task for both older and younger participants. However, older adults continued to show greater auditory processing than their younger counterparts even after this task modulation. Furthermore, auditory activity during the visual task was predictive of cross-sensory distraction on a behavioral task in older adults. Together, these findings suggest that older adults are more distractible than younger, and the cause of this increased distractibility may lie in baseline brain functioning.
Anterior urethral valves.

Abstract Anterior urethral valves remain a rare entity despite occasional case reports. Because of its potentially damaging effects on the urinary tract, this condition must be borne in mind when investigating young males with evidence of outflow obstruction or recurring infection. A case is reported, and the modes of diagnosis are emphasized.
The neurotoxicity of glutamate, dopamine, iron and reactive oxygen species: functional interrelationships in health and disease: a review-discussion.

The fact that glutamate, dopamine, iron and reactive oxygen species are potentially individually highly neurotoxic molecules is well known. The purpose of this review is to examine the less well known complex ways in which their normal biological, as well as their neurotoxic activity, are interconnected in relation to fundamental neuronal functions. These functions include synaptic plasticity (formation and removal of synapses), endocytosis-based recycling of receptors for neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, the role of the redox balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in synaptic function, and the possible role of iron-catecholamine complexes in antioxidant protection and intraneuronal iron transport. These systems are closely involved in several diseases of the nervous system including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. In all these oxidative stress and a failure of antioxidant defenses are involved. In the former two the neurotoxicity of catecholaminergic o-quinones is important. In the latter excessive oxidation of neuronal membranes and excessive endocytosis and receptor recycling may be an important factor.
Accurate differential stress measurement using the molten salt cell and solid salt assemblies in the Griggs apparatus with applications to strength, piezometers and rheology

Abstract Calibrations have been developed for the molten salt cell and solid salt assemblies used in tri-axial Griggs-type piston-cylinder deformation apparatus (Griggs apparatus) that enable accurate differential stress determinations in both assemblies at high pressures and high resolution differential stress measurements in the molten salt cell. Elastic response of the apparatus was characterized by loading alumina and WC rods, and flow strengths were measured for high-purity nickel and molybdenum, and a Ti–Zr–Mo alloy in replicate experiments in a Griggs apparatus and a Heard tri-axial gas apparatus (gas apparatus) at identical pressures, temperatures and strain rates. The elastic response of the Griggs apparatus is nonlinear at low total loads ( 1 = 760 MPa on a 5 mm diameter sample); but becomes linear at loads greater than 15 kN. Plastic deformation experiments on water-insensitive metals indicate that differential stresses measured in the molten salt cell (MSC) and solid salt (SSA) assemblies in the Griggs apparatus are greater than those measured in the gas apparatus at all conditions, but vary systematically and reproducibly. A simple, linear calibration (σ Gas apparatus = 0.73 × σ GriggsMSC , +/−10 MPa, where differential stress σ = σ 1 –σ 3 ) can be applied to the differential stresses obtained using the MSC in the Griggs apparatus to obtain sample flow strength. A similar linear calibration (σ Gas apparatus = 0.73 × σ GriggsSSA − 48 MPa, +/−30 MPa) can be applied to the differential stresses obtained using the Griggs apparatus with a solid salt assembly to obtain accurate sample flow strength. These calibrations have been tested by applying them to mechanical data for carbonates deformed in the Griggs apparatus and gas apparatus. The calibrations are also applied to data from previous studies performed in the Griggs apparatus on clinopyroxenites and quartzites and compared to results from similar experiments using the gas apparatus. When the experimental starting materials and conditions are the same, the recalculated flow strengths measured in the Griggs apparatus experiments agree with those measured in the gas apparatus. However, discrepancies in differential stress are still observed in cases where starting materials differ or water available to silicate samples varies, presumably through hydrogen diffusion through sample jackets and hydrogen fugacities of the surrounding confining media.
Zirconium abundances in meteorites and implications to nucleosynthesis

Atomic abundances of zirconium in chondrites, achondrites and terrestrial basalts with reference to nucleosynthesis mechanisms
Discriminative template extraction for direct modeling

This paper addresses the problem of developing appropriate features for use in direct modeling approaches to speech recognition, such as those based on Maximum Entropy models or Segmental Conditional Random Fields. We propose a feature based on the detection of word-level templates which are discriminatively chosen based on a mutual information criterion. The templates for a word are derived directly from the MFCC feature vectors, based on self-similarity across examples. No pronunciation dictionary is used, and the resulting templates match closely to in-class examples and distantly to out-of-class examples. We utilize template detection events as input to a segmental CRF speech recognizer. We evaluate the entire scheme on a voice search task. The results show that the use of discriminative template based word detector streams improves the speech recognizer's performance over the baseline HMM results.
Seeking every advantage: the phenomenon of taking both the SAT and ACT

Abstract Although the SAT has traditionally been the standardized test of choice for Texas students, nearly a third of the college-bound population in 1998 opted to take the ACT in addition to the SAT. Because most universities now accept both the SAT and the ACT, many testing experts believe taking both exams is a growing trend due to increased pressure students feel to obtain admission to selective colleges and universities ( Cavanagh, 2003 ). Logit results using data from the Texas Schools Microdata Panel for over 98,000 students taking a college entrance exam indicate that Hispanic, Asian and male students are all less likely to take both the SAT and ACT, while first generation college students are more likely to take both exams. Separate models based upon likelihood of admission reveal that students with marginal grades and test scores are more likely to take both tests than high and low-performing students.
Tense, Scope, And Spreading in Saramaccan

A unified theory is developed in this paper to account in a comprehensive way for variable tense marking patterns in the serial verb constructions found in Saramaccan, a creole language of the central interior of Suriname. The disparate patterns include verb initial marking, tense copy, and the problematic single marking on any noninitial verb in a serial string. It is argued that regardless of which tense pattern occurs in a given serial structure, there is an essential typological unity which is best explained through the interrelated processes of scope and spreading. Moreover, because Saramaccan exhausts the logical possibilities for such marking, the analysis presented here should be applicable to other serial tense marking instantiations, a claim which is discussed in relation to Ijo and Fante in latter sections of the paper.
The role of amoeboid protists and the microbial community in moss-rich terrestrial ecosystems: biogeochemical implications for the carbon budget and carbon cycle, especially at higher latitudes.

Moss-rich terrestrial communities are widely distributed in low- and high-latitude environments, covering vast surface areas in the boreal forests and tundra. The microbial biota in these organic-rich communities may contribute substantially to the carbon budget of terrestrial communities and the carbon cycle on a global scale. Recent research is reported on the carbon content of microbial communities in some temperate and high-latitude moss communities. The total carbon content and potential respiratory carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) efflux is reported for bacteria, microflagellates, naked amoebae, and testate amoebae within sampling sites at a northeastern forest and the tundra at Toolik, Alaska. Quantitative models of the predicted total CO 2 efflux from the microbes, based on microscopic observations and enumeration of the microbiota in samples from the research sites, are described and predictions are compared with published field-based data of CO 2 efflux. The significance of the predictions for climate change and global warming are discussed.
A Brief Overview of the Last 10 Years of Major Late Pleistocene Discoveries in the Old World: Homo floresiensis, Neanderthal, and Denisovan

In the last ten years, new fossil, archaeological, and genetic data have significantly altered our understanding of the peopling of the Old World in the Late Pleistocene. Scholars have long been challenged to define humanity’s place in evolution and to trace our phylogeny. Differences in the skeletal morphology of hominin fossils have often led to the naming of distinct new species, but recent genetic findings have challenged the traditional perspective by demonstrating that modern human DNA contains genes inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans, thus questioning their status as separate species. The recent discovery of Homo floresiensis from Flores Island has also raised interesting queries about how much genetic and morphological diversity was present during the Late Pleistocene. This paper discusses the nature and implications of the evidence with respect to Homo floresiensis, Neanderthals, and Denisovans and briefly reviews major Late Pleistocene discoveries from the last ten years of research in the Old World and their significance to the study of human evolution.
Enhanced detection of deleterious mutations by TTGE analysis of mother and child's DNA side by side.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders represent a group of het-erogeneous diseases that are caused by mutations in mtDNA. We examined 45 pairs of mother and the affected child, by screening the entire mitochondrial genome with temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE), using 32 pairs of overlapping primers. TTGE is an effective method of mutation detection. It detects and distinguishes heteroplasmic mutations from homoplasmic mutations. By running the mother and child’s DNA samples side by side and sequencing only the DNA fragments showing different TTGE patterns, excessive sequencing can be avoided, particularly because most sequence variations represent benign polymorphisms. Mutations identified by sequencing were further confirmed by PCR/ASO (allele-specific oligonucleotide) dot blot analysis or PCR/RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism). A total of seven differences in sequence between mother and child pairs were identified: A189G, T5580C., G5821A, C5840T, A8326G, G12207A, and G15995A. All but two mutations were novel. The most significant are the A8326G, G12207A, and G15595A mutations. The A8326G is located at the anticodon region of tRNALys, right next to the first nucleotide of the triplet codon, and it is highly conserved throughout evolution. The G12207A mutation is located at the first base of tRNAser (AGY). The G15995A mutation occurs at a stem region that results in the disruption of the first base pair at the anticodon loop of tRNAPro and is highly conserved throughout evolution from sea urchins to mammals. Running TTGE side by side with DNAs from mother and the affected child is a novel method to detect deleterious mutations.
Association testing to detect gene-gene interactions on sex chromosomes in trio data.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) occurs more often among males than females in a 4:1 ratio. Among theories used to explain the causes of ASD, the X chromosome and the Y chromosome theories attribute ASD to X-linked mutation and the male-limited gene expressions on the Y chromosome, respectively. Despite the rationale of the theory, studies have failed to attribute the sex-biased ratio to the signiﬁcant linkage or association on the regions of interest on X chromosome. We further study the gender biased ratio by examining the possible interaction effects between two genes in the sex chromosomes. We propose a logistic regression model with mixed effects to detect gene-gene interactions on sex chromosomes. We investigated the power and type I error rates of the approach for a range of minor allele frequencies and varying linkage disequilibrium between markers and QTLs. We also evaluated the robustness of the model to population stratiﬁcation. We applied the model to a trio-family data set with an ASD affected male child to study gene-gene interactions on sex chromosomes.
THE BEHAVIORAL COSTS OF ECONOMIC INSTABILITY

This paper reviews the literature reporting a connection between economic change and behavioral disorder. The literature is separated into individual and aggregate based research and the methodological issues raised by each approach are described. The implications of the research findings for illness prevention, remedial services and economic policy making are discussed. The authors argue that the social costs of mobile capital should be accounted and internalized because social justice as well as Economic and Psychological theory assume that an individual should bear the costs of his or her behavior.
Sensory and motor maps in the mammalian superior colliculus

Abstract The sudden onset of a novel or behaviorally significant stimulus usually triggers responses that orient the eyes, external ears, head and/or body toward the source of the stimulus. As a consequence, the reception of additional signals originating from the source, and the sensory guidance of appropriate limb and body movements are facilitated. Converging lines of evidence, derived from anatomical, electrophysiological and lesion experiments, indicate that the superior colliculus (SC) is an important part of the neural substrate for the generation of orienting responses, involved in both the localization of sensory stimuli and the initiation of orienting responses 1 .
PCSK9 Inhibitors: The Next Frontier in Low-Density Lipoprotein Lowering

Abstract The discovery and elucidation of the role of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) ushered in the statin group of drugs. These drugs, in addition to lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), result in a significant reduction in cardiovascular events (CVE) and mortality. Recently, a gain-of-function mutation in another protein, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), was reported to result in a FH phenotype by promoting degradation of the LDL-R. More importantly, loss-of-function mutations in the same gene resulted in low LDL-C and a reduction in CVE, making this an enticing target for drug development. Numerous strategies have been developed to target PCSK9, the most successful being monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind PCSK9. These mAbs have been shown to reduce LDL-C around 50% as either monotherapy with diet or in combination with statin therapy. In this short perspective, we discuss the biochemistry and biology of PCSK9...
Combining subsumption and binary methods: an object calculus with views

We presen t an object-oriented calculus whic hallows arbitrary hiding of methods in protot ypes, even in the presence of binary methods and friend functions. This combination of features permits complete control of the in terface a class exposes to the remainder of a program (which is of key importance for program readability, security and ease of maintenance), while still allowing complex in teractions with other classes belonging to the same module or softw are component.This result is made possible by the use of views. A view is a name that specifies an in terface to an object. A set of views is attached to each object and a method can be invoked either directly or via a view of the object.
Cardiac Hormones Target the Ras-MEK 1/2-ERK 1/2 Kinase Cancer Signaling Pathways

The heart is a sophisticated endocrine gland synthesizing the atrial natriuretic peptide prohormone which contains four peptide hormones, i.e., atrial natriuretic peptide, vessel dilator, kaliuretic peptide and long-acting natriuretic peptide, which decrease up to 97% of human pancreatic, breast, colon, prostate, kidney and ovarian carcinomas as well as small-cell and squamous cell lung cancer cells in cell culture. In vivo, these four cardiac hormones eliminate up to 80% of human pancreatic adenocarcinomas, two-thirds of human breast cancers, and up to 86% of human small-cell lung cancers growing in athymic mice. Their signaling in cancer cells includes inhibition of up to 95% of the basal activity of Ras, 98% inhibition of the phosphorylation of the MEK 1/2 kinases and 97% inhibition of the activation of basal activity of the ERK 1/2 kinases mediated via the intracellular messenger cyclic GMP. They also completely block the activity of mitogens such as epidermal growth factor's ability to stimulate ERK and Ras. They do not inhibit the activity of ERK in healthy cells such as human fibroblasts. The final step in their anticancer mechanism of action is that they enter the nucleus as demonstrated by immunocytochemical studies to inhibit DNA synthesis within cancer cells.
Naturalness of the Coleman-Glashow mass relation in the 1/N c expansion: An update

A new measurement of the ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{0}$ mass verifies the accuracy of the Coleman-Glashow relation at the level predicted by the ${1/N}_{c}$ expansion. Values for other baryon isospin mass splittings are updated, and continue to agree with the ${1/N}_{c}$ hierarchy.
Treatment of white phosphorus and other chemical burn injuries at one burn center over a 51-year period

Abstract Chemical burn injury meets the criteria of the American Burn Association for treatment at a specialized burn facility. Over a 51-year period, we have treated 276 patients with chemical burn injury including 146 white phosphorus injuries. In this study, we compare incidence, cause and outcome of chemical burn injury over time and review the management of white phosphorus injuries. Methods : Data for the period 1986–2000 was obtained by retrospective chart review. Data for the period 1950–1985 was obtained from previous studies and from retrospective chart review. Results : Chemical burn injury comprised 2.1% of all admissions between 1969 and 1985, and 2.07% between 1986 and 2000. The mean body surface area involved was 19.5% in the first 19 years of the study compared with 8.6% over the last 15 years. Mortality increased from 5.4% between 1950 and 1968 to 13.8% between 1969 and 1985. Mortality from 1986 to 2000 was 0%. Hospital length of stay decreased from a mean of 90 days in the first 19 years of the study to a mean of 15 days in the most recent 15-year period. The chemical responsible for injury was white phosphorus in 146 cases. Conclusions : Over time, the proportion of burn center admissions caused by chemical injury is constant, while the average total burn size, full thickness burn size, length of stay and mortality have decreased. During peacetime, the chemicals responsible are similar to those seen in civilian burn centers. The experience of this center with burns caused by white phosphorus is unique and needs to be maintained for future conflicts.
On the relative role of sea salt cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)

Contrasts between cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) spectral volatility (thermal fractionation) measurements in two aircraft field projects provide insight into the relative contribution of sea salt. During the much more cloudy Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) project there was a high correlation coefficient (R) between refractory (non-volatile) CCN concentrations (NCCN) and horizontal wind speed (U), especially for low supersaturation (S) NCCN, whereas this R was significantly lower in the nearly cloud free Pacific Aerosol Sulfur Experiment (PASE) project. Volatile NCCN at all S were uncorrelated with U. Ambient particle concentrations over a broad range of large sizes displayed consistently high R with U in both projects that was similar to the R of refractory NCCN with U in RICO. The size range of this high R extended down to 0.2 μm in RICO but only down to 9 μm in PASE. In both projects particle concentrations smaller than these respective sizes were highly correlated with NCCN, at all S in PASE, but mainly with NCCN at high S in RICO. In each project NCCN at all S was uncorrelated with all ambient particle concentrations larger than these same respective sizes. NCCN at all S was also uncorrelated with U in both projects. The contrast in cloudiness between the two projects was responsible for many of the differences noted between the two projects. The results indicate that the effects of clouds on NCCN play a major role in the relative influence of sea salt on NCCN and ultimately on climate. Sea salt is a minor component of maritime CCN except at high wind speeds especially at low S.
The fallen one: the inferior parathyroid gland that descends into the mediastinum.

Background Inferior parathyroid glands are located along the embryologic migration path of the thymus and can rest in the thyrothymic ligament or anterior mediastinum. Our nomenclature system designates these glands as "fallen" (type F) glands. This study reviews our experience with type F parathyroid glands to determine which can be retrieved successfully through a cervical incision. Study Design A retrospective review of patients who underwent parathyroidectomy between June 1998 and May 2008 was performed. Patient demographics, localization studies, and operative and pathologic reports were analyzed. Distance from the superior aspect of the clavicle to the target parathyroid gland was measured. Results Sixty (9.2%) patients had a type F parathyroid gland. Parathyroidectomy was performed through cervical incision in 54 (90%) patients and 6 (10%) required a thoracic approach. Preoperative imaging identified parathyroid glands located ≥6 cm below the superior aspect of the clavicle in eight patients. Of these, six (75%) required a thoracic approach and two (25%) were resected through a cervical incision with concomitant thymectomy. Parathyroidectomy was successfully performed through a cervical incision in all 52 (100%) patients in whom the target parathyroid gland was Conclusions A cervical approach allows successful retrieval of type F parathyroid glands located
Informational and arousal properties of olfaction.

Abstract The effects of lesions confined to the anterior tip of the olfactory bulbs on locomotor activity are dependent upon the extent of the animals' exposure to the testing environment. Rats habituated to the test situation are hypoactive, while those not habituated to the test situation are hyperactive. The apparent effects of olfactory deaffentation are to lower arousal level and to interfere with habituation to the testing environment.
Special Section Guest Editorial

This PDF file contains the editorial “Special Section Guest Editorial: Biomedical Optics and Women’s Health” for JBO Vol. 9 Issue 03
Secretion and localized transcription suggest a role in positional signaling for products of the segmentation gene hedgehog

The segment polarity genes engrailed and wingless are expressed in neighboring stripes of cells on opposite sides of the Drosophila parasegment boundary. Each gene is mutually required for maintenance of the other's expression; continued expression of both also requires several other segment polarity genes. We show here that one such gene, hedgehog, encodes a protein targeted to the secretory pathway and is expressed coincidently with engrailed in embryos and in imaginal discs; maintenance of the hedgehog expression pattern is itself dependent upon other segment polarity genes including engrailed and wingless. Expression of hedgehog thus functions in, and is sensitive to, positional signaling. These properties are consistent with the non-cell autonomous requirement for hedgehog in cuticular patterning and in maintenance of wingless expression.
Role of ERK1/2 in the differential synthesis of progesterone and estradiol by granulosa cells.

A major concept in mammalian ovarian physiology is that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) activates the granulosa cells (GCs) in the Graafian follicle to selectively produce estradiol, but not progesterone, during the follicular phase of the menstrual or estrous cycle. However, given the fact that FSH can induce production of both estradiol and progesterone by GCs cultured in vitro, it has been postulated for a long time that there is a factor present in the ovary that selectively prevents FSH-induced progesterone production. Here, we provide evidence that two members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (ERK1/2) can differentially regulate FSH-stimulated estradiol and progesterone production. Using primary rat GCs from early antral follicles cultured in serum-free medium for 48 h, we found that the addition of a specific inhibitor of ERK1/2 activation, U0126, caused the attenuation or enhancement of FSH-induced progesterone or estradiol production, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. Throughout the 48-h culture period in this culture system ERK1/2 molecules in their activated state (phospho-ERK1/2) were clearly detectable in GCs exposed to FSH. The addition of U0126 caused a decrease in the levels of phosphorylated but not unphosphorylated ERK1/2 which was maintained throughout the 48-h culture, suggesting that U0126 was continuously active to inhibit the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. The divergent regulation of FSH-induced progesterone and estradiol synthesis by U0126 was further supported by demonstrating that U0126 inhibits and stimulates FSH-induced mRNA levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and P450 aromatase, respectively. Collectively, this study clearly identified ERK1/2 as the first intracellular signaling molecules that differentially regulate FSH-induced progesterone and estradiol synthesis in GCs.
College teacher immediacy and student ratings of instruction

This study examined the relationship between college student perceptions of teacher immediacy and student ratings of instruction. Two hundred sixty‐six students responded to instruments designed to measure the frequency of teachers' verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors and to gather students' perceptions of quality of instruction. Significant positive correlations were found between immediacy and student ratings of instruction. Students who observed frequent verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors in their professors were more inclined to give high ratings to such things as the overall quality of instruction and value of the course. In particular, verbal and nonverbal immediacy were strong predictors of ratings of faculty/student interaction and lectures/communication. Post hoc analyses confirmed that class size, subject area, and students' expected grade may influence immediacy scores as well as student ratings. The findings of this study have theoretical and methodological implications for instruct...
Compromised access to prescriptions and medical care because of cost among US adults with arthritis.

Introduction Study objectives were to: 1) determine the magnitude of three outcomes (prescription unaffordable, care delayed and needed care not obtained) related to cost-attributable compromised medical care access among US adults ≥18 years with and without arthritis and 2) identify US adults with arthritis with the highest levels of these outcomes. Materials and methods We analysed 2009–2011 US National Health Interview Survey data and estimated prevalence of outcomes by arthritis status and, among people with arthritis, by socio-demographic, medical care access and health status characteristics. Unadjusted and multivariable (MV) adjusted (prevalence ratios) PRs quantified associations between each outcome and arthritis status, and, among people with arthritis, selected characteristics. Number and proportion of adults with arthritis without health insurance coverage were estimated. Results Outcomes were more prevalent (statistically-significant) among those with arthritis than those without: prescription unaffordable = 14% (9%), care delayed = 14% (11%) and needed care not obtained = 11% (8%). Outcomes were marginally more likely (statistically significant) among adults with arthritis than those without (range MV PRs = 1.2–1.3). Among those with arthritis, the uninsured had the highest prevalence of, and were most likely to have, each outcome (MV PRs: prescription unaffordable = 3.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.6–4.4), delayed care = 4.7 (95% CI = 3.9–5.7) and needed care not obtained = 5.9 (95% CI = 4.7–7.5) (referent: those with both public and private coverage)). An estimated 4.5 million adults with arthritis were uninsured. Conclusions Cost-attributable compromised access is common among US adults with arthritis; they are also slightly more likely than those without arthritis to have compromised care. Compromised access is highest among the uninsured. For those with limited access, convenient, inexpensive and proven community-based strategies that improve physical and psychosocial health may be especially practical.
Divorce Adjustment Groups are Not for All Divorcees.

This article provides information about individuals who dropped out of postdivorce-adjustment groups and proposes guidelines to assist counselors in the screening process for divorce groups.
Renal cell carcinoma metastatic to the pancreas: a single-institution series and review of the literature

Abstract Objectives. To present a series of 5 patients with solitary metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to the pancreas after radical nephrectomy at our institution and review the published reports of this rare event. Methods. A retrospective review of the records of 5 patients with histologically confirmed RCC metastatic to the pancreas after radical nephrectomy was performed. A total of 5 patients (4 men, 1 woman) with a median age of 56 years (range 54 to 68) underwent radical nephrectomy for primary RCC. The pathologic stage was Robson I (n = 3) or Robson III (n = 2), with a left-sided tumor occurring in 3 patients and a right-sided tumor in 2 patients. The median interval from nephrectomy to the diagnosis of the pancreatic metastasis was 12 years (range 4 to 15). All patients were symptomatic at presentation, including weight loss (n = 3), abdominal pain (n = 3), early satiety (n = 1), steatorrhea (n = 1), and/or hemosuccus pancreaticus (n = 1). Results. All pancreatic metastases were hypervascular on imaging studies, and surgical removal was accomplished by pancreaticoduodenectomy (n = 3), partial pancreatectomy (n = 1), or subtotal pancreatectomy (n = 1). One patient died of disseminated disease 12 months after pancreatic resection. Two other patients had recurrences in the lung (n = 1) at 5 months or the pancreas/liver (n = 1) at 48 months. Both of these patients underwent a second resection and were disease free at 2 and 12 months afterward. The two remaining patients were disease free at 7 and 24 months after pancreatic resection. Conclusions. RCC is an unpredictable tumor that may demonstrate very late metastases even from early-stage lesions. Aggressive surgical management of isolated pancreatic lesions offers a chance of long-term survival.
Boosting the performance of computing systems through adaptive configuration tuning

Good system performance depends on the correct setting of its configuration parameters. It is observed that such optimal configuration relies on the incoming workload of the system. In this paper, we utilize the Markov decision process (MDP) theory and present a reinforcement learning strategy to discover the complex relationship between the system workload and the corresponding optimal configuration. Considering the limitations of current reinforcement learning algorithms used in system management, we present a different learning architecture to facilitate the configuration tuning task which includes two units: the actor and critic. While the actor realizes a stochastic policy that maps the system state to the corresponding configuration setting, the critic uses a value function to provide the reinforcement feedback to the actor. Both the actor and critic are implemented by multiple layer neural networks, and the error back-propagation algorithm is used to adjust the network weights based on the temporal difference error produced in the learning. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed learning process can identify the correct configuration tuning rule which in turn improves the system performance significantly.
Atomic-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy in crystalline solids

Abstract In this paper we discuss the incoherent imaging of crystals under zone axis conditions at atomic resolution, comparing the conditions necessary with elastically and inelastically scattered electrons. In both cases, for a weakly scattering object, it can be shown that collecting all scattered electrons will lead to an incoherent image, a convolution of the probe intensity profile with an appropriate elastic or inelastic object function. In the elastic case we show how the “hole-in-the-detector” problem is circumvented by use of an annular detector with a sufficiently large inner radius. In the inelastic case, a theorem due to Ritchie and Howie first indicated the feasibility of incoherent imaging at atomic resolution. We discuss the object function for this case using a hydrogenic model developed by Maslan and Rossouw, which indicates that atomic resolution is possible for losses above a few hundred eV. Probe channeling is found to be a central concept in extending the validity of these weak scattering results to the important case of thick crystals. This allows us to demonstrate atomic resolution spectroscopy experimentally at a CoSi 2 Si(111) epitaxial interface using the Co L-loss.
Structural and optical properties of nanocrystalline ZnO thin films synthesized by the citrate precursor route

Abstract Nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been deposited by spin-coating polymeric precursors synthesized by the citrate precursor route using ethylene glycol and citric acid as chelating agents. The ZnO thin films were annealed in air at different temperatures for 10 min. The films were characterized by different structural and optical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical transmission spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). The thermal decomposition of polymeric precursor was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). XRD analysis with grazing incidence and rocking curves indicate that the ZnO films are polycrystalline with preferential orientation along the c -axis direction with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.31° for 600 °C-annealed samples. On annealing, the texturing in films increased along with a decrease in FWHM. AFM micrographs illustrate that the ZnO films are crack-free with well-dispersed homogeneous and uniformly distributed spherical morphology. The synthesized ZnO thin films have transparency >85% in the visible region exhibiting band edge at 375 nm, which becomes sharper with anneal. Room temperature PL spectra of these films show strong ultraviolet (UV) emission around 392 nm with an increase in intensity with annealing temperature, attributed to grain growth. Deconvolution of the PL spectra reveals that there is coupling of free excitons with higher orders of longitudinal optical (LO) phonon replicas leading to a broad asymmetric near-band-edge peak.
The Clinical Utility of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Suspected or Confirmed Myocardial Ischemia

Heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with coronary artery disease (CAD) representing more than half of all cardiovascular events. Stable patients presenti...
Looking Good Versus Feeling Good: An Investigation of Media Frames of Health Advice and Their Effects on Women’s Body-related Self-perceptions

The present research had two goals: (1) to document how health advice is framed on the covers of women’s health magazines, and (2) to investigate whether exposure to appearance frames (i.e., do something in order to look better) affected women’s body-related self-perceptions compared to health frames (i.e., to do something in order to feel better). Study 1, a content analysis of 426 cover headlines on the five highest-circulating women’s health magazines in the United States, revealed that appearance frames were just as prevalent as health frames. Study 2, an experiment conducted on 103 U.S. undergraduate women, showed that those assigned to appearance frames reported more body shame and appearance-related motivation to exercise than women assigned to health frames.
1 Demonstration of Coupled Oxidative Phosphorylation in the Fetal Heart

It has been recognized that newborn and fetal mammals exhibit greater resistance to the effects of anoxia than adults. This has been attributed to the prominence of glycolysis as an energy yielding pathway in early life. Since the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in the developing heart has not been assessed previously, the present investigation was undertaken. Heart mitochondria were isolated from the bovine fetus estimated by the crown-rump length and weight to range from 65 to 160 days gestational age. Mitochondrial efficiency was determined from ADP/O ratios and respiratory control values. Substrates entering the two flavoprotein limbs of the respiratory chain were utilized. ADP/O ratios obtained with glutamatemalate, a DPNH linked substrate, were above two in all and approached 3 in the five animals in the younger (65 to 80 day) group. With succinate as the substrate values were above one with many approaching two. Thus for both substrates ratios were in the normal adult range. All preparations exhibited respiratory control values considered normal for mitochondria isolated from the mature heart (average ratios above 6). Specimens oxidized the substrates readily with no apparent age relationship. Under the conditions of the isolation procedure employed, mitochondrial yields from the fetal hearts were generally half of those from the adult tissue. These preliminary data indicate that the machinery of oxidative phosphorylation in the developing heart is intact and functionally similar to that of the adult. (Supported in part by Massachusetts Heart Association) (SPR)
Essential Communication Strategies for Scientists, Engineers, and Technology Professionals, Second Edition. Herbert L. Hirsch. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003, 183 pp., $24.95, softcover. ISBN 0-471-27317-1.

This compact volume sets out to tackle a wide range of communication challenges that we face every day. The focus of the work is on ways to effectively communicate our knowledge and ideas, with less emphasis on the mechanics of producing documents and presentations. The book is arranged in a logical manner, starting with the most controllable communication, the written document, moving next to formal presentations, and finally on to …
Using Information Technology for Strategic Growth from Single-Mission Transportation Company to Multi-Faceted Global Logistics Corporation

Businesses involved in logistics and supply chain management rely on information technology to deliver services "on time" with highest productivity. One such business began in 1971 as a single-service trucking company known as O-J Transport. It later expanded its capabilities and diversified its mission to become The O-J Group, a multiservice transportation and logistics enterprise. Strategically seizing opportunities, the CEO in 1998 expanded the company to become a global supplier to the automotive divisions whose mission is to optimize the customerâ€™s supply chain infrastructures and processes by designing and implementing complex supply chain solutions and leveraging information technology to reduce costs and improve service. This study assesses the diffusion of information technology within the compnay by exploring the evolution of its technological infrastructure using Windleyâ€™s (2002) e-government maturity model to evaluate JGIâ€™s adoption of goverment-to-business initiatives.
Intracellular pH Regulates Transitions Between Dormancy and Development of Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina) Embryos

The intracellular pH(pHi)of encysted gastrula-stage embryos of the brine shrip, Artemia, as previously shown by in vivo phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, increases by more than 1 unit during arousal from cryptobiotic dormancy and decreases by the same amount during reinduction of dormancy. These changes in pHi are now shown to be a fundamental regulator of the transitions between dormancy and metabolism: acidification of activated embryo pHi by more than 1 unit with carbon dioxide induced a state comparable to natural dormancy, while alkalinization of dormant embryo pHi with the weak base ammonia terminated natural dormancy. This demonstration of pHi-mediated regulation of cryptobiotic dormancy extends the known scope for pHi as a regulator of development to include multicellular stages of the metazoan life cycle.
Enhanced desoxyribonucleic acid accumulation and retarded protein accumulation in skeletal muscle of hypophysectomized chick embryos.

Hormonal regulation of the chemical composition of developing skeletal muscle was examined by the use of chick embryos in which the prosencephalon was surgically removed at Hamburger-Hamilton stages 10 to 12. Control and operated animals were sacrificed at two-day intervals from the 10th through the 20th day of development and homogenates ofleg muscle prepared and assayed for DNA, RNA and protein nitrogen content. Muscle fresh weight in the experimental group is normal on the sixteenth day but thereafter increases at a significantly slower rate than in the control group. On the 16th day of development both the RNA and protein nitrogen content of the leg muscle in the experimental embryos are significantly lower than the control levels. However, although the differences in protein nitrogen content in the two groups becomes progressively larger the initially observed differences in RNA levels is maintained throughout the remainder of the experimental period. In contrast to the other growth parameters studie...
Epstein-Barr Virus and Other Herpesvirus Infections in Kawasaki Syndrome

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a possible cause of Kawasaki syndrome (KS), is not pathenogenically associated with KS in Hawaii. The prevalence of EBV capsid antibody in KS patients was found not to differ significantly from that in controls, and the antibody response in those infected with EBV was the same as that in other children similarly infected. No EBV was isolated from acute-phase patients. All patients with capsid antibody at the onset of KS also had Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen antibody: 36 patients developed antibody within 3 months after onset of KS; in 10, EBV infection could have been coincidental with the disease. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was isolated from 9 patients with KS and 10 controls. A similar number of controls and patients had antibody to human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6); one patient seroconverted. None of the herpes viruses (EBV, CMV, HHV6, varicella-zoster virus, or herpes simplex virus) plays a unique or dominant role in the etiology or pathogenesis of KS in Hawaii.
Using Benefit-Based Tailored Treatment to Improve the Use of Antihypertensive Medications

Background—Current guidelines for prescribing antihypertensive medications focus on reaching specific blood pressure targets. We sought to determine whether antihypertensive medications could be used more effectively by a treatment strategy based on tailored estimates of cardiovascular disease events prevented. Methods and Results—We developed a nationally representative sample of American adults aged 30 to 85 years with no history of myocardial infarction, stroke, or severe congestive heart failure using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. We then created a simulation model to estimate the effects of 5 years of treatment with treat-to-target (treatment to specific blood pressure goals) and benefit-based tailored treatment (treatment based on estimated cardiovascular disease event reduction) approaches to antihypertensive medication management. All effect size estimates were derived directly from meta-analyses of randomized trials. We found that 55% of the overall population of 176 m...
Phytoestrogens and lipoproteins in women.

Objectives: We undertook a study to evaluate relationships among blood phytoestrogen levels, lipoprotein levels, estrogen levels, and angiographically defined coronary artery disease in women. Background: Evidence for a beneficial role and the potential mechanism(s) of plant estrogens (phytoestrogens) on blood lipoproteins in humans is controversial. Methods: We evaluated 483 women enrolled in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation with coronary risk factors undergoing coronary angiography for evaluation for suspected ischemia for blood phytoestrogen levels (daidzein and genistein), lipoprotein levels [total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C)], estrogen levels (estradiol, bioavailable estradiol, estrone), and angiographic coronary artery disease using core laboratories. Results: Higher blood levels of the phytoestrogen daidzein were associated with lower triglycerides (P = 0.01)...
Triggerable Continuum Source for Single-shot Ultra-fast Applications

In this paper, we demonstrate a triggerable continuum source based on a modulated DFB laser. Such a source eliminates the need to synchronize a mode-locked-laser with an incoming signal in applications such as spectroscopy and wideband signal processing