cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A contemporary analysis of palliative procedures in aborted pancreatoduodenectomy: Morbidity, mortality, and impact on future therapy

Abstract Background Periampullary malignancies are often unresectable tumors that frequently cause biliary or duodenal obstruction. Advances in endoscopic and percutaneous options have lessened the need for operative palliation. Nevertheless, many patients are still found to be unresectable at the time of exploration, making palliative bypass a consideration. Several prior studies have examined the morbidity of operative palliation, but many were conducted over lengthy time periods, and few have examined the impact of these procedures on future therapy. This study is a contemporary analysis of the short- and long-term outcomes of palliative bypass procedures for unresectable periampullary malignancies at a single high-volume institution. Methods We identified a contemporary cohort of patients in whom a pancreatoduodenectomy was planned for periampullary malignancy but instead underwent an aborted procedure. Patients were divided into 5 procedure groups: laparoscopy only, laparotomy with or without cholecystectomy, gastrointestinal bypass, biliary bypass, and double bypass (gastrointestinal and biliary). Data regarding the patient cohort, procedures, morbidity/mortality, and the interval to initiation of systemic therapy were collected prospectively and reviewed retrospectively. Results Between July 2011 and November 2018, 128 out of 615 (17%) patients had an aborted pancreatoduodenectomy; 113 out of 128 patients had pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and 86 (67.1%) had duodenal or biliary obstruction at the time of operation. Patients who underwent laparoscopy only (n = 34) had no operative complications and a 90-day mortality of 6%; 88% of these patients went on to receive systemic therapy (median 21 days postprocedure). Double bypass was associated with a far lesser complication rate than in prior studies; 17% of patients had some complication(s), but only 9% had a severe complication. The 90-day all-cause mortality was 13%, and only 71% of these patients went on to receive systemic therapy (median 47 days postprocedure). Notably, 27 out of 34 (79%) of patients who underwent laparoscopy alone needed additional procedures for local obstruction, whereas only 5 out of 42 (12%) double bypass patients needed additional interventions. Median survival for the entire cohort was 10.3 months. Conclusion Palliative procedures in this cohort had a far lesser complication rate than that of historical series. Palliative procedures, however, delayed systemic therapy, and a fair number of patients never received additional treatments. Palliative procedures markedly decreased the need for future interventions. Intraoperative decisions regarding palliative procedures must incorporate the functional status and motivations of the patient; these procedures are increasingly safe but may still affect survival.
Indigenous Alaskans demand a voice in research on warming.

Climate change is hitting Indigenous Alaskans hard. Salmon on spawning runs are succumbing to heat stress, reducing subsistence catches. As winter sea ice grows sparser, Indigenous hunters often must travel farther over open water to reach walruses and seals hauling out. Diminished ice also means higher waves and storm surges that pummel shoreline villages. A recently launched U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative aims to improve understanding of Arctic change—and ensure that Indigenous communities have a role in planning and executing projects. But Indigenous leaders complain that many projects ignore Indigenous Alaskans, or try to include them only as an afterthought. Now, NSF is urging outside scientists to take Indigenous groups9 concerns to heart.
Setting Carbon Taxes using Declining Discount Rates: Implications for Investment-Based Mitigation

Setting Carbon Taxes using Declining Discount Rates: Implications for Investment-Based Mitigation
274 Characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with recurrent microsatellite stable endometrial cancer undergoing early phase immunotherapy clinical trials

Introduction Describe characteristics and outcomes of patients with recurrent microsatellite stable endometrial cancer (MSS EC) undergoing early phase clinical trials with immunotherapy. Methods Retrospective evaluation of MSS EC patients receiving ≥1 immunotherapeutic agent(s) in early phase clinical trials at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 6/2014 to 12/2019. Response to treatment was evaluated using RECIST criteria and treatment-related and immune-related adverse events (TRAEs and irAEs, respectively) were graded per trial protocols. Predictors of response and progression free survival were evaluated. Results Thirty-four MSS EC patients were included. The median age and number of prior lines of systemic therapy was 64 years and three, respectively. The predominant histologic subtype was endometrioid (n = 15) or serous (n = 9). Thirty-three of 34 patients (97.1%) were treated with at least one immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and 24 (76.5%) received combination therapy. Among the 30 evaluable patients, the clinical benefit rate was 30% (n = 9); one partial response and eight stable disease. Seven patients (77.8%) with clinical benefit had an irAE, compared to five non-responders (23.8%). Six patients with clinical benefit were treated with ICI and other class agent(s). Greatest benefit was seen with ICI/PARP inhibitor/anti-VEGF (693 days), ICI/PARP inhibitor (308 days), and ICI/oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (272 days) combinations. No response was seen in ten (83.3%) and two patients (100%) treated with double and triple ICI agents, respectively. Conclusion MSS EC tumors do not appear to respond to ICI-only therapies. ICI combination therapy with other class agents and presence of irAEs may be associated with clinical benefit.
Political Fragmentation, Interlocal Expenditures, and the Adoption of Bond Banks for Joint Debt Issue

The study examines the determinants of the adoption of bond banks. It draws on the intergovernmental and collaboration scholarship and uses panel data from 26 states over 40-time periods and condit...
Metamotivation Therapy: Is it time to Focus on Metamotivation in Severe Mental Illness?

Metamotivation Therapy targets motivational deficits in severe mental illness (SMI) by using the novel approach of enhancing meta-motivation and executive functioning skills. The current naturalistic, uncontrolled cohort study provides the rational for the Metamotivation Therapy approach and program evaluation data on pilot feasibility and efficacy. Pilot feasibility was assessed through utilization data and Client Satisfaction Survey (CSS-8). Pilot effectiveness was assessed using the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning for Adults and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire. On average, participants completed 15/20 sessions; nine participants (9.4%) dropped out before four sessions. 90.5% of the 28 people providing satisfaction ratings expressed some level of satisfaction. Metamotivation Therapy participants who completed both baseline and follow up measures (n = 38) showed an improvement from baseline to follow-up on overall executive functioning, self-motivation, and quality of life. Given the results, a randomized controlled trial is warranted to optimize dosage and assess efficacy.
Low-Cost Reliable Corrosion Sensors Using ZnO-PVDF Nanocomposite Textiles.

Submerged steel pipes are susceptible to corrosion due to long exposure under harsh corrosive conditions. Here, we investigated the reliability and effectiveness of nonwoven zinc(II) oxide-polyvinylidene fluoride (ZnO-PVDF) nanocomposite fiber textiles as an embedded corrosion sensor. An accelerated thermal cyclic method paired to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used for this purpose. Sensor accuracy and reliability were determined using the textile and instrument as reference electrodes. The results showed that the coating and the sensor improved the corrosion resistance when ZnO was added to the sensor textile and introduced into the coating. As the coating’s glass transition was approached, the corrosion performance of the coating degraded and the sensor accuracy decreased. The results suggested that the flexible sensor is reliable at both monitoring the corrosion and acting as a corrosion barrier.
Upstrap for estimating power and sample size in complex models

SO_SCPLOWUMMARYC_SCPLOWPower and sample size calculation are major components of statistical analyses. The upstrap resampling method introduced by Crainiceanu and Crainiceanu (2018) was proposed as a general solution to this problem but has not been assessed in numerical experiments. We evaluate the power and sample size estimation properties of the upstrap for data sets that are larger or smaller than the original data set. We also expand the scope of upstrap and propose a solution to estimate the power to detect: (1) an effect size observed in the data; and (2) an effect size chosen by a researcher. Simulations include the following scenarios: (a) one- and two-sample t-tests; (b) linear regression with both Gaussian and binary outcomes; (c) multilevel mixed effects models with both Gaussian and binary outcomes. We illustrate the approach using a reanalysis of a cluster randomized trial of malaria transmission. The accompanying software and data are publicly available.
Post-error Slowing During Instrumental Learning is Shaped by Working Memory-based Choice Strategies

Abstract Post-error slowing (PES) – a relative increase in response time for a decision on trial t given an error on trial t − 1 – is a well-known effect in studies of human decision-making. Post-error processing is reflected in neural signatures such as reduced activity in sensorimotor regions and increased activity in medial prefrontal cortex. PES is thought to reflect the deployment of executive resources to get task performance back on track. This provides a general account of PES that cuts across perceptual decision-making, memory, and learning tasks. With respect to PES and learning, things are complicated by the fact that learning often reflects multiple qualitatively different processes with distinct neural correlates. It is unclear if multiple processes shape PES during learning, or if PES reflects a policy for reacting to errors generated by one particular process (e.g., cortico-striatal reinforcement learning). Here we provide behavioral and computational evidence that PES is influenced by the operation of multiple distinct processes. Human subjects learned a simple visuomotor skill (arbitrary visuomotor association learning) under low load conditions more amenable to simple working memory-based strategies, and high load conditions that were putatively more reliant on trial-by-trial reinforcement learning. PES decreased with load, even when the progress of learning (i.e., reinforcement history) was accounted for. This result suggested that PES during learning is influenced by the recruitment of working memory. Indeed, observed PES effects were approximated by a computational model with parallel working memory and reinforcement learning systems that are differentially recruited according to cognitive load.
Oleosins and Plastid-Lipid-Associated Proteins in Arabidopsis

Some organelles in plant cells contain abundant neutral lipids, which are associated with specific amphipathic proteins. The proteins stabilize the lipids and may perform additional functions. Two types of such proteins, the oleosins and the plastid-lipidassociated proteins (PAPs), have been recognized.
Experiments with Data Access and Data Placement Strategies for Multi-Computer Database Systems

The software-oriented multi-computer database systems are characterized by a set of processing elements (PEs) which run identical software and operate on a partitioned database in parallel. Performance improvements and capacity growth can be achieved in this type of system by adding more PEs to the configuration and replicating the existing software on the new PEs.
Editor's Column: Desperate Times Call for...Playfulness?

A look at playfulness in the professional context and as an alternative approach to problem-solving in libraries.
Evaluation of health risks from a buried mass of diesel fuel before and after bioremediation

Abstract Plans are being formulated for in situ bioremediation of a subsurface plume of diesel fuel No. 2 that resulted from an accidental fuel release. Raoult's law and the aqueous solubilities of the toxic components were used to estimate organic contaminant concentrations in leachate from the untreated fuel mass. Carcinogenic risks and noncarcinogenic hazard indices were calculated for undiluted leachate. An 80% decrease in hydrocarbon mass and increases in the average molecular weights of the component fractions were assumed to result from the treatment. Sample calculations are provided to show how to evaluate results of analyses for petroleum hydrocarbons after bioremediation.
Arterial Oxygen Desaturation during Sleep in Children with Asthma and Its Relation to Airway Obstruction and Ventilatory Drive

The possibility that arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) decreases during sleep in children with chronic bronchial asthma was investigated. The relationship between decreases in sleep SaO2 and airflow obstruction and ventilatory drives, as characterized by ventilatory and inspiratory muscle activity responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia was also examined. Sixteen asthmatics on suboptimal bronchodilator therapy and ten healthy children were studied. Both maximum decrease in SaO2 and number of desaturations (decrease in SaO2 greater than or equal to 4%) per hour during sleep were greater in the asthmatics than in the control subjects. Both maximum decrease in SaO2 and number of desaturations per hour asleep were correlated with change in FEV1 and FEF25%-75% over the sleep period. Changes in SaO2 were not related to awake measurements of ventilatory drive. Eight of the asthmatics also were studied when on a more optimal medication regimen. On this program they had less airflow obstruction before and after sleep, and the number and extent of decreases in SaO2 were not different from those of the control subjects. We conclude: (1) decreases in SaO2 occurred during sleep in suboptimally treated asthmatic children; (2) SaO2 changes during sleep were related to the amount of air-flow obstruction that developed during sleep; (3) SaO2 changes during sleep were not related to ventilatory drive measured during wakefulness; and (4) a good therapeutic regimen eliminated abnormal amounts of sleep hypoxemia by improving airflow limitation. However, as the results of this study indicate, when their pulmonary status is unstable, asthmatic children may develop clinically significant hypoxemia during sleep.
Vapor‐liquid equilibrium in the n‐butane‐nitrogen system

A stainless steel windowed glass cell with a volume of 35 cc. made by the Jerguson Valve and Gage Go. was charged with the reagents and equilibrium was attained a t a desired constant pressure and temperature by recirculating the vapor from the top of the equilibrium cell through a magnetic piston pump into the bottom of the cell. Circulation of the vapor through the coexisting liquid phase was maintained for 2 hours except near the critical where 4 hours of circulation were necessary. A period of from 2 to 4 hours was found adequate for phase separation, depending on how close the particular run was to the critical. The equilibrium cell was immersed in a 16-gallon oil bath which was maintained to within +0.017" C. (0.03"F.) of a predetermined temperature by a Sargent temperature controller. Two mixers stirred the oil in the bath to provide consistent temperature as determined by four carehlly placed thermocouples around the cell. The magnetic pump was located in an air bath which was maintained at, or slightly above, the oil bath temperature by a 750-watt strip heater, a circulating fan, and a Sargent off-on controller. The pressure of the system was determined to within & 2 p.s.i.a. by two Heise-Bourdon type gages which were periodically calibrated against a dead weight tester. Analytical. Both the liquid and vapor phase a t each experimental point were sampled for analysis. The samples were trapped between two needle valves in %-inch high pressure stainless steel tubing connected to the cell by way of %-inch valves very near the cell. Before an experimental run was begun, the sample lines were filled with mercury flush with the inside of the cell. During sampling, the sample under cell pressure displaced the mercury in the sample lines. Mercury was added from the bottom of the cell to maintain constant pressure as sampling proceeded. About-l cc. of vapor a t system conditions was withdrawn from the top of the cell and expanded into previously evacuated 500-cc. glass flasks. The same procedure was followed for the liquid sample, except that only 0.1 to 0.2 cc. of liquid was withdrawn. The entire liquid sampling apparatus exterior to the oil bath was maintained above 66°C. (150°F.) by heating tape and a heating mantle around the flask. The contents of each flask were then analyzed quantitatively on a Beckman GC-2A gas chromatograph which had been calibrated using the pure components. I t was necessary to introduce the vaporized liquid sample into the chromatograph by using a special gas sample valve placed in an
Novel one dimensional nanostructures

Summary form only given, as follows: the combination of remarkable mechanical properties and unique electronic properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers significant potential for revolutionary applications in electronics devices, computing and data storage technology, chemical and biosensors, composites, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), and as tip in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) for imaging and nanolithography, most of-which are the subject areas of ICMENS2005. The ability to grow inorganic nanowires with controlled properties and orientation provides another competitive avenue for some of the applications mentioned above particularly in sensors and electronics. In this talk growth and characterization of both CNTs and inorganic nanowires such as germanium and high temperature oxides will be discussed with a focus on the applications.
RATES OF DEVELOPMENT AND REGRESSION OF CHANGES DURING AND AFTER PROLONGED CORTISONE ADMINISTRATION IN RATS1

THE effects of cortisone administration in producing morphological and biochemical changes in animals and man have been the object of considerable study during recent years (Ingle, 1950; Thorn et al., 1953). However, the rate at which such changes are induced by prolonged cortisone administration, or the rate at which they regress upon discontinuation of treatment has received relatively little attention (Winter, Silber and Stoerk, 1950; Ingle, Prestrud and Nezamis, 1951; Sirek and Best, 1952). The present paper is concerned, therefore, with studying these aspects in greater detail, particularly at a dose lower than used in earlier studies, and with respect to parameters that have not previously been considered. Evidence is available that cortisone administration or adrenal cortical function may influence the levels of vitamin A in the serum and liver (Klopp, Tabor and Danish, 1951). It was therefore considered desirable to regulate the vitamin A intake in such a way that possible differences between the ...
Parameter identification for Preisach operators with singular measures

Abstract In this paper, we examine the problem of approximating singular `Preisach measures’ in a Preisach-type hysteresis operator. Least squares is used on an idealized set of training data to approximate the measure. We identify a reasonable function space in which to make our approximation. We discuss the difficulty of finding an ‘optimal’ approximation and give recommendations for practical implementation.
Natural Histories of Infectious Disease: Ecological Vision in Twentieth-Century Biomedical Science

During the twentieth century, disease ecology emerged as a distinct disciplinary network within infectious diseases research. The key figures were Theobald Smith, F. Macfarlane Burnet, Rene Dubos, and Frank Fenner. They all drew on Darwinian evolutionism to fashion an integrative (but rarely holistic) understanding of disease processes, distinguishing themselves from reductionist "chemists" and mere "microbe hunters." They sought a more complex, biologically informed epidemiology. Their emphasis on competition and mutualism in the animated environment differed from the physical determinism that prevailed in much medical geography and environmental health research. Disease ecology derived in part from studies of the interaction of organisms - micro and macro - in tropical medicine, veterinary pathology, and immunology. It developed in postcolonial settler societies. Once a minority interest, disease ecology has attracted more attention since the 1980s for its explanations of disease emergence, antibiotic resistance, bioterrorism, and the health impacts of climate change.
A continuous fluorescent enzyme assay for early steps of lipid A biosynthesis

UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase (LpxA) and UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxyacyl)-glucosamine acyltransferase (LpxD) catalyze the first and third steps of lipid A biosynthesis, respectively. Both enzymes have been found to be essential for survival among gram-negative bacteria that synthesize lipopolysaccharide and are viable targets for antimicrobial development. Catalytically, both acyltransferases catalyze an acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP)-dependent transfer of a fatty acyl moiety to a UDP-glucosamine core ring. Here, we exploited the single free thiol unveiled on holo-ACP after transfer of the fatty acyl group to the glucosamine ring using the thiol-specific labeling reagent, ThioGlo. The assay was continuously monitored as a change in fluorescence at λ(ex)=379 nm and λ(em)=513 nm using a microtiter plate reader. This assay marks the first continuous and nonradioactive assay for either acyltransferase.
A new type of Ca2+ channel blocker that targets Ca2+ sensors and prevents Ca2+-mediated apoptosis

Calmodulin (CaM), as well as other Ca2+ binding motifs (i.e., EF hands), have been demonstrated to be Ca2+ sensors for several ion channel types, usually resulting in an inactivation in a negative feedback manner. This provides a novel target for the regulation of such channels. We have designed peptides that interact with EF hands of CaM in a specific and productive manner. Here we have examined whether these peptides block certain Ca2+-permeant channels and inhibit biological activity that is dependent on the influx of Ca2+. We found that these peptides are able to enter the cell and directly, as well as indirectly (through CaM), block the activity of glutamate receptor channels in cultured neocortical neurons and a nonselective cation channel in Jurkat T cells that is activated by HIV-1 gp120. As a consequence, apoptosis mediated by an influx of Ca2+ through these channels was also dose-dependently inhibited by these novel peptides. Thus, this new type of Ca2+ channel blocker may have utility in contro...
The Stick Motion of a Harmonically Excited, Friction-Induced Oscillator on a Sinusoidally Traveling Surface

In this paper, the methodology is presented through investigation of a periodically, forced linear oscillator with dry friction, resting on a traveling surface varying with time. The switching conditions for stick motions in non-smooth dynamical systems are obtained. From defined generic mappings, the corresponding criteria for the stick motions are presented through the force product conditions. The analytical prediction of the onset and vanishing of the stick motions is illustrated. Finally, numerical simulations of stick motions are carried out to verify the analytical prediction. The achieved force criteria can be applied to the other dynamical systems with nonlinear friction forces possessing a CO - discontinuity.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Full complex modulation using liquid-crystal televisions

An optical architecture is proposed that uses two modified liquid-crystal teleυisions (LCTV’s) to control amplitude and phase modulation independently. Two applications in pattern recognition are discussed.
Near-infrared spectrum of ZrF by intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy

Abstract The (1, 1) band of the CΩ = 3/2 − X2Δ3/2 transition of ZrF has been recorded at high resolution using intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy. The ZrF molecules were produced using a Zr-lined copper hollow cathode sputter source with a trace amount of SF6 as a fluoride source. Molecular constants from the analysis are presented and compared with previous work.
Flavonoid antioxidant silymarin and skin cancer.

Oxidative stress is one of the key players in skin carcinogenesis, and therefore identifying nontoxic strong antioxidants to prevent skin cancer is an important area of research. In both animal and cell culture studies, we have shown that silymarin, a naturally occurring polyphenolic flavonoid antioxidant, exhibits preventive and anticancer effects against skin cancer. For example, silymarin strongly prevents both photocarcinogenesis and skin tumor promotion in mice, in part, by scavenging free radicals and reactive oxygen species and strengthening the antioxidant system. We also found that this effect of silymarin is by inhibiting endogenous tumor promoter tumor necrosis factor α in mouse skin, a central mediator in skin tumor promotion. In mechanistic studies, silymarin inhibits mitogenic and cell survival signaling and induces apoptosis. Furthermore, silymarin effectively modulates cell-cycle regulators and check points toward inhibition of proliferation, and growth arrest in G0-G1 and G2-M phases of t...
Unusual Microstructure in Iron and Tungsten

IN the Metallurgist for June 24, 1927, page 88, F. S. Tritton describes some unusual microstructures in iron. One of these, originally described by Andrews in 1895, is found in pure re-melted electrolytic iron in the cast condition. The large crystals of which it is composed appear to be broken up by numerous sub-boundaries, but the etching tints indicate that these secondary grains have nearly a uniform orientation within the boundaries of the main crystal. Tritton has confirmed this by the appearance of the slip planes when the metal is strained.
Cortical and subcortical influences on clustering and switching in the performance of verbal fluency tasks

Impairments on lexical and semantic fluency tasks occur in both cortical and subcortical dementia. Recent reports that the average size of phonemic and semantic clusters is reduced in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but not in Parkinson's disease (PD) could support the hypothesis that in AD verbal fluency deficits arise from degraded memory storage while in PD the same impairments result from defective retrieval. In the present study, patients with AD, PD with dementia, or Huntington's disease produced fewer words, fewer switching responses and smaller semantic cluster sizes. Patients with multiple sclerosis, regardless of whether or not they were demented, produced fewer words and switching responses, but normal size clusters, and patients with PD without dementia performed normally on all fluency measures. These results indicate that reductions in cluster size on verbal fluency tests are best interpreted as changes in the efficiency of access to lexical and semantic memory stores. The findings are also consistent with the idea that patterns of cognitive impairment may differ among diseases that result in subcortical dementia.
Bioactive Constituents of Thuja occidentalis

An ethyl acetate-soluble extract of the combined leaves and twigs of Thuja occidentalis was found to inhibit 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in cultured mouse epidermal ME 308 cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract led to the isolation of six active constituents (1-6), namely, (+)-7-oxo-13-epi-pimara-14,15-dien-18-oic acid (1), (+)-7-oxo-13-epi-pimara-8,15-dien-18-oic acid (2), (+)-isopimaric acid (3), (1S,2S,3R)-(+)-isopicrodeoxypodophyllotoxin (4), (-)-deoxypodophyllotoxin (5), and (-)-deoxypodorhizone (6). Compounds 1 and 4 are new natural products, and their structures and stereochemistry were determined using spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1-6 were evaluated for inhibition of the transformation of murine epidermal JB6 cells, inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase induction with murine epidermal ME 308 cells, and cytotoxic activity against KB cells.
Molecular markers for prognosis after isolated postmastectomy chest wall recurrence.

BACKGROUND Local chest wall recurrence after mastectomy occurs in 10–20% of patients with operable breast carcinoma. The objective of the current study was to assess the prognostic value of molecular markers at the time of local recurrence and to compare these markers with clinical variables. METHODS Between 1975 and 1999, the authors treated 113 patients at their institution for postmastectomy chest wall recurrences with full-course external beam radiotherapy. Patients who presented primarily with lymph node recurrences or with simultaneous distant metastasis were excluded. Follow-up from the time of chest wall recurrence was 10.13 years. All clinical and pathologic data from the original diagnosis and from the time of chest wall recurrence were entered into a computerized database. Paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from the chest wall recurrences were available for 43 patients and were constructed into tissue microarrays for immunohistochemical staining of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor (PR), p53, HER-2/neu, and cyclin D. RESULTS Overall survival after chest wall recurrence for the entire cohort was 46% at 5 years and 28% at 10 years. The distant metastasis–free survival rate was 49% at 5 years and 40% at 10 years. Local-regional control of disease was achieved in 79% of patients at 10 years. In multivariate analysis, significant factors for distant metastasis after local recurrence were time to recurrence (< 2 years from the original diagnosis to chest wall recurrence) and PR status (distant metastasis–free survival rate: 84% [PR-positive] vs. 38% [PR-negative]; P = 0.007). The only significant factor for local-regional disease progression was HER-2/neu status. Patients with positive HER-2/neu status had a local-regional progression-free rate of 59%, compared with 92% for patients with negative HER-2/neu status. CONCLUSIONS The prognosis for patients after local-regional recurrence of breast carcinoma is relatively poor. Longer time to local recurrence and positive PR status were associated with favorable distant metastasis–free rates and long-term survival. Positive HER-2/neu status was associated with poorer local-regional control of disease. Implications for systemic therapy and further studies are discussed. Cancer 2004;100:252–63. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Allene ν9and ν10: Low-Temperature Measurements of Line Intensity

Abstract We report laboratory intensity measurements for the weak ν 9 (998.8 cm −1 ) and intense ν 10 (841.1 cm −1 ) bands of allene. Allene is predicted to be a constituent of Titan's atmosphere, and measurements of its abundance would yield important information about the atmospheric chemistry of that body. Spectra were obtained at a temperature of 200 K (approximating Titan conditions) using the high-resolution FTS instrument at Kitt-Peak National Observatory's McMath-Pierce observatory. A total of 505 ν 9 and 687 ν 10 line intensities were fit using a least-squares method to accurately determine two sets of transition dipole moments. Integrated band intensities computed utilizing the fitted parameters were found to be 36 ± 4% cm −2 atm −1 and 301 ± 4% cm −2 atm −1 for ν 9 and ν 10 , respectively, at 200 K.
Ambient Particulate Matter Exhibits Direct Inhibitory Effects on Oxidative Stress Enzymes

A primary mechanistic hypothesis by which ambient air particles have a significant negative impact on human health is via the induction of pulmonary inflammatory responses mediated through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Development of a biosensor for the assessment of particulate ROS activity would be a significant advance in air pollution monitoring. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether air particulates interact directly with protective enzymes involved in oxidative stress responses. We performed enzyme activity assays on four enzymes involved in oxidative stress responses (Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, Mn superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) in the presence of particles of varying toxicities and found distinctive inhibition patterns. On the basis of these findings, we suggest a strategy for an enzyme bioassay that could be used to assess the potential of particles to generate ROS-induced responses.
Subspace decomposition technique to improve GPR imaging of antipersonnel mines

Ground-reflected clutter is often a performance-limiting factor in ground-penetrating radar detection of near-surface targets including anti-personnel mines. When a down-looking antenna is scanned across the surface this reflection produces a strong band in the image, which obscures shallow targets. Imperfections in the system impulse response can produce similar bands. Radar images of buried targets can be degraded by these forms of clutter.
Glucocorticoid Mechanisms of Functional Connectivity Changes in Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Stress—especially chronic, uncontrollable stress—is an important risk factor for many neuropsychiatric disorders. The underlying mechanisms are complex and multifactorial, but they involve correlated changes in structural and functional measures of neuronal connectivity within cortical microcircuits and across neuroanatomically distributed brain networks. Here, we review evidence from animal models and human neuroimaging studies implicating stress-associated changes in functional connectivity in the pathogenesis of PTSD, depression, and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Changes in fMRI measures of corticocortical connectivity across distributed networks may be caused by specific structural alterations that have been observed in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and other vulnerable brain regions. These effects are mediated in part by glucocorticoids, which are released from the adrenal gland in response to a stressor and also oscillate in synchrony with diurnal rhythms. Recent work indicates that circadian glucocorticoid oscillations act to balance synapse formation and pruning after learning and during development, and chronic stress disrupts this balance. We conclude by considering how disrupted glucocorticoid oscillations may contribute to the pathophysiology of depression and PTSD in vulnerable individuals, and how circadian rhythm disturbances may affect non-psychiatric populations, including frequent travelers, shift workers, and patients undergoing treatment for autoimmune disorders.
Optimized ferrozine-based assay for dissolved iron

The following report describes a simple and optimized assay for the detection of iron in solution based on the binding of this metal by ferrozine. This assay accurately measures between 1 and 200 μM sample iron concentrations within 2½ hours.
USING FOCUS GROUPS AS AN EDUCATIONAL METHODOLOGY: DECONSTRUCTING STEREOTYPES AND SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE MISCONCEPTIONS CONCERNING AGING AND OLDER ADULTS

During the coming years the number of older adults will increase dramatically, which will require a corresponding increase in the number of social workers who have accurate knowledge of this population. This article reports the impact focus groups with older adults and with service providers who work with older adults and their families have on baccalaureate social work (BSW) students. We find that BSW students exposed to focus groups have their negative attitudes about older adults and service providers deconstructed and replaced with more positive and accurate information about older adults. When students' misconceptions about older adults are confronted, they become more interested in choosing geriatric social work as a career option.
Lingually mediated discrimination of prey, but not plant chemicals, by the Central American anguid lizard, Mesaspis moreletii

The ability of the anguid lizard Mesaspis moreletii to identify food using only chemical cues was tested experimentally by presenting a series of chemical stimuli to lizards on the cotton tips of wooden applicators. The lizards responded much more strongly to cricket surface chemicals than to surface chemicals from romaine lettuce, diluted cologne (pungency control), and deionized water (odorless control). In a second experiment, there were no significant differences among conditions in tongue-flicks, tongue-flick attack scores, or number of individuals that bit swabs bearing stimuli from banana, white grape, dandelion, or deionized water. The absence of differential responses was not due to habituation because individuals tested again with cricket stimuli immediately after experiment two all bit the swabs. In the laboratory the lizards readily consumed insects, but refused to eat plants selected for their palatability to herbivorous lizards. Our data suggest that M. moreletii is carnivorous.
Comparison of the Laboratory and Field Efficacy of Insecticides Used for German Cockroach Control

The activity of several experimental insecticides against Blattella germanica (L.) was compared with standard materials in exposure and choice tests. A formula, Potential for Effectiveness (PE), was devised to account for repellency and mortality produced by toxicants in choice tests and to rate the toxicant’s effectiveness on a scale of −100 to 100. Diazinon and chlorpyrifos provided a PE of 100. The PE of the carbamates tested ranged from 56–97. Deposits of pyrethrum and SD-43775 were toxic but repellent and the PE was −20 to 14. In field tests, 0.5% chlorpyrifos spray produced 96.7% reductions at 4 wk. Treatments with 1.1% propoxur produced 88.0% reductions, but field populations were increasing at 6 wk. Diazinon and bendiocarb spray failed to produce significant control. Cockroaches from apartments where treatments of diazinon or bendiocarb produced unsatisfactory control were 14X resistant to diazinon and 3.4X resistant to bendiocarb (μg/male). Compared to nonresistant laboratory strains, these materials were less effective against the field-collected cockroaches in choice tests. Behavioral avoidance to diazinon or bendiocarb was similar in both strains, but resistance apparently contributed to the reduced efficacy of each material.
The relation between adaptive behavior and intelligence: Testing alternative explanations ☆

Abstract Adaptive behavior has become an increasingly important component of the assessment of children referred for learning and behavioral problems in educational settings. Yet the construct of adaptive behavior remains ill defined, and fundamental questions about the nature of adaptive behavior remain unanswered. As a result, measures of adaptive behavior are often problematic. Among the most important of these fundamental questions is the nature of the underlying relation between adaptive behavior and intelligence. The present study used confirmatory factor analysis and 556 school-age children from the overlap of the standardization sample of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children to test three models of the relation between adaptive behavior and intelligence: as identical underlying constructs, as completely unrelated constructs, or as separate but related constructs. The model specifying adaptive behavior and intelligence as separate but related constructs proved significantly better than either competing model. Similar results were obtained for preschool children and low-ability school-age children, further suggesting that adaptive behavior and intelligence should be considered as separate but related constructs. Two plausible models to further explain the nature of this relation are presented.
SECOND OPINION OF ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY: A COMPLEX ISSUE NOT EASILY REDUCED TO MATTERS OF RIGHT AND WRONG

Purpose: We discuss the subject of a second opinion for interpretations of anatomical pathology from the perspective of patient care.Materials and Methods: We grouped 150 cases involving pathological review at our institution into 3 categories depending on the effect on patient care.Results: Of 29 interpretive discrepancies 14 resulted in treatment changes but 7 of these 14 may have been interpreted differently by other practice groups.Conclusions: Whether the second opinion represents an interpretive error or a legitimate difference of opinion, the result may affect patient care. Patients referred for treatment among practice groups should have pathological findings reviewed as part of a complete assessment by the new physicians.
Induction of cytochrome P450 4A1 in mouse liver by the herbicide synergist tridiphane

Abstract The herbicide synergist tridiphane [2-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-(2,2,2,-trichloroethyl) oxirane] was examined for its ability to induced cytochrome P450 in vivo. Male C57BL/6N mice were given tridiphane, 250 mg/kg ip, for 3 days. Liver weight and P450 content were increased after tridiphane treatment, and SDS-PAGE showed an increase in microsomal proteins in the 50–60 kDa range. No significant increases in enzymatic activities were observed with the substrates benzphetamine, p-nitroanisole, benzo[a]pyrene, or ethoxyresorufin. There was, however, a 10-fold elevation in microsomal hydroxylation of lauric acid, an activity specifically associated with induction of P450 4A1, Western blot analysis using an antibody specific for P450 4A1 showed a dramatic increase in P450 4A1.
La política de seguridad de Estados Unidos en la post Guerra Fría

En este trabajo se analizan algunos elementos del actual debate sobre la politica de seguridad de Estados Unidos despues de la Guerra Fria. Primeramente, el autor explica los costos que implico la politica de contencion frente a la Union Sovietica y, luego, la ampliacion que ha sufrido el concepto de seguridad. Otro punto del debate que se aborda es la elaboracion por parte del Departamento de Defensa de una nueva estrategia militar y las criticas que ha suscitado. Al mismo tiempo se refiere a la discusion acerca del presupuesto, que da luces sobre la politica de seguridad y la estrategia militar. Finalmente, se mencionan algunos estudios sobre el papel internacional de los Estados Unidos en esta nueva era y se realizan algunas conclusiones: si bien Estados Unidos continuara siendo la principal potencia militar, los recursos destinados a este sector disminuiran, ya que se piensa que el verdadero poder estara basado tanto en la fuerza militar como en el poderio economico.
Goblet cells in embryonic intestine: accelerated differentiation in culture

If duodenal tissue from 14-day chick embryos is cultured in chemically defined medium, more than twice as many goblet cells appear within 48 hours as in intact embryos during the same time. The increase in goblet cell number is further accelerated by 10(-9) molar thyroxine but is prevented by 10(-6) molar hydrocortisone. The results suggest that differentiation of intestinal epithelium is regulated in part by a circulating inhibitor.
Androgen influence on male mouse ultrasounds during courtship

Abstract Ultrasonic vocalizations are emitted by adult male mice (Mus musculus) shortly after an adult female or her odor are encountered, possibly as an early part of courtship behavior. Consistent with this hypothesis, it was found that castration of adult male mice increased the latency to first ultrasonic vocalization in response to an adult female. In addition, castrated males, subsequently injected once with 200 μg of testosterone propionate, reduced their latency, whereas oil-injected castrates did not.
Structure/Property Behavior of Organic-Inorganic Semi-IPNS

Ongoing work in our laboratories continues to demonstrate the unique properties that can be developed by the generation of a glassy semi-interpenetrating network (SIPN) within an elastomeric-based hybrid organic-inorganic composite. The hybrids are synthesized by the acid catalyzed sol-gel-processing of triethoxysilane end-capped poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in an alcoholic solution. The SIPNs are then created by swelling these hybrids with methacrylic acid (MAA) and then gamma-polymerizing the monomer in-situ. The resulting materials exhibit excellent optical transparency and significantly improved toughness. This paper reports on the effect of inorganic loading upon the mechanical properties of acid catalyzed hybrid composites. The results demonstrate that as the amount of TEOS added to the sol prior to gelation increases the elongation-to-break decreases and the stress-to-break increases. Similarly, the post-yield stress drop and post-yield elongation prior to strain hardening increase with increasing inorganic loading. Atomic force microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering data is presented which substantiates the morphological model developed to explain the mechanical response.
Suppression of neural activity of bronchial irritant receptors by surface-active phospholipid in comparison with topical drugs commonly prescribed for asthma.

Background Much indirect evidence has been put forward previously in support of the concept that surface-active phospholipid (SAPL) normally masks irritant receptors in the lungs and upper respiratory tract; but this physical barrier is deficient in asthmatics, imparting hyperresponsiveness of the bronchoconstrictor reflex. Objective To determine whether exogenous SAPL applied to bronchial mucosa reduces the sensitivity of irritant receptors to a standard challenge used clinically to diagnose asthma and to compare the effects with those of corticosteroids and P-stimulation. Methods Nerve fibres in the vagi were monitored to record action potentials from irritant receptors identified in the upper airways of rat lungs in response to a methacholine challenge. SAPL in the form of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) - 7:3 PC:PG - was applied as a fine dry powder to enhance surface activity and, hence, chemisorption to epithelium. Comparison was also made with clinical doses of i.v. hydrocortisone and instilled salbutamol together with liquid or solid controls, as appropriate. Results Neural activity of irritant receptors was found to be significantly (P = 0.0018) decreased by topical SAPL by 35.8% in response to a methacholine challenge in contrast to an increase of 11.2% in response to a solid (lactose) control. Instilled salbutamol and i.v. hydrocortisone also decreased responses to the same challenge by 43.4% and 14.7%, respectively, in contrast to a liquid (saline) control which increased by 24.5%. Conclusions Surface-active phospholipid has an appreciable effect upon irritant receptors in rat airways, reducing neural response to a methacholine challenge by an amount comparable to that of Salbutamol. These results support the concept of SAPL masking bronchial irritant receptors and warrant placebo-controlled clinical trials of this dry powder as a means of controlling asthma without the side-effects of current medication. Other possible roles discussed for the SAPL epithelial barrier include the exclusion of viruses and allergens.