cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytoreductive surgery for patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Abstract Objective. This study aims to identify favorable preoperative characteristics and examine the impact of secondary cytoreductive surgery on survival for patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Methods. Patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer were identified in our surgical database for the period 1988–2004. Patient charts were reviewed and data collected regarding patient demographics, surgical management, preoperative evaluation, perioperative complications, and oncologic outcome. Results. Eighty-five patients met eligibility criteria. Preoperative factors that correlated with improved survival were disease-free interval of greater than 12 months ( p p p Conclusion. When selecting patients for secondary cytoreduction, the most significant preoperative factors are disease-free interval and success of a prior cytoreductive effort. Once secondary cytoreductive surgery is attempted, the most important factor for improved survival is optimal cytoreduction. Of equal importance is counseling regarding the significant risk for bowel surgery, colostomy, and complications.
hSulf1 Sulfatase promotes apoptosis of hepatocellular cancer cells by decreasing heparin-binding growth factor signaling.

Abstract Background & aims: The heparin-binding growth factors fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) are potent mitogens for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Heparin-binding growth factor signaling is regulated by sulfation of cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). We hypothesized that hSulf1, a recently described sulfatase, regulates growth signaling in HCCs. Methods: Expression of hSulf1 in human HCC tumors was determined by real-time PCR. Down-regulation of hSulf1 expression was investigated by analyzing loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the hSulf1 locus and the effect of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-deoxycytidine on hSulf1 expression. The subcellular location of hSulf1 and sulfation state of cell-surface HSPGs were assessed by immunocytochemistry. FGF and HGF signaling was examined by phospho-specific immunoblot analysis. Cell growth was measured by trypan blue exclusion, and the MTT assay and apoptosis were quantitated by fluorescence microscopy. Results: hSulf1 expression was decreased in 29% of HCCs and 82% of HCC cell lines. There was LOH at the hSulf1 locus in 42% of HCCs. Treatment with 5-aza-deoxycytidine reactivated hSulf1 expression in hSulf1-negative cell lines. Low hSulf1-expressing cells showed increased sulfation of cell-surface HSPGs, enhanced FGF and HGF-mediated signaling, and increased HCC cell growth. Conversely, forced expression of hSulf1 decreased sulfation of cell-surface HSPGs and abrogated growth signaling. HCC cells with high-level hSulf1 expression were sensitive to staurosporine- or cisplatin-induced apoptosis, whereas low expressing cells were resistant. Transfection of hSulf1 into hSulf1-negative cells restored staurosporine and cisplatin sensitivity. Conclusions: Down-regulation of hSulf1 contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis by enhancing heparin-binding growth factor signaling and resistance to apoptosis.
Prior chemoradiotherapy adversely impacts outcomes of recurrent and second primary head and neck cancer treated with concurrent chemotherapy and reirradiation

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that concomitant chemotherapy (C) with reirradiation (ReRT) is feasible and effective for select patients with recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer (HNC). To examine potential prognostic factors associated with survival, the authors of this report retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of patients who received CReRT. METHODS: The study cohort comprised previously irradiated patients with nonmetastatic disease from 9 consecutive phase 1 and 2 protocols for poor-prognosis HNC. For all patients, reirradiation (ReRT) was delivered with concurrent chemotherapy. Chemotherapy generally was 5-fluorouracil, hydroxyurea, and a third agent. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-six patients were identified, including 81 patients who underwent surgical resection or debulking before enrollment. The median ReRT dose was 66 gray. After a median follow-up of 53 months among surviving patients, the median overall survival (OS) was 10.3 months. The 2-year rates for OS, disease-free survival, locoregional control, and freedom from distant metastasis were 24.8%, 19.9%, 50.7%, and 61.4%, respectively. Thirty-three patients (19.9%) died of treatment-related toxicity. In subgroup analysis, survival was significantly reduced in patients who received previous concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) compared with patients who were naive to CRT (2-year OS rate, 10.8% vs 28.4%; P = .0043). In multivariable analysis, prior CRT was associated independently with OS along with surgery before protocol treatment, full-dose ReRT, and radiotherapy interval. CONCLUSIONS: CReRT achieved a long-term cure for a small group of patients with recurrent or second primary HNC. Previous treatment with CRT was among the important prognostic factors for survival. Because of the associated risk of severe toxicity, CReRT should be limited only to carefully selected patients. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Water sorption in silicone foam containing diatomaceous earth

Abstract Room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone foams are commonly used for compression sealing, structural support, packaging, and damping applications. The presence of sorbed water in foams can affect the mechanical and chemical properties of these materials. In order to investigate water sorption behavior, a silicone foam containing diatomaceous earth filler was synthesized and studied for water uptake characteristics at 20, 50, and 80 °C. Type II equilibrium and bimodal kinetic behavior that was governed by a rapid initial uptake followed by a prolonged sorption over a larger time scale was observed. In order to explain this bimodal behavior, the major components of this foam—the silicone polymer and the diatomaceous earth—were independently studied for their water equilibrium behavior and uptake kinetic characteristics. Type II equilibrium was observed for both components. The kinetic behavior of the silicone polymer was governed by a very rapid uptake of water. The kinetic behavior of the diatomaceous earth was governed by a rapid initial uptake followed by a prolonged sorption over a larger time scale. A physically based and thermodynamically consistent mathematical model describing the water equilibrium and kinetics in diatomaceous earth and silicone polymer components, was employed to characterize the data. This model formed the basis of a predictive model for estimation of water sorption in filled silicone foam. The predictive model was tested against sorption and desorption data yielding favorable results for a range of temperatures.
Relapse after complete response to anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.

In this study we examined the clinical characteristics of relapse before and after complete clinical response (CR) to anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Our goal was to determine whether similar clinical trends could be observed during first relapse and relapse after CR. Two hundred and sixty-three patients with MBC were identified who had achieved CR after anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy for first recurrence. From this group, 226 patients had relapse after CR after a minimum follow-up of 13 years. Clinical features of their disease at first relapse and after progression from CR (second relapse) were examined, including disease-free interval (DFI) from diagnosis until first relapse, sites of recurrence, response to subsequent therapy, and survival after progression from CR. There was a significant correlation between duration of CR and survival after progression from CR. Patients who relapsed 36 months) (27% and 45%, respectively, p < 0.001). The anatomic location of metastatic disease at the time of first and second relapses was similar within a CR duration group but different among the groups. Short CR duration was associated with more frequent recurrence at visceral sites and also with chemotherapy-resistant second relapse. In conclusion, prolonged CR is associated with long survival after second relapse; however, neither CR duration nor survival after second relapse is related to the length of initial DFI. This suggests that chemotherapy, when it induces CR, may change the pace of disease progression. The tissue pattern of recurrence appears to be similar between first and second relapse, suggesting that the cellular predilection for metastatic sites has been preserved.
Shipping, Trade and Crusade in the Medieval Mediterranean: Studies in honour of John Pryor

Shipping, Trade and Crusade in the Medieval Mediterranean: Studies in honour of John Pryor by Ruthy Gertwagen and Elizabeth Jeffreys (eds) Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, 2012, £75 (hb) 417 pages ISBN...
Models for high-intensity turbulent combustion

Abstract Since direct numerical simulation of the Navier-Stokes plus combustion chemistry equations will not be practical in the foreseeable future, models are required for the parameter range of practical interest, i.e. high Reynolds Numbers and a wide range of Damkohler Numbers. Models based on the notion of a flamelet are not appropriate when the turbulence intensity is much greater than the laminar flame speed, but a stochastic model based on the joint PDF of velocity and composition is promising. If the velocity field and inhomogeneities in physical space are ignored in the joint PDF equation, the “Partially Stirred Reactor” or PaSR model is obtained. The PaSR model has recently been studied in detail. Full chemical schemes are computationally tractable. Because the composition PDF has a large number of dimensions (e.g. N s > 20 for methane), finite-element/volume techniques are not viable, but particle-tracking Monte-Carlo algorithms work well. An enabling feature of the PaSR is that, with the IEM scalar mixing sub-model, it is well suited to parallel computers. The PaSR can describe the effect of turbulence (coupled to a full kinetic scheme) on combustion, including the behavior of emissions such as NO x and CO, of minor species such as free radicals, and the ignition-extinction bifurcation.
Coordination Environment of a Site-Bound Metal Ion in the Hammerhead Ribozyme Determined by 15N and 2H ESEEM Spectroscopy

Although site-bound Mg2+ ions have been proposed to influence RNA structure and function, establishing the molecular properties of such sites has been challenging due largely to the unique electrostatic properties of the RNA biopolymer. We have previously determined that, in solution, the hammerhead ribozyme (a self-cleaving RNA) has a high-affinity metal ion binding site characterized by a Kd,app < 10 μM for Mn2+ in 1 M NaCl and speculated that this site has functional importance in the ribozyme cleavage reaction. Here we determine both the precise location and the hydration level of Mn2+ in this site using ESEEM (electron spin−echo envelope modulation) spectroscopy. Definitive assignment of the high-affinity site to the activity-sensitive A9/G10.1 region is achieved by site-specific labeling of G10.1 with 15N guanine. The coordinated metal ion retains four water ligands as measured by 2H ESEEM spectroscopy. The results presented here show that a functionally important, specific metal binding site is uni...
Agricultural Economics and Limited Resource Farmers' Production Decisions: Discussion

Over the past quarter century, there has been a sustained increase in interest in limited resource, or small farmers. This increased interest has been accompanied by an increase in effort to identify and find solutions to the problems faced by this group of farmers. Nelson, Brown, and Toomer have attempted to shed additional light on whether limited resource farmers are as efficient in the use of their resources as commercial farmers. To test this hypothesis, the authors used a sample of 116 farmers, comprised of 71% limited resource farmers and 29% commercial farmers, drawn from two contiguous south Georgia counties. A log-linear Cobb-Douglas production using generalized least squares regression analysis was then used to examine the physical economics of size (technical) and allocative efficiency in the use of resources between the two classes of farmers. They found that the elasticity of production for two of the resources included in the model (land and machinery) differed significantly, but no significant difference existed between the two classes of farmers for the other resources. They concluded that these differences suggest that limited resource farmers are represented by different production functions. However, they go on to state that no significant difference was found to exist in the cumulative elasticity of production between the two classes of farmers. The authors conclude that "the most recent work seems
High Stroke and High Deflection Bulk-PZT Diaphragm and Cantilever Micro Actuators and Effect of Pre-Stress on Device Performance

This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication, and experimental characterization of high-performance piezoelectric diaphragm and cantilever beam out-of-plane micro actuators that are fabricated from bulk lead zirconium titanate (PZT) films integrated on silicon. The utilized fabrication technology involves low-temperature diffusion solder bonding of a bulk piezoelectric ceramic on silicon, and subsequent lapping to achieve a desired PZT thickness. Different piezoelectric actuation modes (conventional longitudinal and transverse modes, and a novel shear mode) are explored and compared in terms of displacement range, and the diaphragm structures and electrodes are optimized via finite-element analysis (FEA). The effect of bonding prestress on the device performance is analytically characterized and verified through measurements. The close match between test data and simulation results suggests that the piezoelectric properties of integrated bulk-PZT5A films are mostly preserved without any necessity of re-polarization. Fabricated devices are tested for dynamic displacement range, power consumption, and temperature response, and FEA is used to evaluate the actuation forces. A 25- μm thick 1- mm2 sized diaphragm can provide 12 μmPP displacement at 111 kHz with power consumption, while 1-3.5 mm long cantilever beams of similar thickness provide 0.1-1 mmPP displacement at resonance frequencies of 0.7-7.4 kHz. The introduced devices can be leveraged in various ultrasonic and acoustic applications.
Diel and seasonal patterns in water quality continuously monitored at a fixed site on the tidal freshwater Potomac River

Recent advances in water quality monitoring have facilitated the acquisition of temporally rich datasets that allow comprehensive analysis of patterns and underlying processes and drivers at multiple scales. We analyzed data from a continuous water quality monitor on the tidal Occoquan River, a tributary of the tidal Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH were collected at 15 minute intervals from April through early November of 2010. Results of time series analysis indicate that, on a short-term basis, conductivity manifested an underlying semidiel pattern, presumably driven by tidal excursion. In comparison, DO, pH, and temperature exhibited a diel pattern correlated with the daily light and temperature cycle. Longer-term patterns were related to longer-term climatic factors such as a dry summer with low freshwater inputs, seasonal progressions of light and temperature, and a river discharge spike in early October. Examination of multiday patterns in DO and pH using 15 minute data during a climatically stable period illustrated both diel and semidiel patterns. Patterns in a period of strong hydrological forcing revealed a disruption of diel and semidiel patterns for several days with a general restoration of patterns thereafter. Both diel and seasonal data suggest that abundant submerged aquatic vegetation in the study area was the main primary producer component driving diel and seasonal DO and pH patterns.
Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in young children: test parameters and normative data.

Objective: The vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) is a test of the vestibulocollic reflex that has been extensively studied in adults. Much is known about the normal values in adults as well as their changes with age. In children, the expected test values and their possible changes in development have not yet been described nor has the feasibility of reliable testing in this group. The aim of this prospective study is to accumulate normative data and to verify the viability of testing in young children. The study focused on optimal test parameters, reproducibility, and subject compliance in a pediatric population. Methods: Thirty normal-hearing children (60 ears) ages 3 to 11 completed VEMP testing and audiograms for analysis. VEMP testing was performed with alternating clicks at three intensities (80-, 85-, and 90-dB normalized hearing level) using averaged, unrectified electromyograms recorded by surface electrode on the sternocleidomastoid muscle ipsilateral to the stimulus. VEMP latencies, amplitude, compliance, and length of testing were recorded for each patient, as well as their feedback on the testing session. The subjects were divided into four age groups for analysis. Results: All but one of the subjects attempting VEMP testing was able to finish. Of 30 children completing VEMP tests, bilateral reflexes were recorded for all subjects with symmetric responses in 28 of 30 subjects (93%). The mean peak latencies (± standard deviation [SD]) of pI and nII were 11.3 msec (1.3 ms) and 17.6 msec (1.4 ms), respectively. The mean pI-nII amplitude (± SD) was 122 μV (68 μV). There was a significantly shorter nII mean peak latency of group I (ages 3–5) left ear in comparison to other groups, with an absolute shorter mean latency nII in the right ear of group I (not significant). Average test time was 15 minutes with two researchers testing, and subjects were highly compliant. Conclusions: VEMP is a well-tolerated test for screening vestibular function in young children, performed with minimal test time and reproducible results. Mean latencies in this study suggested a shorter initial negative peak (nII) than in adult studies, consistent with prolongation seen in previous research on the effects of age. Ninety-decibel normalized hearing level clicks were adequate for uniform response rates. Expected latency and amplitude values in single-channel VEMP-unrectified electromyograms were established. This is the first study describing expected latencies and optimal testing parameters in children.
Effects of ferrous chloride and iron dextran on lipid peroxidation in vivo in vitamin E and selenium adequate and deficient rats.

The effects of intraperitoneally injected ferrous chloride and iron-dextran on lipid peroxidation in vivo were assessed. Peroxidation was esti mated by measuring ethane, a volatile autoxidation product of omega-3-un- saturated fatty acids. Rats supplemented with 0.1 ppm dietary selenium and rats supplemented with 0.1 ppm selenium and 200 IU vitamin E/kg diet were injected with ferrous chloride at 30 mg iron/kg, or with sodium chloride, or left uninjected. In both dietary groups ferrous chloride increased ethane production while sodium chloride did not, but the iron-caused ethane increase was 8 times greater in the low E group. Iron-dextran injected at 500 mg iron/kg was fatal to rats fed a basal diet deficient in selenium and vitamin E or a diet supplemented with 0.5 ppm selenium; supplemental vitamin E at 200 lu/kg diet prevented this mortality. Iron-dextran quadrupled ethane production in rats fed the basal diet and tripled ethane production in rats fed the selenium-supplemented diet. Vita min E supplementation prevented the iron-dextran-caused rise in ethane produc tion. A histological examination of rats killed by iron-dextran showed severe generalized necrosis of the diaphragm and severe focal necrosis of thigh muscle. Vitamin E protected more effectively than selenium against iron-dextran-caused peroxidation as well as against acute iron-dextran-caused mortality. J. Nutr. Ill: 1784-1796, 1981.
Natural convection in a horizontal porous annulus with a step distribution in permeability

A numerical and experimental study of free convective flow and heat transfer in a horizontal annulus containing saturated porous material is reported in the present study. The special case of a step distribution in permeability, resulting in a two-layer system, has been considered. Both isothermal and constant heat flux boundary conditions have been imposed on the inner wall, while the outer wall is kept at a constant temperature. For the case of isothermal boundaries, a simple resistance law gives rise to a model of permeability which collapses the average Nusselt numbers of the variable permeability problem to that of the uniform case. Generally, agreement between experiments and calculation is satisfactory, although under certain circumstances, a systematic divergence of the data is observed. It is deduced in the present work that this is strictly related to non-Darcy effects.
Skewed Bidding in Pay-per-Action Auctions for Online Advertising

Online search as well as keyword-based contextual advertising on third-party publishers is primarily priced using pay-per-click (PPC): advertisers pay only when a consumer clicks on the advertisement. Slots for advertisements are auctioned, and per-click bids are weighted by the probability of a click given that the advertisement is displayed (the click-through rate) in addition to other factors. The PPC method allows the advertising platform (e.g. Google) to bundle together otherwise heterogeneous items (impressions on different positions on a search page, on different search phrases sharing common keywords, and on different publishers) into more homogeneous units, simplifying the advertiser's bidding problem. However, PPC pricing has some drawbacks. First, all clicks are not created equal: clicks on a Paris, France hotel website that is displayed on a search for Paris Hilton may result in lower pro t conditional on the click. Second, for infrequently searched phrases on search engines or small content providers, it is difcult for the advertiser to accurately estimate conversion rates, increasing the risk and monitoring costs for the advertiser and diminishing their incentives to advertise broadly (indeed, on contextual networks, the advertising platform may not even provide the advertiser with suf cient accounting data about where the advertisements were displayed to allow the advertiser to distinguish sources of clicks, and the publisher mix may change on an ongoing basis.) Third, the problem of click fraud is fairly pervasive: when publishers receive a share of advertising revenue, advertisers place a single bid applying to many publishers, and revenue
Effect of 2,4-D on Cell Wall Metabolism of Peroxyacetyl Nitrate Pretreated Avena Coleoptile Sections

Avena coleoptile sections were exposed to nonlethal concentrations of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN). The sections were then incubated in solutions of 50 mM glucose plus 2.5 mM poassium phosphate with various concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxycetic acid (2,4-D). Growth after 4 hours was measured. A corresponding series of experiments was carried out with glucose-14C (U) in the subsequent incubation medium and the effect of the 2,4-D treatments on 14C incorporation into various cell wall components was determined. Growth in the PAN-treated sections, although still partially inhibited, was greater at auxin levels normally superoptimal for growth than at the former optimum. Incorporation into all cell wall fractions was similar to growth in the case of control treated tissue. Most of the cell wall constituents, but particularly cellulose and less soluble noncellulosic polysaccharides, tended to show higher incorporation at the levels where PAN-treated growth was also higher. It was concluded that effects by PAN on cell wall metabolism in growing tissue are similar to the effects on growth and that the mechanism of alleviation of growth inhibition is probably through decreased inhibition of wall metabolism.
Computing with Arrays of Bell-Shaped and Sigmoid Functions

We consider feed-forward neural networks with one non-linear hidden layer and linear output units. The transfer function in the hidden layer are either bell-shaped or sigmoid. In the bell-shaped case, we show how Bernstein polynomials on one hand and the theory of the heat equation on the other are relevant for understanding the properties of the corresponding networks. In particular, these techniques yield simple proofs of universal approximation properties, i.e. of the fact that any reasonable function can be approximated to any degree of precision by a linear combination of bell-shaped functions. In addition, in this framework the problem of learning is equivalent to the problem of reversing the time course of a diffusion process. The results obtained in the bell-shaped case can then be applied to the case of sigmoid transfer functions in the hidden layer, yielding similar universality results. A conjecture related to the problem of generalization is briefly examined.
Structural characteristics, rheological properties, extrusion, and melt spinning of 60/40 poly(hydroxybenzoic acid-coethylene terephthalate) (PHB/PET)

The rheological properties, extrusion, and melt spinning characteristics, and concomitant morphological features of 60/40 PHB/PET aromatic copolyester have been investigated. The material flows at temperatures above 190°C, but all crystallites may not melt completely until about 250°C. The material exhibits a yield stress value in shear flow. In fact, yield stress values were measured over a range of temperature from 190 to 260°C and estimated at higher temperatures. Extrudate swell measurements were also made in the same range. Significant extrudate swell does not occur until the fluid is at a temperature where the yield stress is approximately 1/50th of its maximum value. Extrudates are fibrillar in character and exhibit significant levels of crystalline orientation. The level of crystalline orientation in melt spun fibers does not vary significantly with drawdown ratio, since it is apparently developed to near its limiting extent during its flow through the die. All of these responses are similar to those observed in melt flow/processing studies of thermotropic liquid crystalline hydroxypropylcellulose.
A randomized trial of emotion-focused therapy for couples in a training clinic.

Forty married couples participated in a randomized trial comparing 8 weekly sessions of emotionfocused therapy (EFT) for couples to a group of couples who were placed on an 8-week waiting list. A composite marital satisfaction score was created from scores on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Positive Feelings Questionnaire, and Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships scale. Controlling for pretest scores, participants in the treatment group had significantly higher levels of marital satisfaction after 8 weeks than wait-list participants. Supplementary analyses identified variables associated with gains in therapy and with dropping out of the study.
Robustness analysis on constrained model predictive control for nonholonomic vehicle regulation

A primary concern for nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) strategies is the evaluation of their control performance, especially robustness. Many researchers show the existence of robustness as a byproduct of stability which is achieved by monotonicity of the cost function. However the design of a control architecture within the MPC frame and the analysis of its robustness to additive uncertainties are far from well solved together as a complete topic. The robust analysis is even more difficult when more than one control values from the optimal control sequence are applied to real systems. In this paper, a general stability condition is proposed to design a NMPC control strategy for a constrained discrete time system. Furthermore, a robustness analysis is also provided for the designed MPC control architecture. Under the proposed stability condition, an admissible invariant set for the nominal system and a terminal constraint set are defined for the MPC regulator. These compact sets make it possible to analyze the bound for additive uncertainties so that the closed-loop system is input-to-state stable with relation to additive uncertainties under this given bound.
Statistical Test Compaction Using Binary Decision Trees

In this work, we use binary decision trees (BDTs) for statistical test compaction, because they have the following properties. First, decision trees require no assumption on the type of correlation (if any) that exists between Tred and Tkept. This makes it possible to derive a more accurate representation of Fi(Tkept) from the collected test data. Also, deriving a decision tree model for Fi(Tkept) simply involves partitioning the Tkept hyperspace into hypercubes, which is a polynomial time process of complexity O(n2 timesk3), where n is the number of tests in Tkept, and k is the number of parts in the collected data. Therefore, the computation time required for creating a decision tree can be considerably less than the time required for training a neural network. Our Proposed methodology can eliminate an expensive mechanical test for a commercially available accelerometer with little error. Moreover, it's possible to completely eliminate the error (for failing parts) using specification guard banding. But the same result could not be achieved for the equivalent mechanical test executed at an elevated temperature. Techniques such as specification guard banding and drift removal can reduce error, but more research is needed. More importantly, techniques are needed for incorporating this and similar methodologies into a production test flow
Chemistry of hematoporphyrin-derived photosensitizers.

The hematoporphyrin-derived tumor-localizing preparation HPD consists of porphyrin monomers, which are‘inactive’(not tumor-localizing), and a dimer/oligomer fraction which is responsible for the localizing phenomenon. In an organic solvent system, gel-exclusion chromatography can separate HPD into fractions containing porphyrin monomers, dimers or oligomers. The relative amount of the dimer/oligomer fraction of HPD was a function of the pH of the mixture used to transform HP mono/di acetate to HPD. HPD prepared by the‘Upson’procedure contained dimer/oligomer linkages which are labile to 1 M NaOH (in 50% tetrahydrofuran), and are reduced by LiAlH4 to alcohols. These properties are characteristic of esters. But a commercial product, Photofrin II, contained approx. 50% of material refractory to both reagents described above. This behavior is characteristic of an ether linkage. These observations show that the nature of the linkage joining the porphyrin units is sensitive to conditions employed in HPD preparation. Tumor localization derives, in part, from affinity of these oligomers for plasma lipoprotein, and is associated with conformational alterations characteristic of these porphyrin-porphyrin linkages.
Decreased calcification in the Southern Ocean over the satellite record

Widespread ocean acidification is occurring as the ocean absorbs anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, threatening marine ecosystems, particularly the calcifying plankton that provide the base of the marine food chain and play a key role within the global carbon cycle. We use satellite estimates of particulate inorganic carbon (PIC), surface chlorophyll, and sea surface temperature to provide a first estimate of changing calcification rates throughout the Southern Ocean. From 1998 to 2014 we observe a 4% basin-wide reduction in summer calcification, with ∼9% reductions in large regions (∼1 × 106 km2) of the Pacific and Indian sectors. Southern Ocean trends are spatially heterogeneous and primarily driven by changes in PIC concentration (suspended calcite), which has declined by ∼24% in these regions. The observed decline in Southern Ocean calcification and PIC is suggestive of large-scale changes in the carbon cycle and provides insight into organism vulnerability in a changing environment.
Management of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: an evidence-based approach.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a debilitating condition diagnosed in the presence of chronic pelvic pain and lower urinary tract symptoms.1 As prevalent as multiple sclerosis, CP/CPPS is the most common,2 yet most poorly understood “prostatitis syndrome”. With a quality of life similar to that following a myocardial infarction, angina, or Crohn’s disease,3 CP/CPPS is truly a devastating disease. The diagnosis and treatment of CP/CPPS have remained elusive. The search for an “objective” diagnostic and therapeutic marker has proven futile. The lack of a diagnostic and therapeutic “handle” on CP/CPPS continues to fuel frustration in both the urologic and patient community. A new perception of CP/CPPS came following the 1995 NIH/NIDDK workshop which emphasized the importance of pain as the hallmark of CP/CPPS and questioned the role of the prostate in producing symptoms.4 The aim of the present review is to provide an evidence-based evaluation of the treatment of CP/CPPS.
Effects of enzymatic sterilization detergents on the corneal endothelium.

Objective To evaluate the potential of enzymatic detergents to cause endothelial damage and anterior segment inflammation. Methods Paired rabbit corneas were mounted in an in vitro specular microscope. Endothelia were perfused either with the sterile irrigating solution BSS Plus(Alcon Laboratories Inc, Ft Worth, Tex) (control) or 0.1%, 0.4%, or 1.0% Medline Enzymatic Detergent (Medline Industries Inc, Mundelein, Ill) in BSS Plus. Swelling rates were determined by regression analysis. Human endothelia were perfused using 1.56% detergent. All corneas were fixed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Endothelial permeability was determined following perfusion of 0.78% detergent. Finally, in vivo intracameral injections with 1.56% or 3.9% detergent were performed to evaluate clinical changes and to correlate with histopathologic analysis. Results Dose-related corneal swelling rates were observed. Digital specular micrographs revealed greater endothelial cell damage when perfused with 1.0% detergent. The TEM of endothelia exposed to 1.0% solutions demonstrated abnormal vacuolization and dilated extracellular spaces, which manifested as an increased corneal permeability to 3 to 4 times that of controls. Human corneas swelled comparably to rabbit corneas but demonstrated increased sensitivity when evaluated by TEM and SEM. Histopathologic analysis after intracameral injection revealed thickened corneas with fewer endothelial cells and irises with increased inflammatory and fibrinous responses compared with controls. Conclusions Medline Enzymatic Detergent causes a dose-dependent corneal swelling, ultrastructural damage, increased corneal permeability, and increased inflammatory response in the iris after intracameral injection. Clinical Relevance Failure to adequately rinse the detergent from surgical instruments may result in corneal edema and intraocular inflammation.
Supersymmetry Breaking in R × S 3

The idea of supersymmetry has attracted physicists -ever since its inception. If supersymmetry plays a role in the unified theory of all forces, it must be dynamically broken in nature.
A new grading of Pierre Robin sequence.

Abstract Objective: Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) involves the triad of micrognathia, glossoptosis, and cleft palate. Neonates with PRS suffer from two problems—airway obstruction and feeding difficulties—but the severity of these problems varies greatly. The resultant varying definitions of PRS have resulted in inconsistent management of those babies given the diagnosis. This in turn makes comparison of published data and communication between clinicians difficult. Historically at Birmingham Children's Hospital, the cleft team only identified babies presenting with cleft palate and severe respiratory distress as “true” PRS. These babies were admitted to the high-dependency neonatal ward for airway assessment and management. Babies with a mild degree of respiratory obstruction but who were managed successfully at home were not classified as having PRS despite needing considerable input from the Cleft Clinical Nurse Specialist. A system of classifying babies with PRS based on the severity of their symptoms a...
The Implications Of Granting Backdated Options

Option backdating has recently been receiving extensive attention. The remarkable pattern of stock prices systematically declining before and increasing after the granting of options has been documented in research papers for approximately a decade but only recently have firms been facing charges of improper procedures associated with this pattern. One associated issue remaining to be investigated is what the implications are for shareholders of affected firms. This paper addresses that issue. It finds that there are marked negative implications for stockholders. On average, when investigations into backdating are announced firms lose approximately 11% of their market value. This translates into an average decline of more than half a billion dollars in market capitalization in the month leading up to the formal announcement of an investigation.
Reduction of zolpidem sensitivity in a freeze lesion model of neocortical dysgenesis.

DeFazio, R. Anthony and John J. Hablitz. Reduction of zolpidem sensitivity in a freeze lesion model of neocortical dysgenesis. J. Neurophysiol. 81: 404–407, 1999. Early postnatal freeze lesions in ...
Composition of cane juice and cane final molasses.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the composition of cane juice as a necessary background for any discussion of cane final molasses. Cane juice is an aqueous solution circulating in the living plant and carrying materials required for growth and metabolism. Therefore, it is extremely complex. It distinguishes itself from other plant juices or saps by its characteristically high content of sucrose. The other carbohydrates in cane juice are the soluble polysaccharides vaguely classified under the terms, “hemi-celluloses, soluble gums and pectins.” Hydrolyzing and color-producing enzymes or enzyme systems are active in raw cane juice and both contribute to the formation of molasses. Application of amino acid paper chromatography to the cations removed from cane juice by ion-exchange resins indicated the presence of leucine (or isoleucine), valine, γ-aminobutyric acid, alanine, glycine, serine, asparagine, glutamic and aspartic acids, lysine, and glutamine. The occurrence in cane juice of acids such as malic, succinic, glycolic, formic, ands oxalic has been based only on qualitative tests and analytical methods.
Stable deterministic multithreading through schedule memoization

A deterministic multithreading (DMT) system eliminates nondeterminism in thread scheduling, simplifying the development of multithreaded programs. However, existing DMT systems are unstable; they may force a program to (ad)venture into vastly different schedules even for slightly different inputs or execution environments, defeating many benefits of determinism. Moreover, few existing DMT systems work with server programs whose inputs arrive continuously and nondeterministically.TERN is a stable DMT system. The key novelty in TERN is the idea of schedule memoization that memoizes past working schedules and reuses them on future inputs, making program behaviors stable across different inputs. A second novelty in TERN is the idea of windowing that extends schedule memoization to server programs by splitting continuous request streams into windows of requests. Our TERN implementation runs on Linux. It operates as user-space schedulers, requiring no changes to the OS and only a few lines of changes to the application programs. We evaluated TERN on a diverse set of 14 programs (e.g., Apache and MySQL) with real and synthetic workloads. Our results show that TERN is easy to use, makes programs more deterministic and stable, and has reasonable overhead.
The Giant Membrane Patch

This chapter describes methods to form and excise membrane patches with diameters of 12 to 40 µm, capacitances of 2 to 15 pF, and seal resistances of 1 to 10 GΩ. The formation of such “giant” membrane patches (Hilgemann, 1989) has been successful with most cells that allow gigohm seals to be formed with conventional patch-clamp techniques. Cell types employed to date for inside-out patches include Xenopus oocytes, cardiac myocytes, skeletal myocytes, tracheal myoctes, Lymnaea snail neurons, SF9 cells, chromaffin cells, pancreatic acinar cells, and some blood cells. Up to now, a successful procedure to form giant outside-out patches routinely has been developed only for Xenopus oocytes (Rettinger et al., 1994).
Power and errors in adverse impact indices

ABSTRACTAdverse impact indices are intended to detect potentially discriminatory employment practices, and although the number of such indices continues to increase, with a few exceptions, little is known about the comparative performance of those indices under various conditions. We examined the performance of eight such indices, including statistical significance tests, ad hoc “practical” tests proposed by the courts, and effect size measures. The power of these indices was examined under various levels of adverse impact, applicant pool sizes, and selection ratios. Although no index performed well in all circumstances, typically, Fisher’s exact test and the Z test for proportions (with correction for continuity) performed adequately most often. However, in some conditions, these indices were outperformed by some of the “practical” tests.
Investigation on geohelminthes infection in children under the age of 14 in Wuhan City

Objective To understand and evaluate the current epidemiological status of geohelminthes infection in children under the age of 14 in Wuhan City.Methods Eight districts were selected from the city: four central urban districts and four new districts.In each district,a kindergarten,a primary school and a middle school were investigated.From these locations,20 stool samples of every age group under 14 were collected.Kato-Katz technique(three slides per stool sample) was used to count the number of eggs of ascarid,hookworm,trichuris and other worms.Infection rate and degree of infection(eggs per gram,EPG) of each worm was calculated.Results A total of 1 856 children were surveyed,among which,2 were low-grade infected with ascarid.EPG was 48 and 600.The infection rate of ascarid was 0.11%.No eggs of hookworm,trichuris and other parasite worms were detected.Conclusion Currently,the infection rate of geohelminthes in children under the age of 14 in Wuhan was at a low level.Health education may have played an important role.
Suprapubic prostatectomy. The removable purse string: a continuing comparative analysis of 300 consecutive cases.

Abstract Mortality rates, length of hospitalization, transfusion requirements, weights of excised tissue, complications and operating time are analyzed in this series of 300 patients who underwent suprapubic prostatectomies in which a removable purse-string closure of the bladder neck was used. The results are compared to those in other studies. The mortality rate in our study is the lowest reported to date for a large series. We believe that this technically simple operation, which has the most adaptability for combination with conjunctive operations, low transfusion requirements, few long-term complications and which can be done rapidly, is the most desirable method to remove benign prostates of 40 gm. or larger. We believe that there should be acceptance of broader indications for its use and that greater emphasis should be placed on teaching this procedure in urological training programs.
High frequency electromagnetism, heat transfer and fluid flow coupling in ANSYS multiphysics.

The goal of this study was to numerically predict the temperature of a liquid product heated in a continuous-flow focused microwave system by coupling high frequency electromagnetism, heat transfer, and fluid flow in ANSYS Multiphysics. The developed model was used to determine the temperature change in water processed in a 915 MHz microwave unit, under steady-state conditions. The influence of the flow rates on the temperature distribution in the liquid was assessed. Results showed that the average temperature of water increased from 25°C to 34°C at 2 l/min, and to 42°C at 1 l/min. The highest temperature regions were found in the liquid near the center of the tube, followed by progressively lower temperature regions as the radial distance from the center increased, and finally followed by a slightly higher temperature region near the tube’s wall corresponding to the energy distribution given by the Mathieu function. The energy distribution resulted in a similar temperature pattern, with the highest temp...
The illusion of no future: psychoanalysis and religion.

Dans l'«Avenir d'une illusion», Freud emettait l'opinion que la religion procede du complexe d'Œdipe. Il pensait qu'un «processus de croissance» detournerait l'humanite de la religion. Mais, ajoutait-il, «j'admets que je suis peut-etre moi aussi, quand je dis cela, le jouet d'une illusion»
Conceiving early poems, and Poems

First looking Keats seems wired to write poetry in discovery, turning themes, allusions, and formal traditions (stanzas, couplets, meters) into workouts with what he's been reading, has in his head, feels on his pulses. At the same time, he was acutely sensitive to the cultural warfare and social gate-keeping impinging on his vocational passion. Here he was in the summer of 1816, without parents but with good friends, counselors, and sponsors; without a university education and connections, but qualified for a career as a general medical practitioner. In October, he passed his apothecaries examination. But he cast his lot with poetry, wanting to join this company of men. This was the month he wrote his first really great poem, spurred by a transformative event of reading a man's vigorous epic, his sonnet, On First Looking into Chapman's Homer . Clarke had on loan a gorgeous 1616 folio edition of George Chapman's late sixteenth-century translation, and was eager to share it with Keats. They stayed up all night with it. Their excitement played off the eighteenth century gold standard, Alexander Pope's Homer, which Clarke also laid out, for comparisons. Here's one passage – Pope's Odysseus, tempest-tossed and shipwrecked, staggering towards land: fainting as he touch'd the shore, He dropp'd his sinewy arms; his knees no more Perform'd their office, or his weight upheld; His swoln heart heav'd; his bloated body swell'd; From mouth and nose the briny torrent ran; And lost in lassitude lay all the man, Deprived of voice, of motion, and of breath, The soul scarce waking in the arms of death. ( Odyssey V.580–87) You can see Pope's technical precision: strong masculine rhymes, mostly regular iambs with measured medial pauses, the syntax fit to the line. Only “no more / Perform'd” runs over, with a nice pause at the end of suggest not just weak but destroyed knees.