bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase III Double-Blind Trial of Arzoxifene Compared With Tamoxifen for Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Deshmane VijayaLaxmi , Krishnamurthy S. , Melemed Allen S. , Peterson Patrick , Buzdar Aman U.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

To compare the efficacy of arzoxifene with tamoxifen for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Patients and Methods

Women with estrogen- or progesterone-receptor–positive breast cancer who had not received prior systemic therapy, or who had relapsed more than 12 months after stopping adjuvant hormonal therapy, were randomly assigned to receive 20 mg arzoxifene or 20 mg tamoxifen daily. Each treatment arm was to have 240 patients enrolled. The primary end point was progression-free survival. Secondary end points included other measures of tumor response, overall survival, and safety.

Results

Enrollment was stopped when a planned interim analysis of the first 200 patients suggested arzoxifene to be significantly inferior to tamoxifen. The median progression-free survival for the 352 patients who had been randomly assigned when enrollment was stopped was 4.0 months (95% CI, 3.4 to 5.6 months) for the arzoxifene group and 7.5 months (95% CI, 5.9 to 8.8 months) for the tamoxifen group. On-study progression-free survival (P = .011) and time to treatment failure (P = .029) also favored tamoxifen. Overall tumor response rate and median response duration were comparable between the groups. Adverse events were similar between the treatments, except for nausea (more frequent with arzoxifene) and vaginal discharge (more frequent with tamoxifen).

Conclusion

Tamoxifen produced significantly longer progression-free survival and time to treatment failure compared with arzoxifene in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. There were no significant differences between tumor response rate, clinical benefit rate, or median response duration.
Projecting Individualized Probabilities of Developing Bladder Cancer in White Individuals
Authors: Wu Xifeng , Lin Jie , Grossman H. Barton , Huang Maosheng , Gu Jian , Etzel Carol J. , Amos Christopher I. , Dinney Colin P. , Spitz Margaret R.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

There has been no risk assessment model for bladder cancer (BC). We developed the first model incorporating mutagen sensitivity and epidemiologic factors to predict BC risk.

Patients and Methods

We used epidemiologic and genetic data from a large case-control study to build the models and constructed receiver operating characteristic curves. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate model discriminatory ability. We also projected absolute risk of developing BC by taking into account competing causes of death.

Results

The study included 678 white BC patients and 678 controls. Significant risk factors in the epidemiologic model included pack-years smoked and exposures to diesel, aromatic amines, dry cleaning fluids, radioactive materials, and arsenic. This model yielded good discriminatory ability (AUC = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.73). When mutagen sensitivity data were incorporated, the AUC increased to 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72 to 0.82). The models showed excellent concordance in the internal validation. We also computed an easy to use ordinal risk score and provided examples for projecting absolute risk.

Conclusion

We have developed the first risk prediction model for BC. The enhanced model integrating the genetic factor exhibited excellent discriminatory ability. Our model only requires an individual to answer a few simple questions during a clinic visit to project individualized probability. This model may be used as a basis for developing a Web-based tool for BC risk assessment. Validation of our model in an external population is an essential next step towards practical use in the clinical setting.
Neuropsychological Outcomes From a Randomized Trial of Triple Intrathecal Chemotherapy Compared With 18 Gy Cranial Radiation As CNS Treatment in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Findings From Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Protocol 95-01
Authors: Waber Deborah P. , Turek Jennifer , Catania Lori , Stevenson Kristen , Robaey Philippe , Romero Ivonne , Adams Heather , Alyman Cheryl , Jandet-Brunet Christine , Neuberg Donna S. , Sallan Stephen E. , Silverman Lewis B.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

We evaluated late neuropsychological toxicity in children treated for standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were randomly assigned to receive either cranial radiation therapy (CRT) with double intrathecal (IT) chemotherapy or intensive triple IT chemotherapy (no CRT) as CNS-directed therapy.

Patients and Methods

Between 1996 and 2000, 164 children with standard-risk ALL treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Consortium Protocol 95-01 were randomly assigned to receive either 18 Gy CRT delivered in twice daily fractions (0.9 Gy) with double IT therapy (methotrexate and cytarabine) or intensive triple IT drug (methotrexate, cytarabine and hydrocortisone) without CRT. Neuropsychological testing was completed at a median 6 years postdiagnosis for 79 children (CRT, n = 39; triple IT, n = 40), all of whom were in continuous complete remission.

Results

Cognitive function for both groups was solidly in the average range, with no consistent group differences in basic cognitive skills. Children treated on the CRT plus double IT arm did, however, exhibit less fluent output and were less effective at modulating their behavior by parent report.

Conclusion

This randomized trial revealed only subtle differences 6 years after diagnosis between children who received CNS therapy as CRT plus double IT drug or as intensive triple IT drug. In most situations where comparable therapeutic efficacy can be achieved without CRT, it is preferable to do so. Where therapeutically necessary, however, CRT at lower doses may not add risk for significant neurotoxicity.
Survival in Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer Treated With Hormone Therapy: A Quantitative Systematic Review
Authors: Antonarakis Emmanuel S. , Blackford Amanda L. , Garrett-Mayer Elizabeth , Eisenberger Mario A.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

We aimed to describe disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in men with localized or locally advanced prostate cancer receiving immediate hormone therapy as adjunct to radiation therapy, adjunct to radical prostatectomy, or stand-alone therapy.

Materials and Methods

A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CancerLit, the Cochrane Library, and Current Contents (from 1986 to September 2006) yielded 35 high-quality clinical trials (n = 11,105 patients) which formed the evidence base. Selected studies were required to address early hormone therapy in nonmetastatic prostate cancer only. Data on DFS and OS were extracted from individual trials, summarized statistically, and displayed in graphic form.

Results

Survival probabilities were extracted from 16 trials (n = 5,987 patients) addressing hormone therapy as an adjunct to radiation therapy, 11 trials (n = 1,885 patients) investigating hormone therapy as an adjunct to prostatectomy, and 10 trials (n = 3,233 patients) evaluating hormone therapy alone. In men receiving hormones and radiation, estimated 5-year DFS and OS were 52% and 82%, whereas median DFS and OS were 5.4 years and more than 7 years, respectively. In men receiving hormones and surgery, 5-year DFS and OS were 64% and 90%, whereas median DFS and OS were more than 6 years and more than 7 years, respectively. In men receiving hormones alone, 5-year DFS and OS were 57% and 70%, whereas median DFS and OS were 6.0 years and more than 7 years, respectively.

Conclusion

This systematic review provides a new baseline for expected DFS and OS in patients treated with hormone therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Survival in these men may be longer than estimated previously.
Prospective Randomized Study of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy on Salivary Gland Function in Early-Stage Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Kam Michael K.M. , Leung Sing-Fai , Zee Benny , Chau Ricky M.C. , Suen Joyce J.S. , Mo Frankie , Lai Maria , Ho Rosalie , Cheung Kin-yin , Yu Brian K.H. , Chiu Samuel K.W. , Choi Peter H.K. , Teo Peter M.L. , Kwan Wing-hong , Chan Anthony T.C.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

This randomized trial compared the rates of delayed xerostomia between two-dimensional radiation therapy (2DRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in the treatment of early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Patients and Methods

Between November 2001 and December 2003, 60 patients with T1-2bN0-1M0 NPC were randomly assigned to receive either IMRT or 2DRT. Primary end point was incidence of observer-rated severe xerostomia at 1 year after treatment based on Radiotherapy Oncology Group /European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer late radiation morbidity scoring criteria. Parallel assessment with patient-reported outcome, stimulated parotid flow rate (SPFR), and stimulated whole saliva flow rate (SWSFR) were also made.

Results

At 1 year after treatment, patients in IMRT arm had lower incidence of observer-rated severe xerostomia than patients in the 2DRT arm (39.3% v 82.1%; P = .001), parallel with a higher fractional SPFR (0.90 v 0.05; P < .0001), and higher fractional SWSFR (0.41 v 0.20; P = .001). As for patient's subjective feeling, although a trend of improvement in patient-reported outcome was observed after IMRT, recovery was incomplete and there was no significant difference in patient-reported outcome between the two arms.

Conclusion

IMRT is superior to 2DRT in preserving parotid function and results in less severe delayed xerostomia in the treatment of early-stage NPC. Incomplete improvement in patient's subjective xerostomia with parotid-sparing IMRT reflects the need to enhance protection of other salivary glands.
Relationship Between Depth of Response and Outcome in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Dingli David , Pacheco Jorge M. , Nowakowski Grzegorz S. , Kumar Shaji K. , Dispenzieri Angela , Hayman Suzanne R. , Lacy Martha Q. , Gastineau Dennis A. , Gertz Morie A.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

High-dose therapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation (HDT-ASCT) is now almost standard therapy for many patients with multiple myeloma, partly because of higher complete response (CR) rates. Some studies suggest that tandem transplantation gives superior results. The aim of this study was to determine whether the depth of the response to HDT-ASCT leads to an improvement in time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). We hypothesized that patients with CR before HDT-ASCT (BCR) will have their disease burden reduced further and experience a longer TTP and perhaps OS.

Patients and Methods

All patients who achieved BCR or CR after HDT-ASCT (ACR) were identified. The characteristics and long-term outcome of these patients were evaluated.

Results

We identified 14 patients with BCR and 103 patients with ACR who were treated in similar fashion. The patients have been followed for more than 6 years, and the median for OS has not been reached (60-month survival, 55% for BCR and 63% for ACR; P = .83). The median TTP was 43 months for BCR and 34 months for ACR (P = .39).

Conclusion

The depth of the response in myeloma does not necessarily lead to an improvement in TTP and OS. Tumor dynamics considerations show that the yield from sequential cycles of chemotherapy decreases. Patients who achieve CR with the first transplant can be safely observed without jeopardizing OS.
Randomized Clinical Trial Design for Assessing Noninferiority When Superiority Is Expected
Authors: Freidlin Boris , Korn Edward L. , George Stephen L. , Gray Robert
Published: October 2007

The randomized clinical trial (RCT) is the gold standard for definitive evaluation of new therapies. RCTs designed to show that the therapeutic efficacy of a new therapy is not unacceptably inferior to that of standard therapy are called noninferiority trials. Traditionally, noninferiority trials have required very large sample sizes. Sometimes, a new treatment regimen with a favorable toxicity and/or tolerability profile is also expected to have some modest improvement in efficacy. In such specialized settings we describe a hybrid trial-design approach that requires a dramatically smaller sample size than that of a standard noninferiority design. This hybrid design can naturally incorporate a formal test of superiority as well as noninferiority.
Phase I Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of Temozolomide in Pediatric Patients With Refractory or Recurrent Leukemia: A Children's Oncology Group Study
Authors: Horton Terzah M. , Thompson Patrick A. , Berg Stacey L. , Adamson Peter C. , Ingle Ashish M. , Dolan M. Eileen , Delaney Shannon M. , Hedge Madhuri , Weiss Heidi L. , Wu Meng-Fen , Blaney Susan M.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

To determine the tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and mechanisms of temozolomide resistance in children with relapsed or refractory leukemia.

Patients and Methods

Cohorts of three to six patients received 200 or 260 mg/m2/d of temozolomide by mouth daily for 5 days every 28 days. Toxicities, clinical response, and pharmacokinetics were evaluated. Pretreatment leukemia cell O6-methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) activity, tumor and plasma MGMT promoter methylation, and microsatellite instability (MSI) were examined in 14 of 16 study patients and in tissue bank samples from children with acute leukemia not treated with temozolomide (MGMT, n = 67; MSI, n = 65).

Results

Sixteen patients (nine female, seven male; acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], n = 8; acute myeloid leukemia [AML], n = 8), median age 11 years (range, 1 to 19 years), received either 200 mg/m2/d (nine enrolled, three assessable for toxicity) or 260 mg/m2/d (seven enrolled, three assessable for toxicity) of temozolomide. Temozolomide was well tolerated and no dose-limiting toxicities occurred. The mean clearance of temozolomide was 107 mL/min/m2, with a volume of distribution of 20 L/m2 and half-life of 109 minutes. MGMT activity in leukemia cells was quite variable and was highest in patients with relapsed ALL. Only one patient had MSI. Two patients had a partial response. Both of these patients had no detectable MGMT activity; both also had methylated MGMT promoters and were MSI stable.

Conclusion

Temozolomide was well tolerated at doses as high as 260 mg/m2/d for 5 days in children with relapsed or refractory leukemia. Increased MGMT activity may account for the temozolomide resistance in children with relapsed leukemia. Leukemia cell MGMT activity was higher in pediatric ALL than AML (P < .0001).
Translation of Innovative Designs Into Phase I Trials
Authors: Rogatko André , Schoeneck David , Jonas William , Tighiouart Mourad , Khuri Fadlo R. , Porter Alan
Published: October 2007

Purpose

Phase I clinical trials of new anticancer therapies determine suitable doses for further testing. Optimization of their design is vital in that they enroll cancer patients whose well-being is distinctly at risk. This study examines the effectiveness of knowledge transfer about more effective statistical designs to clinical practice.

Methods

We examined abstract records of cancer phase I trials from the Science Citation Index database between 1991 and 2006 and classified them into clinical (dose-finding trials) and statistical trials (methodologic studies of dose-escalation designs). We then mapped these two sets by tracking which trials adopted new statistical designs.

Results

One thousand two hundred thirty-five clinical and 90 statistical studies were identified. Only 1.6% of the phase I cancer trials (20 of 1,235 trials) followed a design proposed in one of the statistical studies. These 20 clinical studies showed extensive lags between publication of the statistical paper and its translation into a clinical paper. These 20 clinical trials followed Bayesian adaptive designs. The remainder used variations of the standard up-and-down method.

Conclusion

A consequence of using less effective designs is that more patients are treated with doses outside the therapeutic window. Simulation studies have shown that up-and-down designs treated only 35% of patients at optimal dose levels versus 55% for Bayesian adaptive designs. This implies needless loss of treatment efficacy and, possibly, lives. We suggest that regulatory agencies (eg, US Food and Drug Administration) should proactively encourage the adoption of statistical designs that would allow more patients to be treated at near-optimal doses while controlling for excessive toxicity.
Incidence of Neuroblastoma After a Screening Program
Authors: Barrette Stéphane , Bernstein Mark L. , Robison Leslie L. , Samson Yvan , Brossard Josée , Weitzman Sheila , Woods William G.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

A significant increase in the incidence of neuroblastoma occurred among a 5-year birth cohort (May 1989 to April 1994) during an active urinary screening program for its early detection. We examined the postscreening incidence of neuroblastoma in the subsequent 5-year birth cohort (May 1994 to April 1999), with follow-up to 2002, to determine whether the incidence remained increased.

Patients and Methods

We reviewed institutional records of patients diagnosed with neuroblastoma during the period from 1994 to 2002 who were born in 1994 to 1999 in the province of Quebec, as well as in the state of Minnesota and the province of Ontario, regions that had served as controls during the screening interval. We calculated and compared incidence rates during the 1994 to 2002 time period.

Results

For the 5-year birth cohort as a whole, the rate of newly diagnosed neuroblastoma was higher in Quebec than in the control populations of Minnesota and Ontario (standardized incidence ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.70). However, in years 4 and 5 of the interval, population-based incidence declined to the same levels as those seen in the control areas.

Conclusion

The institution of a urinary screening program for neuroblastoma led to increased awareness of the diagnosis and an elevated rate of diagnosis even after the completion of the screening evaluation. However, this halo effect was transient, with diagnostic rates subsequently decreasing within the range seen in control populations.
Phase I Trial of Gefitinib in Combination With Radiation or Chemoradiation for Patients With Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Chen Changhu , Kane Madeleine , Song John , Campana John , Raben Adam , Hu Kenneth , Harrison Louis , Quon Harry , Dancey Janet , Baron Anna , Said Sherif , Eckhardt S. Gail , Raben David
Published: October 2007

Purpose

To establish the safety and toxicity profile of daily gefitinib with radiation alone or with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in previously untreated patients with locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer (LAHNC).

Patients and Methods

Patients with intermediate-stage LAHNC were treated with concomitant boost radiation (RT) alone with escalating doses of daily gefitinib (250 or 500 mg; cohort I). Once a safety profile was determined with RT alone, patients with high-risk disease were then treated with daily gefitinib (250 or 500 mg), weekly cisplatin (CDDP; 30 mg/m2), and once-daily RT (cohort II). Patients also received post-RT gefitinib at 250 mg daily for a period of up to 2 years.

Results

Twenty-three patients were enrolled and assessable for toxicity. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed in patients treated in cohort I at either 250 or 500 mg of gefitinib daily with concomitant boost RT to 72 Gy. In patients receiving chemoradiotherapy and gefitinib (cohort II), DLTs included one grade 4 diarrhea and one grade 4 neutropenic fever. Fifteen patients started maintenance gefitinib, and eight (53%) experienced grade 1 to 2 acne-like skin rash and diarrhea, but no grade 3 or 4 toxicity occurred.

Conclusion

Gefitinib (250 or 500 mg daily) was well tolerated with concomitant boost RT or concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly CDDP. Protracted administration of gefitinib for up to 2 years at 250 mg daily was also tolerated well.
Errors in Cancer Diagnosis: Current Understanding and Future Directions
Authors: Singh Hardeep , Sethi Saurabh , Raber Martin , Petersen Laura A.
Published: October 2007

Purpose

Errors in cancer diagnosis are likely the most harmful and expensive types of diagnostic errors. We reviewed the literature to understand the prevalence, origins, and prevention of errors in cancer diagnosis, focusing on common cancers for which early diagnosis offers clear benefit (melanoma and cancers of the breast, colon, and lung).

Methods

We searched the Cochrane Library and PubMed from 1966 until April 2007 for publications that met our review criteria and manually searched references of key publications. Our search yielded 110 studies, of which nine were prospective studies and the remaining were retrospective studies.

Results

Errors in cancer diagnosis were not uncommon in autopsy studies and were associated with significant harm and expense in malpractice claims. Literature on prevalence was scant. For each type of cancer, we classified preventable errors according to their origins in patient-physician encounters in the clinic setting, diagnostic test or procedure performance, pathologic confirmation of diagnosis, follow-up of patient or test result, or patient-related delays.

Conclusion

The literature reflects advanced knowledge of contributory factors and prevention for diagnostic errors related to the performance of procedures and imaging tests and emerging understanding of pathology errors. However, prospective studies are few, as are studies of diagnostic errors arising from the clinical encounter and patient follow-up. Future research should examine further the system and cognitive problems that lead to the many contributory factors we identified, and address interdisciplinary interventions to prevent errors in cancer diagnosis.
A Squaraine-based Near-infrared Dye with Bright Fluorescence and Solvatochromic Property
Authors: Umezawa Keitaro , Citterio Daniel , Suzuki Koji
Published: November 2007

We report a newly synthesized squaraine-based fluorescent dye (KSQ-2) with excellent and useful optical characteristics such as a sharp near-infrared (NIR) emission at 751 nm, an extremely high fluorescence quantum yield (φ=0.56 in cyclohexane), and linear positive solvatochromic properties in the spectral region around 780 nm.
Enantioselective Microbial Oxidation of Allyl Alcohols
Authors: Matsumoto Kazutsugu , Kawabata Yoichi , Okada Satoshi , Takahashi Jun , Hashimoto Key , Nagai Yuto , Tatsuta Junichi , Hatanaka Minoru
Published: November 2007

A new route to the optically active allyl alcohols by microbial oxidation is disclosed. Yamadazyma farinosa IFO 10896, a yeast, efficiently catalyzes the enantioselective oxidation of allyl alcohols to afford the corresponding optically active alcohols as the remaining substrates. This reaction is applicable to both cyclic and acyclic compounds.
A Shortest-Paths Heuristic for Statistical Data Protection in Positive Tables
Authors: Castro Jordi
Published: November 2007

National statistical agencies (NSAs) routinely release large amounts of tabular information. Prior to dissemination, tabular data need to be processed to avoid disclosure of individual confidential information. Cell suppression is one of the most widely used techniques by NSAs. Optimal procedures for cell suppression are computationally expensive with large real-world data sets, so heuristic procedures are used. Most heuristics for positive tables (i.e., cell values are nonnegative) rely on the solution of minimum-cost network-flows subproblems. A very efficient heuristic based on shortest paths already exists, but it is only appropriate for general tables (i.e., cell values can be either positive or negative), whereas in practice most tables are positive. We present a method that sensibly combines and improves previous approaches, overcoming some of their drawbacks: it is designed for positive tables and requires only the solution of shortest-path subproblems—therefore being much more efficient than other network-flows heuristics. We report extensive computational experience in the solution of randomly generated and real-world instances, comparing the heuristic with alternative procedures. The results show that the method, currently included in a software package for statistical data protection, fits NSA needs: it is extremely efficient and provides good solutions.
Variable Neighborhood Search for the Pickup and Delivery Traveling Salesman Problem with LIFO Loading
Authors: Carrabs Francesco , Cordeau Jean-François , Laporte Gilbert
Published: November 2007

This paper addresses a variation of the traveling salesman problem with pickup and delivery in which loading and unloading operations have to be executed in a last-in-first-out (LIFO) order. We introduce three new local search operators for this problem, which are then embedded within a variable neighborhood search heuristic. We evaluate the performance of the heuristic on data adapted from TSPLIB instances.
Multi-Issue Automated Negotiations Using Agents
Authors: Chari Kaushal , Agrawal Manish
Published: November 2007

Software agents can perform effectively as negotiators in automated negotiation settings. We present a model for software agents that can automate negotiations by implementing a multi-issue learning heuristic that allows agents to learn from the bidding behavior of opponents. The performance of agents is evaluated using an experimental study involving human subjects. The results indicate that software agents can act as effective surrogates of human negotiators under some circumstances.
The Undirected m-Peripatetic Salesman Problem: Polyhedral Results and New Algorithms
Authors: Duchenne Éric , Laporte Gilbert , Semet Frédéric
Published: October 2007

In the m-peripatetic salesman problem (m-PSP), the aim is to determine m edge disjoint Hamiltonian cycles of minimum total cost on a graph. This article introduces new valid inequalities and polyhedral results for the m-PSP. An improved 2-index branch-and-cut algorithm is developed. Tests performed on randomly generated and TSPLIB Euclidean instances indicate that this algorithm can solve instances with more than double the size of what was previously achievable.
An Algorithm for Determining the Best Lower Bound for the Stochastic Joint Replenishment Problem
Authors: Viswanathan S.
Published: October 2007

We develop an algorithm for determining the highest among the class of lower bounds proposed by Atkins and Iyogun (1988) for the joint replenishment problem (JRP) with stochastic demands. The proposed algorithm is simple and does not require many more calculations than an existing lower bound based on equalization of expected runout times.
Optimal Expected Rank in a Two-Sided Secretary Problem
Authors: Eriksson Kimmo , Sjöstrand Jonas , Strimling Pontus
Published: October 2007

In a two-sided version of the famous secretary problem, employers search for a secretary at the same time as secretaries search for an employer. Nobody accepts being put on hold, and nobody is willing to take part in more than N interviews. Preferences are independent, and agents seek to optimize the expected rank of the partner they obtain among the N potential partners. We find that in any subgame perfect equilibrium, the expected rank grows as the square root of N (whereas it tends to a constant in the original secretary problem). We also compute how much agents can gain by cooperation.
Serial Supply Chains with Economies of Scale: Bounds and Approximations
Authors: Shang Kevin H. , Song Jing-Sheng
Published: October 2007

We consider two models of stochastic serial inventory systems with economies of scale for which the forms of optimal policies are known. In the first model, each stage has a fixed-order quantity, while in the second model, there is a fixed-order cost for external supplies. For each model, we show that the optimal policy parameters can be bounded and approximated by a series of independent, single-stage optimal policy parameters. We further construct closed-form bounds and approximations for the single-stage solutions and apply them to the serial systems. These results provide simple and effective solutions that will help to facilitate implementations in practice. They also allow us to see the connections between the serial and single-stage systems and sharpen our intuition on optimal policy parameters and system behavior.
Stochastic Protection of Confidential Information in Databases: A Hybrid of Data Perturbation and Query Restriction
Authors: Nunez Manuel A. , Garfinkel Robert S. , Gopal Ram D.
Published: October 2007

Data perturbation and query restriction are two methods developed to protect confidential data in statistical databases. In the former, the data is systematically changed to yield answers to queries that are statistically similar to those that would have resulted from the original data. The latter provides exact answers to queries as long as the risk of exact disclosure of confidential data does not become too great. We present a new methodology to combine these techniques so that the advantages of both are captured. The model is appropriate and computationally viable for large databases whether the queries are linear or nonlinear. The query restriction phase consists of finding an optimal subset of queries to answer exactly without compromising the database. This is an 𝒩 𝒫-hard problem with a matroid intersection structure that lends itself to an efficient greedy heuristic. Then, given the queries that are answered exactly, we implement a data perturbation phase that provides stochastic protection and consistency. We present computational results on a large database with both linear and nonlinear queries. The results indicate that many queries can be answered exactly and the proposed perturbation approach provides more accurate answers than the standard perturbation method.
The β-Reliable Median on a Network with Discrete Probabilistic Demand Weights
Authors: Wang Jiamin
Published: October 2007

This study extends the classical network median problem by considering the stochastic nature of demand. Assuming that the demand weights associated with nodes are independent discrete random variables, we introduce a chance-constrained programming model to define a β-reliable median of the network. It is shown that the β-reliable median problem is NP-hard. Exact solution procedures and a normal approximation algorithm are developed to search for the β-reliable median. Their performance is evaluated by computational experiments.
Environmental Ethics and Proportionality: Hunting for a Balance
Authors: Cheyne Ilona , Alder John
Published: October 2007

A challenge to the validity of the Hunting Act 2004 in human rights and EC law was recently rejected by the Court of Appeal on the ground that the Act's ethical purpose required judicial deference to the legislature. We argue that the variety of ethical perspectives engaged by the blanket ban on hunting and the traditions of liberalism demand that the courts ensure that Parliament has properly taken into account all competing perspectives. Although the proportionality principle is crucial in this regard, its application in both human rights and EC contexts gives rise to significant uncertainties and difficulties.
In Name or Nature? Implementing International Environmental Procedural Rights in the Post-Aarhus Environment: A Finnish Example
Authors: Davies Stephen
Published: October 2007

Rights-based approaches to environmental protection are on the increase as the public become more aware of both the environment around them and of their other civil and political rights. Whilst methods for combining environmental protection and rights-based regulation still allude to a large conflict of anthropocentric versus ecocentric interests, one approach increasingly stands out as a potential effective solution: ‘procedural rights’. More commonly, this concerns rights to be heard, rights to information, to participation and the right of access to justice. Such perspectives are increasingly finding purchase within international environmental agendas, indeed, several national jurisdictions have progressed from mere principles into more formal ‘hard law’. In order to follow this progression and to assess the influence of international procedural rights in national jurisdictions, this article looks in particular at the environmental law of Finland as an example, and seeks to illustrate the formation of one facet of internationally accepted procedural rights: that of public participation, within national environmental regulation.
A priori estimates for harmonic mappings
Authors: Pingen Michael
Published: November 2007

We give a new proof of a well known regularity result for harmonic mappings between Riemannian manifolds due to Giaquinta and Hildebrandt [3]. The proof uses a modification of a method due to L. Caffarelli [2] to show interior and boundary Hölder-continuity of harmonic mappings, whose images lie in a regular ball. In addition a priori estimates are established. We remark here that our proof completely avoids the use of Green´s functions.
The solubility of technetium(IV) at high pH
Authors: Warwick Peter , Aldridge S. , Evans Nick , Vines Sarah
Published: November 2007

Technetium-99 is a β-emitting fission product of 238U. It is important when considering a safety case for nuclear waste disposal because of its high yield in radioactive waste and long half-life. The aqueous chemistry of Tc in a cementitious repository is likely to be dominated by Tc(VII), as TcO4
−, in aerobic areas and by Tc(IV), as TcO2 (am), in anaerobic.

Some previous studies have shown an increase in Tc(IV) solubility with increasing pH above pH 9.5 whilst others have not observed this increase. This study found that the solubility of Tc(IV) remains independent of pH until around 13.5, when a small increase can be seen which continues to increase linearly with pH. Modelling suggests that this increase occurs as the species TcO(OH)3
− is formed. The formation constant was estimated with data from this study and was found to be logK
2=−21.6±0.3.
Pertechnetate immobilization in aqueous media with hydrogen sulfide under anaerobic and aerobic environments
Authors: Liu Yongjian , Terry Jeff , Jurisson Silvia S.
Published: November 2007

The basic chemistry for the immobilization of pertechnetate (TcO4
−) by hydrogen sulfide was investigated in aqueous solution under both aerobic and anaerobic environments. Pertechnetate immobilization was acid dependent, with accelerated rates and increased immobilization yields as the acid concentration increased. Oxygen had no effect under acidic conditions. Under anaerobic alkaline conditions, the pH, and therefore the speciation of sulfide, was the determining factor on the immobilization of pertechnetate. Only 53% of the TcO4
− was immobilized at pH 8, while the yield increased to 83% at pH 9 as HS− became the dominant sulfide species. The immobilization yield then decreased to 73% at pH 13. No reaction was observed between TcO4
− and sulfide under aerobic alkaline conditions, indicating that oxygen suppressed this reaction.

Pertechnetate immobilization was found to be first order with respect to both sulfide and pertechnetate in acidic solutions, and in alkaline solution under anaerobic conditions. The results of stoichiometry studies and product analysis under alkaline anaerobic environments indicated that Tc2S7 was obtained at pH 9. EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) and XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure) studies suggested that the samples obtained from acidic, aerobic solution and alkaline anaerobic solution were both Tc2S7. The stability of Tc2S7 is affected by O2 with accelerated dissolution at high pH.
The Oxidation Behaviour of Ruthenium in the Presence of Platinum and its Effect on the Electrocatalytic Activity of Pt-Ru Fuel Cell Catalysts
Authors: Roth C. , Benker N. , Zils S. , Chenitz R. , Issanin A. , Fuess Hartmut
Published: November 2007

Pt-Ru electrocatalysts are commonly applied anode materials for low-temperature fuel cells, as the addition of ruthenium improves the CO tolerance of the otherwise CO-sensitive platinum catalysts, either by an electronic effect or by electro-oxidation via oxygen-containing adsorbates in the so-called bifunctional mechanism. However, since bulk ruthenium oxidation already takes place at potentials of less than 1.0V vs. RHE and hydrous ruthenium oxide is suggested to be the active species in the bifunctional mechanism, the amount and specific nature of ruthenium oxides play an important role in fuel cell catalysis. Two Pt-Ru catalyst systems with distinctly different Pt-Ru separation have been studied: a carbon-supported Pt-Ru alloy electrocatalyst (Pt-Ru) and a mixture of carbon-supported Pt and carbon-supported Ru (Pt/Ru). Controlled heat-treatment experiments were carried out in air atmosphere at 100°C and 500°C to study the effect of deliberate ruthenium oxidation on the catalyst structure and electrochemical performance. At a heat-treatment temperature of 100°C, the Pt-Ru alloy appears less sensitive towards oxidation than the Pt/Ru mixture, although its lattice parameter increases from about 3.880Å to 3.907Å indicating that part of the ruthenium is pulled out of the alloy phase to form a (amorphous) ruthenium oxide. After heat-treatment at 500°C in air, X-ray patterns of the Pt-Ru alloy and the Pt/Ru mixture look almost alike. However, transmission electron micrographs reveal a distinctly different separation between the Pt and the Ru oxide phase with the Pt-Ru alloy system having many more Pt/Ru neighbour sites available. Complementary XPS measurements show a higher share of electrocatalytically inactive ruthenium oxide in the Pt/Ru mixture catalyst heat-treated at 100°C. The onset of the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) for the different catalysts increases in the order Pt-Ru < Pt/Ru < Pt independent of the treatment underlining the importance of Pt/Ru site distribution and ruthenium oxide content for the electrocatalytic activity.
A First-Principles Investigation of the Electronic Structure of Trivalent Rare Earth Ions in Gallium Nitride
Authors: Mishra K. C. , Eyert V. , Schmidt P. C.
Published: November 2007

Using first-principles electronic structure methods, we have investigated the electronic structure and associated properties of Pr3+, Nd3+, Eu3+, Tb3+, Dy3+ and Er3+ substituting for Ga3+ in GaN. It is found that these rare earth ions (RE3+) are stable at the Ga site in tetrahedral coordination with nitrogen atoms. The nitrogen ligands move away from the RE3+ site to allow for the large ionic radii of the RE3+ ions. The equilibrium bond lengths of RE–N are found to vary between 2.15 to 2.30Å in good agreement with structural data available for Eu3+, Tb3+ and Er3+. Using the calculated energy bands, excitation energies for the 4f→5d transition have also been predicted. Most of these energies are larger than the band gap of GaN and cannot be exploited in transferring host excitation energies to the RE3+ ions.
A Satyr for Midas: The Barberini Faun and Hellenistic Royal Patronage
Authors: Sorabella Jean
Published: October 2007

Abstract The canonical statue known as the Barberini Faun is roundly viewed as a mysterious anomaly. The challenge to interpret it is intensified not only by uncertainties about its date and origin but also by the persistent idea that it represents a generic satyr.

This paper tackles this assumption and identifies the statue with the satyr that King Midas captured in the well-known myth. Iconographic analysis of the statue's pose supports this view. In particular, the arm bent above the head, the twist of the torso, and the splay of the legs are paralleled in many well-understood figures and furnish keys to interpreting the Barberini Faun as an extraordinary sleeping beast, intoxicated and fit for capture. The paper then explores the links between kings and satyrs in the Hellenistic age and finds grounds for understanding the statue within the context of royal patronage before the mid-second century BC.
Sages at the Games: Intellectual Displays and Dissemination of Wisdom in Ancient Greece
Authors: Tell Håkan
Published: October 2007

Abstract This paper explores the role the Panhellenic centers played in facilitating the circulation of wisdom in ancient Greece. It argues that there are substantial thematic overlaps among practitioners of wisdom (σοφοί), who are typically understood as belonging to different categories (such as presocratics, sophists, poets, et al.). By focusing on the presence of σοφοί at the Panhellenic centers in general, and Delphi in particular, we can acquire a more accurate picture of the particular expertise they possessed, and of the range of meanings the Greeks attributed to the word σοφία. This approach seeks to challenge the conventional categories of modern scholarship and to offer a broader and more inclusive interpretive framework in its stead.

One such thematic overlap is the way in which many σοφοί are described as exerting an almost uncanny, yet highly conventional ability to attract listeners and enchant them with their verbal performances. There is plenty of material to support the view that σοφοό, through tapping into the repository of σοφία that Delphi constituted and by aligning themselves with its authority, were seen as themselves being a conduit for a similar type of charismatic speech.
Healing Herbs and Dangerous Doctors: “Fruit Fever” and Community Conflicts with Biomedical Care in Northeast Thailand
Authors: Pylypa Jen
Published: October 2007

In Northeast Thailand, khai mak mai (fruit fever) is a local, ethnomedical category of illness identified by community members as untreatable by biomedical health providers. The illness is believed to be incompatible with several substances that may induce death, including fruit as well as two forms of medication associated with biomedical care: injections and intravenous solution. Consequently, fevers suspected of being khai mak mai are treated by herbalists while biomedical health services are avoided and feared. In this article, I examine local perceptions and treatment of khai mak mai. I also explore the context and consequences of concerns about the inadequacy of biomedical care, as well as the social meanings associated with the illness and the political‐economic context that shapes both the meanings of, and everyday responses to, fevers suspected of being khai mak mai.
Languages of Labor: Negotiating the “Real” and the Relational in Indo‐Fijian Women's Expressions of Physical Pain
Authors: Trnka Susanna
Published: October 2007

Medical personnel in public clinics in Fiji routinely contend that state‐funded medical resources are misallocated on patients who complain of, but do not actually experience, physical pain. Frequently, these patients are identified as being Indo‐Fijian women (i.e., women of South Asian origin in Fiji). In this article, I examine clinical interactions between medical staff and female Indo‐Fijian patients to demonstrate how “real” and ‘unreal’ pain are distinguished in the clinical setting and to indicate some of the roles clinical encounters play in community processes that ascribe alternative meanings to physical pain. Focusing on how both physicians and women patients foster certain interpretations of physical pain over others, I argue that the category of ‘unreal’ pain, as employed by Fiji's physicians, consists of pain that medical professionals consider to be induced by psychological or physical, work‐related stresses. I then show how Indo‐Fijian women engage in a complementary but distinct discourse that emphasizes links between physical labor and pain and suggests that, in some cases, expressions of physical pain are as much an idiom of pride as an idiom of distress.
Medicalized Masculinities
Authors: Roos Gun
Published: October 2007

Medicalized Masculinities. Dana Rosenfeld and Christopher A. Faircloth, eds. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006, 263 pp.,. tables,. figures,. halftones.
Strange Harvest: Organ Transplants, Denatured Bodies, and the Transformed Self
Authors: Joralemon Donald
Published: October 2007

Strange Harvest: Organ Transplants, Denatured Bodies, and the Transformed Self. Lesley Alexandra Sharp. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006, xiv. 307 pp.
Doing Health Anthropology: Research Methods for Community Assessment and Change
Authors: McKevitt Christopher
Published: October 2007

Doing Health Anthropology: Research Methods for Community Assessment and Change. Christie W. Kiefer. New York: Springer, 2007, xvii. 281 pp.
Self, Emotions, and Extreme Violence: Extending Symbolic Interactionist Theorizing
Authors: Turner Jonathan H.
Published: October 2007

Extreme violence revolves around actions of individuals who are emotionally aroused and willing to kill themselves, if need be, to inflict harm on enemies. Terrorism, gangbanging, and genocide are conspicuous examples of extreme violence. This violence is ultimately driven by repressed negative emotions about self that are transmuted into variants of anger and combinations of anger with satisfaction‐happiness to produce emotions such as hatred, righteous anger, and vengeance. This theory combines symbolic interactionism's emphasis on identity and self with key ideas from gestalt theories, psychoanalytic theories, and interaction ritual theory as well as data from primatology, evolutionary biology, and neurology. I explain extreme violence as the outcome of several converging forces: the neurological capacity for humans as evolved apes to experience and express a large palate of high‐intensity emotions, the experience of shame in key institutional spheres, the repression of shame (and, at times, guilt and alienation as well as other highly charged negative emotions), the intensification and transmutation of these repressed emotions into variants and elaborations of anger, the making of external attributions blaming external targets for negative experiences, the portrayal of these targets in highly negative terms, and the charging up of positive emotions in interaction rituals directed at inflicting harm on external enemies.
Sketching as Autoethnographic Practice
Authors: Rambo Carol
Published: October 2007

This article is an “autoethnographic sketch” that “draws out” substantive observations about the “sketchy” character of concepts such as identity, theory, self, and society. Using vignettes from my experiences as an art student, post‐structuralist theory, and symbolic interaction, I render a brief sketch of how autoethnography and other representations of self can be conveyed in a layered process. The materials in each vignette may not seem to be consistent with or related to the other layers, but as each layer is superimposed on the others, an image or impression emerges from the whole. By presenting these materials in this way, the format or metaphor of sketching offers autoethnographers the possibility of doing analysis and evocation, while leaving open other interpretive possibilities. Artificial closure is not imposed on the final product. I also briefly sketch how self and society exist sous rature and in différance to each other, thus making autoethnographic sketching a useful tool for symbolic interactionists and other observers of society.