cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-T-279: Dose Enhancement Effect Due to Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Employed as Radiation Protectants

Purpose: The goal of radiotherapy is to maximize radiation dose to diseased cells while minimizing radiation damage to normal tissues. In order to minimize damage to normal tissues, cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are currently considered as a radioprotectant. However, some studies have reported concerns that nanoceria can also lead to radiotherapy dose enhancement due to the high atomic number of cerium, especially when used in conjunction with kV energy and brachytherapy sources. In this study, this concern is investigated to determine if the concentrations of nanoceria employed in in-vivo studies to confer radioprotection can engender a significant dose enhancement. Methods: Radiation with energies ranging from 50kVp to 140kVp is investigated in this work along with brachytherapy sources Pd-103 and I-125. A previously established theoretical model is used to calculate the dose enhancement factor (DEF). In this model, each cell is assumed to be a voxel of size (10 µm, 10 µm, 10 µm) with nanoceria homogeneously distributed among them. Electron energy loss formula of Cole is used to calculate energy (and hence dose) deposited by photoelectrons and Auger electrons in each tissue voxel due to irradiation of nanoceria. The DEF is defined as the ratio of the dose with and without nanoparticles. Results: DEF calculation results are smaller than 1.02 with dosages of nanoceria smaller than 0.645 mg/g, which is shown to be sufficiently protective by some previous in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. The brachytherapy sources show higher DEF’s than kVp radiations. DEF peaks are consistent with K shell and L shell energies of cerium, 40 keV and 6 keV, respectively. Conclusion: The results show that for sufficiently radioprotective concentrations of nanoceria, there will be minimal DEF when used in conjunction with clinically applicable kV energy radiotherapy sources or brachytherapy sources.
The Impending Educational Crisis for American Indians: Higher Education at the Crossroads

A significant gap exists in the post-secondary educational achievement levels of American Indian students despite significant gains attained in various avenues of education reform. A college education is a significant driver in the socioeconomic advancement of American Indian communities. Numerous factors impact the admission, persistence and timely graduation of American Indian students from institutions of higher education. These issues have a direct impact on the significantly low numbers of doctorally-prepared American Indian faculty in academia. This paper provides an overview of the retention and graduation rates of American Indian students enrolled in American higher education. Also discussed are characteristics of American Indian higher education faculty. The authors provide a series of recommendations offered to increase American Indian student retention as well as increase the availability of American Indian faculty in higher education.
Confronting Hard Times in Local Government: Public Views About Responding to Fiscal Stress

We are now entering a new era of fiscal stress in municipal governments. The experience of previous eras, most especially the chronic fiscal stress of the 1980s, has led to the development of a substantial literature on this topic. However, despite strong scholarly interest in the topic of fiscal stress, little attention has been paid to understanding how the general public thinks it might best be addressed. This study explores the support expressed by Michigan residents for eight strategies used to address funding shortfalls in five specific local government services. Two strategies focus on adding revenues through increasing taxes or seeking additional aid. The other six options seek cost reductions through altering service production arrangements or by reducing staff levels or employee compensation. We find only modest support for utilizing these strategies, but clear differences in preferences among the strategies and for which services they should be used. Intergovernmental aid, functional consolidation, and interlocal contracting were among the top three strategies in three of the five service areas, and among the top four in all five. Support for tax increases was strongest for police and fire services, while the greatest support for contracting was expressed for trash collection, road and street maintenance and repair, and parks and recreation services. The two options explicitly reducing the costs of employees received the least amount of support in all five services areas. In short, the respondents expressed more support for strategies maintaining the status quo of traditional service delivery for public safety functions, but were more supportive of options challenging the status quo of service delivery when not directed at police or firefighting services.
Understanding the Logic of IκB:NF-κB Regulation in Structural Terms

NF-κB is an inducible transcription factor that controls expression of diverse stress response genes. The entire mammalian NF-κB family is generated from a small cadre of five gene products that assemble with one another in various combinations to form active homo- and heterodimers. The ability of NF-κB to alter target gene expression is regulated at many levels. Chief among these regulatory mechanisms is the noncovalent association in the cell cytoplasm of NF-κB dimers with IκB inhibitor proteins. Removal of IκB leads to accumulation of active NF-κB within the cell nucleus where it binds to specific DNA sequences contained within the promoter regions of target genes and initiates recruitment of general transcription factors and assembly of the basal transcription machinery. Here we provide a detailed description of these fundamental NF-κB regulatory events using as a basis macromolecular structures and experimental data derived from structure-based biochemistry.
Anisotropic Distributions of Energetic Electrons in the Earth’s Magnetotail and Magnetosheath

It is now well established (Anderson, 1965; Bame et al., 1966, 1967; Montgomery et al., 1965; Murayama, 1966; Montgomery, 1968) that the earth’s magnetotail and magnetosheath support a population of energetic electrons at distances well beyond the boundary of stable trapping, and that the spatial and temporal characteristics of the population depend on whether the particles are observed in the plasma sheet, the high latitude magnetotail, or in the magnetosheath. The directional characteristics of the electrons have been investigated less extensively. Early Vela results (Bame et al., 1964, 1965; Asbridge et al., 1965; Singer et al., 1967) reported streaming and non-streaming anisotropies, although at least some of the streaming events were due to instrumental effects. At radial distances up to 16.5 RE, both Serlemitsos (1966) and Haskell (1969) have reported trapped electrons whose pitch angles are nearly parallel to the magnetic field, a condition which Haskell attributes to L shell splitting (Mead, 1966; Roederer, 1967). Haskell also detected streaming electrons in the magnetosheath near the magnetopause, and interpreted them in terms of particles leaking out of the magnetosphere.
RICH KIDS HAVE PROBLEMS TOO

In light of the conditions endured by the poor, there are some who would say: "Who cares about the young people growing up in America9s wealthy communities? Money will lift them out of any trouble. And anyway, they can always hide their problems." The fact is, however, that money isn9t buying the rich immunity from sadness and difficulty, and it surely isn9t guaranteeing them anonymity. Instead, money may be earning them isolation, a feeling of being out of touch with other communities, other people. I have visited with some marvelous suburban families in the last ten years. Their homes are a joy, the relationships between parents and children so rich and loving, that one leaves these homes feeling envious but uplifted. I have also visited homes where wealthy husbands beat up wealthy wives, where drunken fathers and mothers are barely able to make it through the evening, where civil people cannot sit down to dinner without drinking. Where well-meaning adults eat fewer meals with their children in a month than a welfare family will in a week. From a young man, fifteen years old: "Nowadays if your folks get a divorce it9s no big thing. There9s somebody to talk to about it, if you want to. All you have to do is go next door, chances are your neighbors on one side or the other have been divorced. It doesn9t seem to bother lots of kids. For me, I9d have to say it was like being told my father had cancer and was going to die in two weeks.
Neuronal Networks of the Hippocampus

From the Publisher: The questions of how a large population of neurons in the brain functions, how synchronized firing of neurons is achieved, and what factors regulate how many and which neurons fire under different conditions form the central theme of this book. Using a combined experimental-theoretical approach unique in neuroscience, the authors present important new techniques for the physiological reconstruction of a large biological neuronal network. They begin by discussing experimental studies of the CA3 hippocampal region in vitro, focusing on single-cell and synaptic electrophysiology, particularly the effects a single neuron exerts on its neighbors. This is followed by a description of a computer model of the system, first for individual cells then for the entire detailed network, and the model is compared with experiments under a variety of conditions. The results shed significant light into the mechanisms of epilepsy, electroencephalograms, and biological oscillations and provide an excellent test case for theories of neural networks.
Cognition and disability in bipolar disorder: lessons from schizophrenia research

Harvey PD, Wingo AP, Burdick KE, Baldessarini RJ. Cognition and disability in bipolar disorder: lessons from schizophrenia research. Bipolar Disord 2010: 12: 364–375. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Background: Cognitive and functional impairments occur in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BPD), although they are usually less severe and far less studied than in schizophrenia. There may be value in applying approaches developed in schizophrenia research to study cognitive functioning among BPD patients in areas including performance-based disability assessment, cognitive remediation treatments, enhancement of the accuracy of real-world functioning, and studying cognition and disability in relatives. Methods: We reviewed current research on cognitive and functional disability in BPD, noted areas of similarity and discrepancy to research on schizophrenia, and highlighted methods and approaches used to study schizophrenia that can be applied to study unmet needs of BPD patients. Results: Research in schizophrenia increasingly separates potential functional capacity from real-world outcome status, and has assessed contributions of cognitive impairment and other illness factors to functional outcomes. For schizophrenia, various behavioral and pharmacological treatments aimed at cognitive enhancement have been attempted, with moderate success, compared to rare studies of treatment effects on cognitive impairment in BPD. Very little research has been performed in the occurrence of cognitive impairments in first-degree relatives of people with BPD, despite evidence that cognitive impairments may be stable traits across symptomatic status in people with BPD. Conclusions: Research and treatment approaches developed for schizophrenia can productively be applied to the study and treatment of patients diagnosed with BPD, notably including studies of the characteristics of and treatments for functional impairment related to cognitive deficits.
Yield Curve Models: A Mathematical Review

This paper surveys continuous-time models of the yield curve. Intuitive explanations are given of the mathematical tools (Ito's Lemma and Girsanov's Theorem) and the economic principles (risk-neutral pricing). The distinctions between the equilibrium and arbitrage approaches and between factor models and the HJM approach are described. The HJM equation linking forward rate drifts to forward rate volatilities is derived. The discussion of factor models includes: affine factor models, multifactor models, fitting the current yield curve, and solving the Vasicek and CIR models.
Impact of fading correlation and unequal branch gains on the capacity of diversity systems

We investigate the effect of fading correlation and branch gain imbalance on the Shannon capacity of diversity systems in conjunction with adaptive transmission techniques. This capacity provides the theoretical upper bound for the spectral efficiency of adaptive transmission schemes. We obtain closed-form expressions for this capacity for Rayleigh fading channels under four adaptation policies: optimal power and rate adaptation (OPRA), optimal rate adaptation with constant power (ORA), truncated channel inversion with fixed rate (TIFR), and complete channel inversion with fixed rate (CIFR). We give numerical examples illustrating the main trends and offer comparisons on the behavior of OPRA, ERA, TIFR, and CIFR under variation of different parameters.
Prolate spheroidal spectral estimates

K. S. Lii and M. Rosenblatt. Prolate spheroidal spectral estimates. Statist. Probab. Lett., 78(11):1339–1348, 2008. Reprinted with permission of Elsevier Inc.
Oxidative DNA Damage Induced by Equine Estrogen Metabolites: Role of Estrogen Receptor α

Excessive exposure to synthetic and endogenous estrogens has been associated with the development of cancer in several tissues. 4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN), a major metabolite of equine estrogens present in estrogen replacement formulations, has been shown to induce cytotoxic/carcinogenic effects. In the present study, we have found that 4-OHEN caused DNA damage in breast cancer cells, and cells that contain estrogen receptor alpha (S30) are more sensitive to 4-OHEN-mediated DNA damage as compared to estrogen receptor negative cells (MDA-MB-231). For example, concentration-dependent increases in 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), as measured by LC-MS-MS or by the Fpg comet assay, were only detected in the S30 cells, and the amount of this lesion could be enhanced by agents, which catalyze redox cycling (NADH) or deplete GSH (diethyl maleate). The role of the estrogen receptor in modulating DNA damage was further established in incubations with the ER antagonist tamoxifen, where decreases in 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine were observed. Another equine estrogen metabolite, 4,17 beta-hydroxyequilenin (4,17 beta-OHEN), was found to have the same cytotoxicity and a similar ability to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS), and caused the same oxidative DNA damage in S30 cells as compared to 4-OHEN. However, 4,17 beta-OHEN induced twice as much single strand DNA breaks in S30 cells compared to 4-OHEN. Also 4,17 beta-OHEN was more estrogenic than 4-OHEN as demonstrated by a higher binding affinity for ER alpha and an enhanced induction in activity of estrogen-dependent alkaline phosphatase in Ishikawa cells. These data suggest that the mechanism of DNA damage induced by equine estrogen metabolites could involve oxidative stress and that the estrogen receptor may play a role in this process.
Ortho-methylation of phenols with ethyl(iodomethyl)zinc

Abstract The regioselective ortho -methylation of phenols by in situ generated ethyl(iodomethyl)zinc via an internal alkylation process is described.
Inhibition of CDK2 activity in vivo by an associated 20K regulatory subunit

THE major events of the cell division cycle are triggered by periodic changes in the activity of cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs). In mammals, the members of the CDK family include CDK2 and CDC2, which are thought to be involved in the control of DNA replication and mitosis, respectively1–3. The protein kinase activity of these enzymes is controlled by a complex array of mechanisms4–6. Activation of the CDK catalytic subunit requires association with a positive regulatory subunit (cyclin) and phosphorylation (at Thr 160 in CDK2). This activated complex can be inhibited by additional phosphorylation at Thr 14 and Tyr 15. Here we report the identification of a new mechanism for the regulation of CDK2 activity. We find that CDK2/cyclin complexes in mouse fibroblasts associate tightly with a 20K protein (CAP20). Complexes containing CAP20 were isolated from cell lysates and found to have negligible kinase activity, indicating that CAP20 association in vivo may inhibit CDK2 activity. We purified CAP20 from 3T3 cells and found that low concentrations of the protein completely inhibit the kinase activity of CDK2 in vitro. Thus CAP20 represents a new negative regulatory subunit that inhibits the activity of CDK2/cyclin complexes in mammalian cells.
Measuring and Modeling Behavioral Decision Dynamics in Collective Evacuation

Identifying and quantifying factors influencing human decision making remains an outstanding challenge, impacting the performance and predictability of social and technological systems. In many cases, system failures are traced to human factors including congestion, overload, miscommunication, and delays. Here we report results of a behavioral network science experiment, targeting decision making in a natural disaster. In a controlled laboratory setting, our results quantify several key factors influencing individual evacuation decision making in a controlled laboratory setting. The experiment includes tensions between broadcast and peer-to-peer information, and contrasts the effects of temporal urgency associated with the imminence of the disaster and the effects of limited shelter capacity for evacuees. Based on empirical measurements of the cumulative rate of evacuations as a function of the instantaneous disaster likelihood, we develop a quantitative model for decision making that captures remarkably well the main features of observed collective behavior across many different scenarios. Moreover, this model captures the sensitivity of individual- and population-level decision behaviors to external pressures, and systematic deviations from the model provide meaningful estimates of variability in the collective response. Identification of robust methods for quantifying human decisions in the face of risk has implications for policy in disasters and other threat scenarios, specifically the development and testing of robust strategies for training and control of evacuations that account for human behavior and network topologies.
Multiplicity correlation between neutrons and gamma-rays emitted from SNM and non-SNM sources

Abstract The challenge in detection and identification of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) is to discriminate between the time-correlated neutrons and gamma-rays emitted from SNM and those originating from non-correlated or differently-correlated environmental non-SNM sources. Time-correlated neutron and gamma-ray bursts can be generated by penetrating components of cosmic radiation. The characteristic features or attributes of correlated signatures can be revealed by analyzing the joint probability density functions (JPDFs) of various parameters of neutrons and gamma-rays. Monte Carlo simulations of SNM and cosmic-ray (non-SNM) sources of neutrons and gamma-rays are performed. For both SNM and non-SNM sources, energy-lifetime JPDF of neutrons, energy-lifetime JPDF of gamma-rays, and JPDFs of neutron-gamma-ray multiplicity are evaluated. Mean values, standard deviations, covariance and correlation are estimated. It is found that the number (multiplicity) of neutrons and gamma-rays emitted from an SNM source is moderately correlated (∼0.48). The multiplicity of neutrons and gamma-rays generated by cosmic-ray showers at sea level is only weakly correlated (∼−0.046). The exploitation of neutron-gamma-ray multiplicity correlation in detectors can provide a tool to discriminate non-SNM sources.
Massive scale cyber traffic analysis: a driver for graph database research

We consider cyber traffic analysis (TA) as a challenge problem for research in graph database systems. TA involves observing and analyzing connections between clients, servers, hosts, and actors within IP networks, over time, to detect suspicious patterns. Towards that end, NetFlow (or more generically, IPFLOW) data are available from routers and servers which summarize coherent groups of IP packets flowing through the network. The ability to cast IPFLOW data as a massive graph and query it interactively is potentially transformative for cybersecurity, but issues of scale and data complexity pose challenges for current technology. In this paper, we outline requirements and opportunities for graph-structured IPFLOW analytics based on our experience with real IPFLOW databases. We describe real use cases from the security domain, cast them as graph patterns, show how to express them in two graph-oriented query languages (SPARQL and Datalog), and use these examples to motivate a new class of "hybrid" graph-relational systems.
Pharmaceutical management of decompensated heart failure syndrome in children: current state of the art and a new approach.

Prompt initiation of appropriate and intensive treatment in children with decompensated heart failure is crucial to avoid irreversible end-organ dysfunction. Initial management of these children includes transfer to the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, basic hemodynamic monitoring, and establishment of intravenous access. Inotropic support should be instituted peripherally before obtaining central venous and arterial access. The team should be prepared for emergent intubation and initiation of mechanical circulatory support. Two experienced physicians should work together to obtain vascular access and manage sedation, airway control, and cardiovascular support. Acute heart failure syndrome in children may be related to cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, congenital heart disease, and acute rejection post heart transplantation. Each of these causes requires a different approach. Fulminant myocarditis may lead to severe morbidity and requires intensive support, although its outcome is considered to be good. Acute heart failure related to newly diagnosed dilated cardiomyopathy may represent end-stage heart failure; therefore, long-term mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation may be considered to avoid other end-organ dysfunction. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may lead to acute decompensation due to 1) left ventricular outflow obstruction, 2) restrictive physiology leading to pulmonary hypertension, or 3) myocardial is chemia associated with coronary artery bridging. Decompensated heart failure associated with congenital heart disease usually represents end-stage heart failure and requires thorough evaluation for heart transplantation. Children with single-ventricle physiology who develop decompensated heart failure after a Fontan procedure are not candidates for mechanical circulatory support and therefore may not survive to heart transplantation. Acute heart failure due to posttransplantation acute rejection requires aggressive antirejection treatment, which places these patients at significant risk for overwhelming opportunistic infections. In our opinion, mechanical circulatory support should be initiated early in children who present with end-stage heart failure associated with hemodynamic instability to avoid end-organ damage.
Results of laparoscopic repair of giant paraesophageal hernias: 200 consecutive patients

Abstract Background Giant paraesophageal hernias (GPEH) have traditionally required open operations. Increasingly, a laparoscopic approach is being applied to more complex esophageal surgery. Our objective was to update our growing experience with laparoscopic repair of GPEH. Methods We performed a retrospective review at our institution of patients undergoing laparoscopic repair of GPEH from July 1995 to July 2001. The GPEH was defined as greater than one-third of the stomach in the chest. Results Elective laparoscopic repair of a GPEH was attempted in 203 patients. Mean age was 67 years. The most common symptoms included heartburn (96 patients), dysphagia (72), epigastric pain (56), and vomiting (47 patients). Laparoscopic procedures included 69 Nissens, 112 Collis-Nissens, and 19 other procedures. There were three open conversions due to adhesions, but no intraoperative emergencies. Median length of stay was 3 days (range, 1 to 120 days). Minor or major complications occurred in 57 patients (28%). There were six postoperative esophageal leaks (3%), and 1 death. Median follow-up was 18 months. Five patients required reoperation for recurrent hiatal hernia. Excellent results were reported in 128 (84%) patients, 12 (8%) had a good result, 7 (5%) fair, and 5 (3%) poor (based on postoperative follow-up and GERD questionnaire). The mean postoperative GERD Health-related Quality of Life Score was 2.4 (scale 0 to 45; 0=no symptoms, 45=worst). Conclusions Laparoscopic repair of GPEH is possible in the majority of patients with acceptable morbidity, a median length of hospital stay of 3 days and excellent intermediate-term results in an experienced center.
Sensitivity of structural results to initial configurations and quench algorithms of lead silicate glass

The sensitivity of resulting structures to starting configurations and quench algorithms were characterized using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The classical potential model introduced by Damodaran, Rao, and Rao (DRR) Phys. Chem. Glasses 31 (1990) 212 for lead silicate glass was used. Glasses were prepared using five distinct initial configurations and four glass forming algorithms. In previous MD work of bulk lead silicate glasses the ability of this potential model to provide good structural results were established by comparing to experimental results. Here the sensitivity of the results to the simulation methodology and the persistence of clustering with attention to details of molecular structure are determined.
Equatorial Jets in Planetary Atmospheres

THERMAL convection on a global scale in the lower atmosphere of Jupiter redistributes angular momentum so as to produce a well defined westerly jet at high level astride the equator1–3, with a latitudinal width which can be accounted for in terms of quite elementary theoretical ideas1. Available observations are consistent with a similar phenomenon on Saturn1,4. On Earth, equatorial jets are found in the lower stratosphere and in the oceans.
Carbon and nitrogen diagenesis in deep sea sediments

Abstract The sections penetrated on Leg 58 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project represent periods of geologic time during which depositional conditions apparently remained quite constant, thus offering an unusual opportunity to study the effects of diagenesis on organic material. Organic carbon and nitrogen contents decrease monotonically with increasing depth of burial before levelling off at minimum values of about 0.05-0.10 and 0.01%, respectively. The depths at which minima are reached vary from site to site, but the ages of the sediments at the minima are all about 2–5 Myr. These data indicate that diagenetic transformations are responsible for the gradual depletion of organic carbon and nitrogen. If diagenesis is at least partly the result of microbial activity, then the role of bacterial ecosystems in deep water sediments is much greater than has previously been thought.
Initial magnetic resonance imaging volumetric brain measurements and outcome in schizophrenia: a prospective longitudinal study with 5-year follow-up.

Abstract Background Several demographic and phenomenological variables have been identified as predictors of outcome in schizophrenia. Far fewer studies have examined the relationships between brain morphology assessed at illness onset and subsequent outcome, and their results have been contradictory. Methods The relationships between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) regional brain volumes at illness onset and outcome five years later were studied in 123 schizophrenia patients using regression and correlation analysis. Outcome measures included psychosocial functioning, weeks per year receiving inpatient treatment, and persistence of severe psychotic, disorganized and negative symptoms. Results Temporal lobe tissue volume at onset was predictive of outcome. Smaller temporal lobe gray matter volume (both left and right) was associated with persistence of hallucinations during follow-up. There were no significant associations between hallucinations and temporal white matter, or between delusions and temporal white or gray matter volumes. None of the other volumetric brain measures were predictive of outcome. Conclusions The association between initial temporal lobe gray matter volume and subsequent persistent hallucinations may help identify individuals who are at higher risk for poor outcome and help guide their treatment planning. However, regional brain volumes assessed near illness onset, in general, do not appear to be indicative of subsequent outcome in schizophrenia.
Dynamics of colloid deposition in porous media: Modeling the role of retained particles

Abstract A model for the dynamics of colloid deposition in porous media is developed by combining macroscopic and microscopic theories of particle deposition. The model considers the non-uniform coverage of collector surfaces by retained particles during the deposition process. A flux-correcting function is introduced that enables the determination of the overall colloid deposition rate as a function of surface coverage. A non-linear dependence of particle deposition rate on surface coverage is obtained, in agreement with experimental data of particle deposition. It is shown that the model is successful in describing the blocking (excluded-area) effect in particle deposition dynamics.
Use of Low-Dose Oral Prednisone to Prevent Paclitaxel-Induced Arthralgias and Myalgias

Abstract Objectives. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical utility of low-dose oral prednisone in preventing severe paclitaxel-associated arthralgias and myalgias. Methods. Patients treated with paclitaxel in the gynecologic oncology program of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation who developed arthralgias/myalgias which were uncontrolled through the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications received low-dose oral prednisone (10 mg B.I.D. starting 24 h after the completion of chemotherapy and continuing for a total of 5 days) with their next paclitaxel course. Results. Of 46 patients meeting the criteria for treatment with the oral prednisone regimen (i.e., subjective feeling of unacceptable discomfort despite the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents), 39 (85%) experienced substantial relief of symptoms. All but one of the responding patients requested continuation of the oral prednisone regimen with subsequent paclitaxel treatment cycles. There were no significant toxicities noted in any patient receiving prednisone. Conclusion. This low-dose oral prednisone regimen results in substantial improvement in the majority of patients experiencing significant paclitaxel-associated arthralgias/myalgias.
Human Body Composition and the Epidemiology of Chronic Disease

Obesity and body fat distribution (FD) are established risk factors for chronic diseases. The body mass index (BMI) and the waist/hip circumference ratio (WHR) are used conventionally as indices of obesity and FD in epidemiological studies. Although some general limitations of these indices are recognized, others that affect their use in relative risks for disease are not well recognized. These include effects of sex, ethnicity, and especially age on the relationships between these indices and body composition, which can result in substantial misclassification of obesity and FD. There is considerable variability in body composition for any BMI, and some individuals with low BMIs have as much fat as those with high BMIs. This results in poor sensitivity for classifying levels of body fatness (e.g., too many "false negatives," or overweight individuals classified as not overweight), and relative risks are attenuated across all categories of BMI. A more serious problem, however, is that at different ages the same levels of BMI correspond to different amounts of fat and fat-free mass. Data from the Rosetta Study and the New Mexico Aging Process Study show that older adults have, on average, more fat than younger adults at any BMI, due to the loss of muscle mass with age. As a result, the sensitivity of BMI cutpoints with respect to body fatness decreases with age, and the use of a fixed cutpoint for all ages results in "differential misclassification bias." Taken together, these issues suggest that the increases with age in the prevalences of overweight and obesity, and in the risks for chronic diseases, may be mis-estimated using BMI. Similar issues may affect the use of WHR for estimating prevalences and associated risks of FD. New field methods for estimating body composition are available that can be applied in large, epidemiologic follow-up studies of chronic diseases. These methods will allow epidemiologists to consider, for example, whether it is increased fat, or the replacement of fat-free mass with fat, with age that is associated with risk for chronic disease.
Comparison of spiral gradient and conventional agar dilution for susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria.

Abstract Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on brucella laked blood agar with 340 isolates and 14 antimicrobial agents by the standard agar dilution technique and the spiral gradient technique in which antibiotic concentrations were established by diffusion from the agar surface. For comparison, spiral gradient MICs were determined by calculating antimicrobial concentrations at growth endpoints and rounding up to the next twofold incremental concentration. The cumulative percentage of strains susceptible at the breakpoint determined from spiral gradient data was within 10%, generally, of the percentage of strains susceptible at the breakpoint determined from agar dilution data. The overall agreement between the two techniques (within one doubling dilution) was 90.6%. The spiral gradient agar dilution technique is a reasonable alternative to the conventional agar dilution technique for susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria.
Intraabdominal Sepsis: Characterization and Treatment

Intraabdominal sepsis is frequently present after trauma, surgical resection, or intrinsic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. When infection occurs it may be generalized or localized in intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal locations as well as in solid organs. The offending microflora is polymicrobial, consisting of both aerobes and anaerobes. Adequate, prompt surgical drainage and the appropriate choice of parenteral antibiotics aimed at both types of bacteria will result in a more favorable postoperative course and will reduce the possibility of local infection and secondary septicemia.
Pericardial fat is associated with all-cause mortality but not incident CVD: The Rancho Bernardo Study

Objective Pericardial and intra-thoracic fat are associated with prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk factors. However, it is unclear if these fat depots predict incident CVD events and/or all-cause mortality. We examined prospective associations between areas of pericardial and intra-thoracic fat and incident CVD and mortality over a 12-year follow-up in a subset of participants without baseline clinical CVD from the Rancho Bernardo Study (RBS).
Gerüstumlagerungen von Organoalkalimetall‐Verbindungen

Bei Organoalkalimetall-Verbindungen treten konzertierte [1,n]-sigmatrope Umlagerungen von Aryl-, Vinyl-, Carbonyl-, Alkoxycarbonyl-, Silyl-, Germyl- und ahnlichen Gruppen auf. Sigmatrope Alkyl- und Benzylumlagerungen sowie Verschiebungen von Wasserstoffatomen sind nur unter speziellen Bedingungen moglich, konnen aber auch uber einen alternativen Fragmentierungs-Rekombinationsmechanismus verlaufen. Allylgruppen lagern sich entweder nach dem zuletzt genannten Prozes oder uber eine konzertierte [2,3]-sigmatrope Reaktion um. Diese Molekulumlagerungen werden aus der Sicht einfacher MO-Betrachtungen diskutiert. Durch geeignete Wahl des Alkalimetalls, der Temperatur, der Liganden des Metallions und/oder des Losungsmittels lassen sich die Geschwindigkeit der Umlagerung, die relative Wanderungsfahigkeit einer Gruppe sowie der Reaktionsmechanismus in bemerkenswertem Umfang beeinflussen.
Control of a viscoelastic shaft with attached tip-mass

In this paper we consider an optimal control problem for the torsional vibrations of a viscoelastic shaft with attached tip-mass at the free end of the shaft. The control is an external torque applied to the tip-mass. The continuous sub-system (the shaft) is assumed to be composed of a Boltzmann-type material. We apply a combination of finite elements and averaging numerical schemes to compute sub-optimal feedback gains for the distributed parameter model.
Unique and atypical deletions in Prader–Willi syndrome reveal distinct phenotypes

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a multisystem, contiguous gene disorder caused by an absence of paternally expressed genes within the 15q11.2-q13 region via one of the three main genetic mechanisms: deletion of the paternally inherited 15q11.2-q13 region, maternal uniparental disomy and imprinting defect. The deletion class is typically subdivided into Type 1 and Type 2 based on their proximal breakpoints (BP1–BP3 and BP2–BP3, respectively). Despite PWS being a well-characterized genetic disorder the role of the specific genes contributing to various aspects of the phenotype are not well understood. Methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) is a recently developed technique that detects copy number changes and aberrant DNA methylation. In this study, we initially applied MS-MLPA to elucidate the deletion subtypes of 88 subjects. In our cohort, 32 had a Type 1 and 49 had a Type 2 deletion. The remaining seven subjects had unique or atypical deletions that were either smaller (n=5) or larger (n=2) than typically described and were further characterized by array-based comparative genome hybridization. In two subjects both the PWS region (15q11.2) and the newly described 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome region were deleted. The subjects with a unique or an atypical deletion revealed distinct phenotypic features. In conclusion, unique or atypical deletions were found in ∼8% of the deletion subjects with PWS in our cohort. These novel deletions provide further insight into the potential role of several of the genes within the 15q11.2 and the 15q13.3 regions.
Significance of Enhancement for Calculations Based on the Action Spectrum for Photosynthesis

Calculations of the errors involved in measuring "photo-synthetically active radiation" in different ways are based on the assumption that the photosynthetic rate of a leaf in "white" light is equal to the sum of the products of (a) the photo-synthetic rate per unit of incident energy flux (action spectrum) by (b) the spectral energy flux distribution of the white light, the products being summed over all wavelengths at which the action spectrum is greater than zero. The calculations are valid only if the effects of different wavelengths are independent and additive. Although interactions are well documented in photo-synthesis ("enhancement"), tests showed that the photosynthetic rates of leaves of six species, in four different types of white light, were within +/-7% of the rates calculated in this way.
An Introduction to Queuing Theory in an Interactive Text Format

This paper presents an interactive tutorial on queuing that uses Microsoft Excel as a platform. The unique features of this tutorial are related to a pedagogical plan that is appropriate for students of business. Implementation of the features in Excel is also discussed.
Network-assisted target tracking via smart local routing

Target tracking problems have been extensively studied for both robots and sensor networks. In this paper, we consider a target tracking problem in which a sensorless tracking robot must maintain close proximity to an unpredictably moving target. To assist the robot, a network of sensor nodes, each equipped with a binary proximity sensor, is spread through the environment. This architecture has the benefit of eliminating the need for information-rich sensors on the tracker, while supplying it with nonlocal observations of the target. However, it also introduces new complications due to the mobility of the tracker and the energy limitations of the sensor nodes. To address these issues, we present algorithms that allow both the tracker and the sensor nodes to maintain partial information about the target's location. The contribution of this work is an algorithm that manages the propagation of information across this network, making message delivery decisions on-the-fly, based on each message's informative value for the tracker. We present an implementation along with simulation results. The results show that our system achieves both good tracking precision and low energy consumption in both start-up and steady state phases of the problem, and that its performance is superior to that of earlier methods for this problem.
Sonic activation of molecularly-targeted nanoparticles accelerates transmembrane lipid delivery to cancer cells through contact-mediated mechanisms: Implications for enhanced local drug delivery

Liquid perfluorocarbon nanoparticles serve as sensitive and specific targeted contrast and drug delivery vehicles by binding to specific cell surface markers. We hypothesized that application of acoustic energy at diagnostic power levels could promote nanoparticle-associated drug delivery by stimulating increased interaction between the nanoparticle's lipid layer and the targeted cell's plasma membrane. Ultrasound (mechanical index = 1.9) applied with a conventional ultrasound imaging system to nanoparticles targeted to alpha(v)beta3-integrins on C32 melanoma cancer cells in vitro produced no untoward effects. Within 5 min, lipid delivery from nanoparticles into cell cytoplasm was dramatically augmented. We also demonstrate the operation of a potential physical mechanism for this effect, the acoustic radiation force on the nanoparticles, which may contribute to the enhanced lipid delivery. Accordingly, we propose that local delivery of lipophilic substances (e.g., drugs) from targeted nanoparticles directly into cell cytoplasm can be augmented rapidly and safely with conventional ultrasound imaging devices through nondestructive mechanisms.
Semi-Automatic Annotation of Natural Language Vulnerability Reports

Those who do not learn from past vulnerabilities are bound to repeat it. Consequently, there have been several research efforts to enumerate and categorize software weaknesses that lead to vulnerabilities. The Common Weakness Enumeration CWE is a community developed dictionary of software weakness types and their relationships, designed to consolidate these efforts. Yet, aggregating and classifying natural language vulnerability reports with respect to weakness standards is currently a painstaking manual effort. In this paper, the authors present a semi-automated process for annotating vulnerability information with semantic concepts that are traceable to CWE identifiers. The authors present an information-processing pipeline to parse natural language vulnerability reports. The resulting terms are used for learning the syntactic cues in these reports that are indicators for corresponding standard weakness definitions. Finally, the results of multiple machine learning algorithms are compared individually as well as collectively to semi-automatically annotate new vulnerability reports.
Experiment in Megaregional Road Pricing Using Advanced Commuter Behavior Analysis

AbstractWorsening highway congestion is a challenge to megaregional competitiveness; changing regional geographies and development location decisions, among other factors, demand that public policy...
Translational repression in vitro by the bacteriophage T4 regA protein

The bacteriophage T4 translational repressor regA protein has been purified from an overproducing strain, and its activity has been studied in simple in vitro protein synthesis reactions. RegA protein was found to inhibit the translation of T4 genes 44, 45, and ORF45-1 in a concentration-dependent fashion. Expression of two other T4 genes which are insensitive to regA protein in vivo, genes 32 and 43, was unaffected by the presence of regA protein. Specific inhibition of synthesis of genes 44, 45, and ORF 45-1 proteins was achieved with 5-20 microM concentrations of regA protein, without the addition of any other T4 encoded proteins or cofactors. When in vitro protein synthesis was performed in two steps, uncoupling translation from transcription, regA protein had an inhibitory effect regardless of whether it was added at the initiation of transcription or only at the translation step. This indicates that regA protein functions during the translation step of protein synthesis in vitro in agreement with previous in vivo studies of regA protein.
The use of audiovisual materials in elementary school science

Published four times a year (October, December, February, and April) by Boston University School of Education, 332 Bay State Road, Boston 15, Massachusetts. Subscription price $3.00 a year; 2 years, $5.50. (In Canada, $3.50 a year; foreign, $4.00 a year.) Single copies $1.00. Entered as second-class matter, Boston, Massachusetts, October 30, 1953. Change of address should be sent promptly, giving both the old and the new address. Copyright, 1962, Trustees of Boston University. All rights reserved.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome-Surgical Treatment Techniques

Cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common nerve compression in the upper extremity after carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). There are multiple surgical options to treat cubital tunnel syndrome with no one treatment proving superior. The options include in situ decompression with or without medial epicondylectomy, endoscopic decompression, and subcutaneous, intramuscular, or submuscular transposition. The surgical techniques as well as specific pearls and pitfalls, relevant anatomy, diagnosis, and conservative treatment will be reviewed.
Role of cholecystokinin in intestinal phase of human pancreatic secretion.

In this study we have utilized a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for cholecystokinin (CCK) to determine the effects of a jejunal infusion (5 cc/min) of amino acids (44 g/liter), saline, and amino acids with intravenous atropine (20 μg·kg−1·hr) on pancreatic exocrine secretion. Amino acids were found to stimulate pancreatic output of trypsin and release CCK, while a saline infusion at the same rate and osmolality (320 mosm/liter) failed to do so. In the presence of atropine, the amino acid infusion did not stimulate the pancreatic output of trypsin, despite an augmented CCK release. The total CCK released above baseline was greatest with the infusion of amino acids with atropine, while the total trypsin output above baseline was greatest with the infusion of amino acids. These results indicate that CCK release is not under cholinergic control and that cholinergic blockade inhibits pancreatic secretion by interrupting stimulating cholinergic fibers to the pancreas.