cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Invasive Cardiologists Are Exposed to Greater Left Sided Cranial Radiation: The BRAIN Study (Brain Radiation Exposure and Attenuation During Invasive Cardiology Procedures)

Abstract Objectives This study sought to determine radiation exposure across the cranium of cardiologists and the protective ability of a nonlead, XPF (barium sulfate/bismuth oxide) layered cap (BLOXR, Salt Lake City, Utah) during fluoroscopically guided, invasive cardiovascular (CV) procedures. Background Cranial radiation exposure and potential for protection during contemporary invasive CV procedures is unclear. Methods Invasive cardiologists wore an XPF cap with radiation attenuation ability. Six dosimeters were fixed across the outside and inside of the cap (left, center, and right), and 3 dosimeters were placed outside the catheterization lab to measure ambient exposure. Results Seven cardiology fellows and 4 attending physicians (38.4 ± 7.2 years of age; all male) performed diagnostic and interventional CV procedures (n = 66.2 ± 27 cases/operator; fluoroscopy time: 14.9 ± 5.0 min). There was significantly greater total radiation exposure at the outside left and outside center (106.1 ± 33.6 mrad and 83.1 ± 18.9 mrad) versus outside right (50.2 ± 16.2 mrad; p Conclusions Radiation exposure to invasive cardiologists is significantly higher on the left and center compared with the right side of the cranium. Exposure may be reduced similar to an ambient control level by wearing a nonlead XPF cap. (Brain Radiation Exposure and Attenuation During Invasive Cardiology Procedures [BRAIN]; NCT01910272 )
Fast spectral learning using Lanczos eigenspace projections

The core computational step in spectral learning - finding the projection of a function onto the eigenspace of a symmetric operator, such as a graph Laplacian - generally incurs a cubic computational complexity O(N3). This paper describes the use of Lanczos eigenspace projections for accelerating spectral projections, which reduces the complexity to O(nTop + n2N) operations, where n is the number of distinct eigenvalues, and Top is the complexity of mUltiplying T by a vector. This approach is based on diagonalizing the restriction of the operator to the Krylov space spanned by the operator and a projected function. Even further savings can be accrued by constructing an approximate Lanczos tridiagonal representation of the Krylov-space restricted operator. A key novelty of this paper is the use of Krylov-subspace modulated Lanczos acceleration for multi-resolution wavelet analysis. A challenging problem of learning to control a robot arm is used to test the proposed approach.
Novel Heparan Sulfate-Binding Peptides for Blocking Herpesvirus Entry

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection can lead to congenital hearing loss and mental retardation. Upon immune suppression, reactivation of latent HCMV or primary infection increases morbidity in cancer, transplantation, and late stage AIDS patients. Current treatments include nucleoside analogues, which have significant toxicities limiting their usefulness. In this study we screened a panel of synthetic heparin-binding peptides for their ability to prevent CMV infection in vitro. A peptide designated, p5+14 exhibited ~ 90% reduction in murine CMV (MCMV) infection. Because negatively charged, cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), serve as the attachment receptor during the adsorption phase of the CMV infection cycle, we hypothesized that p5+14 effectively competes for CMV adsorption to the cell surface resulting in the reduction in infection. Positively charged Lys residues were required for peptide binding to cell-surface HSPGs and reducing viral infection. We show that this inhibition was not due to a direct neutralizing effect on the virus itself and that the peptide blocked adsorption of the virus. The peptide also inhibited infection of other herpesviruses: HCMV and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 in vitro, demonstrating it has broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Therefore, this peptide may offer an adjunct therapy for the treatment of herpes viral infections and other viruses that use HSPGs for entry.
Potential Role of FDG-PET Imaging in Defining Biology of Primary Breast Lesions

FDG-PET in the evaluation and management of cancer patients continues to increase, but its precise role in the management of breast carcinoma is yet to be clearly defined. This study investigated the utility of FDG- PET imaging features in defining biology of primary breast lesions. Patients with newly diagnosed breast carcinoma underwent multimodality imaging techniques, such as MRI, ultrasonography, digital mammography, CT, and 18F-FDG PET. Breast lesions were imaged twice at 63 minutes and 101 minutes. Maximum standardized uptake values were measured at both time points to analyze the data generated. The percent change in the SUVs between the 2 time points was calculated. Unifactorial ANOVA of the three parameters among the primary lesions of these three groups were statistically significant for the mean SUVmax1 (p = 0.01) and SUVmax2 (p = 0.01). These values in the primary lesions were highest in those with both axillary and distant metastases, followed by those with only metastatic axillary adenopathy and patients without any metastasis. SUV measurements may provide valuable information about characterization of tumor biology. Such an association may be of importance to characterize and prognosticate the disease in these patients.
The Effects of Cultural Differences on Knowledge Assets and U.S. MNCs' Firm Value: A Three-Valuation Approach

This study examines the effect of cultural differences (CD) between U.S. multinational companies (MNCs) and their foreign subsidiaries on the firm value of the U.S. parent company. The study uses three different valuation models: (1) Tobin's Q; (2) Weighted Cost of Capital (WACC); and (3) Market Value Added (MVA). Analysis using the Tobin's Q model found an inverse relationship between CD and firm value. In contrast, examination of firm value using the WACC and MVA models indicated a direct relationship. These findings suggest that CD has a relationship with the U.S. parent company's firm value, but leave open the question of direction. The analysis reveals that risks or rewards can result from the exchange of knowledge and other intangible assets, and points to Weighted Average Cost of Capital as the optimal model for assessing the effects of cultural distance on firm value. Damodara's (2006) results confirm this apparent lack of consensus. The author found that firm value can be both understated and overstated at the same time depending on the parameters of the different valuation models; these may be narrow or broad, producing different estimates firm value. The present study is similar to a linear programming solution in which a minimization model (Tobin's Q) and maximization model (Market Value Added) are used to formulate the optimal solution point, Weighted Average Cost of Capital (Gartner, & Matousek, 2006). It can be argued that the WACC Model is an optimal solution point, since this approach is by far the most widely used method to compute firm value (Graham & Harvey, 2001) and has a high correlation. Copeland, Koller, and Murrin (2000) applied a WACC-based model to 35 MNCs and found a 0.94 correlation between the model's estimated values and actual market values. Mc Cafferty (1999) surveyed Chief Financial Officers of MNCs and found WACC to be the most popular model among these practitioners for estimating the value of potential acquisitions. Based on these findings and the results of our own research, we deduce that WACC is the best model among the three tested, and we conclude that cultural distance enhances, rather than reducing, the firm value of U.S.-based multinational companies.
Automatic Collage Using Texture Synthesis

We present an application of texture synthesis in creating collages. We use the texture synthesis method proposed by Ashikhmin [1] to selectively copy patches of the source image onto the image to be stylized, creating an automatic collage. The underlying algorithm is fast and allows the user to iteratively improve the quality of the resulting image. We show the use of this algorithm in capturing various kinds of artistic qualities ranging from styles of famous painters to non photorealistic rendering.
Complicated Compulsory Licenses: The Waiver/Article31bis 'Solution'

Th is chapter explains an important, yet often misunderstood exception to the TRIPS requirement that a compulsory license must be issued predominantly for domestic use (except where issued to address anticompetitive conduct). It assumes an understanding of the usual compulsory licensing requirements addressed in Chapter 5 (available at http://ssrn.com/abstract= 1922803) and builds upon it. As is further explained in this chapter, the WTO Council has created an official waiver (“the Waiver”) of the usual domestic use requirement to help countries export low-cost generic drugs made under a compulsory license to predominantly poor countries. This Waiver is alternatively referred to as the Para 6 Solution, the August 30 solution, or proposed Article 31bis.This chapter explains when the Waiver is relevant, as well as the additional requirements necessary to use it beyond those that apply to all compulsory licenses. It ends with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Waiver in achieving its intended purpose.
Indian Law Research in Washington

Within Washington State are 36 Indian tribes (28 federally recognized), 2.6 million acres of tribal land, and over 100,000 Native American residents, so many Washington lawyers encounter Indian law in their practices. Disputes concerning Indians, tribes, or Indian trust lands often involve complex jurisdictional issues and a combination of federal, tribal, or state law.
Isotope effect in spin fluctuation models

Abstract We have studied the d-wave superconducting transition temperature Tc and the isotope effect in the spin fluctuation models. We found that the isotope exponent α is at least one order order of magnitude smaller than typical observed values in the cuprates with models coupling to harmonic phonon degrees of freedom and reasonable limits on coupling strength and phonon spectra. Models with coupling to non-linear tunneling modes in a strongly anharmonic multi-well lattice potential and realistic coupling strengths have effectively larger isotopic mass dependences and may therefore account for the observed magnitudes of α.
Defining the Active Site of Schizosaccharomyces pombeC-terminal Domain Phosphatase Fcp1

Fcp1 is an essential protein serine phosphatase that dephosphorylates the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. By testing the effects of serial N- and C-terminal deletions of the 723-amino acid Schizosaccharomyces pombe Fcp1, we defined a minimal phosphatase domain spanning amino acids 156-580. We employed site-directed mutagenesis (introducing 24 mutations at 14 conserved positions) to locate candidate catalytic residues. We found that alanine substitutions for Arg(223), Asp(258), Lys(280), Asp(297), and Asp(298) abrogated the phosphatase activity with either p-nitrophenyl phosphate or CTD-PO(4) as substrates. Structure-activity relationships were determined by introducing conservative substitutions at each essential position. Our results, together with previous mutational studies, highlight a constellation of seven amino acids (Asp(170), Asp(172), Arg(223), Asp(258), Lys(280), Asp(297), and Asp(298)) that are conserved in all Fcp1 orthologs and likely comprise the active site. Five of these residues (Asp(170), Asp(172), Lys(280), Asp(297), and Asp(298)) are conserved at the active site of T4 polynucleotide 3'-phosphatase, suggesting that Fcp1 and T4 phosphatase are structurally and mechanistically related members of the DXD phosphotransferase superfamily.
Inhibition of glucagon after in vitro mixture with lithosperm.

The hyperglycemic effect of glucagon in the fowl was inhibited after its mixture in vitro with cold-water extracts of the plant Lithospermumruderale. Spray-dried powders prepared from the cold-water extracts also inhibited glucagon activity after in vitro mixture with the hormone. A preliminary fractionation of the spray-dried powders by paper-column chromatography yielded several fractions, some of which were active. The active fractions were eluted by water from the column. The in vitro inhibition of glucagon appears to parallel the “inactivation” of pregnant mare serum and other protein hormones which follow in vitro mixture with lithosperm. Very high dosages of the spray-dried lithosperm powder given either subcutaneously or intravenously did not produce hypoglycemia in pullets, cockerels, or laying hens. It is concluded that in vitro inactivation of glucagon occurred in the experiments reported. KEMPER, Loeser, Opitz, and Schwartz (1) have recently reported that the administrationof extracts of Litho...
Mechanical collapse of confined fluid membrane vesicles

Compact cylindrical and spherical invaginations are common structural motifs found in cellular and developmental biology. To understand the basic physical mechanisms that produce and maintain such structures, we present here a simple model of vesicles in confinement, in which mechanical equilibrium configurations are computed by energy minimization, balancing the effects of curvature elasticity, contact of the membrane with itself and the confining geometry, and adhesion. For cylindrical confinement, the shape equations are solved both analytically and numerically by finite element analysis. For spherical confinement, axisymmetric configurations are obtained numerically. We find that the geometry of invaginations is controlled by a dimensionless ratio of the adhesion strength to the bending energy of an equal area spherical vesicle. Larger adhesion produces more concentrated curvatures, which are mainly localized to the “neck” region where the invagination breaks away from its confining container. Under spherical confinement, axisymmetric invaginations are approximately spherical. For extreme confinement, multiple invaginations may form, bifurcating along multiple equilibrium branches. The results of the model are useful for understanding the physical mechanisms controlling the structure of lipid membranes of cells and their organelles, and developing tissue membranes.
Correction for threshold error in the determination of generation times by the grain-count halving method.

In estimating average generation times of proliferating cell populations by the grain-count halving method, one major source of error derives from the possibility that the daughters of lightly labeled dividing cells will have grain-counts below the counting threshold. This phenomenon will cause the observed mean or median grain-count of labeled cells to decrease too slowly, leading to an overestimate of the generation time (possibly by 30% or more). To compensate for this effect, a method is proposed which provides, for each sample, an estimate of the number of such cells below the threshold, and which enables a corrected mean or median grain-count to be computed. The method consists of deriving theoretical expressions for the interphase labeling index (assuming no threshold error) as a function of time; comparing the theoretical and observed labeling indices of each sample; and (assuming the former is larger than the latter) taking the difference to be proportional to the number of cells whose progenitors had fallen below the threshold at division. The correction procedure, which requires knowledge of labeled percentages of interphase and mitotic cell samples, is derived for several commonly employed models. These include exponentially growing and steady-state systems, with or without cell loss. It is shown that, subject to a number of stated assumptions, the correction procedure is identical for all systems in which every cell has an equal loss probability (i.e. for this class of systems, the procedure is model-independent). To illustrate the use of this method, it is applied to data from a study of acute human leukemia.
Acute myeloid leukemia in the elderly: do we know who should be treated and how?

AbstractAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the elderly is associated with several distinctive biological and clinical features compared to younger patients. Despite the advances in supportive care and the introduction of less intensive chemotherapy regimens, the overall outcome for this population remains poor. More importantly, the decision making process for choosing the appropriate treatment for individual patients, based on their comorbidities and the biological features of their disease, continues to be challenging for treating physicians. Currently, a significant number of elderly patients with AML do not receive treatment above and beyond supportive care; several studies have suggested that patients who receive any therapy have a better outcome than patients who receive palliation alone. Furthermore, the development of novel, targeted and less intensive therapies is providing new options suitable for older patients with multiple comorbidities and with high risk disease features. In this review, we hig...
Determination of cocarcinogenic activity of benzo[e]pyrene for respiratory tract mucosa.

Abstract As benzo[e]pyrene (B[e]P) has been shown to enhance the carcinogenic effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on mouse skin [26], it therefore seemed important to determine if it would also act as a cocarcinogen in another target tissue, namely respiratory tract mucosa. Tracheal mucosa of rats was concommitantly exposed to B[a]P and B[e]P for up to 6 months. At B [a] P B [e] P ratios of 1 : 1 and 0.5 : 1, B[e]P had no cocarcinogenic effects on tracheal epithelium. At the higher B [a] P B [e] P ratio, B[e]P appeared to reduce the carcinoma incidence from 65% (B[a]P alone) to 40% (B[a]P plus B[e]P). In sharp contrast to the carcinoma incidence, the tracheal and peritracheal sarcoma incidence was enhanced 2–3-fold by B[e]P. Thus, while not cocarcinogenic for tracheal epithelium, B[e]P was cocarcinogenic for connective tissue. Together with other results [26], these point to the importance of the target tissue as a determining factor of cocarcinogenic activity of test substances.
Landscape-level effects on cynipid component communities of “orphaned” native shrubs

Native plants that persist in agricultural landscapes can be important for conserving and re-connecting fragmented biological communities, particularly to arthropods that live in and on them. However, their value as habitat may depend upon landscape context, which can differently impact species among trophic levels. We examined the communities of gall-inducing cynipid wasps and their parasitoids associated with a native wild rose, Rosa woodsii, in the Palouse region of southeastern Washington State and adjacent Idaho, to determine how this arthropod community varies with the landscape context of the host plant. Nine species of gall wasps (Diplolepis spp.), 11 species of parasitoids, and the inquiline cynipid, Periclistus sp. were sampled from R. woodsii shrubs throughout the Palouse region. We examined whether any gall-inducing cynipids were absent from R. woodsii in particular landscape contexts. We tested the relationship between community structure and landscape variables including landscape diversity and the proportion of prairie, agriculture, introduced grasslands, and built environments. All gall-inducer species occurred in every landscape context, although some species were more common on roses within prairie remnants. Gall-inducer and parasitoid species richness was positively correlated with the proportion of prairie in the landscape at radii from 100 to 1,500 m, with the scale of this effect differing between the two sample years. Landscape diversity had little or no effect on species richness. These results suggest that although R. woodsii supports diverse arthropod communities throughout a fragmented landscape, its greatest conservation potential will be realized if prairie remnants are conserved as well.
Twisted Incidence Algebras and Kazhdan–Lusztig–Stanley Functions

Abstract We introduce a new multiplication in the incidence algebra of a partially ordered set and study the resulting algebra. As an application of the properties of this algebra we obtain a combinatorial formula for the Kazhdan–Lusztig–Stanley functions of a poset. As special cases this yields new combinatorial formulas for the parabolic and inverse parabolic Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials, for the generalized (toric) h -vector of an Eulerian poset and for the Lusztig–Vogan polynomials.
Incidence, location, and significance of periprostatic and periseminal vesicle lymph nodes in prostate cancer.

Pelvic lymph node metastases in prostate cancer (PCa) carry an ominous prognosis. Periprostatic/periseminal vesicle (PP/PSV) lymph nodes are present in some individuals, but their incidence and involvement by metastases are unknown. A total of 832 of 1233 (67.5%) patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for clinically localized PCa at the Methodist Hospital from 1983 to 1998 by one surgeon (P.T.S.) had whole-mount slides available for review. Of these, 92 (11.1%) had received preoperative therapy (radiation in 48 [5.8%], hormonal in 44 [5.3%]). Slides were examined with the naked eye by placing them on a white illuminated background, and any area suggestive of a lymph node in PP/PSV fat was confirmed microscopically and assessed for the presence of metastases. Thirty-seven of 832 patients (4.4%) had 39 PP/PSV lymph nodes-one bilateral, one with two ipsilateral lymph nodes, and the rest solitary. Sizes ranged from 0.7 to 4.5 mm (mean 1.8 mm). Distribution was 2 of 39 (5.1%) apical, 3 of 39 (7.7%) mid, 17 of 39 (43.6%) base, and 17 of 39 (43.6%) seminal vesicle. Five patients (0.6%) had metastatic PCa to the PP/PSV lymph nodes. All five patients were of advanced pathologic T stage [one pT3a (extraprostatic extension) and four pT3b (seminal vesicle invasion)]. Only two of those five (40%) had metastases (all ipsilateral) to pelvic lymph nodes. In three of five (60%) the metastases were isolated to the PP/PSV lymph nodes. Metastases were to the lymph nodes in the periseminal vesicle fat in four of five (80%) of the cases and in the fat surrounding the base of the prostate in one of five (20%). Four of five (80%) patients recurred. Histologic grade (Gleason score), tumor volume, and failure (recurrence) rates were significantly different between the five patients with metastases and the 32 patients without metastases to the PP/PSV lymph nodes (p <0.0001, p <0.0001, and p = 0.005, respectively). However, there was no evidence that an individual patient's probability of having a PP/PSV lymph node increased with resection of the neurovascular bundle (p = 0.7698). PP/PSV lymph nodes are uncommon, but based upon these limited data, it appears that patients with metastases limited to PP/PSV lymph nodes have a poor prognosis (similar to pelvic lymph node metastases) and should be included in the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging Manual to indicate "N1" if positive for metastases.
Inhibition of actin stimulation of skeletal muscle (A1)S-1 ATPase activity by caldesmon.

Abstract We have previously shown that caldesmon inhibits the actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin subfragments in parallel with inhibition of myosin subfragment · ATP binding to actin (M. E. Hemric, and J. M. Chalovich, 1988, J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1878-1885; L. Velaz, R. H. Ingraham, and J. M. Chalovich, 1990, J. Biol. Chem. 265, 2929-2934). From these data, we suggested that caldesmon is a competitive inhibitor of binding of myosin subfragment-1 to actin. To confirm this result, we now show the effect of caldesmon on the steady-state parameters of ATP hydrolysis by (A1)S-1 at increasing actin concentrations. Low ionic strength conditions were used to maximize the interaction between (AL)S-1 and actin. In both the presence and absence of smooth muscle tropomyosin, caldesmon caused a twofold decrease in the kcat and more than a 12-fold change in the KATPase. Therefore, competition of binding of myosin to actin by caldesmon contributes to the reduction in ATPase activity in both the presence and the absence of tropomyosin.
Complexes of 2-pyridone with MnCl2, CoCl2, NiCl2 and CuCl2

Abstract Crystalline compounds of 2-pyridone with MnCl 2 , CoCl 2 , NiCl 2 , and CuCl 2 have been prepared. Four of the compounds are 1:1 adducts; in addition CoCl 2 forms a 1:3 adduct and CuCl 2 forms a 1:2 adduct. Infra-red, u.v. and visible spectra and magnetic properties of these compounds are presented and discussed. Powder diffraction data on the six compounds and a projection of the structure of CuCl 2 · TP are also presented and discussed. The reported observations indicate that in solution the cobalt and nickel compounds are octahedrally coordinated; in the solid phase, the four 1:1 adducts all contain as a basic structural unit a chlorine bridged dimer. These dimers are loosely bound together into chains by long ClM interactions. The point symmetry at the metal atom is distorted octahedral in all these compounds.
The development of major projections to the inferior olivary nucleus. Experimental studies using the North American opossum.

We have employed degeneration techniques to study the ontogeny of major projections to the inferior olivary nucleus in the North American opossum, a species which is born 12 days after conception and which enjoys a protracted development in an external pouch. Subsequent to spinal lesions a small amount of axonal degeneration can be produced within the edge of the olive before subnuclei can be distinguished (7 days after birth, 24 mm, snout-rump length). Degenerating axons are present more deeply within the olive in animals operated 12 days after birth (30 mm, snout-rump length) and by at least day 16 (36 mm, snout-rump length), they are found in all of the regions they occupy in the adult animal. Subsequent to lesions which undercut all descending mesencephalic and diencephalic systems, a small amount of axonal degeneration is found at the dorsolateral edge of the olive by day 7 (23 mm, snout-rump length). Degenerating axons fill more of the olive, particularly caudally, after comparable lesions in older animals and by day 17 (38 mm, snout-rump length), degeneration is present in all of the olivary regions innervated by midbrain and thalamic axons in the adult opossum. There is some evidence that spinal, mesencephalic and diencephalic axons follow a caudal to rostral gradient in their intraolivary growth. Lesions which undercut neurites growing out of the cerebellum produce evidence for cerebello-olivary connections by day 17. Axons from the cerebral cortex reach their olivary targets considerably later than those from either the spinal cord, mesencephalon, diencephalon or cerebellum. It is not until approximately postnatal day 30 (55 mm, snout-rump length) that degenerating axons can be traced into the olive after lesions of the cortical mantle. These data indicate that the inferior olive receives major connections early in development and that there is an orderly sequence to their growth.
Phase-1 trial of gefitinib and temozolomide in patients with malignant glioma: a North American brain tumor consortium study.

Purpose This is a phase-I study of gefitinib in combination with temozolomide in patients with gliomas. The goal of the study was to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to characterize the pharmacokinetics of gefitinib when combined with temozolomide.
Isolation and characterization of two mRNAs from HeLa S3 cells coding for histone H4

Summary Histone mRNAs from S phase HeLa S 3 cells were fractionated electrophoretically in a 6% acrylamide slab gel. We have isolated two RNA species, both of which code for H4 histone when translated in a wheat germ cell-free protein-synthesizing system. Using oligo dT cellulose chromatography we have shown that neither of the RNA species contains poly A. Electrophoretic fractionation under denaturing conditions in 98% formamide-8% acrylamide gel indicates that the two H4 histone mRNAs differ in molecular weight.
Financial Sector Incentives, Bailouts, Moral Hazard, Systemic Risk, and Reforms

This article proposes a mechanism for injecting government funds as needed to restore financial stability during a crisis while ensuring that any taxpayer rescue funds that a firm is unable to repay serve to trigger individual financial losses for the financial industry professionals who were responsible for the lost taxpayer funds. This mechanism involves bonds that convert to equity after five years, in combination with regulations requiring that a significant portion of compensation must be deferred and paid in the form of stock options whose value would depend on the safety of decisions made in prior years. This mechanism is analyzed using a model of systemic risk and calculations of the magnitude of incentives to reduce risk.
Safety and Immunogenicity of Adenovirus-Vectored Near-Consensus HIV Type 1 Clade B gag Vaccines in Healthy Adults

Abstract Vaccines inducing pathogen-specific cell-mediated immunity are being developed using attenuated adenoviral (Ad) vectors. We report the results of two independent Phase I trials of similar replication-deficient Ad5 vaccines containing a near-consensus HIV-1 clade B gag transgene. Healthy HIV-uninfected adults were enrolled in two separate, multicenter, dose-escalating, blinded, placebo-controlled studies to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a three-dose homologous regimen of Ad5 and MRKAd5 HIV-1 gag vaccines given on day 1, week 4, and week 26. Adverse events were collected for 29 days following each intradeltoid injection. The primary immunogenicity endpoint was the proportion of subjects with a positive unfractionated Gag-specific IFN-γ ELISPOT response measured 4 weeks after the last dose (week 30). Analyses were performed after combining data for each dose group from both protocols, stratifying by baseline Ad5 titers. Overall, 252 subjects were randomized to receive either vaccine or pla...
SU-FF-P-03: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina

Purpose: To outline the lessons taught by Hurricane Katrina during the evacuation, cleanup, and rebuilding phases of a radiation oncology center in the hope that others may benefit from our experiences in formulating their own disaster and recovery plans. Method and Materials:Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of the city of New Orleans including our radiation oncology department. Procedures developed prior to the storm to ensure communication among staff and patients, to minimize loss of patient and physics/dosimetry data, and to expedite recovery were put to the test. Results: Several unexpected situations arose during the evacuation, cleanup, and rebuilding phases: cell phone service was interrupted for several weeks and hospital email servers were down for months; most surviving patient and physics data were found to be remote electronic backups; securing of radioisotope sources was hampered by the loss of safe keys and the lack of functioning elevators; many patients were unable to relate their diagnoses and treatment histories to their new care providers; further equipment and data loss occurred after the primary catastrophe; vender maintenance agreements greatly decreased replacement costs of replacement computer systems; the pace of rebuilding was slowed by external influences; and extra training was required after the long closure. Conclusion: Even the most careful planning cannot account for the unexpected. But because of careful planning, both pre‐ and post‐Katrina, our flooded radiation oncology department reopened in November 2006 and remains the only flooded radiation facility to do so 18+ months after Katrina. Most of the unforeseen situations encountered can now be planned for in future disaster and recovery plans.
A comparison of the Outcome Questionnaire-45 and Outcome Questionnaire-30 in classification and prediction of treatment outcome

Recent research has found that measuring, monitoring and providing therapists with feedback about their clients' treatment progress improves treatment outcome. This study assessed the level of agreement between two outcome measures used to measure and monitor treatment progress. The Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) was compared with a shorter, derivative measure, the OQ-30. Each measure has an associated feedback system, which provides therapists with feedback about their clients' treatment progress. The OQ-45 and the OQ-30 demonstrated high levels of agreement in measurement of client outcome. The OQ-45 feedback system emerged as the most accurate and clinically useful method for providing therapists with feedback about their clients' predicted treatment outcomes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MEASURING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN: THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PARADIGM SCALE

(1982). Measuring Environmental Concern: The New Environmental Paradigm Scale. The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 39-43.
Effects of spinal lesions on substance P levels in the rat sympathetic preganglionic cell column: Evidence for local spinal regulation

Abstract Substance P has been localized to the neuropil of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in light and electron microscopic studies. Two recent reports have suggested that the majority of substance P in the rat intermediolateral cell column was contained in synaptic terminals of bulbospinal axons. However, previous investigations in our laboratory indicated the presence of major substance P spinal-sympathetic preganglionic neuron circuitry in pigeon. The present study used radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry to examine substance P levels in rat intermediolateral cell column following various spinal lesions in order to assess the relative contributions of bulbospinal and intraspinal substance P neurons to the substance P content of the intermediolateral cell column. The results from these experiments support the existence of both bulbospinal and intraspinal substance P-containing projections to the rat intermediolateral cell column. In addition, characterization of spinal cord substance P-like immunoreactivity by combined high performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay, revealed that substance P in rat intermediolateral cell column was indistinguishable from synthetic substance P. Following transection of thoracic spinal cord, substance P-immunoreactive staining was still evident in the intermediolateral cell column caudal to the lesion. These substance P-positive fibers were studded with bouton-like swellings and appeared normal. Following high cervical hemisection, depletion of substance P (radioimmunoassay measurements) was bilateral and equal in the intermediolateral cell column: 25%, depletion was observed after 7 days and 35% depletion after 14 days. However, rats which were hemisected at low cervical and/or mid-thoracic levels contained normal or elevated amounts of substance P in the intermediolateral cell column. Since substance P remains in the intermediolateral cell column following total transection, substance P spinal-sympathetic preganglionic neuron circuitry must exist. Additionally, depletion of substance P following high cervical hemisection suggests the existence of a substance P-containing, bilateral bulbospinal pathway to the intermediolateral cell column. The observation that substance P levels were normal or elevated following low cervical lesions raises the possibility that intraspinal substance P neurons can compensate for loss of substance P in the spinal cord. Sprouting or altered substance P metabolism and/or release by intraspinal substance P neurons could be responsible, suggesting an important homeostatic mechanism for maintaining substance P content within the intermediolateral cell column.
Phase behavior and concentration fluctuations in suspensions of hard spheres and nearly ideal polymers

The phase behavior and concentration fluctuations in suspensions of hard sphere colloids and nonadsorbing polymers under nearly ideal solvent conditions is studied experimentally. A remarkably different qualitative behavior compared to the athermal solvent case is observed for the dependence on polymer/particle size asymmetry of both the gelation and fluid–fluid phase separation boundaries. Near the theta state the effect of increasing the range of depletion attractions leads to a weak monotonic destabilization of the homogeneous phase at high particle volume fractions, with a reversal of the trend at lower volume fractions. In stark contrast to athermal solvent behavior, this nonmonotonic behavior results in multiple “curve crossings” of gel and phase separation boundaries as the polymer/particle size ratio is varied. Quantitative comparisons with no adjustable parameter PRISM integral equation theory for the fluid–fluid spinodals and osmotic compressibilities show good qualitative or semiquantitative ag...
Economic Hardship and Adolescent Problem Drinking: Family Processes as Mediating Influences

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among adolescents in the United States, and adolescent drinking is associated with various health risk behaviors. Given the prevalence and consequences of adolescent drinking, understanding family factors that contribute to adolescent drinking is an important area for research. This study used three waves of data to evaluate a family stress model in which economic hardship is indirectly related to adolescent problem drinking through maternal psychological distress, parenting behaviors, and adolescent externalizing behaviors. Respondents included 300 mothers (71 % Black, 29 % White) and adolescents (51 % male) who were interviewed when adolescents were ages 10, 14, and 16. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model and findings supported our hypothesized model. Economic hardship was positively related to maternal psychological distress. Maternal psychological distress was negatively associated with supportive parenting, which in turn was negatively associated with externalizing problems. Externalizing problems were positively associated with problem drinking. In support of our hypothesis regarding indirect effects, economic hardship was indirectly related to problem drinking through maternal psychological distress, parenting behaviors, and adolescent externalizing problems. The findings from this study highlight the role of family processes in adolescent problem drinking.
Cytology and digoxin production in hybrids between Digitalis lanata and D. grandiflora

Digitalis lanata is the only commercial source of the cardiac glycoside digoxin. It is an outbreeder and displays considerable variation. An attempt to increase uniformity was made by making D. lanata × D. grandiflora diploid hybrids and from these produce allotetraploid hybrids using colchicine treatment. Such tetraploid plants would be homozygous. Tetraploid hybrids were shown to contain digoxin but at lower levels than in D. lanata. Progeny of selfed tetraploid hybrids were significantly more uniform than D. lanata grown from commercial seed, but were considerably less vigorous.
DNA – a new material for photonics?

Scientists have recently discovered that DNA — 'the molecule of life' — is an exciting new material for fabricating photonic devices with enhanced properties.
Accumulation of methylmercury or polychlorinated biphenyls in in vitro models of rat neuronal tissue

In vivo exposure levels for neurotoxicants are often reported in parts per million (ppm) concentration in tissue, whereas exposure levels in experiments utilizing in vitro models are most commonly reported in micromolar (muM) concentration in the exposure solution. The present experiments sought to determine whether or not in vitro solution concentration was an appropriate dose-metric for comparison to in vivo tissue levels for lipophilic compounds. To do so, the accumulation of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1254 (A1254) or methylmercury (MeHg) was examined in three commonly utilized in vitro neuronal tissue models: nerve growth factor differentiated pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, primary cultures of rat neocortical cells, and adult rat hippocampal slices. Tissues were exposed to A1254 (0.65 ppm) or to MeHg (0.0033-0.33 ppm) in serum-free media for 1 or 24 h. Total PCB or mercury accumulation was measured by dual column gas chromatography with electron capture detection or by cold vapor atomic absorption, respectively. PC12 cells accumulated 66.7 and 103.8 ppm PCBs after 1 and 24 h exposure to A1254. Neocortical neurons also accumulated significant concentrations of PCBs, but less so than PC12 cells. After 1 h exposure to 0.65 ppm A1254, slices contained 3.46 and 0.81 ppm PCBs when exposed in a static and perfused system, respectively. After 1 h exposure to 0.0033, 0.033, and 0.33 ppm MeHg, PC12 cells contained 0.3, 2.2, and 17.7 ppm mercury, respectively; after 24 h, PC12 cells contained 0.4, 2.8, and 21.9 ppm. Hippocampal slices accumulated 1.7 and 4.8 ppm mercury after 1 and 3 h exposure to 0.33 ppm MeHg. For comparison, mercury accumulation in rat fetal and pup brain tissue after maternal exposure [0, 0.1, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg/day MeHg from gestational day (GD) 6-15] ranged from 0.05 to 7.89 ppm in 0.1 mg/kg dose animals on postnatal day 10 and 2.0 mg/kg dose animals on GD16, respectively. These results demonstrate that accumulation of PCBs and MeHg in vitro is tissue-, time-, and concentration-dependent and indicates that tissue levels rather than exposure concentrations are a more appropriate metric for comparison of in vitro to in vivo effects.
SU-E-J-163: Suppressing Motion Related Artifacts in 4D-CT Or 4D-CBCT Reconstruction Using Projections and Digitally Reconstructed Projections: Proof of Principle

Purpose: It has been always challenging to reconstruct good quality 4D-CT or 4D-CBCT when the data are under-sampled for each individual phase. For example, CBCT data is often acquired with limited number of projections and while it is sufficient to reconstruct decent motion averaged images; reconstructing a 4D image from this limited data leads to motion induced artifacts. However, inherent in the projection data are both components that capture the moving and non-moving parts of the image. In this work, we test the feasibility of using such a dataset to separate out the moving and non-moving components and then reconstruct individual phase images to acquire a complete 4D reconstruction with reduced artifacts. Methods: To test our theory, we simulated a simple 2D+time respiratory phantom, and demonstrated the feasibility using a simple filtered backprojection algorithm along with the proposed motion suppression technique to reconstruct 2D+time images. However, the concepts can be expanded to 3D+time (i.e. 4D) datasets both using conventional CT or CBCT acquisition. The core of the technique rests on separating out the motion components from individual projection data by selecting the minimum intensity between projections and digitally reconstructed projections. This information is then later added back into the final images reconstructed at each individual phase to suppress motion artifacts. Results: Initial results on a 2D+time simulated phantom proves that severe under-sampling artifacts can be eliminated and individual phase images can be reconstructed with high fidelity when compared to standard under-sampled filtered backprojection. Conclusion: The technique is successfully demonstrated using simple backprojection, and hence computational complexity is comparable to standard backprojection (for CT) or FDK (for CBCT). Computational complexity will be significantly better when compared to traditional iterative methods that use regularization and penalty functions. NIH R01CA133539
Description of an in vivo model for the assessment of eosinophil chemoattractants in the mouse

Chemokines (chemoattractant cytokines) induce potent and selective chemotaxis of leukocyte subsets in vitro. Here, we review briefly the chemokines shown to induce eosinophil chemotaxis in vitro and describe a novel model for the study of the ability of chemokines to stimulate eosinophil migration in vivo. Eosinophils were purified from the blood of mice over-expressing the IL-5 gene and labelled with 111In. Only the C-C chemokines, eotaxin and MIP-1 alpha, but not RANTES, MCP-1, MCP-3, MCP-4, MIP-1 beta, KC and MIP-2, effectively induced the recruitment of 111 In-eosinophils in mouse skin. We suggest that this mouse model will be useful in assessing the role of endogenously-generated chemokines in mediating eosinophil migration to sites of allergic inflammation in vivo.
Targeted i.v. BU and fludarabine (t-i.v. BU/Flu) provides effective control of AML in adults with reduced toxicity

Myeloablative doses of BU and fludarabine followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation offer effective therapy for AML. We anticipated that pharmacokinetic targeting of i.v. BU to 5300 μ/L min/day × 4 (targeted i.v. BU and fludarabine (t-i.v. BU/Flu)) would limit nonrelapse mortality (NRM) in adults up to 70 years of age. We assessed the safety and efficacy of t-i.v. BU/Flu in a series of 100 adults (median age 48, range 22–69 years) with AML in the first CR (CR1) with high risk of treatment failure (n=49), second CR (CR2, n=25), relapsed disease (REL, n=9), primary induction failure (PIF, n=16) and untreated (n=1). NRM was 3% at 100 days and 15% at 1 year. The cumulative incidence of relapse was 30.6% for CR1, 41.7% for CR2, 55.6% for REL and 58.6% for PIF. OS for primary AML in CR1 was 66% (95% confidence interval (CI): 46–80%) at 1 year, and 62% (95% CI: 42–77%) at 2 years. On multivariable modeling, remission status, moderate/severe chronic GVHD and day-90 BM chimerism ⩾90% predicted improved OS. Importantly, there was no effect of age. t-i.v. BU/Flu provides effective disease control with encouraging NRM in patients up to age of 70 years.
Nanomechanical properties of hafnium nitride coating

Nanomechanical properties of plasma-sprayed HfN coating with and without hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment were evaluated using nanoindentation. For HIPed HfN coating, the elastic modulus (E) and yield strength increase whereas the hardness (H), H/E ratio and fraction of the elastic work decrease. HIPed HfN coating shows a larger pile-up around the indent as compared to as-sprayed HfN. HIPing causes densification and improvement in inter-splat bonding which subsequently lead to increase in nanomechanical properties.
Determination of Membrane Cholesterol Partition Coefficient Using a Lipid Vesicle–Cyclodextrin Binary System: Effect of Phospholipid Acyl Chain Unsaturation and Headgroup Composition

Lateral domain or raft formation in biological membranes is often discussed in terms of cholesterol-lipid interactions. Preferential interactions of cholesterol with lipids, varying in headgroup and acyl chain unsaturation, were studied by measuring the partition coefficient for cholesterol in unilamellar vesicles. A novel vesicle-cyclodextrin system was used, which precludes the possibility of cross-contamination between donor-acceptor vesicles or the need to modify one of the vesicle populations. Variation in phospholipid headgroup resulted in cholesterol partitioning in the order of sphingomyelin (SM) > phosphatidylserine > phosphatidylcholine (PC) > phosphatidylenthanolamine (PE), spanning a range of partition DeltaG of -1181 cal/mol to +683 cal/mol for SM and PE, respectively. Among the acyl chains examined, the order of cholesterol partitioning was 18:0(stearic acid),18:1n-9(oleic acid) PC > di18:1n-9PC > di18:1n-12(petroselenic acid) PC > di18:2n-6(linoleic acid) PC > 16:0(palmitic acid),22:6n-3(DHA) PC > di18:3n-3(alpha-linolenic acid) PC > di22:6n-3PC with a range in partition DeltaG of 913 cal/mol. Our results suggest that the large differences observed in cholesterol-lipid interactions contribute to the forces responsible for lateral domain formation in plasma membranes. These differences may also be responsible for the heterogeneous cholesterol distribution in cellular membranes, where cholesterol is highly enriched in plasma membranes and relatively depleted in intracellular membranes.