cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adjuvant Chemotherapy versus Chemotherapy plus Pelvic Irradiation for High-Risk Cervical Cancer Patients after Radical Hysterectomy and Pelvic Lymphadenectomy (RH-PLND): A Randomized Phase III Trial

Abstract Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy alone vs chemotherapy plus whole pelvic radiation therapy (RT) on recurrence rates, patterns of recurrence, and survival of patients post-RH-PLND for cervical cancer at high risk for recurrence. Methods: Prospective multicenter randomized Phase III trial. Patients with Stage IB–IIA cervical cancer undergoing RH-PLND were eligible. Risk factors include deep cervical invasion, tumor ≥4 cm, parametrial involvement, nonsquamous histology, and/or pelvic lymph node metastasis. Chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin and bleomycin, alone or in combination with whole pelvic RT. Survival was determined by Kaplan–Meier estimate. Results: Eighty-nine patients were entered from 1987 to 1994. Seventy-five patients had a Stage IB cancer and 14 patients had Stage IIA. Twenty-five patients had ≥3 risk factors. Forty-four patients received chemotherapy alone vs 45 patients treated with chemotherapy and RT. Nineteen patients had recurrences and 16 patients have died. Nine of 44 (20%) patients receiving chemo alone recurred compared to 10/45 (22%) patients receiving chemo and RT ( P = ns). Patterns of recurrence were statistically similar between the two treatment arms, even among the subgroup of patients with ≥3 risk factors. Both regimens were well tolerated. Conclusion: CT + RT did not prove a superior adjuvant therapy for patients at high risk of recurrence after RH-PLND for early cervical cancer in this limited trial. Recurrence rates and patterns of recurrences (local, regional, or distant) were not influenced by the addition of RT.
Laparobotic duodenal diverticulectomy and choledochoduodenostomy: a case study and review of the literature

Introduction The duodenum is the second most common site for diverticulae, after the colon. They are common after the fifth decade and usually asymptomatic. Ten percent of patients present with symptoms, which include abdominal pain, hemorrhage, duodenal obstruction, diverticulitis, perforation, pancreatitis, and obstructive jaundice. After a thorough search of medline we present, for the first time, a case of obstructive jaundice secondary to duodenal diverticulum compressing the common bile duct. It was managed by laparobotic duodenal diverticulectomy with choledocho-duodenostomy. The operative technique is discussed.
Stereochemistry of the enolization of scytalone by scytalone dehydratase.

In D2O, scytalone exchanges its two C2 hydrogen atoms for deuterium atoms at different rates. At pD 7.0 and 25 °C, half-lives for the exchanges are 0.8 and 10 days for the pro-S and pro-R hydrogens, respectively. The differential exchange rates allow for the preparation of multiple scytalone samples (through incubation of scytalone in D2O and then back exchanging with H2O) having differential levels of deuterium enrichment at the C2 pro-S and pro-R positions. From these samples, the stereochemical preference for hydrogen abstraction during the dehydration reaction mediated by the enzyme scytalone dehydratase was determined. At pH 7.0, deuterium at the pro-S position has little effect on enzyme catalysis, whereas deuterium at the pro-R position produces kinetic isotope effects of 2.3 (25 °C), 5.1 (25 °C), and 6.7 (6.8 °C) on kcat, kcat/Km, and the single-turnover rate, respectively. The results are fully consistent with the enzyme catalyzing a syn elimination through an E1cb-like mechanism. The syn elimina...
Transcriptional Analysis of Tumor-Specific T-Cell Responses in Cancer Patients

Over the last decade, tumor immunology in general and tumor immunotherapy in particular have made important progress. Thanks to the discovery of tumor-associated antigens (TAA), and the consequent development of active-specific immunization protocols, TAA-specific T-cell responses can now be induced reproducibly in cancer patients. However, clinical responses directly ascribable to TAA-specific T cells occur only occasionally. It is not clear why TAA-specific T cells do not eliminate tumor cells in vivo. This paradoxical coexistence of antigen-bearing tumor cells and antigen-specific T cells constitutes a critical point of current investigation. In recent years, protein-ligand interaction-based methods aimed at the identification and characterization of T cells using antibodies (cell surface phenotyping, intracellular and secreted cytokine detection), or HLA-peptide multimers, have significantly improved the analysis of TAA-specific T cells. These methods, however, seem to have reached the limit of their usefulness. Transcriptional analysis may add sensitivity and resolution and may provide global pictures of the multifactorial requirements for an efficient immune response against tumors. In this review, we describe the use of molecular genetic methods, such as real time qRT-PCR, cDNA microarrays, and TCR repertoire analysis. In addition, we describe techniques for high-fidelity messenger RNA amplification that allow high-throughput analysis of samples obtained from minimal sources, such as HLA/peptide tetramer sorted antigen-specific T cells, laser capture dissection, or fine needle aspirates. Recent work discussed in this review summarizes the complementarity of transcriptional analysis as an essential tool that, in addition to conventional methods, may deepen and broaden the characterization of tumor-specific T cells.
Hash Function Vulnerability Index and Hash Chain Attacks

A hash chain is constructed by repeated hashing from an initial value. While it finds applications for network protocol design it also poses threats to hash function one-way and collision-free properties. We investigate the complexity of breaking hash function security properties by hash chain attacks using probabilistic algorithms. We show that each hash function has a vulnerability index that measures its inherent vulnerability against hash chains attacks. The vulnerability index is invariant with respect to different types of hash chain attacks using probabilistic algorithms with or without an oracle. It provides a criterion for the evaluation of the prevalent hash functions and also be used as a guide for the design of new hash functions. We analyze the properties of the vulnerability indices and estimate their values of the commonly used hash functions: MD5, SHA1, RIPEMD128 and RIPEMD160. Preliminary experiments indicate that their vulnerability indices are rather low; that is, it is hard to break their security properties by hash chain attacks with probabilistic algorithms.
Tinidazole: A nitroimidazole antiprotozoal agent

Abstract Background: Tinidazole, a structural analogue of metrondazole, is an antiprotozoal agent that has been widely used in Europe and developing countries for >2 decades with established efficacy and acceptable tolerability. It was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of trichomoniasis, giardiasis, amebiasis, and amebic liver abscess. Objective: This article reviews the pharmacologicand pharmacokinetic properties and clinical usefulness of tinidazole. Methods: Relevant information was identified through a search of MEDLINE (1966–August 2005), Iowa Drug Information Service (1966–August 2005), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–August 2005) using the terms tinidazole, Fasigyn , and nitroimidazole . Results: In vitro, tinidazole exhibits activity againstpathogenic protozoa (eg, Tricbomonas vaginalis, Entamoeba bistolytica, Giardia duodenalis ), a wide range of clinically significant anaerobic bacteria (eg, Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium difficile ), and the microaerophilic bacterium Helicobacter pylori . In susceptible protozoal and bacterial cells, tinidazole is reduced to cytotoxic intermediates that covalently bind to DNA, causing irreversible damage. In human adults, tinidazole had a bioavailability of 100% and a V d of 50.7 L, was minimally bound to plasma protein (12%), had a plasma elimination t ½ of 12.3 hours, and was eliminated primarily by hepatic metabolism (∼63%). Dose adjustment does not appear to be necessary on the basis of race, sex, or renal function. No data were found on the disposition of tinidazole in patients with hepatic insufficiency; therefore, use of tinidazole in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class C) is not recommended. Clinical cure rates in patients with trichomoniasis, giardiasis, amebiasis, and amebic liver abscess were generally >90%. In comparative trials, tinidazole was as effective as metronidazole in the treatment of trichomoniasis and was significantly more effective than metronidazole in the treatment of giardiasis ( P P 1%) adverse effects included bitter taste, nausea, abdominal discomfort, anorexia, vomiting, and fatigue. The recommended dosage of tinidazole is a single dose of 2 g for trichomoniasis and giardiasis, and 2 g/d for 3 to 5 days for amebiasis. Conclusions: Tinidazole appears to be a promisingagent for the treatment of trichomoniasis, giardiasis, amebiasis, and amebic liver abscess. Clinical studies are needed to evaluate the use of tinidazole against anaerobic bacteria and H pylori .
Low-cost passive sensors for monitoring corrosion in concrete structures

A passive sensor platform has been developed at the University of Texas at Austin to monitor corrosion of embedded reinforcement in concrete structures. The sensors are powered and interrogated in a wireless manner. Initial sensor designs used a sacrificial corroding steel wire to indicate the risk of corrosion within concrete. The wire was physically connected to the sensor circuitry and passed through the circuit protection layer. Consequently, it allowed contaminants to reach the circuit electric components causing corrosion and limiting the service life of the sensor. A novel sensor configuration that relies on wireless inductive coupling between a resonant circuit and the transducer element is presented. The non-contact design eliminates the breach concern and enhances the durability of the senor. Preliminary test results of the new design will be discussed in this paper.
Steady-state substrate specificity and O2-coupling efficiency of mouse cysteine dioxygenase

Abstract Cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) is a non-heme mononuclear iron enzyme that catalyzes the oxygen-dependent oxidation of l -cysteine (Cys) to produce l -cysteine sulfinic acid (CSA). Sequence alignment of mammalian CDO with recently discovered thiol dioxygenase enzymes suggests that the mononuclear iron site within all enzymes in this class share a common 3-His first coordination sphere. This implies a similar mechanistic paradigm among thiol dioxygenase enzymes. Although steady-state studies were first reported for mammalian CDO over 45 years ago, detailed analysis of the specificity for alternative thiol-bearing substrates and their oxidative coupling efficiencies have not been reported for this enzyme. Assuming a similar mechanistic theme among this class of enzymes, characterization of the CDO substrate specificity may provide valuable insight into substrate-active site intermolecular during thiol oxidation. In this work, the substrate-specificity for wild-type Mus musculus CDO was investigated using NMR spectroscopy and LC–MS for a variety of thiol-bearing substrates. Tandem mass spectrometry was used to confirm dioxygenase activity for each non-native substrate investigated. Steady-state Michaelis–Menten parameters for sulfinic acid product formation and O 2 -consumption were compared to establish the coupling efficiency for each reaction. In light of these results, the minimal substrate requirements for CDO catalysis and O 2 -activation are discussed.
Capability-based addressing

Various addressing schemes making use of segment tables are examined. The inadequacies of these schemes when dealing with shared addresses are explained. These inadequacies are traced to the lack of an efficient absolute address for objects in these systems. The direct use of a capability as an address is shown to overcome these difficulties because it provides the needed absolute address. Implementation of capability-based addressing is discussed. It is predicted that the use of tags to identify capabilities will dominate. A hardware address translation scheme which never requires the modification of the representation of capabilities is suggested. The scheme uses a main memory hash table for obtaining a segment's location in main memory given its unique code. The hash table is avoided for recently accessed segments by means of a set of associative registers. A computer using capability-based addressing may be substantially superior to present systems on the basis of protection, simplicity of programming conventions, and efficient implementation.
Effect of a 17alpha-(3-hydroxypropyl)-17beta-acetyl substituent pattern on the glucocorticoid and progestin receptor binding of 11beta-arylestra-4,9-dien-3-ones.

Replacing the 17α-acetoxy substituent in an antiprogestational 17β-acetyl-11β-arylestra-4,9-dien-3-one by 3-hydroxypropyl significantly diminished glucocorticoid receptor binding with little effect on progestin receptor binding.
Acute effect of DMBA application on Langerhans cells of the hamster buccal pouch mucosa

One, two, and three applications of DMBA in mineral oil to hamster buccal pouch mucosa did not result in obvious histologic alterations in experimental periods ranging from 4 1/2 hours to 2 weeks after the last DMBA application. However, there were significant increases in the number of Langerhans cells, as disclosed histochemically with ATPase staining. There was also an increase in the length and size of the dendritic processes of the Langerhans cells. Applications of DMBA in oil resulted in a consistently significant increase in Langerhans cells when compared to the buccal pouch mucosa of untreated animals. However, mineral oil applications also resulted in a slight increase in Langerhans cells when compared to the mucosa of untreated controls. The major effects of the DMBA on Langerhans cells occurred after 2 weeks and with increasing numbers of applications. The increase in Langerhans cells is interpreted as an enhanced response by immunologically competent cells which may represent an early immune response to the very early changes in carcinogenesis.
Vascular Dementia: A Contemporary Review of Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment

Abstract The past decade has seen a renewed interest in vascular dementia. Key epidemiologic studies have examined the prevalence, incidence, course and risk factors of vascular dementia. New classification systems have been developed to improve the reliability of the diagnosis, and there have been advances in diagnostic methodology, such as neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessment. New treatments for vascular dementia are being developed to protect the brain from cerebral ischemia and to limit progression of cognitive impairment. Diagnostic criteria for vascular dementia remain to be validated by carefully designed, systematic, clinicopathologic study. Once such criteria are validated, meaningful study of subgroups of vascular dementia can be explored. Until the relationship between vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease is better defined, the nosology for vascular dementia may be defined best as dementia associated with stroke.
Sensuous Experience, Phenomenal Presence, and Perceptual Availability

AbstractI argue that an experience’s sensuous elements play an ineliminable role in our being intentionally directed upon an entity through perception. More specifically, I argue that whenever we appreciate a sensuous element in experience, we appreciate an intrinsic and irreducibly phenomenal aspect of experience that I call phenomenal presence – an aspect of experience that I show is central to its presentational character – and that the appreciation of phenomenal presence is necessary for perceptual intentionality. If an experience is to possess intentionality, the experience itself must make an entity available as an object of perceptually-based singular beliefs and the experiencing subject, by virtue of undergoing the experience, must in some sense be able to appreciate that it has done so. Phenomenal presence is necessary for perceptual intentionality because it plays an ineliminable role in making an entity available to its subject in this way.
Dissociation between long-lasting behavioral sensitization to amphetamine and impulsive choice in rats performing a delay-discounting task

Repeated amphetamine (AMPH) exposure is known to cause long-term changes in AMPH-induced locomotor behavior (i.e., sensitization) that are associated with similarly long-lasting changes in brain function. It is not clear, however, if such exposure produces long-lasting changes in a cognitive behavior that, in humans, is hypothesized to contribute to addiction. To examine whether repeated AMPH exposure induces both locomotor sensitization and alters impulsive choice in a delay-discounting task. Adult, male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 29) were pretreated with 3.0 mg/kg AMPH or saline every other day for 20 days and were then trained to lever press for small, immediately delivered food reinforcement or larger reinforcements delivered after delays. We subsequently assessed the effects of acute AMPH (0.1–2.0 mg/kg) on delay-discounting. Lastly, we tested for long-lasting effects of pretreatment by giving an AMPH challenge (3.0 mg/kg) 1 week after the final delay-discounting session. Repeated AMPH produced sensitization to the drug’s stereotypy-inducing effects but did not alter acquisition or baseline behavior in the delay-discounting task. Following acute AMPH, impulsive choice and other measures of delay-discounting were altered, but to a similar extent in both saline- and AMPH-pretreated groups. The AMPH challenge, given ∼3 months after the last pretreatment injection, revealed that sensitization was still evident. Our results suggest that one behavioral consequence of repeated AMPH exposure—sensitization—does not overlap with another potential outcome—increased impulsivity. Furthermore, the neuroadaptations known to be associated with sensitization may be somewhat distinct from those that lead to changes in impulsive choice.
The Impact of the Participatory, Visitor-Centered Model on Curatorial Practice.

In late 2006, the Columbus Museum of Art adopted a new framework that established creativity as the lens for learning and visitor experiences. This shift brought new challenges to the museum's curators. With seismic changes in the internal and external culture of museums, there is no doubt that the traditional curator's role is under scrutiny. In this article, curator Catherine Evans explores how developing relationships with colleagues and bringing cross-departmental knowledge, strengths, and questions to the table results in more robust, thoughtful, and dynamic experiences for visitors and boosts the curator's role.
Single-molecule transistor fabrication by self-aligned lithography and in situ molecular assembly

We describe the fabrication of single-molecule transistors by self-aligned lithography and in situ molecular assembly. Ultrathin metallic electrodes are patterned with a nanoscale interelectrode separation defined by the lateral oxidation of a thin layer of Al. Highly conjugated molecular units are sequentially assembled within the electrode gap by selective design of the molecular end group chemistry. The assembled devices display evidence of molecular conduction.
Separate and together: all-black therapy group in the white hospital.

This paper describes a black therapy group in a predominantly white hospital. It focuses on the beginnings of the group process, examines group development over thirty weeks, and offers case material regarding differences and similarities between the all-black group experience and the white or integrated group. Leadership roles are addressed in an attempt to clarify the role of co-leaders of a black group operating in a white hospital.
Synergistic Effects of Adenosine and Compounds Related to Adenosine 3′: 5′-cyclic Monophosphate on Dedifferentiating Iris Epithelial Cells in Culture

Addition of adenosine or 5′ AMP to the primary culture of newt iris epithelial cells produces an extensive array of fine cytoplasmic processes in a fraction of the cell population. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP, monobutyryl cyclic AMP, cyclic AMP and theophylline have the same effect, but the minimum effective concentrations of the latter four compounds are higher than those of the former two. When the primary cultures are treated simultaneously with two effective compounds at various concentrations a synergis-tic effect is observed between dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline; cyclic AMP and theophylline; adenosine and theophylline; adenosine and cyclic AMP. The results support the interpretation that an increase in cellular level of cyclic AMP, which is produced by exogenous adenosine or 5′ AMP as well as by exogenous cyclic AMP, its derivatives or theophylline, is responsible for the formation of radial cytoplasmic processes. The morphogenetic response does not depend on the presence of serum in the culture medium. The possibility is discussed that the cellular level of cyclic AMP is involved as one link of the sequential events which control the dedifferentiation of iris epithelial cells in cell-type conversion.
Real‐world learning opportunities in sustainability: from classroom into the real world

Purpose – Academic sustainability programs aim to develop key competencies in sustainability, including problem‐solving skills and the ability to collaborate successfully with experts and stakeholders. These key competencies may be most fully developed in new teaching and learning situations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the kind of, and extent to which, these key competencies can be acquired in real‐world learning opportunities.Design/methodology/approach – The paper summarizes key competencies in sustainability, identifies criteria for real‐world learning opportunities in sustainability programs, and draws on dominant real‐world learning models including project‐ and problem‐based learning, service learning, and internships in communities, businesses, and governments. These components are integrated into a framework to design real‐world learning opportunities.Findings – A “functional and progressive” model of real‐world learning opportunities seems most conducive to introduce students (as wel...
Influence of microstructure and strain rate on the compressive strength of whisker-reinforced ceramic matrix composites

The compressive strength of pyroceramic reinforced with a wide variety of SiC whiskers was characterized at loading rates which range from quasi-static to dynamic. It was found that strength is inversely related to whisker size, and essentially strain rate insensitive. The same strain rate independence was obtained for unreinforced matrix, but the strength of the latter lies below that for small (⩽ 1 μm diameter) whisker-reinforced composites, and above that for large ( > 3 μm diameter) whisker material. Whisker/crack interaction and (to a lesser extent) whisker pull-out seem to be responsible for the beneficial influence of small whiskers, while the apparently detrimental large whiskers serve as microcrack-nucleating inclusions.
The General Internist: A Potential Solution to the Health Care Provision Problem?

Our objective in this special issue on the general internist will be to define the general internist's role in the academic and community environment and to place his function in perspective relative to other health care professionals. The relevance of this issue is reflected in the current ferment being generated to offer the general internist as a potential solution for the inadequacies of our existing health care system. If he is to have an important role, we must review those factors that are responsible for creating the existing health care dilemma. An analysis of our present system demonstrates a frustratingly painful disparity between the capabilities of medical care and its availability. We have experienced an exponential growth in our medical knowledge over the past four decades but have allowed the organizational structure that is responsible for translating these advances into deliverable services to remain in a "horse-and-buggy" stage. The primary
Initial and boundary conditions for the lattice Boltzmann method.

An alternative approach of implementing initial and boundary conditions for the lattice Boltzmann method is presented. The basic idea is to calculate the lattice Boltzmann populations at a boundary node from the fluid variables that are specified at this node using the gradients of the fluid velocity. The numerical performance of the lattice Boltzmann method is tested on several problems with exact solutions and is also compared to an explicit finite-difference projection method. The discretization error of the lattice Boltzmann method decreases quadratically with finer resolution both in space and in time. The roundoff error of the lattice Boltzmann method creates problems unless double-precision arithmetic is used.
A Qualitative Method for Triglyceride Analysis by HPLC Using an Evaporative Light-Scattering Detector

Abstract A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the separation and identification of several triglycerides in edible oil and fat samples using an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) is described. A single 25 cm Hypersil C-18 column maintained at 35°C was used successfully to analyze and identify a variety of triglycerides from almond oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil and olive oil. Complete separation and detection of triolein, 1, 2-dioleoyl-3-stearoyl-rac-glycerol, trilinolein, 1, 2-dioleoyl-3-palmitoyl-rac-glycerol and 1, 2-dilinoleoyl-3-oleoyl-rac-glycerol was achieved in less than 20 minutes using a binary gradient of methylene chloride and acetonitrile. No baseline drift or solubility problems were encountered using this improved method.
A QUICK TEST FOR CUCUMBER BRINE ACIDITY

SUMMARY –A quick, simple test has been developed for the pickle industry to determine brine acidity of 0.60% and above as lactic acid in tanks of fermenting cucumbers. Tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane was used as an acidimetric standard and was impregnated together with phenol red as an indicator in filter paper. 1.25-in, squares of the paper were developed to neutralize 5.0 ml of 0.60% lactic acid at pH 5.8. The paper squares have been successfully used by members of the pickle industry to test their fermenting pickle brines under actual commercial conditions.
Arthur Kornberg. 3 March 1918 — 26 October 2007

With the death of Arthur Kornberg on 26 October 2007, one of the giants of twentieth-century biochemistry was lost. Arthur Kornberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 3 March 1918. The son of Joseph and Lena Kornberg, both Eastern European immigrants, he grew up in Brooklyn and attended the City College of New York (CCNY), which was then—and still is—tuition free, and can count several Nobel laureates among its graduates.
Microfluidic peroxidase biochip for polyphenol synthesis.

An enzyme-containing microfluidic biochip has been developed for the oxidative polymerization of phenols. The biochip consists of a simple T-junction with two feed reservoirs 20 mm apart and a microreaction channel 30 mm long. The channel is 15 microm deep and 200 microm wide at the center, giving a reaction volume of 90 nL. The biochip was fabricated using conventional photolithographic methods on a glass substrate etched using a HF-based solution. Fluid transport was enabled using electroosmotic flow. Soybean peroxidase was used as the phenol oxidizing catalyst, and in the presence of p-cresol and H(2)O(2), essentially complete conversion of the H(2)O(2) (the limiting substrate) occurred in the microchannel at a flow rate of ca. 290 nL/min. Thus, peroxidase was found to be intrinsically active even upon dramatic scale-down as achieved in microfluidic reactors. These results were extended to a series of phenols, thereby demonstrating that the microfluidic peroxidase reactor may have application in high-throughput screening of phenolic polymerization reactions for use in phenolic resin synthesis. Finally, rapid growth of poly(p-cresol) on the walls of the microreaction channel could be performed in the presence of higher H(2)O(2) concentrations. This finding suggests that solution-phase peroxidase catalysis can be used in the controlled deposition of polymers on the walls of microreactors.
The myth of measurable disease in ovarian cancer.

There are well-documented and serious limitations associated with analyzing measurable disease in ovarian cancer as a sole primary endpoint in clinical trials, as this focus requires the presence of individual tumor masses of sufficient size and distinctive shape to image. An alternative highly rational strategy adds the routine monitoring of validated serum tumor markers (e.g., CA-125), which can more adequately define changes in “tumor volume” associated with small nonvisualized macroscopic and diffuse microscopic cancer. In a commentary written more than 5 years ago, this author noted the serious limitations associated with employing changes in “measurable disease” by physical examination or radiographic imaging to define nonoverall survival endpoints in ovarian cancer trials (1). In recognition of the serious inadequacy of this approach, the Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup, a highly regarded international consortium of clinical investigators, has officially modified its criteria for the evaluation of efficacy in ovarian cancer randomized trials to include well-characterized changes in a validated serum tumor marker (CA-125) as an acceptable objective endpoint for progression-free survival in these studies (2). Despite this fact, many ovarian cancer trials continue to examine endpoints that are based solely on changes in “measurable disease” as evidence of a regimen’s biological activity, and mandate that “disease progression” be documented by findings observed on radiographic studies. An unfortunate, and disquieting result of this trial design perspective is that treating physicians who quite rationally elect to remove a patient from an ovarian cancer study based on a marked (and confirmed) rise in the serum CA-125 level in the absence of changes on abdominal
Testing for central mixtures of compartment model parameters.

I discuss alternatives to the one compartment model, ℰYt = α + β exp(−γt). Instead of comparing the one and two compartment models, I derive statistics for testing mixtures of the parameters (β, γ) in the one compartment model. I apply the proposed methods to the problem of hydrogen clearance in blood flow measurement and to vanadium depuration data.
Teaching Estuarine Hydrology with Online Data

The transfigurative development of automated online data sources from estuaries, coastal oceans, and their watersheds provides a tremendous opportunity for use by educators. In this article, one approach tailored for San Francisco Bay and its watershed is presented. Hydrology can broadly be defined as the study of the properties and distribution of water. Multidisciplinary hydrologic characteristics that are exemplified by typical online data include spatial variability, temporal variability, forcing mechanisms, historical context, and extreme events. Data analysis and manuscript preparation allow students to develop and utilize scientific skills such as critical reading of the literature, evaluating data sources and quality, writing and data presentation, and conducting peer review. The goal of this approach is to use recent local real-world data and publication to motivate graduate students to study estuaries and coastal oceans.
Technology Assessment of the Polymer Products Industry

Abstract In the United States economy, intermediate petrochemicals rarely find direct consumer use; rather, they serve as raw materials for the manufacture of synthetic fibers, plastics, and resins; synthetic rubber, and thousands of other products. The demand for these end products drives the growth of the intermediate chemicals industry and shapes future technology. It is clear that petrochemical technology assessment requires both an understanding of the technology and of the function the technology is to serve in the economy.
DREAMIN' OF BLACK FREEDOM AND FIGHTING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

Manning Marable, The Great Wells of Democracy: The Meaning of Race in American Life. New York: Basic Books, 2002, 304 pages, ISBN: 0-456-04393-3, $27.50.Robin D. G. Kelley, Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2002, 248 pages, ISBN: 0-8070-0976-8, $24.00.
Clinical Overview of Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is now available from several companies in the United States for purchase or research studies. This article provides an overview of these devices and reviews the use of sensors for managing diabetes in “real time,” as well as the use of retrospective analysis of CGM results.
A 90-Min Cardiac Biorhythm Methodology and Data Analysis Using Modified Periodograms and Complex Demodulation

Since the discovery of an approximate 90-min oscillation in rapid eye movement (REM) or dream sleep, much interest has been expressed in the physiological and behavioral parameters associated with this phenomenon. One of the often stated theories is that this 90-min rhythm is an endogenous biorhythm present throughout the 24-h day, perhaps representing a rest-activity cycle of the nervous system. An approximate 90-min biorhythm in resting human heart rate is assessed and described using the techniques of periodogram analysis and complex demodulation. The techniques employed found evidence for this rhythm in all subjects; in-addition, the amplitude of the 90-min ultradian rhythm seemed to be modulated by a circadian (24-h) rhythm. However, the modulating circadian rhythm was not usually phase locked to the circadian rhythm fixed by the waking/sleeping cycle of each subject.
High-harmonic generation from Bloch electrons in solids

We study the generation of high-harmonic radiation by Bloch electrons in a model transparent solid driven by a strong midinfrared laser field. We solve the single-electron time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation (TDSE) using a velocity-gauge method [M. Korbman et al., New J. Phys. 15, 013006 (2013)] that is numerically stable as the laser intensity and number of energy bands are increased. The resulting harmonic spectrum exhibits a primary plateau due to the coupling of the valence band to the first conduction band, with a cutoff energy that scales linearly with field strength and laser wavelength. We also find a weaker second plateau due to coupling to higher-lying conduction bands, with a cutoff that is also approximately linear in the field strength. To facilitate the analysis of the time-frequency characteristics of the emitted harmonics, we also solve the TDSE in a time-dependent basis set, the Houston states [J. B. Krieger and G. J. Iafrate, Phys. Rev. B 33, 5494 (1986)], which allows us to separate interband and intraband contributions to the time-dependent current. We find that the interband and intraband contributions display very different time-frequency characteristics. We show that solutions in these two bases are equivalent under a unitary transformation but that, unlike the velocity-gauge method, the Houston state treatment is numerically unstable when more than a few low-lying energy bands are used.
Patient Centered Medical Home transformation at an academic medical center

Background: Primary care is playing an ever increasing role in the design and implementation of new models of healthcare focused on achieving policy ends as put forth by government at both the state and federal level. The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model is a leading design in this endeavor. Objective: We sought to transform family medicine offices at an academic medical center into the PCMH model of care with improvements in patient outcomes as the end result. Results: Transformation to the PCMH model of care resulted in improved rates of control of diabetes and hypertension and improved prevention measures such as smoking cessation, mammograms, Pneumovax administration, and Tdap vaccination. Readmission rates also improved using a care coordination model. Conclusions: It is possible to transform family medicine offices at academic medical centers in methods consistent with newer models of care such as the PCMH model and to improve patient outcomes. Lessons learned along the way are useful to any practice or system seeking to undertake such transformation.
Examination of Force Discrimination in Human Upper Limb Amputees With Reinnervated Limb Sensation Following Peripheral Nerve Transfer

Artificial limbs allow amputees to manipulate objects, but the loss of a limb severs the sensory link between a subject and objects they touch. A novel surgical technique we term targeted reinnervation (TR) allows severed cutaneous nerves to reinnervate skin on a different portion of the body. This technique provides a physiologically appropriate portal to the sensory pathways of the missing limb through the reinnervated skin. This study quantified the ability of three amputee subjects who had undergone TR surgery on the chest (two subjects) and upper arm (one subject) to discriminate changes in graded force on their reinnervated skin over a range of 1-4 N using a stochastic staircase approach. These values were compared to those from sites on their intact contralateral skin and index fingers, and from the chests and index fingers of a control population (n =10) . Weber's ratio (WR) was used to examine the subjects' abilities to discriminate between a baseline force and subsequent forces of different magnitudes. WRs of 0.22, 0.25, and 0.12 were measured on the reinnervated skin of the three TR subjects, whereas WRs of 0.25, 0.23, and 0.12 were measured on their contralateral skin. TR subjects did not have substantially different WRs on their reinnervated versus their contralateral normal side and did not appear to exhibit a trend towards impaired sensation. No significant difference was found between the WR of the chest and index finger of the control subjects, which ranged between 0.09 and 0.21. WR of reinnervated skin for TR subjects were within the 95% confidence interval of the control group. These data suggest that subjects with targeted reinnervation have unimpaired ability to discriminate gradations in force.
Recent developments in multidimensional multirate systems

The authors review the fundamentals of multidimensional (M-D) multirate signal processing and present recent and new developments in M-D multirate systems. A method is presented for deriving all parallelepiped-shaped filters in M-D multirate applications from an appropriate 1-D filter. It is shown that the generalized-pseudocirculant property is necessary and sufficient for an M-D maximally decimated filter-bank system to be free from aliasing. It is shown how the Smith form, Smith-McMillan form, and the least common multiples of integer matrices can resolve many nonseparable M-D multirate problems. The condition for alias-free decimation and the multistage design of decimation systems are mentioned. >
Lobster (Panulirus interruptus) Pyloric Muscles Express the Motor Patterns of Three Neural Networks, Only One of Which Innervates the Muscles

In several systems, including some well studied invertebrate "model" preparations, rapid, rhythmic inputs drive slow muscles. In this situation muscle contractions can summate temporally between motor neuron bursts, tonically contract, and low-pass filter broad-band input. We have investigated how the muscles innervated by each motor neuron type of the rapid, rhythmic (cycle period, approximately 1 sec) lobster pyloric network respond when driven by previously recorded in vitro pyloric network activity from intact stomatogastric nervous systems. Under these conditions the much slower gastric mill and cardiac sac networks of the stomatogastric nervous system are also active and modify pyloric activity. All of the muscles show pyloric timed phasic contractions that ride on a sustained tonic contraction; muscle activity can range from being almost completely phasic to almost completely tonic. The modifications of pyloric neuron activity induced by gastric mill (cycle period, approximately 10 sec) activity result in some pyloric muscles showing prominent, gastric mill-timed, changes in either phasic or tonic contraction amplitude. The strong modification of pyloric neuron activity induced by cardiac sac (cycle period, approximately 60 sec) activity alters the contractions of all pyloric muscles. These changes are sufficient that for some muscles, in some preparations, the primary muscle output is cardiac sac-timed. This is the first work to examine the motor responses of all pyloric muscle classes to spontaneous stomatogastric activity and shows that the pyloric motor pattern is a complex combination of the activities of three neural networks, although only one (the pyloric) innervates the muscles.
Mixed-signal System-on-a-Chip (SoC) verification based on SystemVerilog model

Simulation speed and a lack of test approaches are the main difficulties in the mixed-signal verification of a complex System-on-a-Chip (SoC). In this paper, an equivalent high-level Radio Frequency (RF) model is created by the SystemVerilog language and integrated into a mixed-signal SoC. Such a model can be executed on a digital simulator, which is dramatically faster than the traditional method using an analog solver. Some mixed-signal verification approaches based on digital methods (including constrained random data generation, assertion-based verification, coverage-driven verification, and Verification Methodology Manual) are also presented as well as a case on the integrated SoC.
Lexical influences on children's early positional patterns.

Two young children were studied from the period when their expressive lexicons were approximately 30 words until they showed productive two-word positional patterns in their speech. Word combinations meeting the criteria for positional productive, positional associative and groping patterns were identified and the period during which the words appearing in these patterns were acquired was then determined. Words used in positional productive patterns had generally emerged in the children's speech before those used in associative or groping patterns. When several words that could play a particular semantic role (e.g. actor) were already well established in the child's lexicon, positional productive patterns that were somewhat broader in scope appeared as early as lexically based patterns.
Percutaneous Renal Access by Urologist or Radiologist: A Review of the Literature

Background: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the preferred treatment for renal calculi greater than 2cm in diameter. In both the United States and United Kingdom, interventional radiologists often perform percutaneous access rather than urologists obtaining their own access. Objectives: We present a local cohort of urologist versus radiologist obtained percutaneous access and a relevant literature review. In addition, access techniques and the role of training urologists to obtain percutaneous access are reviewed. Patients and Methods: The records of 233 patients undergoing PCNL at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) between 2000 and 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were stratified according to percutaneous access by urologists (group 1) or a group of interventional radiologists (group 2) in 195 and 38 patients, respectively. Radiologist-acquired access was performed for collecting system decompression in 33.3% of patients in group 2. A predicted access difficulty score was calculated using demographic, stone, and operative variables. Percutaneous access complications and stone-free rates were compared between groups. A Medline search of pertinent articles was conducted. Additional sources were identified from the reference sections of relevant manuscripts. Results: Rates of stone clearance are superior with urologist-obtained renal access as compared to radiologist-obtained access when there is no preoperative communication between groups. Complication rates are similar between groups. Among urologists, the learning curve for PCNL is 60 cases for competence and 100-115 cases for excellence. Several models for virtual training in percutaneous renal access are available. The use of retrograde endoscopy can reduce the number of tracts required for access, thereby reducing perioperative blood loss. Ultrasound has been used as an adjunct imaging modality for PCNL and reduces the risk of radiation to patients and staff. Conclusions: Urologists can safely obtain percutaneous renal access. Further training during and after residency is necessary to increase the number of urologists capable of obtaining access for PCNL. A number of virtual models are available to facilitate training. Endoscopic-assisted percutaneous renal access may decrease the steep learning curve associated with obtaining percutaneous access. Efforts should be made to decrease the use of ionizing radiation during PCNL. ARTICLE INFO
Signal Parameter Estimation in the Presence of Timing Noise

We consider the problem of estimating the parameters of a signal when the sampling instances are perturbed by signal-independent timing noise. The classical techniques consider timing noise to induce a signal-independent additive white Gaussian noise term on the sample values. We reject this simplification of the problem and give alternative methodologies. For the problem of delay estimation when the pulse shape and amplitude of the signal are known, we give an iterative algorithm that shows superior performance compared to the traditional method which relies on maximizing the cross-correlation.
Relationship of cell envelope stability to substrate capture in a marine psychrophilic bacterium.

Abstract Cells of a psychrophilic marine bacterium were found to take up a variety of amino acids from seawater. Some of the amino acids that were taken up were released when the cells were exposed to a hypotonic salt solution. The proportion that was released varied according to the amino acid. A pool of the amino acid arginine that was formed during very short periods of exposure of cells to the exogenously supplied amino acid was particularly sensitive to reductions in salinity. In general, exposure to hypotonic salt solutions also resulted in reduced amino acid uptake by the cells. Complete removal of seawater salts (SE treatment) produced obvious structural alterations in the cell envelope, resulting in an even greater reduction in amino acid uptake. Under these conditions, amino acid-binding components were released by the cells. Differential centrifugation and fluorescent antibody studies indicated that arginine-binding components are located on or near the surface of intact cells. The data suggest that substrate receptors were sensitive to reductions in seawater salt concentrations and that lesions at this level affected the organism's substrate uptake and retention capabilities.
Characterization of stress corrosion cracks in Ni-based weld alloys 52, 52M and 152 grown in high-temperature water

Abstract Ni-based weld alloys 52, 52M and 152 are extensively used in repair and mitigation of primary water stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in nuclear power plants. In the present study, a series of microstructure and microchemistry at the SCC tips of these alloys were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). The specimens have similar chemical compositions and testing conditions. Intergranular (IG) and transgranular (TG) SCC was observed in all of them. The cracks were filled with nickel-oxides and partial precipitations of chrome carbides (CrCs), niobium carbides (NbCs), titanium nitrides (TiNs) and silicon carbides (SiCs), while iron (Fe) was largely dissolved into the solution. However, the crack densities, lengths and distributions were different for all three specimens.