cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phase I study of flavopiridol and docetaxel.

Background. Flavopiridol is a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor. Preclinical models suggest a sequence dependent synergy between flavopiridol and taxanes. The primary objective of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of flavopiridol and docetaxel and the influence of flavopiridol on the pharmacokinetics of docetaxel. Methods: The major eligibility criteria included: a diagnosis of non-hematologic cancer with no conventional effective therapy, normal organ function, and ECOG performance status of 0-2. Patients were treated with docetaxel followed 24 h later by flavopiridol given via continuous intravenous infusion over a 24-h period. The starting doses of docetaxel and flavopiridol were 60 and 60 mg/m2, respectively. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. All patients received diarrhea prophylaxis consisting of bismuth subsalicylate. Results: Ten patients (M:F 4:6; median age 56 years) were treated. The median number of cycles per patient was 2 (range 1–6). Two of the three patients on dose level 1 developed dose-limiting toxicities consisting of neutropenia and fever. Seven patients were subsequently enrolled on dose level −1 (docetaxel 60 mg/m2, flavopiridol 50 mg/m2). One episode of grade 3 diarrhea was reported at dose level −1. Conclusions: Neutropenia complicated by infection was the major dose-limiting toxicity. The recommended doses of flavopiridol and docetaxel for phase II trials are 50 and 60 mg/m2 every three weeks, respectively.
Myoglobin interspecies structural differences: Effects on autoxidation and oxygenation

Abstract Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the oxygenation and autoxidation reactions were determined for yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ), Pacific green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas caranigra ), and sperm whale myoglobin. These proteins have quite similar heme contact residues, but vary in residues which are involved in globin stabilization and in postulated ligand paths to the heme iron. Oxygen equilibria measurements from 10 to 40 °C reveal that green sea turtle myoglobin has a lower oxygen affinity and lower enthalpy and entropy for oxygen-binding than the other proteins. Yellowfin tuna myoglobin has the most rapid oxygen dissociation rate and the highest susceptibility to autoxidation under all conditions studied. However, the dependence of the autoxidation rate on ionic strength is the same for the three proteins, despite substantial differences in their dynamic stabilities. These results suggest that the autoxidation reaction is more dependent on ligand accessibility than on the dynamic stability of the myoglobin.
Formation and disposition of 7-hydroxymethorexate in rabbits

Abstract The metabolism of methotrexate in rabbits was investigated following 6 hr of infusion with [3′,5′,7′-3H]methotrexate (50 mg/kg). Methotrexate and its metabolites were analyzed by an enzyme kinetic method, reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and scintillation counting of radioactivity. 7-Hydroxymethotrexate was found to be a major metabolite in plasma, urine, bile and various tissues of rabbits. Cumulative production of 7-hydroxymethotrexate during the first 6 hr was 31.8% of the total dose. The peak 7-hydroxymethotrexate concentration in plasma was reached at the end of the infusion, and this concentration was higher than the methotrexate concentration. The plasma clearance of 7-hydroxymethotrexate was biphasic in nature and slower than that of methotrexate. The highest metotrexate concentration was found in kidney after 6 hr. This concentration was found to be 7.2 times greater than that in plasma. A higher ratio of 7-hydroxymethotrexate/methotrexate was found in liver, small intestine, kidney and testis when compared to plasma. Lung and kidney showed significant conversion of methotrexate to 7-hydroxymethotrexate in vitro, as did the liver.
Dependence of stage-I recovery on the irradiation direction in copper doped with beryllium.

Electron irradiations of thin Cu-Be films near displacement threshold show that the types of Frenkel pairs produced depend on recoil direction. Irradiation along {l angle}100{r angle} very strongly favors the production of close pairs that anneal in substages I{sub A} and I{sub B}, whereas irradiation along {l angle}110{r angle} produces mostly substage I{sub C} close pairs. Substage I{sub D} indicates the recombination of mobile defects; the larger Frenkel pair separation due to far-reaching replacement collision sequences along {l angle}110{r angle}, as opposed to {l angle}100{r angle}, is reflected in a shift of the peak recovery rate to higher temperature.
Microphotonics: Toroid of many colours

A demonstration of continuous sum-frequency generation of visible light in a microscopic silica resonator could provide a light source for on-chip silicon photonics and applications in the UV.
Single virus particle mass detection using microresonators with nanoscale thickness

In this letter, we present the microfabrication and application of arrays of silicon cantilever beams as microresonator sensors with nanoscale thickness to detect the mass of individual virus particles. The dimensions of the fabricated cantilever beams were in the range of 4–5 μm in length, 1–2 μm in width and 20–30 nm in thickness. The virus particles we used in the study were vaccinia virus, which is a member of the Poxviridae family and forms the basis of the smallpox vaccine. The frequency spectra of the cantilever beams, due to thermal and ambient noise, were measured using a laser Doppler vibrometer under ambient conditions. The change in resonant frequency as a function of the virus particle mass binding on the cantilever beam surface forms the basis of the detection scheme. We have demonstrated the detection of a single vaccinia virus particle with an average mass of 9.5 fg. These devices can be very useful as components of biosensors for the detection of airborne virus particles.
Delta slope processes and turbidity currents in prodeltaic submarine channels, Queen Inlet, Glacier Bay, Alaska

Large submarine channels lead away from the coarse-grained fjord-head delta in Queen Inlet, Glacier Bay, Alaska. Coarse sediment loads from Carroll Glacier are transported down the delta foreslope and through the submarine channels, and finer material is dispersed throughout the fjord from overflow plumes. Slides and slumps occur intermittently on the delta foreslope. A recording current meter positioned in a submarine channel 1 m above the bottom and 2.7 km seaward from the delta brink indicated during July 1989 predominantly quasi-continuous downfjord currents, although several small surges were also observed. Flows occurred throughout the daily tidal cycle in both neap and spring periods for intervals of up to several hours, often beginning and ending rapidly. Current velocities ranged from 0 to 120 cm∙s−1, averaging 12 cm∙s−1 over one 56 h period, and 16 cm∙s−1 over a 13 h period. Suspended sediment concentrations 1 m above bottom commonly exceeded 2 g∙L−1 and attained 8.2 g∙L−1. The density added to ...
Trapping states in stripping reactions

Abstract Gross effects of intermediate state structure in angular distributions from stripping reactions are investigated using the simple “trapping-state” model of Davis in a planar wave Born approximation stripping theory. The resulting angular distribution is compared with the Butler angular distribution and the data for the reaction 12C(d, p)13C3.85 for a deuteron bombarding energy of 2.80 MeV (lab). It is concluded that this simple model can be expected to be useful in the inclusion of these effects in more sophisticated analyses of such reactions.
The regulation of international trade

1 The Evolution Of International Trade Theory And Policy. 2 The Basic Elements Of The GATT/WTO, The North American Free Trade Agreement, And The European Union. 3 Dispute Settlement. 4 Trade, Exchange Rate And The Balance Of Payments. 5 Tariffs, The MFN Principle And Regional Trading Blocs. 6 Trade Policy And Domestic Health And Safety Standards. 7 Antidumping Laws. 8 Subsidies, Countervailing Duties And Government Procurement. 9 Safeguard Regimes And Domestic Adjustment Policies. 10 Trade In Agriculture. 11 Trade In Services. 12 Trade-related Intellectual Property (TRIPs). 13 Trade And Investment. 14 Trade And Developing Countries. 15 Trade And The Environment. 16 Trade And Labour Rights. 17 Trade And Competition Policy. 18 The International Movement Of People. 19. Conclusions: The Future If The Global Trading System.
A simulated annealing algorithm for system cost minimization subject to reliability constraints

A simulated annealing algorithm is presented that finds the minimum cost redundancy allocation subject to meeting a minimal reliability requirement for a coherent system of components. It is assumed that components are independent of one another, and that the form of the nominal system reliability function is available for input to the algorithm
Rates and predictors of anxiety and depressive disorders in adolescents of parents with HIV

Abstract Children with a parent with HIV (PWH) are expected to be at increased risk for anxiety and depressive disorders because of the potential impact of parental HIV illness and death. PWH and their adolescent children were initially recruited in the context of a randomized intervention trial, with more than 60% of adolescents experiencing death of a parent prior to assessment. Using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, lifetime and recent anxiety and depressive disorders were measured 4 years following enrollment. Adolescents of PWH had high rates of any lifetime and recent anxiety disorders. In particular, both lifetime and recent rates of post-traumatic stress disorder were high. Lifetime anxiety disorders were significantly associated with older age, baseline emotional distress and prior traumatic exposure, while lifetime depressive disorders were associated with female gender, parental bereavement and prior traumatic exposure. These findings demonstrate the need for appropriate screen...
Costs of reproduction in Nyssa sylvatica: sexual dimorphism in reproductive frequency and nutrient flux

We examined the influence of differential reproductive frequency between the sexes on tertiary (phenotypic) sex ratios in the the dioecious tree Nyssa sylvatica (Nyssaceae). Reproduction was evaluated in relation to sex, size and canopy exposure using flowering data collected from 1229 marked trees over a four year period. For subsets of each population we used data on flower number, fruit crop size, fruit/flower ratios, and individual flower and fruit mass to compare biomass invested in reproductive structures of males and females. We also examined seasonal changes in stem nitrogen and soluble carbohydrate content in relation to flower and fruit production for trees of each sex. Our results indicate that: 1) Male-biased tertiary sex ratios could be explained by more frequent reproduction by male trees; 2) Estimated secondary sex ratios based on sums of all known males and females were not significantly different from 1:1; 3) Flowering frequency of males and females was significantly related to plant size (DBH) and exposure of the canopy to light; 4) Estimtes of reproductive biomass allocation ranged from 1.36 to 10.8 times greater for females relative to males; 5) Flower production was related to stem nutrient status for both sexes, but nutrient depletion and its effect on subsequent flowering was much more pronounced for female trees. We conclude that less frequent flowering by female trees may result from depletion of stored reserves, and that differential flowering frequency in N. sylvatica may ultimately reduce apparent sexual differences in the costs of reproduction.
Paradoxical enhancement of tolbutamide-induced insulin release by diazoxide in a patient with islet cell hyperplasia.

. A case of islet cell hyperplasia in a ten year old black male with symptomatic fasting hypoglycemia was documented histopathologically. Provocative studies with glucose, tolbutamide, glucagon, and diazoxide were performed to test the insulin response of hyperplastic islets. The islets responded to glucose, glucagon, and tolbutamide. Diazoxide potentiated the tolbutamide-induced insulin response, and this effect of diazoxide was not blocked by propranolol. In the diagnostic work up of islet cell hyperplasia, dizoxide may paradoxically potentiate tolbutamide-induced insulin release, a finding which may falsely suggest progression of the disease.
Self-Adjoint Extension and Spectral Theory of a Linear Relation in a Hilbert Space

The aim of this paper is to develop the conditions for a symmetric relation in a Hilbert space ℋ to have self-adjoint extensions in terms of defect indices and discuss some spectral theory of such linear relation.
Changes in the amnesic and aversive properties of avoidance conditioning with chlordiazepoxide.

Abstract In two series of experiments the effects were investigated of chlordiazepoxide (CDP) upon acquisition of avoidance behavior in mice using footshock to establish an avoidance response and posttrial electroconvulsive shock (ECS) to retroactively disrupt the retention of that response. The relationship of either footshock and/or ECS during passive avoidance conditioning acquisition following prior drug treatment provided for reduced active avoidance response acquisition where such training was given following assessment of the retention of the passive avoidance behavior. The present experiments suggest that chlordiazepoxide interacts with acquired avoidance behavior such as to modify the amnesic properties of ECS. This may be due to a partial antagonism of the ECS induced retrograde amnesia, or to modification of active avoidance acquisition by drug treatment.
THE FILCHNER ICE SHELF1

(1959). THE FILCHNER ICE SHELF. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 110-119.
IPsecLite: a tool for teaching security concepts

Active learning and using visualization tools provide an effective approach in computer science education. Without meaningful hands-on exercises or access to training tools, it is usually difficult for students to understand or elaborate on complex algorithms, protocols, and concepts underlying different aspects of computing. This paper introduces a tool, IPsecLite, which demonstrates the inner-working of IP Security (IPsec) standard. Built on many networking technologies and cryptographic techniques, IPsec provides services to secure network communication. We introduce IPsecLite through a series of labs that can be used in several security courses. IPsecLite is fully developed and can be easily integrated into curriculum.
Search for the origins of Pacific decadal climate variability

[1] The origin of Pacific decadal climate variability is investigated in a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model. The impact of regional ocean-atmosphere coupling and oceanic teleconnection on decadal variability is evaluated by performing a set of specifically designed experiments. It is found that decadal variability in the tropical and North Pacific originates predominantly from local coupled ocean-atmosphere processes within the tropical and North Pacific region, respectively. Furthermore, tropical Pacific decadal variability appears to be associated with higher baroclinic modes and can be enhanced substantially by extratropical-tropical oceanic teleconnection.
Fast Detection of Replica Node Attacks in Mobile Sensor Networks Using Sequential Analysis

Due to the unattended nature of wireless sensor networks, an adversary can capture and compromise sensor nodes, generate their replicas, and thus mount a variety of attacks with these replicas. Such attacks are dangerous because they allow the attacker to leverage the compromise of a few nodes to exert control over much of the network. Several replica node detection schemes have been proposed in the literature to defend against such attacks in static sensor networks. However, these schemes rely on fixed sensor locations and hence do not work in mobile sensor networks, where sensors are expected to move. In this work, we propose a fast and effective mobile replica node detection scheme using the Sequential Probability Ratio Test. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to tackle the problem of replica node attacks in mobile sensor networks. We show analytically and through simulation experiments that our scheme provides effective and robust replica detection capability with reasonable overheads.
Metabolic effects of carbohydrate in low-calorie diets.

Abstract Fasting plasma glucose turnover, urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion, and fasting plasma protein profiles were compared in a 4-week randomized clinical trial of two very low-calorie weight-reduction diets. Diet A (360 kcal) provided 1.5 g egg protein per kg ideal body weight (IBW) but no carbohydrate. Diet B (340 kcal) provided 0.8 g egg protein per kg IBW plus 0.7 g carbohydrate per kg IBW. Eleven moderately obese healthy young women were studied. After 3 weeks of dieting, fasting plasma glucose appearance and oxidation decreased by equal amounts (20% and 30%, respectively) for both diets. 3-methylhistidine excretion remained at control rates for the first week on the diets, then fell by equal amounts (25% to 30%) with both diets. Similar declines were observed for both diets in serum prealbumin and retinol-binding protein concentrations. Mean serum transferrin declined with both diets, but the changes were not statistically significantl Serum albumin was unchanged by either diet. Thus, there were no significant differences between the two diets with regard to any of the measured parameters.
Recent Zeeman Results in Er II

The Zeeman structures at 52 000 Oe of 132 transitions terminating on the 12 lowest levels of the 4 ƒ126s configuration of 170Er II have been measured and analyzed. The values of the g factors derived from these data are found to be in excellent agreement with the calculated values of Goldschmidt.
Extracellular vesicles as carriers of microRNA, proteins and lipids in tumor microenvironment

In recent years, the knowledge about the control of tumor microenvironment has increased and emerged as an important player in tumorigenesis. The role of normal stromal cells in the tumor initiation and progression has brought our vision in to the forefront of cell-to-cell communication. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of communication between stromal and tumor cells, which is based on the exchange of extracellular vesicles (EVs). We describe several, evergrowing, pieces of evidence that EVs transfer messages through their miRNA, lipid, protein and nucleic acid contents. A better understanding of this sophisticated method of communication between normal cancer cells may lead to developing novel approaches for personalized diagnostics and therapeutics.
Spatial and Temporal Analyses of Slow Electrical Oscillations Recorded from In-Vitro Neuronal Networks

It is suggested that the synchronization of oscillatory neuronal activity from different regions of the brain play a key role in integration of sensory signals to generate higher order brain functions such as cognition. Neurons, even in vitro, form connections with each other and develop electrically active networks exhibiting diverse patterns of oscillations over a broad range of frequencies. These in-vitro neuronal oscillations are either confined to a specific network node (local) or network-wide synchronized (global). Due to this similar firing nature, in-vitro networks are used as model systems to study slow electrical oscillations of the brain. We recorded slow electrical oscillations from different network nodes of in-vitro neuronal networks using multi-electrode array technology, and characterized the frequency-specific neuronal dynamics and network synchronization. Then we show that perturbations created by chemical interference using a drug or toxic substance change this synchronization dynamics. Even perturbations produced by evoked-activity using non-invasive optogenetic stimulation change the oscillatory dynamics of these networks. These results indicate existence of spectral fingerprints of network-wide correlations of large-scale neuronal interactions, and demonstrate that perturbation created by both positive or negative input change these dynamics. More studies are underway to identify consistent links between frequency-specific large-scale interactions and specific type of perturbations.
CHILDREN AS PARTNERS IN NEIGHBORHOOD PLACEMAKING: LESSONS FROM INTERGENERATIONAL DESIGN CHARRETTES

Abstract This paper investigates how children can be engaged as active participants in neighborhood placemaking through the use of a design charrette , an intensive, hands-on workshop in which designers and citizens collaborate to solve a community design problem. The charrette methodology has been reconceptualized through the lens of new theoretical perspectives on children, social justice, and spatiality to encompass intergene- rational, interskill, and inter-institutional participation. A formative evaluation of two design charrettes provides lessons on the benefits of and barriers to bringing 4th–5th and 9th–12th graders into a partnership with university students, design professionals, and community constituents. Benefits to younger participants included indications of social and environmental awareness, evidence of environmental competence, and opportunities to influence public decision-making. Barriers included the difficulties all parties experienced in taking new social roles, realizing new learning modes (including the design process), and overcoming institutional hierarchies. A six-level scaffold of interdependent adult and institutional support is proposed to facilitate children's neighborhood placemaking.
An update on pityriasis rosea and other similar childhood exanthems

Purpose of reviewPityriasis rosea is a common skin condition seen in children and adults. Whereas pityriasis rosea is a benign condition, it is important to distinguish it from other childhood exanthems.Recent findingsPityriasis rosea can present in a variety of manners. Most often a herald patch pr
Branding a Rising China: An Analysis of Beijing’s National Image Management in the Age of China’s Rise

National image is not only a channel to wield a state’s national power, but also an important national power resource. It has become critically important for China as it tries to rise in a relatively favorable international environment. Following a theoretical discussion on national image management in international relations and a historical review of China’s national image management, this article examines China’s strengths and weaknesses in its national image management. On the one hand, China’s national image benefits from its strong commitment to cultural diplomacy, effective employment of information and communication technologies in international broadcasting, and close connections with the Chinese diaspora around the world. On the other hand, China’s national image management is constrained by such hurdles as weak political credibility, reviving popular nationalism, and various missteps in its foreign policies. This study concludes that China’s national image management will remain an uphill battl...
Time to progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from low-to-high tumour stages

Objective Although pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is considered a rapidly progressive disease, mathematical models estimate that it takes many years for an initiating pancreatic cancer cell to grow into an advanced stage cancer. In order to estimate the time it takes for a pancreatic cancer to progress through different tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stages, we compared the mean age of patients with pancreatic cancers of different sizes and stages. Design Patient age, tumour size, stage and demographic information were analysed for 13 131 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma entered into the National Cancer Institute9s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Multiple linear regression models for age were generated, adjusting for patient ethnicity, gender, tumour location and neoplastic grades. Results African-American ethnicity and male gender were associated with an earlier age at diagnosis. Patients with stage I cancers (mean age 64.8 years) were on average 1.3 adjusted years younger at diagnosis than those with stage IV cancers (p=0.001). Among patients without distant metastases, those with T1 stage cancers were on average 1.06 and 1.19 adjusted years younger, respectively, than patients with T3 or T4 cancers (p=0.03 for both). Among patients with stage IIB cancers, those with T1/T2 cancers were 0.79 adjusted years younger than those with T3 cancers (p=0.06). There was no significant difference in the mean adjusted age of patients with stage IA versus stage IB cancers. Conclusions These results are consistent with the hypothesis that once pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas become detectable clinically progression from low-stage to advanced-stage disease is rapid.
Remembrance of Things Past

The 1950s were an exciting period for biochemistry and molecular biology. In particular, the physicochemical studies of proteins and nucleic acids began intensively at that time. In 1951 L. Pauling and R. B. Corey discovered the α helix and β sheets as components of protein structure (Pauling et al., 1951). According to Pauling, he had been model-building with strips of paper just to keep himself busy while in bed in Oxford with a cold. Out of this came the models of the helices and pleated sheets. Also in 1951, F. Sanger solved the amino acid sequence of the 51-residue insulin, the beginning of our studies of the primary structures of proteins (Sanger and Tuppy, 1951a,o). At that time almost every conference on proteins would present one sequence after another of globular proteins. Then, in 1953 J. Watson and F. H. C. Crick won the race against Pauling* to discover the structure of DNA (Watson and Crick, 1953; see also Watson’s popular book, The Double Helix). J. C. Kendrew and M. F. Perutz were studying the x-ray diffraction of sperm whale myoglobin and hemoglobin, which would not be completed until the early 1960s (Kendrew et al., 1960, 1961; Perutz et al., 1960; Cullis et al., 1962).
Laser surgery of port wine stains using local vacuum pressure: changes in skin morphology and optical properties (Part I).

Background and Objectives: In a recent case study, the use of a suction device to aid in port wine stain (PWS) laser treatments showed favorable results. It is our objective to further understand the mechanisms of vacuum-assisted laser therapy by analyzing the mechanical and optical changes of the skin and musculoskeletal tissues during the application of mild vacuum pressure from a suction cup. Study Design/Materials and Methods: A mathematical model of tissue deformation was used to determine the changes in tissue morphology that affect the underlying laser-tissue interactions, such as epidermal stretching and thinning, blood vessel dilation, and change in blood vessel depth. Video imaging experiments were used to verify the bulk tissue deformation and skin surface stretching computed by the mathematical model. Additionally, visible reflectance spectroscopy was used to determine the changes in the optical characteristics of tissue, including blood vessel dilation and epidermal absorption coefficient. Results: At a vacuum pressure of 50 kPa, the epidermis at the center of the suction cup was measured to stretch 4% and was calculated to be thinned approximately 6%. Blood vessels embedded in the dermis were measured to dilate up to two times their original size. However, these vessels were calculated to be displaced toward the skin surface by a very small amount, approximately 1–3 mm. The absorption coefficient of the epidermis was also measured to be reduced significantly by approximately 25% at a wavelength of 585 nm. Conclusions: Mild vacuum pressure applied to the skin surface causes considerable changes in the morphology and optical properties of the tissue. These changes may be used for more efficient photothermolysis of small PWS blood vessels. Lasers Surg. Med. 39:108–117, 2007. 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Influence of the parathyroid glands on bone metabolism

Bone is a classic target tissue for parathyroid hormone (PTH), whose calciotropic effect is mediated largely via catabolic actions on this tissue. Paradoxically, PTH also exerts anabolic actions, with intermittent injections of PTH or its amino-terminal fragments causing an increase in bone formation and bone mass, actions that form the basis for the use of PTH in the treatment of osteoporosis. Besides vitamin D, PTH is the only other known bone anabolic agent. High-affinity PTH receptors (PTH-1R) have been detected on osteoblasts and osteoclasts (albeit in lower numbers). Bone turnover, which includes activation of osteoclasts and osteoblasts, appears to be best reflected not by absolute concentrations of PTH (which can vary based on the assay and antibody used) but by a balance of circulating full-length PTH-(1-84) and amino-terminally truncated C-PTH fragments. When PTH-(1-84) is predominant, bone turnover is promoted. Among PTH fragments, PTH-(7-84) appears to be the most potent antagonist of PTH-(1-84). The mechanisms involved in these effects are unclear although mediation via unique C-terminal receptors has been suggested. We propose that, within the range of total PTH (100-1000 pg mL(-1)), the ratio of PTH-(1-84)/C-PTH fragment is a valuable tool for diagnosis of bone turnover. Data indicate that at PTH levels 1000 pg mL(-1), the ratio looses its predictive power. Assay type, patient characteristics (race, underlying renal disease) and treatment attributes (vitamin D, corticosteroids, phosphate binders) have an impact on the PTH ratio, and care should be used in interpreting assay results and making subsequent treatment decisions.
Combination Endocrine Therapy in the Management of Breast Cancer

Combination endocrine therapy has long been sought after as a means to better treat breast cancer. Agents that suppress estrogen production are given with agents that suppress estrogenic activity at the cellular level. Historically, these combinations have resulted in initial improvements in response rates, but relapse-free and overall survival were not significantly improved. Also, the increased toxicity seen with these regimens was limiting. New endocrine therapies with more potent activity and less toxicity have led to a resurgence of this idea in the management of breast cancer. Complete estrogen blockade has been compared with single-agent treatments in many different settings. The endocrine effects of this type of therapy are intriguing, but apparently do not readily predict a clinical advantage. The combination of an aromatase inhibitor and an antiestrogen, despite pharmacokinetic interactions, may prove to be beneficial. Results from ongoing trials are eagerly awaited to further address this question in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. For premenopausal breast cancer patients the options are more complex. Clinical outcomes with leutinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists plus aromatase inhibitors are limited to very small phase II studies and are not clearly superior to single-agent therapy. Clinical data in the metastatic setting with premenopausal patients favor the use of an LHRH agonist with tamoxifen over the use of an LHRH agonist alone. However, a similar comparison with tamoxifen alone is lacking with only one trial including this as a treatment arm. Adjuvant therapy with this combined endocrine approach (LHRH agonist plus antiestrogen) has been more extensively studied, but lacks crucial comparisons necessary for making complex treatment decisions. Hopefully, through investigative diligence and ingenuity this issue can be adequately understood. However, many exciting new agents are on the horizon that offer hope to further advance the progress made to date although further confounding the questions already answered.
Natural Products as Angiogenesis Modulators

Cancer remains one of the major causes of death worldwide. Anti-angiogenic therapy is one of the new approaches to anticancer therapy. Out of 22 angiogenesis inhibitors currently under clinical trials there are 11 natural products or were modeled on a natural product parent. This review shows the potential of natural products for the discovery of new anti-angiogenic leads.
Sport-Based Life Skills Programming in the Schools

SUMMARY The philosophy of sport and physical activity being readily available for all youth has a long history. Research suggests that sport is a significant factor in the development of adolescents' self-esteem, identity and feelings of competence. Using sport to promote competence in youth has tremendous benefits and risks. The greatest risk is the belief held by many that we can make a difference by just ‘throwing the ball and letting them play.’ This paper will focus on the role that sport can play in facilitating positive youth development. We delineate the environments in which sport best contributes to positive youth development and the role schools, and the psychologists who work in these schools, can play in this process. In addition, we will provide examples of several sport-based programs designed to enhance positive development, the components that make these programs successful and issues related to the design, implementation and evaluation of these programs.
The effect of ionic conditions on the conformations of supercoiled DNA. I. Sedimentation analysis.

We studied the conformations of supercoiled DNA as a function of superhelicity and ionic conditions by determining its sedimentation coefficient both experimentally and by calculation. To cancel out unknown parameters from both calculations and experiments, we determined the ratio of the sedimentation coefficient, s, to that of open circular DNA, soc. Calculations of the sedimentation coefficient were based on direct solution of the Burgers-Oseen problem for an equilibrium set of DNA conformations generated for each condition by the Metropolis Monte Carlo procedure. There were no adjustable parameters in the Monte Carlo simulations because all three parameters of the DNA model used, bending and torsional elasticity of DNA and DNA effective diameter specifying electrostatic interactions, were known from independent data. The good agreement between measured and calculated values of s/soc allowed us to interpret the sedimentation results in terms of DNA conformations, with particular emphasis on the marked effect of ionic conditions. As NaCl concentration decreases, s/soc increases because the superhelix becomes less regular and more compact. In the presence of just 10 mM MgCl2, supercoiled DNA adopts essentially the same set of conformations as in moderate to high concentrations of NaCl. Our simulations showed that s is a strong function of the superhelix branching frequency. At near physiological ionic conditions, there are about four branches in the 7 kb DNA molecule used in this work. We found no indication of superhelix collapse in any ionic conditions even remotely approaching physiological ones. For all ionic conditions studied, we conclude that the electrostatic interaction of DNA segments specified by the DNA effective diameter is the primary determinant of supercoiled DNA conformations. # 1997 Academic Press Limited
Value of short-interval computed tomography when sonography fails to visualize the appendix and shows otherwise normal findings.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the type and incidence of disorders revealed by short-interval computed tomography (CT) in patients with suspected appendicitis after graded compression sonography fails to reveal the appendix and shows otherwise normal findings. Methods Computed tomographic findings and clinical courses were assessed retrospectively for 318 patients identified consecutively in a searchable database who met inclusion criteria specifying that sonography was the initial imaging examination for suspected appendicitis; sonography revealed nonvisualization of the appendix and otherwise normal results; and abdominopelvic CT was performed within 48 hours after sonography. Results Of the 318 patients, short-interval CT revealed normal findings in 250 (78.6%). Appendicitis was revealed in 52 (16.4%) others, of whom 7 had perforation and all of whom had pathologic results confirming these CT findings. Important alternative diagnoses other than appendicitis were revealed in 16 (5.0%) others, including 2 (0.6%) who required urgent surgery and 14 (4.4%) who did not. No significant differences were observed between adult patients (>18 years) and pediatric patients. Conclusions Most short-interval CT scans in this clinical setting reveal normal findings, and relatively few disclose appendicitis or disorders that require urgent surgery. In view of concerns regarding radiation exposure associated with CT, these observations argue for the development of clinical triage methods that differentiate patients who are likely to benefit from short-interval postsonography CT from those who are not.
Low overhead concurrency control for partitioned main memory databases

Database partitioning is a technique for improving the performance of distributed OLTP databases, since "single partition" transactions that access data on one partition do not need coordination with other partitions. For workloads that are amenable to partitioning, some argue that transactions should be executed serially on each partition without any concurrency at all. This strategy makes sense for a main memory database where there are no disk or user stalls, since the CPU can be fully utilized and the overhead of traditional concurrency control, such as two-phase locking, can be avoided. Unfortunately, many OLTP applications have some transactions which access multiple partitions. This introduces network stalls in order to coordinate distributed transactions, which will limit the performance of a database that does not allow concurrency. In this paper, we compare two low overhead concurrency control schemes that allow partitions to work on other transactions during network stalls, yet have little cost in the common case when concurrency is not needed. The first is a light-weight locking scheme, and the second is an even lighter-weight type of speculative concurrency control that avoids the overhead of tracking reads and writes, but sometimes performs work that eventually must be undone. We quantify the range of workloads over which each technique is beneficial, showing that speculative concurrency control generally outperforms locking as long as there are few aborts or few distributed transactions that involve multiple rounds of communication. On a modified TPC-C benchmark, speculative concurrency control can improve throughput relative to the other schemes by up to a factor of two.
Encouraging Competition and Cooperation: The Affordable Care Act's Contradiction?

This introductory essay to JHPPL's special issue on accountable care organizations (ACOs) presents the broader themes addressed in the issue, including (1) a central tension between cooperation versus competition in health care markets with regard to how to bring about improved quality, lower costs, and better access; (2) US regulatory policy - whether it will be able to achieve the appropriate balance in health care markets under which ACOs could realize expected outcomes; and (3) ACO realities - whether ACOs will be able to overcome or further embed existing inequities in US health care markets.
Examination of Identity Statues of Undergraduate Students According to Different Variables

Undergraduate education plays a signifiant role in the physical and mental development of adolescents. Their environment, especially family, friends, teachers, reveal new social capabilities of adolescent. The aim of our research is to determine whether there are factors or variables affecting identity development of the individual or not. Perceived social support (from family and friends) and variables like age, gender, class, faculty and socioeconomic condition are the main factors examined in this investigation. Findings have proved that social support from friends and family affects identity statues in different ways. According to the research results, an important predictor on achieved identity status is the perceived social support. There is found a difference in identity status regarding socioeconomic condition of all other variables. Moreover, we can state that psychological consultation centers, support groups, various social activities and university teachers are among those factors which can be helpful for developing adolescent identity statue and overcoming identity problems.
Intracerebral and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Approximately 15 % of all strokes are hemorrhagic [1]. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most devastating forms of stroke. The mortality rate in the first 30 days after ICH is 40 % with more than half of the deaths occurring in the first 2 days; only 12–39 % of patients achieve functional independence [1]. The incidence of ICH increases with age and is more common in Asians than Caucasians or blacks. Clot volume at presentation is the most powerful predictor of outcome. Clot volume can be measured using computer algorithms available in some CT scanners or it can be approximated by the ellipsoid method [2]: ellipsoid volume = (AP × LAT × HT)/2. Generally a good functional outcome is associated with a hematoma volume of less than 30 mL [3–8]. Other important variables are clot expansion, patient age, baseline neurologic status, site of hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrhage volume. Basal ganglia bleeds generally have the best prognosis followed by lobar hemorrhages; patients with pontine and brain stem bleeds have the worst prognosis [3, 6]. The most common sites of ICH are listed in Table 43.1. In patients who present within 3 h of symptom onset, 26 % of hematomas expand more than 33 % over the first hour, and another 12 % expand this amount over the next 20 h [9, 10]. In warfarin-associated ICH up to 50 % of patients develop hematoma expansion [11]. A number of prognostic scoring systems have been developed to risk stratify patients with ICH [5, 8, 12]. The modified ICH prognostic score and the Functional Risk Stratification Score (FUNC) are based on hematoma volume, age GCS, hematoma location intraventricular hemorrhage and pre-morbid cognitive status (see Table 43.2) [4, 7]. The STITCH investigators have developed a prognostic score based on the GCS at presentation, the patients’ age and hematoma volume: 10 × GCS − (age − 0.64 × volume). A score of 27.67 discotomizes patients into a poor and good prognostic group [13–15].
A Model of Economic Development for Peasant Farms in Southern Italy

This study uses dynamic linear programming to derive normative development plans through time for small land reform farms in the newly irrigated Metaponto plain of southern Italy. The analysis indicates great potential for internal savings and investment by peasant families and therefore rapid development possibilities for intensive fruit and vegetable cultivation. However, a risk discount of only 16 percent would eliminate orchards from the plans. Government investment in low interest loans and grants for development costs have a high potential return (about 85 percent) on these farms. To facilitate rapid development rates, technological advice to farmers provided by government appears critical. Methodologically, the model maximizes the present value of future returns from annual plans over a 60-year horizon, allowing capital formation and optimum choice between short- and long-term activities. The model could be easily reformulated to solve problems involving optimum timing of replacement of capital assets.
Three cases report of sparganosis mansoni in Jiangyin City

In 2009, 3 cases with sparganosis mansoni occurred in Jiangyin City for the first time, which suggested that the propaganda and education should be strengthened.
The Auxiliary Verb in Natchez

Natchez verbs are inflected for person (first, second, and third), for number (singular, dual, and plural), and for tense-mode (present, past, optative). There are two main kinds of verbs. There are, first, active verbs which are directly inflected only for the distinction between singular and plural. All the rest of the inflectional paraphernalia is carried by the auxiliary verb with which it obligatorily occurs. Secondly, there are inflected verbs which occur in two subcategories, (i) inpendent inflected verbs and auxiliary verbs. The two inflected subcategories are inflected alike except for the plural number. The independent inflected verbs have their own special type of plural formation. The auxiliary verbs, on the other hand, do not since that is shown by the active verb.
Childhood Adversity and the Development of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is both a common and serious psychiatric disorder. Early theories of its etiology were derived from the writings of psychoanalaytic thinkers. However, there have been three generations of research examining the etiology of this disorder. In general, it appears that borderline personality disorder is an admixture of childhood adversity, a vulnerable temperament, and a triggering event—which leads to a full-blown case of BPD.
Ziprasidone Augmentation of Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder: Cardiac, Endocrine, Metabolic, and Motoric Effects in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Objective To examine motoric, cardiovascular, endocrine, and metabolic effects of adjunctive ziprasidone in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) and prior nonresponse to 8 weeks of open-label escitalopram. Methods A multicenter, parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 3 US academic medical centers from July 2008 to October 2013. Recruited were 139 outpatients with persistent DSM-IV MDD following an 8-week open-label trial of escitalopram. Subjects were then randomized to adjunctive ziprasidone (escitalopram + ziprasidone, n = 71) or placebo (escitalopram + placebo, n = 68) for 8 additional weeks. Cardiac and metabolic measures were obtained at each treatment visit. Barnes Akathisia Scale and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) scores were also obtained. Changes in outcome measures for each treatment group were compared by independent-samples t test. Results A trend toward significance (P = .06) in corrected QT interval (QTc) increase was observed for ziprasidone (mean [SD] = 8.8 [20.2] milliseconds) versus placebo (-0.02 [25.5] milliseconds). Ziprasidone-treated patients had a significantly greater increase in global akathisia scores (P = .01) and significant weight increase (mean [SD] = 3.5 [11.8] kg, or 7.7 [26.1] lb) compared to placebo (1.0 [6.4] kg, or 2.2 [14.1] lb) (P = .03). No significant changes in AIMS scores were observed for either treatment group. Conclusions Adjunctive ziprasidone, added to escitalopram, led to a greater weight gain and greater but modest akathisia compared to placebo. The effect of ziprasidone on QTc showed a trend toward significance, and therefore caution should be used in the administration of ziprasidone. While ziprasidone augmentation in patients with MDD appears safe, precautions should be taken in practice, specifically regular monitoring of electrocardiogram, weight, extrapyramidal symptoms, and involuntary movements. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00633399​​.