cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The T classification of clinically localized prostate cancer : an appraisal based on disease outcome after radiation therapy

Background. This study was performed to evaluate the use of the 1992 International Union Against Cancer (UICC)/American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) T categories for localized prostate cancer treated with radiation therapy and to compare the prognostic power of this system with the Whitmore-Jewett scheme. Methods. The outcome for 427 men with Stages A2-C or T1a-T4b prostate cancers, followed for a mean of 32 months after treatment, was evaluated for relapse or rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, disease relapse, metastatic failure, and local recurrence relative to the two staging systems. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to compare the two staging systems. The T categories were based on digital rectal examination. Results. At 5 years, the actuarial incidence of relapse or rising PSA level was as follows: Stage A2, 29%; Stage B, 41%; Stage C, 62%. The corresponding results according to T category were as follows: T1a, 0%; T1b, 37%; T1c, 23%; T2a, 39%; T2b, 38%; T2c, 42%; T3a, 53%; T3c, 68%; T4b, greater than 75%. Too few patients were in the T3b and T4a categories. The following five-category grouping was significantly superior prognostically to the Whitmore-Jewett system: T1a, T1c, T1b/T2, T3, T4. The actuarial incidences of relapse or rising PSA at 5 years were as follows: T1a, 0%; T1c, 23%; T1b/T2, 41%; T3, 61%; and T4, 75%. No differences were evident within the T2 or T3 categories. Conclusions. The current UICC/AJCC system appears to be a valid method for categorizing a primary prostate carcinoma. This system defines a greater number of meaningful tumor categories and is prognostically superior to the traditional Whitmore-Jewett scheme.
Effects of size and international exposure of the US firms on the relationship between stock prices and exchange rates

Abstract This paper investigates relationship between US stock prices and exchange rates controlling for the firm size over a period 1987–2005 using Granger causality methodology. We find Grainger causality from large-cap stocks to the exchange rate, but no causality for the small-cap stocks. This supports previous findings that global integration might be confined to large multinational corporations. Our analysis suggests that nature of the relation changes over time. The points of reversion correspond to the periods of major changes in US Federal Reserve Policy. Results for the sub-periods identified support the hypothesis of changing causality between exchange rate and stock prices.
Thermal modeling of localized laser heating in multi-level interconnects

Abstract Thermal modeling was used to simulate thermal profiles from localized laser heating on two multi-level interconnect structures with metallization complexity comparable to those used in advanced interconnect systems. The modeling focused on addressing issues with regard to the effectiveness of laser-based techniques in defect localization in state-of-the-art metallization schemes. Modeling results indicate that indirect heating from the laser does not propagate effectively through adjacent metal layers from both the front side and the back side. Poor heat conduction and its associated thermal spreading during laser heating make defect detection difficult beyond three levels of metal. Thermal distribution and spreading were found to be more affected by interconnect geometries than by variations in laser spot size. Smaller temperature rises during laser heating were observed in the newer interconnect structures consisting of copper and low-k dielectric materials than in those with conventional aluminum, tungsten, and silicon dioxide. The smaller temperature rise leads to weaker signal strength at the defect sites and makes it more difficult to detect defects in the newer-material structures. Metallization density also affects heat conduction in advanced interconnect systems but the temperature rise during laser heating varies slowly as a function of metallization density.
CLASSIFYING TROPICAL CYCLONES WITH UNDERWATER SOUND

Theoretical and empirical evidence are synthesized to show that underwater acoustic sensing techniques may provide a valuable tool for measuring the wind speed and determining the destructive power of a hurricane.This is done by first developing a model for the acoustic intensity and mutual intensity in an ocean waveguide due to a hurricane and then determining the relationship between local wind speed and underwater acoustic intensity. From this it is shown that it should be feasible to accurately measure the local wind speed and classify the destructive power of a hurricane with a single underwater acoustic sensor.The potential advantages and disadvantages of the proposed acoustic method are weighed against those of currently employed techniques
Quantum chemical estimation of the acidities of some inorganic oxoacids

Oxoacids are compounds in which the acid dissociation process occurs through rupture of an oxygen–hydrogen bond. Although many computational studies have examined the acidities of organic oxoacids, relatively few have been directed at inorganic oxoacids. In this work, an attempt is made to find suitable molecular descriptors that correlate with the acidities (as represented by pKa values) of a diverse set of inorganic oxoacids and can thus be employed to estimate their acidities. Calculations were performed at the DFT B3LYP/6-31+G** level, with and without the use of the SM8 aqueous solvent model. Atomic charge descriptors, which have performed well in past studies, did not correlate well with the present experimental acidities. However, the energy difference ΔE(H2O) between the neutral oxoacid and its corresponding anion, determined within the SM8 aqueous solvent model, provided strong correlations (R2 = 0.987) with the experimental pKa values. It appears that ΔE(H2O) acts as a reasonable surrogate for v...
Bacterial persistence and bet hedging in Sinorhizobium meliloti.

We recently described a novel bet-hedging mechanism in which the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti responds to starvation by forming two discrete cell types via cell division. The old-pole daughter cell retains most of the resource, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and is capable of surviving long-term starvation, while the low-PHB, new-pole daughter cell is capable of quickly resuming growth when starvation ends. Here we present additional data showing that the high-PHB, old-pole cells are similar to bacterial persisters, characterized by metabolic dormancy and antibiotic tolerance. Using two independent methods, we generated clonal populations of S. meliloti that varied in the frequency of the high- and low-PHB phenotypes, and then challenged these populations with ampicillin. Populations containing more high-PHB cells were significantly more antibiotic-tolerant. In a separate experiment, we used GFP fluorescence as a marker of overall metabolic activity. After 24 hours of starvation, new-pole cells were 64% br...
Cyclosporin A But Not FK-506 Protects Against Dopamine-Induced Apoptosis in the Stunned Heart

Background Dopamine given at moderate doses for inotropy to postischemic hearts has been shown to augment myocyte apoptosis in association with elevated cytosolic calcium. We hypothesize that dopamine-mediated apoptosis occurs through calcium-induced opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) pore. We also hypothesize that cyclosporin A (CSA), a calcineurin inhibitor known to block mPT pore opening, would prevent dopamine-induced apoptosis primarily by inhibiting pore opening (cyclophilin D binding). Methods Isolated perfused rabbit hearts (n = 6/group) were subjected to 30 minutes of 37°C cardioplegic arrest followed by 120 minutes reperfusion (ischemic injury that produces Results Dopamine postischemia improved contractile function and heart rate and this was not affected by CSA or FK. However, TUNEL positive nuclei, Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, and PARP cleavage were all increased in dopa and FK+D groups, but not in CSA+D. Conclusions Cyclosporin is effective in preventing dopamine-induced apoptosis in the postischemic heart. The mechanism is likely due to inhibition of mPT pore opening since FK-506, a potent calcineurin inhibitor that does not bind to cyclophilin, did not prevent this. Low dose cyclosporin may prove useful to prevent dopamine-induced apoptosis resulting in long-term preservation of cardiac function.
Pickup Ion Acceleration at the Termination Shock and in the Heliosheath

We discuss pickup ion acceleration and transport near the solar wind termination shock from the perspective of their spectral, spatial, and pitch-angle distributions. Our study is performed in the framework of a recently developed anisotropic transport model based on a Legendre polynomial expansion technique. Voyager 1 LECP angular distributions of 1 MeV protons, represented in the form of an expansion in spherical harmonics in the frame aligned with the measured interplanetary magnetic field, are used as benchmarks for our theory. We find the observed distributions consistent with our model predictions for particle acceleration and reflection at a highly oblique shock wave. It is shown that first-order (field aligned) anisotropy is a measure of shock obliquity while the second-order (transverse) anisotropy reflects the energy dependence of the particle scattering mean free path. We also discuss the role of enhanced scattering and momentum diffusion on the spectral properties of energetic charged particles.
139. The effects of low partner support on pregnancy outcomes in Latinas are mediated by maternal acculturation

Recent work from our laboratory shows that overall stress and pregnancy-specific distress can have a negative impact on pregnancy. However, the impact of maternal ethnicity and sociocultural factors on these relationships remains to be understood. In present study one hundred nine Latina women were recruited at Denver Health. The study assessed the role of maternal ethnicity and acculturation on the effects of pregnancy-specific distress, overall social support, medical staff and partner support upon pregnancy complications including low birthweight (LBW) and preterm birth, as well as overall stress and life events early (14–17 weeks) and later (28–32 weeks) during pregnancy. T-tests showed that Latinas reported significantly higher levels of partner support and support from medical personnel than Caucasian women throughout pregnancy. Analyses of the Latina sample alone showed that low partner support early and later in pregnancy were associated with higher maternal acculturation, lower 1-min APGAR scores, and lower infant birthweight. Higher maternal acculturation was also significantly related to more pregnancy and birth complications, lower infant birthweight and lower gestational age at birth. Additional analyses showed that the effects of partner support early and later in pregnancy upon infant birthweight and pregnancy complications were significantly mediated by levels of maternal acculturation.
Structural phase transition on W and Mo surfaces

In chemisorption systems, a rich variety of surface structures has been found as a function of temperature and adsorbate coverage. The detailed investigation of these surfaces phases and the transitions between them has been the subject of many recent studies both experimentally and theoretically. In most chemisorption systems,the occurrence of different phases can be understood, at least qualitatively, with a lattice gas model, in which the adsorption is site specific and the ordered phases are due to the lateral adsorbate-adsorbate interaction [1]. However, recent LEED studies [2] first indicated that in the case of W(001) and Mo(001) even the clean surfaces undergo a reversible structural phase transition as the temperature is lowered. The transition is from the (1×1) structure to c(2×2) structure on W(001) and an incommensurate structure in the case of Mo(001). The role of the adsorbate at low coverage is to enhance or suppress the inherent instability of the surface towards reconstruction as well as to alter the relative stability of different structures which are close in energy [3]. These LEED findings were corroborated subsequently by many other types of experiment, such as high energy ion scattering [4], electron energy-loss spectroscopy [5] and electron stimulated desorption [6]. By now, the existence of structural phase transitions for clean W (001) and Mo(OOl) surfaces is clearly established. These phase transitions are of a different nature from those driven by adsorbate-adsorbate interactions. In the subsequent sections we shall discuss the nature of these new phases and current theoretical models under study for understanding these surface structural phase transitions.
Uncertain paternity in primate quantitative genetic studies

Quantitative genetic studies in primates have generally been based on varying amounts of genealogical information. We consider the case where maternal relationships are known, but paternal relationships are only probabilistic (i.e., a limited number of males can be enumerated as equally likely sires for a given offspring). Using Henderson's [1988] average numerator relationship matrix method, we show for craniometric data from the Cayo Santiago macaque colony that heritability estimates are not greatly affected by the addition of incomplete paternal information. We then show through simulation studies that in order for there to be a substantial increase in power to detect significant heritabilities, the number of possible sires per offspring must be quite small. Given this restriction, we conclude that the current method of ignoring paternal relationships is probably adequate and that considerable effort would have to be expended in performing paternal exclusions before there would be a substantial increase in the precision of heritability estimates. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Induced Land Use Emissions due to First and Second Generation Biofuels and Uncertainty in Land Use Emission Factors

Much research has estimated induced land use changes (ILUCs) and emissions for first generation biofuels. Relatively little has provided estimates for the second generation biofuels. This paper estimates ILUC emissions for the first and second generation biofuels. Estimated ILUC emissions are uncertain not only because their associated land use changes are uncertain, but also because of uncertainty in the land use emission factors (EFs). This paper also examines uncertainties related to these factors. The results suggest that converting crop residues to biofuel has no significant ILUC emissions, but that is not the case for dedicated energy crops. Use of dedicated energy crops transfers managed natural land and marginal land (cropland-pasture) to crop production. Producing biogasoline from miscanthus generates the lowest land requirement among alterative pathways. The largest land requirement is associated with switchgrass. The difference is due largely to the assumed yields of switchgrass and miscanthus. The three major conclusions from uncertainty in emissions analyses are (1) inclusion or exclusion of cropland-pasture makes a huge difference; (2) changes in soil carbon sequestration due to changes in land cover vegetation play an important role; and (3) there is wide divergence among the emission factor sources, especially for dedicated crop conversion to ethanol.
Airborne pesticide residues along the Mississippi River

The occurrence, concentration, and geographical distribution of agricultural pesticides were determined in air over the Mississippi River from New Orleans, LA, to St. Paul, MN, during the first 10 ...
Novel Pharmacologic Approaches to Treating Cannabis Use Disorder

With large and increasing numbers of people using cannabis, the development of cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a growing public health concern. Despite the success of evidence-based psychosocial therapies, the low rates of initial abstinence and high rates of relapse during and following treatment for CUD suggest a need for adjunct pharmacotherapies. Here we review the literature on medication development for the treatment of CUD, with a particular focus on studies published within the last three years (2010–2013). Studies in both the human laboratory and in the clinic have tested medications with a wide variety of mechanisms. In the laboratory, the following medication strategies have been shown to decrease cannabis withdrawal and self-administration following a period of abstinence (a model of relapse): the cannabinoid receptor agonist, nabilone, and the adrenergic agonist, lofexidine, alone and in combination with dronabinol (synthetic THC), supporting clinical testing of these medication strategies. Antidepressant, anxiolytic and antipsychotic drugs targeting monoamines (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) have generally failed to decrease withdrawal symptoms or laboratory measures of relapse. In terms of clinical trials, dronabinol and multiple antidepressants (fluoxetine, venlafaxine and buspirone) have failed to decrease cannabis use. Preliminary results from controlled clinical trials with gabapentin and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) support further research on these medication strategies. Data from open label and laboratory studies suggest that lithium and oxytocin also warrant further testing. Overall, it is likely that different medications will be needed to target distinct aspects of problematic cannabis use: craving, ongoing use, withdrawal and relapse. Continued research is needed in preclinical, laboratory and clinical settings.
Exon-intron organization in genes of earthworm and vertebrate globins

The structure of an invertebrate, intron-containing globin gene has been determined as part of a study of the evolution of hemoglobin. The gene encoding chain c of Lumbricus terrestris hemoglobin has the two-intron, three-exon structure characteristic of vertebrate globin genes, and the exact positions of the splice junctions are conserved. The two introns interrupting the coding sequence are longer than those of known hemoglobins but shorter than myoglobin introns. The gene encodes a secretory preglobin containing a 16-residue signal peptide, as expected for an extracellular hemoglobin. However, no intron separates the DNA encoding the signal sequence from that of the globin sequence. The 3' untranslated region of the Lumbricus gene is much longer than those of the genes for other hemoglobins and is similar to those found for myoglobins.
Large scale electronic structure calculations using the Lanczos method

Abstract The orthogonality requirement in either iterative diagonalization or conjugate gradient approaches to the single particle Schrodinger equation H ψ = Eψ leads to an overall N3 scaling of the effort with the number N of atoms. We show that the Lanczos method circumvents this problem even when applied to all occupied states. Our implementation shows that the method is stable, exact, scales as N2 for N around a few hundreds, and is thus optimally suited for such mid-size (100 – 1000 atoms) quantum systems. The analogy between the basic Lanczos equations and Anderson's localization in a disordered one-dimensional tight-binding chain is pointed out and used to gain some insights into improved convergence and stability of the method. For a 900-atom Si cluster tested here using pseudopotentials and a plane wave basis, the Lanczos method is about an order of magnitude faster than the state-of-the-art preconditioned conjugate gradient method using the same pseudopotentials and basis set.
Multiple carboxylase deficiency

1. The multiple carboxylase deficiencies are inborn errors in the metabolism of biotin in which there is defective activity of propionyl CoA carboxylase, 3-methylcrotonyl CoA carboxylase and pyruvate carboxylase. 2. Two distinct disorders have been described. 3. In one the fundamental defect is in the enzyme holocarboxylase synthetase which catalyzes the molecular activation of the apocarboxylase proteins. 4. In the other the fundamental defect is in biotinidase which catalyzes the reutilization of biotin and may be involved in its digestion and intestinal absorption.
A method for determining the optimum peroxide‐to‐amine ratio for self‐curing resins

The rate of polymerization of a methacrylate monomer was influenced by the molar ratio of benzoyl peroxide to an aromatic tertiary amine accelerator when the product of the concentrations of these was kept constant. The maximum rate, measured as the minimum gel time, occurred in monomer solutions containing about 1.5 moles of peroxide per mole of amine.
The formation of 5-formyluracil by cell-free preparations from Neurospora crassa.

Abstract 1. A cell-free preparation has been obtained from Neurospora crassa which catalyzes the conversion of 5-hydroxymethyluracil to 5-formyluracil. 2. This enzymatic activity was markedly stimulated by Fe(II), α-ketoglutarate, and ascorbate. 3. While the requirements for Fe(II) and α-ketoglutarate appeared quite stringent, several common biological reducing agents, e.g. , GSH, substituted for ascorbate. 4. The lack of activity observed when the incubations were carried out under nitrogen suggested that oxygen is required.
Rejection of persistent bounded disturbances: nonlinear controllers

Abstract This paper considers nonlinear time-varying (NLTV) compensation for linear time-invariant (LTI) plants subject to persistent bounded disturbances. It is shown using two different approaches that using NLTV compensation instead of LTI compensation does not improve the optimal rejection of persistent bounded disturbances. The first approach is to derive a bound on the achievable performance over all stabilizing NLTV controllers. Using results from l 1-optimal control; it follows that in some special cases this bound can be achieved by LTI compensation. This approach involves the introduction of an operator analogous to the Hankel operator in H ∞-optimal control and is of independent interest. The second approach is to assume the NLTV controller is sufficiently smooth to admit a time-varying linearization. This time-varying linearization is then used to construct an LTI controller which achieves the same performance as the original NLTV controller. These results extend previous work by the authors regarding linear time-varying compensation.
Determination of the half‐life of I‐125 encapsulated clinical seeds using a Si(Li) detector

The half‐life of two I‐125 encapsulated clinical seeds was measured with a Si(Li) semiconductor detector. Two measurements of each seed yielded an average half‐life of 59.56±0.17 days. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of possible I‐126 contamination and leakage of I‐125 activity through encapsulation. The present results are compared with a frequently cited value of 60.25±0.06 days. The difference between the two values was found to be statistically significant at a 95% confidence level.
The value of the cervical score in predicting successful outcome of labor induction

Objective To compare cervical dilation and the Bishop score as correlates of successful labor induction and vaginal delivery and to determine whether the prognosis of postripening cervical characteristics varies with the method of ripening used. Methods Four hundred forty-three women with Bishop scores less than 9 who required induction of labor were assigned randomly to cervical ripening with prostaglandin E2 gel or hygroscopic dilation. The Bishop score and its component characteristics were evaluated as univariate correlates of successful induction of labor and vaginal delivery and then were assessed using logistic regression to adjust for other maternal and fetal factors. The differences in the association between method of ripening and successful labor induction were evaluated relative to pre-ripening and post-ripening cervical examination characteristics. Results Cervical dilation was a better correlate of successful labor induction and vaginal delivery than was the Bishop score, even after exclusion of patients with initial Bishop scores greater than 6 and dilation greater than 3.0. Both ripening methods yielded similar success in labor induction and vaginal delivery, but when categorized by post-ripening cervical examinations, patients undergoing hygroscopic ripening had lower rates of successful labor induction and vaginal delivery. Conclusion Cervical dilation is a better predictor of successful labor induction and vaginal delivery than either the Bishop score or any other Bishop score component characteristic. The likelihood of successful labor induction and vaginal delivery based on post-ripening cervical characteristics varies by the ripening method used.
Efficacy of altrenogest administration to postpone ovulation and subsequent fertility in mares

Abstract A recent report suggested administration of altrenogest during the follicular phase could postpone ovulation. Based on these results, two questions were generated. We first hypothesized that by initiating a altrenogest treatment earlier in the estrous cycle, a greater and/or more consistent delay in ovulation would result. Second, we hypothesized that exposure to elevated progestin concentrations might alter viability of the ovulatory follicle and oocyte. The focus of the first experiment was to determine if initiation of altrenogest treatment at different stages of the estrous cycle would yield a more predictable time to ovulation, whereas the second experiment was designed to determine whether mares receiving altrenogest during estrus had compromised fertility. In the first experiment thirty mares of mixed light breed, ranging in age from 5-15 years, were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The two treated groups received altrenogest (0.088 mg/kg of body weight) for two days once a follicle of 30 or 35 mm in diameter was detected. Control mares were not treated. Mares treated with altrenogest whether initiated at the detection of a 30 or 35 mm follicle demonstrated similar (P>.05) day to ovulation interval when adjusted to 35 mm (5.4 and 5.6 days, respectively). Both treated groups demonstrated a delayed interval (P
Amino acid sequence of Cro regulatory protein of bacteriophage lambda

THE Cro protein specified by bacteriophage lambda is a repressor of the genes expressed early in phage development; this temporal regulation is required for a normal late stage of lytic growth (see refs 1–5). Cro protein has been purified and shown to bind to the operator regions, OL and OR6,7, used by the cI repressor protein to maintain lysogeny8; purified Cro also represses RNA synthesis initiated at the early promoter sites on λ DNA7. Among the features that make Cro interesting for further biochemical study are its timed physiological action1–5 and apparent role in regulation of DNA replication9. Cro is also convenient for structural analysis because of its extremely small size6,7. Here we report the amino acid sequence of Cro protein.
Commentary on Dodo Bird Revisited: Why Aren't We Dodos Yet?

Since the 1970s most meta-analytic literature reviews have repeatedly (mostly) failed to disconfirm the hypothesis that the many different types of psychotherapy have equivalent efficacy. Despite this, mainstream practice, training, and research have continued to focus on the development and evaluation of ever more divergent and specific psychotherapy techniques. This continued focus on the differences between therapies rather than on their commonalities is justified because of serious shortcomings in the empirical literature on which the Dodo bird verdict is based. Two compelling limitations are (a) the limited attention to patient-treatment matching and (b) the many design constraints on efficacy research that reduce the likelihood of detecting large effects across active treatments.
Wavelength-tracking high-speed photodetector

We report on a 1550 nm tunable high-speed photodetector configured to exhibit wavelength-tracking behavior. This enables a low-cost WDM system showing resilience to wavelength drift.
Distributed Generation for Village of Hope

The Village of Hope is an orphan community located in rural Zambia. The community is made up of several buildings of a variety of uses and schedules. They are currently tied to the grid, which is unreliable due to rolling blackouts for 2 to 4 hours per day. The community is looking for a financially beneficial solution to their electrical needs. A system optimization and sensitivity analysis was performed to determine system recommendations for the community. It was found that wind turbine systems supplementing a grid connection is the most realistic solution for the Village of Hope. However, there were many other factors identified that require further analysis to be able to truly optimize the system.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Comparative study of low-temperature PECVD Of amorphous silicon using mono-, di-, trisilane and cyclohexasilane

The hydrogenated amorphous silicon a-Si∶H films were grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using liquid cyclohexasilane Si 6 H 12 (CHS). The growth rate of a-Si∶H was studied as a function of substrate temperatures in the range of 30 °C≪T≪450 °C using deposition conditions that were optimized for monosilane SiH 4 . The same parameters were used for a- Si∶H films grown using disilane (Si 2 H 6 ) and trisilane (Si 3 H 8 ) precursors. It was found that the a-Si∶H film growth rate of CHS is lower with respect to those of mono-, di- and trisilane in an Ar plasma. Addition of ∼10% of H 2 dramatically increases the deposition rate for CHS-based films about 700% to 8 A/sec. The as-deposited films were characterized by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to probe the hydrogen content and local bonding environment. It was found that the films grown using Ar/H 2 mixtures as carrier gas have a reduced hydrogen content relative to polysilane fragments indicating higher quality amorphous silicon.
Electoral Politics and Strategic Voting in State Supreme Courts

This study suggests that state supreme court justices act strategically to minimize electoral opposition. In order to appease their constituencies, justices who have views contrary to those of the voters and the court majority, and who face competitive electoral conditions will vote with the court majority instead of casting unpopular dissents on politically volatile issues. Using probit, models were estimated of the effects of several types of electoral forces on death penalty votes from 1983 through 1988 in four southern state supreme courts. Results indicate that single-member districts, beginning at the end of a term, prior representational service, narrow vote margins and experience in seeking reelection encourage minority justices to be attentive to their constituencies by voting in accordance with constituent opinion. In essence, constituency influence in state supreme courts is enhanced by competitive electoral conditions and experience with electoral politics.
Jet-impingement heat transfer in rotating channels with staggered extraction flow

The effect of orthogonal channel rotation on jet-impingement cooling by arrays of circular jets in two channels was studied. Impinging jet flows on smooth target walls were in the direction of rotation in one channel and opposite to the direction of rotation in the other channel. Spent air exited the channels through extraction holes, staggered with respect to the impinging jets, in each target wall, which eliminates crossflow on other jets. Experimental heattransfer results for these target walls, for the jet walls containing the jet-producing orifices, and for the connecting sidewalls show that as the jet rotation number increases to 0.0028 these wall Nusselt numbers decrease to 35, 25, and 30%, respectively, below their corresponding nonrotating values. Jet rotation number is a correlating parameter, and as wall-to-jet temperature difference ratio increases to 0.129 the wall Nusselt numbers vary up to 10%. Comparisons are made with previous rotating results for target wall heating only and for the radially outward crossflow exit configuration.
Molecular Docking of Balanol to Dynamics Snapshots of Protein Kinase A

Even if the structure of a receptor has been determined experimentally, it may not be a conformation to which a ligand would bind when induced fit effects are significant. Molecular docking using such a receptor structure may thus fail to recognize a ligand to which the receptor can bind with reasonable affinity. Here, we examine one way to alleviate this problem by using an ensemble of receptor conformations generated from a molecular dynamics simulation for molecular docking. Two molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to generate snapshots for protein kinase A: one with the ligand bound, the other without. The ligand, balanol, was then docked to conformations of the receptors presented by these trajectories. The Lamarckian genetic algorithm in Autodock [Goodsell et al. J Mol Recognit 1996;9(1):1-5; Morris et al. J Comput Chem 1998;19(14):1639-1662] was used in the docking. Three ligand models were used: rigid, flexible, and flexible with torsional potentials. When the snapshots were taken from the molecular dynamics simulation of the protein-ligand complex, the correct docking structure could be recovered easily by the docking algorithm in all cases. This was an easier case for challenging the docking algorithm because, by using the structure of the protein in a protein-ligand complex, one essentially assumed that the protein already had a pocket to which the ligand can fit well. However, when the snapshots were taken from the ligand-free protein simulation, which is more useful for a practical application when the structure of the protein-ligand complex is not known, several clusters of structures were found. Of the 10 docking runs for each snapshot, at least one structure was close to the correctly docked structure when the flexible-ligand models were used. We found that a useful way to identify the correctly docked structure was to locate the structure that appeared most frequently as the lowest energy structure in the docking experiments to different snapshots.
Trypanosoma cruzi contains major pyrophosphate stores, and its growth in vitro and in vivo is blocked by pyrophosphate analogs.

High field 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that inorganic pyrophosphate (P2O74−) is more abundant than ATP in Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agents of Chagas' disease. These results were confirmed by specific analytical assays, which showed that in epimastigotes, the concentrations of inorganic pyrophosphate and ATP were 194.7 ± 25.9 and 37.6 ± 5.5 nmol/mg of protein, respectively, and for the amastigote form, the corresponding concentrations were 358.0 ± 17.0 and 36.0 ± 1.9 nmol/mg of protein. High performance liquid chromatographic analysis of perchloric acid extracts of epimastigotes labeled for 3 h with 32P-orthophosphate showed a significant incorporation of the precursor into inorganic pyrophosphate. Inorganic pyrophosphate was not uniformly distributed inT. cruzi but was shown by 31P-NMR and chemical analysis to be particularly associated with acidocalcisomes, organelles shown previously to contain large amounts of phosphorus and various elements. Electron microscopy analysis of pyrophosphatase-treated permeabilized epimastigotes showed disappearance of the electron density of the acidocalcisomes. Nonmetabolizable analogs of pyrophosphate, currently used for the treatment of bone resorption disorders, selectively inhibited the proliferation of intracellular T. cruzi amastigotes and produced a profound suppression in the number of circulating trypomastigotes in mice with an acute infection of T. cruzi, offering a potentially new route to chemotherapy.
Factors influencing eligibility for breast boost using noninvasive image-guided breast brachytherapy

PURPOSE: Noninvasive image-guided breast brachytherapy (NIBB) allows for accurate targeting of the tumor bed (TB) for breast boost by using breast immobilization and image guidance. How- ever, not all patients are candidates for this technique. METHODS: Consecutive patients treated for breast cancer were evaluated. Patients with very small breast size (cup # A) for whom immobilization could not be achieved were treated with electrons. All others underwent simulation for NIBB boost. The rate of eligi- bility for NIBB, reasons for ineligibility, and related patient and anatomic factors were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 52 patients evaluated, 6 patients were ineligible for NIBB because of small breast size. Of the remaining patients who underwent simulation for NIBB boost, 33 patients (72%) were treated with NIBB. Reasons for ineligibility were the absence of identifiable TB (n 5 5), inability to position patient/breast to adequately target the TB (n 5 4), posterior TB location (n 5 3), and discomfort during compression (n 5 1). The likelihood of being eligible for NIBB boost was dependent on breast size: #A (0%), B (50%), C (71%), D-DD (77%), andODD (80%) (p 5 0.002). The presence of surgical clips also predicted eligibility for NIBB: 79% clips vs. 45% without clips (p 5 0.05). A posterior TB location was not associated with ineligibility (p 5 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: NIBB boost is feasible in most patients. Patients with larger breast size are more likely to be good candidates. Posterior TB location can be challenging for NIBB, but most patients are still candidates. Surgical clips are very helpful in defining the TB and greatly increase the likelihood of eligibility for NIBB. 2014 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Phase II trial of tipifarnib plus neoadjuvant doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide in patients with clinical stage IIB-IIIC breast cancer.

Purpose: Tipifarnib is a farnesyl transferase (FTase) inhibitor that has activity in metastatic breast cancer and enhances the efficacy of cytotoxic agents in preclinical models. We evaluated the biological effects of tipifarnib in primary breast cancers in vivo , whether adding tipifarnib to preoperative chemotherapy increased the pathologic complete response rate (pCR) at surgery, and determined whether biomarkers predictive of pCR could be identified. Experimental Design: Forty-four patients with stage IIB-IIIC breast cancer received up to four cycles of neoadjuvant doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide (AC) every 2 weeks plus tipifarnib and filgrastim followed by surgery. Enzymatic assays measuring FTase activity and Western blotting for phospho (p)-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, p-AKT, and p27 were done in 11 patients who agreed to optional tissue biopsies before therapy and 2 hours after the final dose of tipifarnib during the first cycle, and predictive biomarkers were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 33 patients. The trial was powered to detect an improvement in breast pCR rate of 10% or less expected for AC alone to 25% for AC-tipifarnib ( α = 0.05, β = 0.10). Results: Eleven patients had a breast pCR (25%; 95% confidence interval, 13-40%). FTase enzyme activity decreased in all patients (median, 91%; range, 24-100%) and p-STAT3 expression decreased in 7 of 9 (77%) patients. Low tumor Ki-67 expression (below the median of 60%) at baseline was significantly associated with resistance to therapy ( P = 0.01). Conclusion: Tipifarnib inhibits FTase activity in human breast tumors in vivo , is associated with down-regulation of p-STAT3, and enhances the breast pCR rate, thus meriting further evaluation.
A brief note on upwind collocation

Upwind collocation on Hermite cubics is compared to orthogonal collocation with respect to effective diffusion. The one-dimensional constant coefficient advection-diffusion equation is employed to this end. The effective diffusion coefficient is determined exactly and is found to be dependent on the nodal solution values. The effective diffusion coefficients of three other upwinding schemes are also presented. Upwind collocation is found to have an effective diffusion coefficient like other upwinding schemes plus an extra term which may enhance or reduce the non-advective flux, depending on the problem solution and point location within the domain.
Hole Traps in Rare Earth Doped MgS

W report here the nature of the hole traps in singly doged (Ce3+, Tb3+ or Sm3+) and doubly doped (Ce3+ or Eu2+ and Sm3+) MgS. Ce3+ switches its role from electron trap to hole trap when Sm3+ is added to the host. Stimulated luminescence involving these hole trapsare presented. On codoping with monovalent Li+ or Na+ ions V type hole centers can be significantly reduced in MgS doped with the trivalent ions.
Widely tunable quantum cascade laser-based terahertz source

A compact, tunable, ultranarrowband terahertz source, Δν∼1 MHz, is demonstrated by upconversion of a 2.324 THz, free-running quantum cascade laser with a THz Schottky-diode-balanced mixer using a swept, synthesized microwave source to drive the nonlinearity. Continuously tunable radiation of 1 μW power is demonstrated in two frequency regions: νLaser±0 to 50 GHz and νLaser±70 to 115 GHz. The sideband spectra were characterized with a Fourier-transform spectrometer, and the radiation was tuned through CO, HDO, and D2O rotational transitions.
Variations in magnitude of reward and position reversal learning following septal lesions in the rat

Two experiments examined the possibility that increased reactivity to positive reinforcement might contribute to the deficient performance on position reversal tasks by rats with septal lesions. Increasing the number of Noyes pellet rewards facilitated reversal learning by control subjects and by rats with septal lesions, but the magnitude of the impairment by the animals with lesions was not affected by the variation in quantity of reinforcement; regardless of the reward magnitude, rats with septal lesions exhibited impairments in performance that persisted for 10 reversals. Altering the quality of reinforcement also did not affect reversal performance by the animals with lesions.
Polyaluminum Hydroxychloride Application in Neutral pH Rosin Sizing of Paper

Commonly referred to as PAC, a series of polyhydroxide chlorides of aluminum with the general formula Al n (OH) m Cl 3n−m are being increasingly used as rosin size bonding agents, drainage aids and retention aids in papermaking. The manufacturing route chosen, the process kinetics and degree of neutralization affect the product produced and its reactions in the paper-making system. Production methods and procedures for quantifying the products produced are described. Dispersed rosin size and PAC can be applied to a papermaking system operating at pH 6 to 7.3. Sizing specifications are met and paper with non-slip characteristics, good machine glaze surface and printability is produced.
Biochemical effects of lipids on cancer therapy

Abstract The fatty acid composition of cancer cells can be modified during growth in culture or in animals. Substantial changes can be produced in the degree of unsaturation of the membrane phospholipids. Enrichment with polyunsaturated fatty acids makes leukemia cells more susceptible to lipid peroxidation and increases lipid radical formation in response to oxidant stress, ether lipids, and photodynamic therapy. Increases in polyunsaturation also make leukemic lymphoblasts more sensitive to the anthrocycline drug doxorubicin, the thioether lipid ilmofosine, and photodynamic therapy with Photofrin. Enrichment with docosahexaenoic acid also slows the growth of the L1210 cells by facilitating differentiation. These findings suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation may make certain forms of cancer treatment more effective. Parinaric acid, which contains conjugated double bonds, is cytotoxic to several kinds of human tumor cells through a mechanism that appears to involve oxidant stress. It is not known yet whether any of these lipid-based approaches to cancer therapy will show selectivity for malignant cells. Until this is resolved, the potential clinical utility of these approaches remains uncertain.
Aster-equatorial surface relations and furrow establishment.†

Flattened eggs of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus were used in experiments designed to determine whether furrow establishment depends upon any particular geometrical relationship between the asters and the equatorial surface. In normal eggs at first cleavage the asters are 29.5 μ apart and the distance from the spindle center to the equatorial surface is 47.3 μ. In flattened eggs, the mitotic apparatus was pushed to an excentric position. The maximum spindle-to-surface distance that permitted furrowing was 62.5 μ. At second cleavage the spindle-to-surface distance is normally 36.2 μ but furrows develop when the distance is as great as 47.5 μ. The interastral distance and spindle-to-surface distance were varied simultaneously in flattened, dispermic eggs containing four asters. The activity of supernumary sperm asters was not detectably different from that of the mitotic apparatus. If the interastral distance was 32.5 μ furrows formed when the spindle-to-surface distance was between 32.5 μ and 47.5 μ. When the interastral distance is increased to 35 μ or more at the same spindle-to-surface distances, furrowing was rare. Very short spindle-to-surface distances were produced by perforating the flattened cells. They allowed study of combinations involving large interastral distances and short spindle-to-surface distances. Under this circumstance asters 35 μ or farther apart invariably elicited furrows when the spindle-to-surface distance was 20 μ or less. Decreasing the spindle-to-surface distance remedies a deficiency occasioned by abnormally great interastral distances. These results are considered to support the view that furrow establishment requires conjoint action of a pair of asters upon equatorial cell surface.
Molecular Epidemiology of Physical Activity and Cancer

As in other areas of epidemiology, researchers studying physical activity and cancer have begun to include laboratory analyses of biological specimens in their studies. The incorporation of these “biomarkers” into epidemiology has been termed molecular epidemiology and is an approach primarily developed to study chemical carcinogens. Thus far, there has been no discussion in the field on how the established molecular epidemiologic framework might be adapted for research into physical activity, what methodologic needs exist, what the goals of such an approach might be, and what limitations exist. This article relates the literature on molecular epidemiology to the needs of physical activity research and tries to set research priorities for the field as it moves in this new direction. Although this approach will be very useful for investigating the mechanisms through which physical activity exerts effects, there are several challenges for physical activity epidemiologists in adapting molecular epidemiologic approaches. Primarily, there are currently no available biomarkers that might be considered measures of exposure or biologically effective dose. In addition, most available biomarkers of intermediate effects have been tested in training studies at activity levels much higher than those seen in population-based epidemiologic studies. Thus, it is not clear whether these biomarkers are valid at lower activity levels. Furthermore, the nature of the relationship between activity and many available biomarkers depends very much on the context of the activity. Addressing these issues should be a priority if we are to develop a molecular epidemiologic paradigm for studying physical activity.