cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eribulin monotherapy in a patient with heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer: Case study and review of the literature

Treatment of heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer is challenging due to the combination of progressive disease and limited treatment options. Because breast cancer in this setting is not curable, treatment goals include improving/maintaining quality of life, reducing tumor-related symptoms, and prolonging survival. We report on a 42-year-old Hispanic woman with invasive ductal carcinoma (T4 N1 M1), positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors and negative for HER2. She had been heavily pretreated with radiation (to bone metastases), hormonal therapy, and multiple systemic therapies—including a nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel/bevacizumab/gemcitabine combination and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin. Because of toxicity or disease progression, none of these treatments was used for more than 4 months. After receiving eribulin (in a clinical trial), the patient remained in stable disease for 21 months and generally tolerated eribulin well. (Thrombocytopenia with resulting gastrointestinal bleeding occurred but was resolved with a dose reduction.) The case is discussed in the context of current treatment goals and modalities in the setting of late-line metastatic breast cancer. Treatment options include newer chemotherapeutic agents such as eribulin, a recently approved non-taxane microtubule dynamics inhibitor whose mechanism of action differs from that of other tubulin-targeting agents.
Sedimentary silica on Mars

Terrestrial planetary surfaces, other than Earth, are overwhelmingly basaltic in character. Because of this, among the most intriguing and significant results from recent studies of Mars are the occurrences of high-silica rocks at the Pathfinder site and orbital thermal emission spectroscopy evidence for a global petrological dichotomy with andesites dominating the entire northern hemispheric plains. However, during the alteration of basalt under a wide variety of pressure, temperature, and fluid conditions, silica is highly mobile, and chemical and/or mineralogical relationships among Martian soils and other surface deposits suggest the likelihood that sedimentary silica phases would have formed during surficial alteration processes. Accordingly, the redistribution of sedimentary silica needs to be considered in interpreting at least some of the high-silica features seen on Mars.
What really influences minority attendance? Sequential analyses of the high school and beyond sophomore cohort

While the factors that influence college minority student attendance have been the subject of recent study, there remain unresolved questions about how different factors influence college attendance decisions of applicants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. In particular, there is ambiguity about whether blacks are more or less likely to attend than whites and what factors might improve their attendance rates. This study uses two sets of logistic regressions to identify the factors that can promote minority attendance: a set that examines attendance by all high school seniors in the high school class of 1982 and a set that examines attendance by college applicants in this class. Consistent with prior research on student access, three factors are identified that can potentially improve college attendance by minority students: (1) improved academic preparation in elementary and high school; (2) increased aspirations for higher levels of educational attainment; (3) increased levels of financial aid. Public interventions that would improve any of these factors for minority high school students are likely to improve minority participation rates.
Synthetic handwritten CAPTCHAs

CAPTCHAs (completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart) are in common use today as a method for performing automated human verification online. The most popular type of CAPTCHA is the text recognition variety. However, many of the existing printed text CAPTCHAs have been broken by web-bots and are hence vulnerable to attack. We present an approach to use human-like handwriting for designing CAPTCHAs. A synthetic handwriting generation method is presented, where the generated textlines need to be as close as possible to human handwriting without being writer-specific. Such handwritten CAPTCHAs exploit the differential in handwriting reading proficiency between humans and machines. Test results show that when the generated textlines are further obfuscated with a set of deformations, machine recognition rates decrease considerably, compared to prior work, while human recognition rates remain the same.
No difference found between winter- and non-winter-born schizophrenic cases

Abstract The distinction between winter-born (WBS) and non-winter born (NWBS) schizophrenic cases has been proposed as a strategy to identify distinct etiologic subtypes within schizophrenia, the WBS subgroup being a predominantly environmental subtype. The goal of this paper is to empirically test the validity of this strategy by comparing WBS and NWBS groups on a broad array of clinical and biological variables. DSM-III-R schizophrenic, schizoaffective and schizophreniform subjects were comprehensively assessed using (i) the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History; (ii) a comprehensive neurological exam; (iii) a neuropsychological battery, including IQ and the Continuous Performance Test and (iv) an MRI scanning. The patients were divided into WBS and NWBS, using five alternative sets of definitions of winter birth. These comparisons yielded no differences between the groups on any of the 23 variables. These results suggest that the distinction between winter-born and non-winter-born cases has very limited power to identify distinct schizophrenic subtypes, and that better delineation of the correlates of environmental risk factors in schizophrenia will require a better identification of these factors.
Ab Initio Valence Force Field Calculations for Quartz

We have derived valence force constants for the tetrahedral SiO4 unit and the inter-tetrahedral SiOSi linkage from previous ab initio molecular orbital calculations on H4SiO4 and H6Si2O7 using a split-valence polarized Gaussian basis set (6-31G*), and used these to calculate the infrared and Raman active vibrational modes of α-quartz. The calculation gives frequencies approximately 15% greater than experiment, as expected from harmonic force constants obtained at this level of Hartree-Fock theory, but the calculation gives the correct distribution of modes within each frequency range. Calculated 28–30 Si and 16–18 O isotope shifts and pressure shifts to 6 GPa are also in reasonable agreement with experiment. We have also used our ab initio force field to calculate the vibrational spectrum for β-quartz. The results suggest either that inclusion of a torsional force constant is important for determining the stability of this high temperature polymorph, or that the β-quartz has a disordered structure with lower symmetry (P62) domains, as suggested by earlier diffraction studies.
Impact of density and disease on frequency-dependent selection and genetic polymorphism: experiments with stripe rust and wheat

Frequency-dependent disease impacts may contribute to the maintenance of genetic diversity and sexual reproduction in plant populations. In earlier work with experimental wheat (Triticum aestivum) populations at a single density, we found that stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis) created frequency-dependent selection on its host but competitive interactions between host genotypes reduced the potential for disease to maintain genetic polymorphisms in this highly self-pollinated species; the weaker competitor actually exhibited positive disease-mediated frequency-dependent selection. Based on these results we predicted that at low density, where the overall level of competition is lower, disease would have a stronger impact relative to competition and thus be more likely to maintain genetic polymorphisms; at low densities the greatest effect of disease for negative frequency-dependent selection should be seen in the weak competitor. Here we report on results with wheat stripe rust in which we altered both the frequency and density of host genotypes in factorial combinations of two-way mixtures where each host genotype was attacked by its own specialized race of rust. Within each density disease levels increased with genotype frequencies, creating frequency-dependent disease attack at all densities. Similarly, disease created negative frequency-dependent selection on its host at all densities, as a genotype’s fitness was often greater at low than high frequency when disease was present. Disease levels increased with plant density in 1997 but decreased in 1998. While increasing plant density reduced absolute fitness, presumably as a result of increased competition, a genetic polymorphism was not more likely to be maintained at low than high density as we had predicted. Within each density, the impact of disease was insufficient to reverse the slope of the relationship between absolute fitness and planted frequency from positive to negative for the less competitive host genotype, thus preventing the maintenance of a genetic polymorphism.
Cost effectiveness of vaccination strategies in adults without a history of chickenpox.

Abstract PURPOSE: Some authorities recommend varicella antibody testing or vaccination for adults without a history of chickenpox, but the cost effectiveness of these interventions is uncertain. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Using a Markov decision model, we estimated the cost effectiveness of three strategies for adults with no history of chickenpox: no vaccination, varicella antibody testing followed by vaccination for those without antibody, and vaccinating all. Societal and third-party payer perspectives were taken, with costs and benefits discounted at 3% per year. Assumptions for the baseline analysis were chosen to bias against no vaccination. RESULTS: In the baseline analysis for 20- to 29-year-old patients, testing followed by vaccination compared with no vaccination is cost saving from a societal perspective and costs $6,670 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained from a third-party payer perspective. When less favorable assumptions are used, results are sensitive to the rates of compliance with vaccination follow-up; testing followed by vaccination costs more than $50,000 per QALY if 0.067% (baseline 0.025%), or immunity with no chickenpox history is CONCLUSION: Testing followed by vaccination for varicella in US adults aged 20 to 29 years may be cost effective by conventional criteria but is sensitive to rates of compliance with vaccination protocols. Testing or vaccination of older adults is expensive but may be cost effective in patients with lower probabilities of immunity or in those who have a greater risk of complications from chickenpox.
Multi-level overlay techniques for improving DPL overlay control

Overlay continues to be one of the key challenges for lithography in semiconductor manufacturing, especially in light of the accelerated pace of device node shrinks. This reality will be especially evident at 20nm node where DPL and multi-layer overlay will require 4nm or less in overlay control across many critical layers in order to meet device yield entitlements. The motivation for this paper is based on improving DPL overlay control in face of the high complexity involved with multi-layer overlay requirements. For example, the DPL-2nd-litho layer will need to achieve tight registration with the DPL-1st-litho layer, and at the same time, it will need to achieve tight overlay to the reference-litho layer, which in some cases can also be a DPL layer. Of course, multi-level overlay measurements are not new, but the combination of increased complexity of multi-DPL layers and extremely challenging overlay specifications for 20nm node together will necessitate a better understanding of multi-level overlay control, specifically in terms of root cause analysis of multi-layer related overlay errors and appropriate techniques for improvement In this paper, we start with the identification of specific overlay errors caused by multi-layer DPL processing on full film stack product wafers. After validation of these findings with inter-lot and intra-lot controlled experiments, we investigate different advanced control techniques to determine how to optimize overlay control and minimize both intra-lot and inter-lot sources of error. A new approach to overlay data analysis will also be introduced that combines empirical data with target image quality data to more accurately determine and better explain the root cause error mechanism as well as provide effective strategies for improved overlay control.
A remote sensing technique for measuring forest composition

When it comes to carbon, energy, water, and nutrient cycling, not all trees are the same. Different species, and even the same species at different phases of life, process these resources in diverse ways.
Beam Line Windows at LAMPF

The A-6 main beam-line window at LAMPF separates the vacuum of the main beam line from the isotope production station, proton irradiation ports, and the beam stop, which operate in air. This window must withstand the design beam current of 1 mA at 800 MeV for periods of at least 3000 hours without failure. The window is water cooled and must be strong enough to withstand the 2.1 MPa (300 psig) cooling water pressure, as well as beam-induced thermal stresses. Two designs have been used to meet these goals, a stepped-plate window and a hemispherical window, both made from a precipitation-hardened nickel base alloy, Alloy 718. Calculations of the temperatures and stresses in each of these windows are presented.
USE OF A DIFFERENTIAL STAIN IN THE DIRECT ENUMERATION OF BACTERIA IN PASTEURIZED MILK

THE FIRST to use the microscope for the direct enumeration of body cells and later bacteria in milk were Breed and Brew (1916) of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station. Since the publication of their method, many experimenters have repeated the work and endeavored to reconcile the counts of milk obtained by the direct method with those obtained by the plating method. The fourth edition of the Standard Methods of Milk Analysis of the American Public Health Association describes a method of reconciliation in which the plate count is assumed to indicate onequarter of the number of bacteria present by actual count (except for the poorest grades of milk). The advantages of the direct microscopic method are many:
Inhibition by glucose of the synthesis of proline from glutamic acid.

Abstract While in the absence of glucose, proline is not a required amino acid, in the presence of glucose the growth of Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus in amino acid medium is proportional to the concentration of proline when all other amino acids and growth factors are present in amounts adequate for optimal growth. The data presented here and the ideas prevailing in the literature indicate that glutamic acid is a precursor of proline. Glucose inhibits the conversion of glutamic acid into proline, which in turn causes failure of growth. Thus, 1 μg. and 10 μg. glucose/ ml. cause 50% and 100% inhibition, respectively, of the growth dependent on the synthesis of proline. One μg. proline antagonizes completely the inhibition in the presence of 5,000 μg. glucose/ml. One μg. glycerol, 100 μg. pyruvate, 250 μg. lactate, or 100 μg. α-glycerophosphate/ml., individually, cause from 25 to 50% inhibition of the growth dependent on the synthesis of proline from glutamic acid. Five thousand μg./ml. either of malic, succinic, fumaric, α-keto-glutaric, cis -aconitic acid, or dihydroxyacetone, or 500 μg. citric acid/ml. fails to cause inhibition. Pyrrolidone carboxylic acid was found to substitute for glutamic acid but not for proline in tests with M. pyogenes var. aureus . Also, seven proline-less mutant strains of Escherichia coli were unable to utilize pyrrolidone carboxylic acid in place of proline. No evidence was obtained to indicate that pyrrolidone carboxylic acid could serve as a direct precursor of proline.
Matrix isolation study of the infrared spectrum and structure of the CH3 free radical

Abstract A reproducibly good yield of CH3 has been obtained in matrix isolation studies of the products of the interaction of CH4 with electronically excited argon atoms produced in a microwave discharge. Detailed observations have been conducted in the ν2 vibrational fundamental region of all of the CH3-dn species isolated in an argon matrix at temperatures between 11 and 20 K. The temperature dependence of the CH3-dn band structures is in good agreement with that calculated for the superposition of low-J rotational transitions on the ν2 vibrational absorption of the planar molecule; the rotational energy levels do not undergo major perturbation in the argon matrix environment, and there is no evidence for the occurrence of inversion splitting. Rotational structure has also been observed in the ν4 absorption of CH3. The argon matrix observations have confirmed that the previously reported quartic anharmonicity of CH3 is a molecular property rather than a result of matrix interactions.
The Influence of Accumulated Liquid on Fibrous Filter Performance

Abstract Efficiency can decline as liquid accumulates on a fibrous filter. The amount of liquid retained affects efficiency, and can be influenced by drainage, re-entrainment, and evaporation. In this study, equations were developed to describe non-stationary filtration and drainage for 0.88 cm thick wetted fibrous filters as a function of saturation ratio, a measure of liquid retention. Filtration efficiency can be predicted by modifying existing single-fiber efficiency theory to account for increases in interstitial velocity and removal of some fibers from effective collection due to the presence of liquid. An empirical expression was developed from experimental data to predict drainage rates from saturation ratios. During experiments, no re-entrainment was observed under conditions comparable to those found in industry.
Characteristics of well-determined non-double-couple earthquakes in the Harvard CMT catalog

Abstract This paper evaluates earthquakes in the Harvard centroid moment tensor (CMT) catalog which possess well-determined, deviatoric non-double-couple mechanisms, i.e. mechanisms with significantly large compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components. For a CMT M, we measure the strength of the non-double-couple component with the statistic Γ norm = 2.6det [M] | M | 3 , which is 0.0 for a pure double couple and ±1.0 for a pure CLVD. For each CMT, we measure whether Γnorm is well determined by allowing individual elements of M to vary within their range of uncertainties as reported in the Harvard catalog, then determining the range of variation of |Γnorm| as M varies. The most well-determined 11% of the catalog has a range for |Γnorm| of 0.2 or less; of these earthquakes, about one-quarter have predominantly CLVD mechanisms with |Γnorm| of 0.4 or greater—these 283 mechanisms make up the principal data for this study. These CLVD earthquakes occur commonly in almost all tectonic environments — along mid-ocean ridges and transforms, in shallow subduction zones, within Wadati-Benioff zones, and in the interiors of plates in both oceanic and continental regions. Along ridge-transforms, the majority have horizontal T axes; in shallow subduction zones the majority have horizontal P axes which are approximately perpendicular to the trench. These observations are consistent with a schematic model which explains CLVD mechanisms as the sum of two or more elementary, double-couple subevents with orientation fixed by the type and geometry of the plate boundary. Within ridge-transforms, subduction zones, and Wadati-Benioff zones where the plate motion, lithospheric structure, etc., is sufficiently uniform, about 75% of the CLVD mechanisms conform to this model.
Increased phosphorylation of tropomyosin, troponin I, and myosin light chain-2 after stretch in rabbit ventricular myocardium under physiological conditions

Abstract After a change in muscle length, there is an immediate intrinsic response in the amount of developed force, followed by a slower response. Although it has been well documented that the slow force response is at least in part generated by modification of calcium handling, it is unclear whether regulation at the myofilament level occurs during the slow force response. We set out to investigate myofilament calcium sensitivity and phosphorylation status of myofilament proteins after a step-wise change in cardiac muscle length. Ultra-thin right ventricular intact trabeculae were isolated from New Zealand White rabbit hearts and iontophoretically loaded with the calcium indicator bis-fura-2. Twitch force–calcium relationships and steady-state force–[Ca2+]i relationships were measured at various muscle lengths at 37 °C using potassium induced contractures. The EC50 significantly decreased with increase in muscle length and maximal active force development significantly increased, while no significant change in the myofilament cooperativity coefficient was found. Phosphoprotein analysis Pro-Q diamond staining as well as phosphorylation-specific antibodies revealed increased phosphorylation of tropomyosin, troponin I, and myosin light chain-2 at longer muscle lengths. Specifically, TnI phosphorylation at Ser22/23 was increased. Since the immediate response is seen virtually instantaneously and post-translational modifications are thought not to occur within such a very short timeframe, we hypothesize that these increases in phosphorylation occur during the slow response.
Digital Fluorescence Imaging of Gaseous Flows

The current status of planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging is reviewed, and example imaging results obtained in subsonic and supersonic jet-mixing flows with a new intensified high-resolution CCD-array camera are presented.
Fiber Heat Transfer Element for Modeling the Thermal Response of Structures in Fire

This paper introduces a novel type of heat transfer finite element that can be used to model the three-dimensional thermal response of structural beams and columns subjected to elevated temperatures associated with fire. The element is a three-node heat transfer element that uses a fiber discretization to account for both transverse and longitudinal temperature variations in a structural member. This fiber heat transfer element is purposely formulated to be compatible with any fiber beam-column finite element in a sequentially coupled thermal-mechanical analysis of a structural frame subjected to fire. The element is implemented in ABAQUS using a user-defined element subroutine. To demonstrate the capabilities of the fiber heat transfer element, analyses are performed on members with various types of thermal boundary conditions. Results indicate that the fiber heat transfer element offers excellent accuracy with minimal computational expense, making the fiber heat transfer element a valuable tool for modeling the behavior of frame structures in fire.
Development and Application of an Eight-Step Global Mechanism for CFD and CRN Simulations of Lean-Premixed Combustors

In this paper, the development of an eight-step global chemical kinetic mechanism for methane oxidation with nitric oxide formation in lean-premixed combustion at elevated pressures is described and applied. In particular, the mechanism has been developed for use in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and chemical reactor network (CRN) simulations of combustion in lean-premixed gas turbine engines. Special attention is focused on the ability of the mechanism to predict NOx and CO exhaust emissions. Applications of the eight-step mechanism are reported in the paper, all for high-pressure, lean-premixed, methane-air (or natural gas-air) combustion. The eight steps of the mechanism are as follows: 1. Oxidation of the methane fuel to CO and H2 O. 2. Oxidation of the CO to CO2 . 3. Dissociation of the CO2 to CO. 4. Flame NO formation by the Zeldovich and nitrous oxide mechanisms. 5. Flame NO formation by the prompt and NNH mechanisms. 6. Post-flame NO formation by equilibrium H-atom attack on equilibrium N2 O. 7. Post-flame NO formation by equilibrium O-atom attack on equilibrium N2 O. 8. Post-flame Zeldovich NO formation by equilibrium O-atom attack on N2 .Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Cutaneous Adverse Effects Associated With the Tyrosine-Kinase Inhibitor Cabozantinib

Importance Cabozantinib S-malate is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, c-MET, and RET multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has antiangiogenic and antitumorigenic properties with potential efficacy for the treatment of several cancers. Cutaneous reactions, one of the most frequently observed adverse effects associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, can significantly affect patients’ quality of life and drug adherence and represent a major therapeutic challenge to maximizing the efficacy of targeted cancer therapy. Objective To describe the frequency and spectrum of skin reactions in patients with urothelial carcinoma receiving cabozantinib as monotherapy. Design, Setting, and Participants A single-institution study at the Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health included 41 consecutive adults with metastatic, progressive urothelial carcinoma enrolled in a National Cancer Institute open-label, nonrandomized, phase 2 clinical trial. Patients receiving cabozantinib were evaluated for the development of skin reactions at each treatment visit from October 2012 to June 2014 by the primary oncology team and referred for dermatologic evaluation as appropriate. Main Outcomes and Measures A detailed history, full-body physical examination, and clinical photographs of cutaneous lesions were obtained. Results Of 41 consecutive patients who received cabozantinib, 30 (73%) developed 1 or more cutaneous toxic effects. Adverse events included hand-foot skin reaction (22 [54%]), generalized pigment dilution and/or hair depigmentation (18 [44%]), xerosis (8 [20%]), scrotal erythema/ulceration (6 [15%]), and nail splinter hemorrhages (5 [12%]). Eighteen patients (44%) had 2 or more cutaneous adverse events. Reactions developed in 17 of 30 patients (57%) during the first month of cabozantinib treatment and in 24 of 30 (80%) by the second month. Of patients with skin toxic effects, dose reduction was required for symptom management in 9 of 30 patients (30%), and treatment discontinuation was required in 4 of 30 (13%). Conclusions and Relevance Cabozantinib monotherapy is associated with 1 or more cutaneous adverse events in most patients. Early detection and prompt treatment may increase patients’ adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01688999
OVERWINTER SURVIVAL OF SPEAR-MARKED BLACK MOTH, RHEUMAPTERA HASTATA (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE), PUPAE IN INTERIOR ALASKA

Snow depth is the most important environmental factor in the survival of overwintering Rheumaptera hastata (L.) pupae in interior Alaska. Pupae spend the winter in the leaf litter where litter temperatures are directly related to snow depth at given air temperatures. Winter survival is also dependent on the cessation of pupal development (diapause) and the development of cold-hardiness which is induced by certain physiological processes such as supercooling and changes in glycerol and carbohydrate levels. Glycerol content and supercooling are dependent on changes in carbohydrate levels which in turn are directly related to changes in the rate of pupal development prior to diapause.
Nonlinear analysis for the evolution of vortex sheets

The perturbations in a nearly flat vortex sheet will initially grow due to Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Asymptotic analysis and numerical computations of the subsequent nonlinear evolution show several interesting features. At some finite time the vortex sheet develops a singularity in its shape; i.e. the curvature becomes infinite at a point. This is immediately followed by roll-up of the sheet into an infinite spiral. This paper presents two mathematical results on nonlinear vortex sheet evolution and singularity formation: First, for sufficiently small analytic perturbations of the flat sheet, existence of smooth solutions of the Birkhoff-Rott equation is proved almost up to the expected time of singularity formation. Second, we present a construction of exact solutions that develop singularities (infinite curvature) in finite time starting from analytic initial data. These results are derived within the framework of analytic function theory.
LEASING, BUYING, AND THE COST OF CAPITAL SERVICES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the concept of leasing, buying, and the cost of capital services. The contrast between the economist's and the accountant's approach to the problems of corporate decision making is nowhere better illustrated than in the lease-or-buy decision. A neoclassical economist would take it for granted that the rental terms offered by lessors would reflect the inescapable financial costs of owning durable capital goods—interest and depreciation. The choice between renting and buying for any firm depends on which method of acquiring the services of capital goods had the lower nonfinancial costs in the sense of the costs of acquisition, maintenance, and disposal. There are some reason to believe that the balance of these nonfinancial costs tend to favor leasing by user firms. In the chapter, the discussions are focused on such issues as: (1) the nature of the risks of leasing versus those of ownership, (2) the appropriate risk and tax adjustments to apply to the rates used to discount the various relevant cash flows, and (3) the assumptions about financing that should be made to avoid biasing the decision in one direction or the other.
Sensation Seeking in Psychiatrically Disturbed Youth: Relationship to Biochemical Parameters and Behavior Problems

ABSTRACT Objective Relatively little research has been conducted on the relationship of personality traits or behavioral tendencies with biological parameters in youth. This study was intended to determine whether relationships exist between self-reported sensation-seeking tendencies and biochemical parameters in boys. Method Twenty-five male youth aged 8 to 15 years admitted to a residential diagnostic center because of noncompliant, disruptive, and/or antisocial behavior were studied. Biochemical parameters associated with sensation seeking in adults or antisocial behavior were measured along with diagnoses, behavior ratings, and self-reported sensation seeking. Results High sensation seeking, as assessed on a newly developed sensation-seeking scale for children, was inversely correlated with 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) levels in the older youth (≥ 12.0 years) but not in the younger boys ( Conclusions The findings support hypothesized noradrenergic dysregulation in some sensation-seeking persons (including youth ≥12.0 years) and the relationship between high sensation-seeking tendencies and antisocial or disruptive behavioral disorder.
Data reduction in classification: A simulated annealing based projection method

This paper is concerned with classifying high-dimensional data into one of two categories. In various settings, such as when dealing with fMRI and microarray data, the number of variables is very large, which makes well-known classification techniques impractical. The number of variables might be reduced via principal component analysis or some robust analog, but these methods are usually unsatisfactory for the purpose of classification because they are unsupervised learning methods and not designed to minimize classification errors. In this paper, we propose a classification guided dimensionality reduction approach incorporating a stochastic search algorithm in order to look for a ‘good’ subspace in the context of classification. Two different versions of the simulated annealing algorithm are implemented to produce sparse and dense models, respectively. Using data from both simulation and real-world studies, situations are found where the misclassification rate can be reduced by the proposed approach. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 3: 319-331, 2010
The US–Canada softwood lumber trade dispute: what we know and what we need to know

Abstract The softwood lumber trade dispute between the US and Canada is the largest and longest lasting dispute between the two countries. This paper reviews both this dispute and the published studies that examine its effects. We first summarize the recent history of the dispute and the arguments of different parties to facilitate an understanding of its complicated context. We then review the literature, focusing on empirical assessments of the US trade restriction impacts and pointing out some of the weaknesses in previous studies. We argue that there remains a strong need for improved analysis of the issue, and suggest that it is constructive for future work to use an expanded list of variables, to take not only the structural econometric approach but also the nonstructural time-series one, and to examine short-term and long-term policy alternatives.
SERUM AND MILK ANTIBODY LEVELS TO GIARDIA LAMBLIA

There is little data relating to the prevalence and role of systemic and local antibody to Giardia lamblia (GL) antigens in mothers and children living in different environments. We obtained human milk and serum specimens from mothers and children living in Dacca, Bangladesh, Baltimore (MD) Houston (TX) and Mexico City. We compared the prevalence and levels of milk IgA and serum IgG antibodies to GL in the different populations by means of an ELISA assay utilizing purified antigens from cultured GL organisms. We found that 101/104 (97%) mothers living in Bangladesh, 22/26 (84%) mothers living in Maryland 9/17 (52%) mothers living in Texas and 23/37 (67%) mothers living in Mexico had detectable levels of milk IgA antibody to GL. The levels (geometric mean +/- SD) of antibody in the milk samples from mothers in Bangladesh (11.25 +/- .16μg/ml) and Mexico (17.69 +/- 1.22 μg/ml) were significantly greater than the levels detected in the women living in Maryland (1.78 +/- 1.11μg/ml) or Texas (1.70 +/- .097 μg/ml). In terms of total milk IgA, the IgA directed at GL in Bangladesh (1.54%) and Mexico (3.20%) were significantly greater than the corresponding percentages in Maryland (0.59%) and Texas (0.70%). Analysis of serial specimens obtained from lactating mothers over a period of 2 years revealed that most of the mothers had a constant level of antibody, although occasional increases in milk and serum antibody levels were noted. These studies indicate that serum and milk antibodies to GL are widely prevalent throughout the world but that the levels of milk antibody are significantly higher in areas of high exposure to GL.
Admission angiographic cerebral circulation time may predict subsequent angiographic vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE Angiographic cerebral vasospasm occurs in approximately 70% of patients hospitalized after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and is associated with poor outcome. In this study, we examined whether or not cerebral circulation time (CCT) measured with digital subtraction angiography was associated with angiographic vasospasm. METHODS Patients who underwent cerebral angiography within 24 hours of SAH were analyzed. Contrast dye transit time from the arterial to the venous phase was measured to obtain CCT (supraclinoid internal carotid artery to parietal cortical veins) and microvascular CCT (cortical middle cerebral artery to parietal cortical veins). Patients with ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms and vasospasm on follow-up angiography (Group A) were compared with patients with SAH without vasospasm (Group B) and with normal control subjects (Group C). RESULTS There were 20 patients in Group A (mean age, 51 +/- 13 yr), 17 patients in Group B (56 +/- 12 yr), and 98 patients in Group C (52 +/- 12 yr). CCT in patients in Group A (7.7 +/- 1.9 s) was significantly longer than those in Groups B (6.6 +/- 1.2 s; P = 0.005) and C (5.9 +/- 1 s; P < 0.001). Microvascular CCT in patients in Group A (7.1 +/- 1.8 s) was significantly longer than those in Groups B (6.1 +/- 1.2 s; P = 0.003) and C (5.4 +/- 0.9 s; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Prolonged CCT, a measurement of increased small vessel resistance, can be identified within 24 hours after SAH and is associated with subsequent angiographic vasospasm. These results suggest that microcirculation changes may be involved in vasospasm.
Severe neonatal anemia from fetomaternal hemorrhage: report from a multihospital health-care system

The incidence of fetomaternal hemorrhage that is severe enough to cause neonatal anemia is not known. Owing to its relative rarity, much of the literature describing this condition is in the form of case reports and small case series. We performed a large, muiticentered, sequential, case series to determine the incidence, antecedents and outcomes. From the multicentered databases of Intermountain Healthcare, we obtained records of all neonates with hematocrit (Hct) <30% or hemoglobin (Hgb) <10 g dl−1 on the day of birth, who had Kleihauer–Betke staining or flow cytometric evidence of fetomaternal hemorrhage. Among 219 853 live births, 24 had anemia with evidence of fetomaternal hemorrhage (incidence estimate, 1 per 9160 live births). The initial Hgb ranged from 1.4 to 10.2 g dl−1 (Hct 29.8%). The initial Hgb was <7 g dl−1 in 18 (67%), <5 g dl−1 in 12 (50%) and was <3 g dl−1 in 7 (29%). All 7 mothers in whom neonatal Hgb was <3 g dl−1 had reported absent fetal movement, as did 13 of 18 mothers when the initial Hgb was <7 g dl−1. Outcomes were poorer in those with the lowest initial Hgb; in the two lowest, one died on day 1, and the other developed a grade 4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The adverse outcomes of death, IVH, periventricular leukomalacia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy were common; occurring in 71% (17 of the 24), including all with an initial Hgb <5 g dl−1 and all born at ⩽35 weeks of gestation. Fetomaternal hemorrhage is a rare but sometimes devastating condition. Those with fetomaternal hemorrhage and an initial Hgb of <5 g dl−1 are expected to need resuscitation at birth, to receive emergent transfusion support and to be at risk for death and major morbidities. Antenatal suspicion of this diagnosis should occur when absent fetal movement is reported. Improvements in rapid diagnosis are needed to prepare first responders and transfusion services.
Reconstruction of the mandible

Segmental mandibulectomy leads to a great deficit in the form and function of the patient. Vascularised bone flaps have become the choice of the method of reconstruction of the mandible in an oncologic setting. Fibula osseous or oseteocutaneous flaps have become the favored method in centers across the world. This article reviews certain pertinent and practical points with regards to fibula flap reconstruction of the mandible. Methods of osteosynthesis, merits of inclusion of the FHL muscle in the flap and use of osteointegrated implants are discussed in detail. The reader will also be able at the end to understand the role of pre operative vascular imaging, steps taken when there is an irreversible flap failure and steps to maintain and rehabilitate occlusion as practiced in the author's service.
Subunit structure of human glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and its genetic implication.

Electrophoretic patterns of the subunits from the normal (B) and from the common A type variant of human glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, following dissociation in the presence of 8m urea, were examined. A single protein band was found in both enzymes, indicating that the B and the A enzyme each consists of different subunits and do not have common subunits in their molecules. Since the A enzyme is a structural variant resulting from a single amino acid substitution, it can be concluded that the human G6PD consists of several identical subunits and that only one structural gene is involved in producing the enzyme. The findings of only a tyrosine residue as amino-terminal as well as a glycine residue as carboxy-terminal are in agreement with this conclusion.
I Walk the Other Line: Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Overlap Syndromes

Patients with the myelodysplastic syndromes/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) overlap, including chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML), MDS/MPN-unclassifiable (MDS/MPN-U), and refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts associated with marked thrombocytosis (RARS-T), often present with findings of both dysplasia and marrow proliferation, occupying the border region of two seemingly divergent camps. Historically, these disorders which have been lumped with either MDS or MPN have represented a minority, or been excluded all together, from the development of prognostic models and clinical trials. Therefore, Food and Drug Administration approved therapies specifically for overlap subtypes are lacking. More recently, the revolution in molecular genetics has led to discovery of mutations enacting pathways that result in the distinct biology and presentation of the overlap syndromes. Additionally, these recurrent genetic lesions have a prognostic value and are potential therapeutic targets, which might ultimately improve patient outcomes by reducing disease-related symptoms and complications and by prolonging survival.
Semi-Analytic Reconstruction of Flux in Finite Volume Formulations

Semi-analytic reconstruction uses the analytic solution to a second-order, steady, ordinary differential equation (ODE) to simultaneously evaluate the convective and diffusive flux at all interfaces of a finite volume formulation. The second-order ODE is itself a linearized approximation to the governing first- and second- order partial differential equation conservation laws. Thus, semi-analytic reconstruction defines a family of formulations for finite volume interface fluxes using analytic solutions to approximating equations. Limiters are not applied in a conventional sense; rather, diffusivity is adjusted in the vicinity of changes in sign of eigenvalues in order to achieve a sufficiently small cell Reynolds number in the analytic formulation across critical points. Several approaches for application of semi-analytic reconstruction for the solution of one-dimensional scalar equations are introduced. Results are compared with exact analytic solutions to Burger s Equation as well as a conventional, upwind discretization using Roe s method. One approach, the end-point wave speed (EPWS) approximation, is further developed for more complex applications. One-dimensional vector equations are tested on a quasi one-dimensional nozzle application. The EPWS algorithm has a more compact difference stencil than Roe s algorithm but reconstruction time is approximately a factor of four larger than for Roe. Though both are second-order accurate schemes, Roe s method approaches a grid converged solution with fewer grid points. Reconstruction of flux in the context of multi-dimensional, vector conservation laws including effects of thermochemical nonequilibrium in the Navier-Stokes equations is developed.
DELAYED ASSESSMENT OF IMMUNOLOGICAL FUNCTION ALLOWING FOR TRANSPORTATION OF LYMPHOID TISSUES TO DISTANT LABORATORY SITES

The immune system is a frequent target for chemical toxicity. Accordingly, a number of immunotoxicological assays are performed during the research and development of new chemical products. One of the most sensitive and commonly used immunoassays is the Hemolytic Antibody-Forming Cell assay (AFC). Although the exposure of laboratory animals tochemicals and the subsequent immunotoxicological evaluation of lymphoid organs are typically conducted at the same research facility, there are instances in which laboratories have either limited assay expertise or limited exposure capabilities. Studies were conducted to ascertain the feasibility of performing the AFC assay up to 24 h following spleen removal, thereby allowing tissue transportation to a distant laboratory for evaluation. Female B6C3F1 mice and Fischer 344 rats were sensitized intravenously with sheep red blood cells. Four days later spleens were aseptically removed and stored at 4 C for up to 24 h until assessed in the AFC assay. Splenocyte viability...
Learning Painting Styles: Spacing is Advantageous when it Promotes Discriminative Contrast

Summary: Repetitions that are distributed over time benefit long‐term retention more than when massed. Recent research has suggested that the advantage of spacing may extend to induction learning–learners were better able to identify the artists of previously unseen paintings when, during training, artists’ paintings were spaced (paintings by different artists were interleaved) rather than massed (a given artist’s paintings were blocked and presented consecutively). Increasing temporal spacing between paintings while maintaining a presentation sequence that was blocked by artist produced test performance no better than massed presentation (both worse than interleaved presentation) (Experiment 1). Displaying paintings by different artists simultaneously produced test performance as good as interleaved presentation and better than massed presentation (Experiment 2). Our findings argue that spacing benefits perceptual induction learning not because of increased temporal spacing per se but rather because interleaving paintings by different artists enhances discriminative contrast between the artists’ styles. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brief paper: Krylov projection framework for Fourier model reduction

This paper analyzes the Fourier model reduction (FMR) method from a rational Krylov projection framework and shows how the FMR reduced model, which has guaranteed stability and a global error bound, can be computed in a numerically efficient and robust manner. By monitoring the rank of the Krylov subspace that underlies the FMR model, the projection framework also provides an improved criterion for determining the number of Fourier coefficients that are needed, and hence the size of the resulting reduced-order model. The advantages of applying FMR in the rational Krylov projection framework are demonstrated on a simple example.
Protein factor(s) binding independently to two different regions of the adenovirus 2 major late promoter

The protein factor(s) in a fraction from the HeLa cell nuclear extract required for specific in vitro transcription can specifically bind to adenovirus 2 major late promoter (Ad 2 MLP) DNA. We demonstrate by in vitro footprinting assay that there are two asymmetric protected regions covering the TATA box and the nucleotides upstream from the TATA box. In the coding strand, the DNAse I protected regions span from nucleotides -10 to -50 and from -52 to -68. In the noncoding strand, the protected regions span from nucleotides -10 to -32 and from -45 to -65. Using different Ad 2 MLP point mutants in this assay, we show that the transcriptional down mutants of the TATA box (AC-30 and AC-28) abolish the binding of protein factor(s) to the TATA box but do not affect binding in the upstream region. The new upstream transcriptional down mutant (TA-56) abolishes the binding of protein factor(s) in the upstream region but does not affect binding to the TATA box. The mutants which do not affect transcription efficiency (GA-51 and CG-61) do not modify the binding to either the TATA box or the upstream region. Methylation protection experiments show that the guanosines at -58 and -60 in the coding strand and at -57 (probably also -55) in the noncoding strand are in close contact with protein factor(s). The results indicate that the TATA box and its upstream region of Ad 2 MLP are independently bound by at least two different factors in vitro.
Reinterpreting Modern Culture: An Introduction to Friedrich Nietzsche's Philosophy

An introduction to Friedrich Nietzsche's (1844-1900) thinking. The text presents his thoughts on knowledge and reality, on morality and politics, and on religion. Preceding the main dialogues is a discussion of the art of reading Nietzsche's texts and his art of writing.