cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-energy total body irradiation as preparation for bone marrow transplantation in leukemia patients: Treatment technique and related complications

Purpose: Bone marrow transplantation with conditioning regimens that include total-body irradiation (TBI) is widely used in patients with acute lymphoblastic and acute myelocytic leukemias. The major causes of death in this population are relapse of leukemia, infection, and treatment related complications. Our purpose was to achieve a homogenous radiation dose distribution and to minimize the dose to the lungs, liver, and kidneys so that the incidence of organ injury was reduced. Methods and Materials: Dose to the bone marrow, midplane, and periphery was quantified by use of thermoluminescent detectors in a bone-equivalent tissue phantom. In an effort to reduce the risk of complications, we treated relapsed or refractory leukemia patients with TBI administered in fractionated, parallel opposed large fields with 24 MV photons, using tissue compensation and partial-transmission lung shielding. Tissue toxicities were then determined. Results: Dose quantitation in bone-equivalent and tissue-equivalent phantoms demonstrated that backscatter and pair production interactions adjacent to bone increased the bone marrow dose by 6 to 11%. At an SSD of 400 cm and at patient diameters of 20 to 40 cm, the percent inhomogeneity across the phantom with 24 MV photons was 0 to 0.3%, compared to 4 to 6% for 6 MV photons. End-organ toxicities consisted of clinical interstitial pneumonitis in six patients, idiopathic interstitial pneumonitis in three patients, renal toxicity in seven patients, and veno-occlusive disease of the liver in one patient. Toxicities did not correlate with fractionation schedule. Conclusions: Total-body irradiation administered with 24 MV photons increases the dose deposition in bone marrow through pair production and backscatter interactions occurring in bone. Because percent depth dose increases with SSD, the 24 MV beam is more penetrating at a 400 cm distance than at 100 cm and dose homogeneity is improved with higher energies. Thus, the incidence of radiation-mediated injury to lung, liver, and kidney is reduced. This is an effective preparatory regimen for patients with high-risk leukemias requiring bone marrow transplantation.
Simplicity of differential operators on an infinite interval

A closed symmetric operator A in a Hilbert space !f~ is called simple if there is no nontrivial reducing subspace on which A is self-adjoint. The author [2] showed that if a formally self-adjoint ordinary differential operator L on an interval I is regular or quasiregular at one end of I, then the minimal closed symmetric operator T,, defined by L in $ = P(1) is simple. It follows that if L has order n = 1 or if L has order n ..= 2 and real coefficients, then T, is simple or self-adjoint. This is because in these cases either T, is self-adjoint or else L is regular or quasiregular at one end of 1. It is the purpose of this article to show that if 11 > 2, in particular, if n = 4, then T,, can be nonself-adjoint and not simple. This will be done by adducing an example of an I; on (-cc, co) for which T, is the same as the closed symmetric operator defined by an infinite matrix. From this infinite matrix one can determine the structure of T,, . In particular, T0 turns out to have an eigenvalue and is, therefore, not simple. Since T,, has deficiency index (2, 2), T, is also not self-adjoint. For notation and definitions we refer the reader to [2]. We shall make use of the following lemma.
Inhibition of a discrete bacterial DNA polymerase by 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil and 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo-)-isocytosine.

6-(p-HYDROXYPHENYLAZO)-URACIL (HPUra) specifically inhibits the semi-conservative replication of DNA in Gram-positive bacteria1–3. We have reported that HPUra inhibits ATP-dependent polymerization of deoxyribonucleotides in vitro in toluene-treated B. subtilis4. Further studies of the effect of HPUra and its amino analogue, HPIsocytosine (6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-2-amino, 4-keto pyrimidine), in toluene-treated B. subtilis have provided considerable information on the mechanism of arylazopyrimidine action. First, HPUra and HPIsocytosine do not inhibit DNA synthesis unless they first are reduced to their colourless, hydrazo forms (refs. 4 and 5 and Mackenzie, Wright and Brown, unpublished results). Second, the inhibitory action of reduced HPUra and that of reduced HPIsocytosine are completely antagonized, respectively, by dGTP and dATP5. Third, drug-resistant mutants have been isolated which catalyse drug-resistant DNA synthesis following their permeabilization with toluene. These observations suggest that reduced HPUra and HPIsocytosine inhibit DNA replication by interfering competitively with the enzymatic polymerization of specific purine deoxyribonucleotides. We examined, therefore, cell free preparations of B. subtilis in an effort to identify a discrete DNA polymerase as the site of drug action. We report here experiments with crude and partially fractionated extracts of DNA polymerase I-deficient mutants which indicate the existence of at least one drug sensitive polymerase. Bazill and Gross6 have independently isolated chromatographically discrete HPUra-sensitive polymerases from extracts of B. subtilis.
Finding Points of Contact for Collaborative Work.

Academic and student affairs officers in New England meet regularly to identify and develop opportunities for collaboration.
Terminal Area Visualization (TAV) tool for approach analysis

To evaluate proposed approach procedures intended to increase airfield throughput capacity the MITRE Corporation refined a fast time Monte Carlo simulation that outputs statistics (e.g., collision probability) and flight paths for thousands of synthesized scenarios. However, the simulation lacks a significant visualization capability. A subsequently developed Terminal Area Visualization (TAV) tool provides the capability to visualize flight trajectories in fast or real time using airframe and satellite imagery. The TAV tool allows the user to specify synthetic approach scenarios output from the Monte Carlo simulation (or other data sources) and simultaneously illustrates multiple perspectives of characteristics that are not clearly evident from basic statistical analyses or typically require sequential graphical analyses. Features include dynamic plan (bird's eye) and profile views, plots of numeric data, and optional visualization of estimated wake vortex positions. This capability has been used to visually support hypotheses previously based solely on statistical output. This paper describes the need for the TAV tool, mathematical algorithms, user interface design, a case study of proposed operations for San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and other potential applications.
On the volumetric path

We consider the logarithmic and the volumetric barrier functions used in interior point methods. In the case of the logarithmic barrier function, the analytic center of a level set is the point at which the central path intersects that level set. We prove that this also holds for the volumetric path. For the central path, it is also true that the analytic center of the optimal level set is the limit point of the central path. The only known case where this last property for the logarithmic barrier function fails occurs in case of semidefinite optimization in the absence of strict complementarity. For the volumetric path, we show with an example that this property does not hold even for a linear optimization problem in canonical form.
Meanings of Money Nurtured by Nature Some Very Personal Observations Across the Pacific

Based on the experiences of his family members, peers, and himself in China since the 1920s, the author suggests three individual-level factors that combine to have a huge impact on people's attitudes toward money and property. One is the influence of parents or parental figures. The second is one's life goal or lack thereof. The third is the role that money and property (or the lack thereof) play in achieving that goal. There are, however, societal-level factors that loom large at the background. The dramatic changes in the economic and social systems and conditions contributed to the differences in the attitudes among Chinese of different times. Similarly, the differences between China and other countries in the economic and social systems and conditions contributed to the differences in the attitudes of Chinese and the attitudes of other peoples during a given time period.
Kaposi's sarcoma: relationship with hematologic, lymphoid, and thymic neoplasia

Four cases of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) are described; one each was associated with Hodgkin's disease, a thymoma, an atypical lymphoid proliferation resembling Castleman's disease, and a cutaneous reticulosis. The association of KS with lymphoproliferative, hematologic, and other neoplasms is thoroughly reviewed, with special attention to tissue diagnosis, relative order of development, and relationship to immunosuppressive treatment. Review of 65 accepted cases, including ours, showed that 85% of patients with KS and a known order of development appeared with KS either simultaneously or after the second neoplasm. There was a disproportionate tendency for hematologic malignancy to develop simultaneously with KS. Of the 22 patients who had KS subsequent to a second neoplasm, 18 (82%) had received some form of interval immunosuppression. This evidence and observations in renal allograft recipients, patients with pemphigus, and patients with other autoimmune disorders point to the frequency of a common background of deranged immune status in patients with KS. Therefore, either naturally occurring or iatrogenic immune deficiency likely predisposes patients to KS. Some possible mechanisms for this phenomenon are reviewed.
Treatment of Facet and Sacroiliac Joint Arthropathy: Steroid Injections and Radiofrequency Ablation

Facet and sacroiliac joint arthropathy are common, specific causes of low back pain. With a combination of a focused physical examination and image guidance, pain originating from these joints can be accurately targeted and these joints respond well to the direct application of long-acting deposition preparation steroids. When routine steroid treatment of the facet joint is not effective and more advanced treatment is required, denervation of the facet joint through the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a preferred method. Image guidance is a critical tool in targeting facet joint innervation, performing a central role in the techniques used in both preprocedure testing and the RFA treatment. This article reviews the basic image-guided fluoroscopic and computed tomographic-guided approaches to steroid treatment of the facet and sacroiliac joints and further discusses of the painful facet through RFA.
A Minimization Method for Treating Convergence in Modal Synthesis

The problem of convergence in modal synthesis is solved by a minimization approach. Substructure modes corresponding to fixed-interface boundaries are considered. The Rayleigh quotient of the structure is defined in a coordinate space which includes the initial selection of substructure modes augmented by some of the unused modes. It is scaled and projected onto a subspace orthogonal to the lower order modes. An unconstrained minimization problem is formulated for each mode using this function. Starting points correspond to eigenvectors obtained from the initial solution. The scaling transformation tends to point the vector of steepest descent toward the minimum. An optimum step in this direction provides a lower bound on the eigenvalue error and a corresponding estimate of eigenvector error. The magnitude of the gradient vector provides another measure of the truncation error. These are compared formally and by numerical example. For small errors, the Rayleigh quotient is minimized to first-order approximation by a single step consistent with small perturbation theory. For larger errors, the Conjugate Gradient algorithm is used to drive each mode to convergence in an iterative manner.
Correlation of Biological Activity of Phenoxyacetic Acids with Hammett Substituent Constants and Partition Coefficients

IN the ‘two-point attachment’ theory1 on the mechanism of action for growth regulators of the auxin type we have assumed as a working hypothesis that the reaction between auxin and substrate is more chemical than physical in nature and that covalent-bond formation is a possibility. The need for an aromatic ring with at least one unsubstituted position for auxin activity2 confirms our original belief that an ortho position in the phenoxyacetic acids is most suitable stereoelectronically to serve as one of the two points which attach the molecule to the plant substrate. The carboxyl serves as the second point, permitting the auxin to form a ring when joined to a plant protein. This reaction mechanism is supported by the work of Bonner et al.3,4.
Inhibition of interleukin-8 blocks myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

Abstract Introduction: Interleukin-8 is thought to play a role in neutrophil activation and transcapillary migration into the interstitium. Because neutrophils are principal effector cells in acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, we postulated that the inhibition of interleukin-8 activity with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody directed against rabbit interleukin-8 (ARIL8.2) would attenuate the degree of myocardial injury encountered during reperfusion. Methods: In New Zealand White rabbits, the large branch of the marginal coronary artery supplying most of the left ventricle was occluded for 45 minutes, followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Fifteen minutes before reperfusion, animals were given an intravenous bolus of either 2 mg/kg of ARIL8.2 or 2 mg/kg anti–glycoprotein-120, an isotype control antibody that does not recognize interleukin-8. At the completion of the 120-minute reperfusion period, infarct size was determined. Results: In the area at risk for infarction, 44.3% ± 4% of the myocardium was infarcted in the anti–glycoprotein-120 group compared with 24.8% ± 9% in the ARIL8.2 group ( p Conclusions: A specific monoclonal antibody that neutralizes interleukin-8 significantly reduces the degree of necrosis in a rabbit model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;116:114-21)
Seasonal Asynchrony of Italian Thistle, Carduus pycnocephalus, and the Weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Introduced for Biological Control in Southern California

Thirty Italian thistle ( Carduus pycnocephalus L.) plants produced a total of 7,735 (mean, 258) flower heads, which potentially contained ca. 25,000 seeds, from mid-April to late August 1980, at See Canyon, San Luis Obispo County, Calif. Rhinocyllus conicus Froelich larvae directly and indirectly caused an estimated 55% seed loss in these heads, but still allowed production of 11,410 seeds, mainly after oviposition by the univoltine weevils ended in late June. Larval mortality of 45%, mostly in early instars, was due to intraspecific competition in flower heads. This competition was of the scramble type. Negligible interspecific competition in heads resulted from lepidopterous larvae.
Construction of Dynamic Modulus Master Curves with Resilient Modulus and Creep Test Data

For the past few decades, the stiffness of materials used for roadway design and construction has been commonly characterized by the resilient modulus, defined as the ratio of the applied stress to the recoverable strain. However, the resilient modulus is not a fundamental material property of a viscoelastic material. Therefore, the concept of resilient modulus has been subsequently diminished in the latest Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide. Although that design guide could not endorse the use of the resilient modulus test protocol as the primary means of characterizing the asphalt concrete modulus in the design of flexible pavements, that protocol has been a primary mixture test, and much laboratory testing has been completed to date. Analysis methodologies are introduced for backcalculating the dynamic modulus from the resilient modulus test data. To assess the usefulness of the proposed algorithm, laboratory experiments in both the uniaxial compression and indirect tensile test modes were car...
A Hierarchical Bayesian Choice Model with Visibility

We extend the standard choice model of multinomial logit model (MLM) into a hierarchical Bayesian model to simultaneously estimate the preferences of customers and the visibility of items from purchasing history. We say that an item has high visibility when customers well consider that item as a candidate before making a choice. We design two algorithms for estimating the parameters of the proposed choice model. One algorithm estimates the posterior distribution with the Gibbs sampling, and the other approximately performs the maximum a posteriori estimation. Our experimental results show that we can estimate the preferences of customers from their purchasing history without the prior knowledge of the choice set. The existing approaches to estimating the preferences of customers rely on the explicit knowledge of the choice set.
Focal adhesion kinase as a marker of invasive potential in differentiated human thyroid cancer.

Background: The FAK gene encodes a 125-kDa tyrosine kinase (p125FAK) involved in signal transduction pathways used in cell adhesion, motility, and anchorage-independent growth. Because thyroid carcinomas have a wide variability in their propensity for invasion and metastasis, we studied the expression of FAK in a variety of thyroid tissues.
Ultrafast Radiative Heat Transfer in Three-Dimensional Highly-Scattering Media Subjected to Pulse Train Irradiation

Transient radiative transfer in highly-scattering media subjected to time-dependent pulse train heating conditions is scrutinized. A basic problem in which a cube is exposed to a unit step irradiation is first solved via the transient discrete-ordinates method, and the influences of the spatial grid and time step are examined. The temporal solutions for the basic problem are then used for constructing the responses of the same cube subjected to the irradiation of pulse trains via the superposition method. The effects of the pulse width and time interval between the pulses are studied. The characteristics of pulse train irradiation are revealed. The present approach is simple because only one basic solution is needed to construct the solutions for various problems with different pulse widths and/or pulse intervals.
Laser‐Excited Photothermal Lens Spectrometry in a Low‐Volume Cylindrical Sample Cell

A new apparatus for performing laser-excited photothermal lens spectroscopy is described. The apparatus uses a sub-microliter cylindrical sample cell, chopped laser excitation, and a continuous probe laser to perform photothermal lens spectrometry. The sample is irradiated with a constant irradiance beam, and the photothermal lens forms due to thermal diffusion through the sample cell walls. Solutions for the thermal diffusion equations predict a parabolic temperature change under continuous irradiation. Experimental results are obtained for organic and inorganic complexes in ethanol solution and compared to those obtained using a standard sample cell. Results for dicyclopentadienyl iron solutions excited with 10mW 514.5 nm Ar+ laser radiation show that the cylindrical sample cell signal is 32% of that obtained using the standard sample cell. This ratio is in reasonable agreement with that expected based on thermal diffusion models. Results obtained for ruthenium tris-bipyridyl chloride and perchlorate salts are not stable with respect to irradiation time. The latter results suggest that a significant amount of ruthenium tris-bipyridyl complex is photolyzed with the mild irradiation conditions used in these experiments.
Histology in forensic practice

In their Commentary [1], Byard and Winskog cogently and dispassionately wrangle with an age-old dilemma among prosecting medicolegal pathologists (FP) within the global forensic community investigating specific categories of human death: namely, is routine histology necessary in forensic autopsies? Their proposed dichotomy—‘‘required or redundant’’— is, in my view, unanswerable. Many reasons for this conclusion obtain:
Modelling the structure of amorphous As2S3: Helical structures and a lack of planarity

Abstract Stick and ball models of As 2 S 3 were computer-relaxed in an interatomic potential consisting of bond bending, bond stretching, lone-pair and core repulsion terms. The RDF and pair distribution functions calculated from the relaxed models show good agreement with experimental data. The relaxed models exhibit helical ordering without indications of planar structures.
GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO HAEMOGLOBIN: I. DEMONSTRATION OF SEPARATE GENETIC CONTROL OF THE RESPONSES TO THE α‐ AND β‐SUBUNITS BY IN VITRO LYMPHOCYTE PROLIFERATION

These studies were undertaken to analyse the genetic control of the immune response to an oligomeric protein and the role of individual subunits in the regulation of the response. Human adult haemoglobin (Hb) was selected as a model for these studies because it is a well-characterized protein and its antigenic structure is being determined in our laboratories. Mice of various congenic strains were immunized with Hb and the lymph node cells from Hb-primed mice were challenged in vitro with Hb, and its alpha-chain and beta-chains as well as an appropriate control antigen. Lymphocyte proliferation was determined by 3H-thymidine incorporation. The data collected indicated that mice of the H-2b and H-2d haplotypes were high responders while H-2k, H-2s, H-2q and H-2j haplotype mice were low responders to Hb. Studies with H-2 recombinant strains indicated that the immune response to Hb and its subunits is determined by genes in the I-A subregion and the D end of the H-2 complex. The significance of these findings in terms of control and regulation of the overall response to native Hb are discussed.
The Russian image of future war

Like its Soviet predecessor, the Russian military perceives the concept of a military‐technical revolution (MTR) as the nucleus of future warfare. Emerging technologies are radically changing milit...
The role of strong motion rotations in the response of structures near earthquake faults

Abstract Early studies of earthquake strong motion assumed linear materials and small deformations. It was observed that under favorable conditions (long waves), the accompanying rotational motions are usually small, and so their effects could be neglected. In 1932, when Biot opted for the vibrational method of solution of the dynamic response problems [Trifunac MD. 75th anniversary of the response spectrum method—a historical review. Soil Dyn Earthquake Eng 2008 [in press].] in his formulation of the response spectrum concept, his choice of the discrete mathematical models of buildings further led to the conditions that did not explicitly require consideration of the rotations [Trifunac MD. Buildings as sources of rotational waves, Chapter I.5. In: Teisseyre R, Nagahama H, Majewski E, editors. Physics of asymmetric continua: extreme and fracture processes. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer; 2008 [in press].]. The engineering profession was not prepared in the 1930s and 1940s for Biot's new theory and first had to learn the basic dynamics of structures before it could question the wisdom and consequences of the vibrational versus the wave-propagation approaches to the solution. Also, there were too many other concerns, often caused by the modeling simplifications, that pushed the studies of the rotational motion further down to the low levels of priority. Even today, 40 years after the arrival of digital computers and the emergence of powerful numerical computational capabilities, which uncovered unexpectedly large families of chaotic solutions accompanying large deformations, as well as nonlinear response [Trifunac MD. Nonlinear problems in earthquake engineering. In: Springer's encyclopedia of complexity and system science, 2008 [in press] [94] .], most researchers continue to ignore the role of rotations. Had Biot chosen the wave-propagation approach for the solution of the earthquake engineering problems in 1932, the “progress” might have been faster. The wave representation can be differentiated with respect to a space coordinate, giving the rotations at a point directly. In contrast, the lumped-mass models in the vibrational approach do not make this possible, and the closest one can come to considering rotations is in terms of average, per-floor rotation, or drift. This paper reviews some elementary aspects of ground motion near faults and the resulting structural deformations in order to illustrate the role of the strong-motion rotations. We show rough estimates of how large such rotations can be, and we suggest how the profession might begin to study and interpret their consequences. Whether the aim is to understand why micro-tremors in metropolitan areas abound with high-frequency Rayleigh waves, why buildings rock and occasionally overturn during strong earthquake shaking, or why columns fail, we must consider the rotational components of ground and structural motions. Only then will we be able to understand and control the response to strong earthquake excitation.
Infectious diseases: diagnosis utilizing DNA probes. Understanding a developing clinical technology.

Premier article d'information sur les sondes d'acide nucleique: structure de l'ADN et des sondes; construction des sondes; utilisation de ces sondes; breve description de 5 techniques d'hybridation. Applications deja disponibles pour la detection d'agents bacteriens, viraux, fungiques et parasitaires
Semiparametric failure time regression with replicates of mismeasured covariates

This article proposes a general strategy for the regression analysis of univariate and multivariate failure time data when a subset of covariates cannot be measured precisely but replicate measurements of their surrogates are available. Multivariate failure time data include recurrent events and clustered survival data. The number of replicate measurements can vary from subject to subject and can even depend on the failure time. No parametric assumption is imposed on the error or on any other random variable. Several semiparametric regression models are considered, including the Cox proportional hazards model for univariate failure time data, multiplicative intensity/rate models for recurrent events data, and marginal Cox proportional hazards models for general multivariate failure time data. The existing estimating functions in the absence of measurement error are corrected to yield consistent and asymptotically normal estimators of the regression parameters. The estimation of the underlying failure time...
Ethanol promotes rapid depletion of intracellular free Mg in cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells: Possible relation to alcohol-induced behavioral and stroke-like effects

Abstract The acute effects of ethanol on intracellular free magnesium ions ([Mg 2+ ] i ) in cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were studied by digital imaging microscopy using the Mg 2+ fluorescent probe mag-fura-2. In 0 mM ethanol, the basal level of [Mg 2+ ] i was between 500–700 μM with a heterogeneous distribution within the cells; [Mg 2+ ] i was greater in the perinuclear than in the peripheral region. Treatment of the cells with 10, 25, and 100 mM ethanol resulted in rapid (within 30 s) concentration-dependent reduction in [Mg 2+ ] i ; the greater the concentration and the greater the duration of acute exposure, the greater the fall in [Mg 2+ ] i . Exposure of cerebral VSMCs to 100 mM ethanol resulted in a 57% reduction in [Mg 2+ ] i (i.e., from 510 ± 40 to 220 ± 30 μM). These observations are consistent with the tenet that “binge drinking” of ethanol could result in cerebrovasospasm, ischemia, and rupture of cerebral blood vessels as a consequence of depletion of cerebral VSMC [Mg 2+ ] i . Deficits in [Mg 2+ ] i , O 2 , and nutrient delivery could account in part for some of the behavioral actions of alcohol.
C-Glycosylflavones in Gnetum gnemon

Abstract The relationship of the Gnetales to other gymnosperms is presently ill understood. The occurrence of C -glycosylflavones as the only detactable flav
Inhibition of 3′Azido-3′Deoxythymidine-Resistant HIV-1 Infection by Dehydroepiandrosterone in Vitro

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolated from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) shows resistance to 3′azido-3′deoxythymidine (AZT) after one or two years of treatment. AZT also has significant toxic side effects, further limiting its use in the therapy of HIV-l-infected individuals. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been shown to have a broad spectrum of biological functions, to be bioavailable orally and to be relatively nontoxic. Epidemiological studies provide evidence that reduced serum levels of DHEA are related to the progression of AIDS in HIV-1 infection. DHEA has also been shown to inhibit HIV-1 replication in vitro and block HIV-1 reactivation from chronically infected cell lines. However, there have been no reports on the ability of DHEA to inhibit the replication of AZT-resistant strains of HIV-1. We investigated whether DHEA treatment could inhibit replication of AZT-resistant strains of HIV-1. Addition of DHEA to MT-2 cell cultures infected with either AZT-sensitive or AZT-resistant isolates of HIV-1 resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of HTV-1-induced cytopathic effect and suppression of HIV-1 replication as measured by accumulation of reverse transcriptase activity. At a concentration as low as 50 μM, DHEA reduced AZT-resistant HIV-1 replication over 50 percent as measured by cytopathic effect and accumulation of reverse transcriptase activity. This study provides evidence that DHEA can inhibit the replication of AZT-resistant as well as wild-type HIV-1. Since the main targets for DHEA are metabolic and cellular signaling pathways leading to HIV-1 replication-activation, DHEA should be effective against multidrug-resistant strains of HIV-1. Combined with recently discovered immunoregulatory properites, the finding that DHEA is able to inhibit replication of both wild-type and AZT-resistant HIV-1 suggests that in vivo DHEA may have a much broader spectrum of action than originally anticipated.
Experimental encephalitis following peripheral inoculation of West Nile virus in mice of different ages.

Abstract Experimental arbovirus infections of mice provide a convenient model to study factors which determine the occurrence or severity of encephalitis following extraneural infection with certain neurotropic viruses. Varying doses of West Nile or Powassan viruses were inoculated by intraperitoneal or intramuscular routes into mice of varing ages; individual variables were manipulated to influence the outcome of infection. Three patterns of pathogenesis were delineated: (1) Fatal encephalitis, preceded by early viraemia, and invasion of the central nervous system. (2) Inapparent infection, with no detectable viraemia and no evidence of central nervous system invasion. (3) Subclinical encephalitis, usually preceded by trace viraemia, with minimal transient levels of virus in the brain. In this latter type of subclinical infection with a potentially lethal virus, the immune response probably plays an important role in recovery.
The Effect of Boron on Microhardness in Ni3 Al Polycrystals

In a recent MRS symposium, the effect of boron on grain boundary hardness (GBH) in Ni/sub 3/Al was reported. Addition of 0.2 at. % of boron decreased the GBH in all three sets of alloys tested (24, 25, and 26 at. % Al). The present paper summarizes the study of the effect of boron on hardness within grains. Boron-induced softening was again observed in grain interiors. However, it occurred only in alloys with 24 and 25 at. % Al, but not in the alloy with 26 at. % Al. An explanation for this behavior is presented. 14 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.
From Homo Sovieticus to Homo Zapiens: Viktor Pelevin's Consumer Dystopia

Boasting a rich tradition of utopian/dystopian fiction, Russian literature has seen the most recent burgeoning of the genre in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. With the advancement of Gorbachev’s reforms in the mid-1980s, Russian writers engaged in an increasingly open attack on the mythology of Socialist utopia. It was during those years that the negative subgenre of dystopia once again came to the forefront of literature. As the collapse of the Soviet empire seemed more and more imminent, a number of parodic treatments of the Socialist experiment appeared, as well as more somber works concerned with the menaces attending the looming breakdown of the Soviet state.1 Whether writing in the primarily satiric vein used by Voinovich, Veller, and Aksenov, or in the more wistful spirit exemplified by the Strugatsky brothers in their later oeuvre, the writers of Gorbachev’s epoch sought to reinterpret the past and to discern possible venues for the country’s future. These attempts continued after the fall of the Soviet Union. This article examines Viktor Pelevin’s Generation “П”, one of the most conspicuous turn-of-the-century Russian novels. It can be productively analyzed as a fin-de-siecle expression of dystopian imagination.2 I view Pelevin’s work as marking a crucial watershed in the development of the genre in Russia. While dystopias written during perestroika, including Pelevin’s Omon Ra and some of his early short stories from the collection Blue Lantern, were mainly preoccupied with the deconstruction of Soviet utopia, and with prognostications of the possible consequences of the country’s breakdown, Generation “П” is the first major post-Soviet work to come to grips with the introduction of consumer capitalism and global pop culture. As the euphoria of the early 1990s was dispersed quickly in the face of harsh new economic realities, and as the no less tyrannical demands of the
Tp‘PtH3: A Stable Platinum(IV) Trihydride

Tp‘PtMe2H (1) reacts with Et3Si−H to form Tp‘Pt(SiEt3)(H)2 (2), which serves as a precursor to Tp‘PtH3 (3). Cleavage of the Pt−SiEt3 bond of 2 with methanol provides a clean route to Tp‘PtH3 (3), a rare N-supported monomeric platinum(IV) trihydride complex.
First results from the Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph - The Galactic halo and the Ly-alpha forest at low redshift in 3C 273

Results of initial spectroscopy using the Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph and the Hubble Space Telescope on the bright low-redshift quasar 3C 273 are presented. Absorption lines produced by gas in the disk and halo of the Galaxy from numerous neutral and weakly ionized atoms and also from highly ionized atoms are detected. The detection of N v provides additional strong support for the existence of gas with T about 200,000 K at large distances away from the disk of the Galaxy. Ten absorption lines with EW greater than 50 mA, and four possible lines with EW between 25 and 50 mA, are also found in the region between 1235 and 1406 A. These cannot be identified with any lines in the galactic interstellar medium and must therefore all be Ly-alpha systems at very low redshifts. This number of lines is 5-10 times larger than expected from a simple extrapolation of the high-redshift evolution derived from ground-based observations and is consistent with no evolution in cloud properties since z = 2.
Multiscale Simulation of Functionalization of Surfaces using Atmospheric Pressure Discharges

Summary form only given. Pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma discharges, such as corona and dielectric barrier devices, are commonly used to functionalize surfaces (e.g., polymer sheets). The surfaces of these materials have surface roughness of 100s nm to 10s mum often resulting from the manufacturing process. For example, polypropylene surfaces consist of random assemblies of crystalline strands with diameters of 100s nm. Porous materials and textiles also have highly non-planar surfaces. The penetration of plasma generated species (electrons, ions and radicals) into surface structures is of great interest when uniform functionalization of the surface is desired. In this paper, we discuss results from a computational multiscale investigation of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of surfaces having microstructure. The investigation was conducted with a 2-dimensional plasma hydrodynamics model using an unstructured mesh capable of resolving a dynamic range of 1000 in spatial scale. This capability enables a multi-scale approach in which the reactor scale plasma hydrodynamics and penetration of plasma produced species into surface structures can be simultaneously addressed. A surface kinetics model is integrated with the plasma hydrodynamics model to assess the uniformity of treatment on the surface structures. Investigations were preformed for discharges in atmospheric pressure air and He/O2 mixtures, the latter being for treating surfaces when nitrogen fixing is not desired. A typical treatment geometry consists of a dielectric barrier-corona with a gap of a few mm to the surface to be treated. Surface structures have characteristic dimensions of a few mum. We found that the uniformity of treatment of polymers such as polypropylene is sensitive to the gas mixture and polarity of the discharge pulses on both macroscopic (a few mm) and microscopic (<1 mum) scales. For example, the fraction of O2, which in turn determines the rate of formation of O3, can be used to optimize uniformity by controlling the rate of transport and reaction limited processes
Suppuration within an acute myocardial infarct with rupture and tamponade

The eighth case in which there was suppuration within an acute myocardial infarct is presented, and some features of the other cases are reviewed. In this case there was a large, acute infarct in the posterior wall, and the patient died of myocardial rupture and tamponade. Necropsy showed large numbers of Clostridium perfringens in the infarct, as well as fewer numbers in the lungs and spleen. The portal of entry was the small bowel. In only one other instance has Cl. perfringens been the causative organism.
An evaluation of the incremental validity of the MMPI-2 Superlative (S) scale in an inpatient psychiatric sample

The MMPI-2 Superlative (S) scale was developed by Butcher and Han (1995) to assess individuals' tendencies to present themselves in an unrealistically positive light. The current study examined the performance of the L, K, and S scales in accurately distinguishing the MMPI-2 profiles of 379 psychiatric inpatients who produced one or more elevations on the basic scale profiles, from 82 psychiatric inpatients who produced no clinical range elevation on any of the eight basic clinical scales (excluding scales 5 and 0). The findings from the present study indicate that the S scale appears to be effective in the identification of defensiveness among psychiatric inpatients, with mean effect sizes in the moderate to large range. The optimal T-score cutoff for identifying defensive responders was 70 for both men and women. Further, results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that the S scale added incrementally to the prediction levels achieved by the optimal combination of the L and K scales.
Statin myotoxicity is associated with changes in the cardiopulmonary function.

Abstract The mechanism of the muscle toxicity associated with lipid-lowering therapy remains obscure. Pathological and biochemical findings in patients with statin myotoxicity suggest impaired fatty acid oxidation. Exhaled gas analysis can be used to assess substrate utilization including fatty acid oxidation. In order to determine if muscle toxicity due to lipid-lowering therapy might be related to abnormalities in lipid oxidation, exhaled gas analysis was performed in the fasted state on 11 patients subsequent to statin-associated myositis reactions. Results were compared to those of 16 normal controls who were measured both on and off statin therapy. Post-myositis patients showed a depressed anaerobic threshold (AT) ( P = 0.009) compared to controls while age-adjusted maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2max ) and ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO 2 ) were not significantly different. The fasting respiratory exchange ratio (RER) of post-myositis patients off statins was abnormally increased ( P = 0.00001) as was their S1-slope ( P = 0.023). Controls demonstrated a significant increase in their RER while taking statins consistent with decreased lipid oxidation ( P
Demographic and socioeconomic trends in the use of laparoscopic appendectomy from 1997 to 2003.

Abstract Background Because there is conflicting evidence regarding the benefits of laparoscopic appendectomy, we hypothesized that there would be measurable differences in its use among various socioeconomic groups and geographic areas. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried for appendectomies performed between the years of 1997 and 2003. Rates of laparoscopic appendectomy were compared among hospital subtypes and demographic groups. Results The percentage of appendectomies performed laparoscopically has increased from 19.1% in 1997 to 37.9% in 2003. Only 11.8% of cases of complicated appendicitis were treated laparoscopically in 1997, compared with 23.5% in 2003. Nonwhite patients and those from low-income areas continue to be less likely to undergo laparoscopic appendectomy ( P Conclusions Our analysis indicates that despite expanding use of laparoscopic appendectomy nationwide, patients who live in zip codes areas with a preponderance of minorities or low-income earners are more likely to have open appendectomy.
Dietary Turmeric Post-Treatment Decreases DMBA-Induced Hamster Buccal Pouch Tumor Growth by Altering Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis-Related Markers

In the present study, post-treatment effects of dietary turmeric on markers related to apoptosis, cell proliferation, and inflammation in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) tumors were investigated. Tumors were induced by applying 0.5% DMBA topically to the HBP three times per week for 12 weeks. After tumor development, half of the animals continued on the control diet and the other half were shifted to a 1% turmeric diet for 4 weeks. To rule out DMBA discontinuation as a cause of inhibition in tumor growth, DMBA treatment was continued during dietary exposure of turmeric in another set of animals until the end of the experiment. The turmeric diet inhibited tumor growth in animals with or without DMBA carcinogen treatment compared to the animals on the control diet. When compared to hamsters bearing tumors that remained on the control diet, the buccal pouches of hamsters bearing tumors receiving turmeric showed the following results: (1) decreased cell proliferation (diminished PCNA, cyclin D1, and Bcl-2) and PCNA labelling index, (2) enhanced apoptosis (increased Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9, and cytochrome c, and decreased survivin) and apoptotic index, (3) decreased inflammation (decreased Cox-2), and (4) decreased MAPK activation (p-ERK and p-p38). These data indicate that tumor growth decreased due to the modulation of cellular pathways associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis.
A control volume finite difference method for buoyant flow in three-dimensional curvilinear non-orthogonal co-ordinates

This paper presents a control-volume-based finite difference method in non-orthogonal curvilinear coordinates on a local basis in which the vectors and tensors are all based on the general curvilinear coordinates for buoyant flow calculations in arbitrary three-dimensional geometries. The governing equations are transformed from Cartesian co-ordinates into generalized curvilinear co-ordinates. After integrating the set of equations for the control volumes, the finite difference equations are then formulated by a proper treatment of the heat flux and stress tensors and by incorporating the QUICK scheme for the convective terms. The solution procedure then follows the one for three-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinates. Examples are given in problems of natural convection in such three-dimensional enclosures as parallelepiped enclosures and horizontal closed cylinders with differentially heated ends. In the latter case, important applications have been found in crystal growth by means of chemical vapour deposition in a cylindrical ampoule, in which uniform heat fluxes along the two ends are required in order to produce high-quality crystals. Special attention is given to the insertion of baffles in the cylinder to improve the recirculating flow patterns near the two ends.
Ultrafast microscopy and ultrafast calorimetry studies of laser polymer ablation

Laser polymer surface ablation is used in a variety of materials applications. However, little is known about the fundamental mechanisms of laser ablation. We have developed a model ablation system, consisting of a near-infrared (near-IR) dye embedded in a polymer, where the mechanism of ablation is purely photothermal. This system has been studied in detail using ultrafast optical microscopy. Dyes which function as molecular optical thermometers have been embedded in the polymer, permitting the use of precise optical calorimetry to study its thermal decomposition. The practical applications of this model system in imaging science, where it is used in high speed formation of high-resolution, high fidelity, and dry color images, are discussed.
2,4-Dichlorophenol Degradation Using Streptomyces viridosporus T7A Lignin Peroxidase

The Streptomyces viridosporus T7A bacterium produces the extracellular lignin peroxidase ALiP-P3 (EC 1.11.1.14). The ALiP-P3-catalyzed oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) was examined to understand its kinetic behavior. Initial rate data of the oxidation of DCP were obtained by a spectrophotometric peroxidase assay, and the kinetics were best modeled with a random-binding bireactant system, which differs from the ping-pong bireactant system that is typically used for horseradish peroxidase and lignin peroxidase from the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and suggests that either DCP or H 2 O 2 may bind first to ALiP-P3. Chloride ion measurements indicate that 16% of the reacted DCP was fully dechlorinated by ALiP-P3. Chemical ionization mass spectrometry was also utilized to identify the DCP degradation product as a hydrophobic chlorinated dimer of mass 322.
Serial nephelometric urine IgG measurement and the management of pregnancy-induced hypertension

SeriallgG analysis was performed on the urine and serum of 16 patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Significant immunoglobulinuria developed prior to the development of azotemia, significantly decreased creatinine clearance, significant proteinuria (≥23+ dipstick or ≥5 gm per 24-hour urine collection), or oliguria. Nephelometric measurement of urine lgG concentrations appears to be a rapid and accurate method for confirming the severity of clinical disease, the degree of renal involvement, the benefit of treatment modalities on renal function, and the likelihood of postpartum maternal morbidity.
Volta's Battery, Animal Electricity, and Frankenstein

Although Frankenstein critics generally agree that the battery gives life to the monster, they have missed the significance of Volta's invention to the novel. This essay situates Frankenstein within the Volta/Galvani debate about the existence of animal electricity. Since Volta invented the battery precisely to refute the existence of animal electricity, Mary Shelley harnesses the battery to undercut vitalism. In thinking about the battery and the curious material status of electricity, she wonders how experiments might distinguish between life and the mere appearance of life.