cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Failure After Proton Therapy in Medulloblastoma; Linear Energy Transfer Distributions and Relative Biological Effectiveness Associations for Relapses

Purpose The pattern of failure in medulloblastoma patients treated with proton radiation therapy is unknown. For this increasingly used modality, it is important to ensure that outcomes are comparable to those in modern photon series. It has been suggested this pattern may differ from photons because of variations in linear energy transfer (LET) and relative biological effectiveness (RBE). In addition, the use of matching fields for delivery of craniospinal irradiation (CSI) may influence patterns of relapse. Here we report the patterns of failure after the use of protons, compare it to that in the available photon literature, and determine the LET and RBE values in areas of recurrence. Methods and Materials Retrospective review of patients with medulloblastoma treated with proton radiation therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) between 2002 and 2011. We documented the locations of first relapse. Discrete failures were contoured on the original planning computed tomography scan. Monte Carlo calculation methods were used to estimate the proton LET distribution. Models were used to estimate RBE values based on the LET distributions. Results A total of 109 patients were followed for a median of 38.8 months (range, 1.4-119.2 months). Of the patients, 16 experienced relapse. Relapse involved the supratentorial compartment (n=8), spinal compartment (n=11), and posterior fossa (n=5). Eleven failures were isolated to a single compartment; 6 failures in the spine, 4 failures in the supratentorium, and 1 failure in the posterior fossa. The remaining patients had multiple sites of disease. One isolated spinal failure occurred at the spinal junction of 2 fields. None of the 70 patients treated with an involved-field-only boost failed in the posterior fossa outside of the tumor bed. We found no correlation between Monte Carlo-calculated LET distribution and regions of recurrence. Conclusions The most common site of failure in patients treated with protons for medulloblastoma was outside of the posterior fossa. The most common site for isolated local failure was the spine. We recommend consideration of spinal imaging in follow-up and careful attention to dose distribution in the spinal junction regions. Development of techniques that do not require field matching may be of benefit. We did not identify a direct correlation between lower LET values and recurrence in medulloblastoma patients treated with proton therapy. Patterns of failure do not appear to differ from those in patients treated with photon therapy.
Synthetic Applications of Carbonyl Ylides Generated via the Tandem Cyclization Cycloaddition Reaction of Rhodium Carbenoids

The author's chemical studies dealing with the generation of carbonyl ylides via the rhodium(II) induced cyclization of α-diazo alkanediones are summarized, Dipole formation occurs by reaction of a transient rhodium carbenoid intermediate with a neighboring carbonyl group. These cyclizations are performed under extremely mild conditions, typically at room temperature in a neutral organic solvent. Since these cycloadditions involve carbonyl ylides, the resulting products are oxabicycles of varying ring size. When the dipolarophile is intramolecularly tethered to the dipole, the subsequent cycloaddition affords complex oxapolycyclic systems with three (or more) component rings.
The Influence of Eastern North American Autumnal Migrant Monarch Butterflies ( Danaus plexippus L.) on Continuously Breeding Resident Monarch Populations in Southern Florida

In Florida, the eastern North American population of the monarch butterfly exhibits geographic variability in population structure and dynamics. This includes the occurrence of migrants throughout the peninsula during the autumnal migration, occasional overwintering clusters that form along the Gulf Coast, remigrants from Mexico that breed in north-central Florida during the spring, and what have been assumed to be year-round, resident breeding populations in southern Florida. The work reported here focused on two monarch populations west of Miami and addressed four questions: Are there permanent resident populations of monarchs in southern Florida? Do these breed continuously throughout the year? Do they receive northern monarchs moving south during the autumn migration? Do they receive overwintered monarchs returning via Cuba or the Yucatan during the spring remigration from the Mexican overwintering area? Monthly collections and counts of spermatophores in the bursa copulatrices of females established that a resident population of continuously breeding monarchs exists year-round in southern Florida. It was determined through cardenolide fingerprinting that most of the butterflies had bred on the local southern Florida milkweed species, Asclepias curassavica. During the autumn migration period, however, some monarchs had fed on the northern milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. It appears that instead of migrating to Mexico, these individuals travel south through peninsular Florida, break diapause, mate with and become incorporated into the resident breeding populations. None of the monarchs captured in spring had the A. syriaca cardenolide fingerprint, which is evidence against the southern Florida populations receiving overwintered remigrants from Cuba, Central America or Mexico.
Attenuation and source parameters of earthquakes in the Cascadia region

Digital ground-motion data recorded by the Western Canada Telemetered Network (WCTN) are used to examine the attenuation and source parameters of earthquakes in the Cascadia region of southwestern British Columbia and northwestern Washington. The data base is comprised of over 1000 vertical-component Fourier spectra, from earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 7 at distances from 10 to 500 km. Regression analyses determine the shape and coefficients of the regional attenuation curve and source spectra for 68 earthquakes. Seismic moment and stress drop are inferred from the amplitudes of the source spectra. Shallow ( h < 10 km) earthquakes have an attenuation curve with a complex shape, exhibiting significant flattening (no apparent geometric spreading) in the distance range from 75 to 230 km; this shape is probably a result of strong reflected phases from mid-crustal discontinuities and the subducting slab. Events within the subducting slab and the lower crust exhibit a simple R −1 attenuation curve. The anelastic attenuation coefficient for the region as a whole is given by Q = 380 f 0.39. The duration of motion for each WCTN record is determined as the value that yields the observed relationship between time-domain and spectral-domain amplitudes, according to random process theory. These durations are approximately constant within 50 km of the source, then increase with distance as 0.07 R . The high-frequency ground motions from Cascadia earthquakes are relatively weak. Cascadia source spectra are characterized by an average Brune stress drop of about 30 bars. This is significantly lower than the average California stress drop of 70 to 100 bars, and dramatically lower than the average eastern stress drop of 150 to 200 bars. It is concluded that there are significant regional variations in source parameters. Hazard estimates for the Cascadia region based on California groundmotion relations may be overly conservative.
An Analysis of External Features as Predictors of Reproductive Status in Small Mammals

External reproductive features are frequently used as indicators of the reproductive status of small mammals, but the extent to which these external features correctly indicate reproductive status is poorly known. We evaluated the validity of the external reproductive features of nipple size, vaginal condition, condition of the pubic symphysis, and position of the testes in predictions of reproductive status based on necropsy of individuals of nine populations of seven species of small mammals. Results showed that testis position is a relatively accurate predictor of reproductive status in males (87–94%), but that the external features of females are less accurate and consistent (58–85%), with nipple size being best. Predictive equations produced by logistic multiple regression analysis, using combinations of external reproductive features and body measurements, produced no significant improvement in accuracy of predictions in males, but significant improvements were obtained in analyses of data from females of three species of small mammals from Manitoba, Canada. We suggest that the use of body weight with external reproductive features in predictive equations will improve the accuracy of predictions of the reproductive status of small, seasonally breeding species.
Abstract CN11-02: Cultural considerations in outcomes among prostate cancer patients

Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008 CN11-02 Increasingly, cultural beliefs and values are being recognized as important to outcomes following cancer diagnosis. Although the way in which cultural beliefs and values are evaluated has implications for support programs that are developed to enhance survivorship, it is not known if cultural factors are best conceptualized as moderators or mediators of racial differences in psychological behaviors following prostate cancer diagnosis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if religiosity acted as a moderator or mediator of racial differences in coping efforts following prostate cancer diagnosis. Subjects were 224 African American and white men who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. Coping efforts and cultural factors were evaluated during a structured telephone interview. Overall, there were racial differences in religiosity (p=0.0001) and utilization of religious and spiritual coping (p=0.0001). African American men reported significantly greater levels of religiosity compared to white men and were most likely to use religion and spirituality to cope with their diagnosis. In the moderator analysis, the interaction between race and religiosity was not significant (p=0.22). However, in the mediation analysis, the effect for race became non-significant (p=0.36) when religiosity was entered into the model. Religiosity had a significant effect on religious and coping efforts (p=0.0001) in the final model; men with greater religiosity were most likely to use these strategies to cope with their diagnosis. These findings suggest that religiosity is not likely to be important to coping efforts only among African American men; rather, these beliefs and values are likely to influence how both African American and white men cope with their prostate cancer diagnosis. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):CN11-02.
Direct Observation of Buried Refractive-Index Profiles in Annealed Proton-Exchanged LiTaO3 Waveguides

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in studying the properties of annealed proton-exchanged (APE) structures in LiTaO3 due to its large electro-optical and nonlinear coefficients, as well as a higher optical damage threshold than that of LiNbO3. Previous studies have indicated the anomalies of waveguides formed in LiTaO3 [1–5], in particular, an increase of the extraordinary index increment upon annealing [1]. The feasibility of obtaining buried profiles in just a single-step diffusion has also been suggested [2,5], however, could not be verified due to the lack of data from direct measurements of refractive-index profiles. On the other hand, the presence of buried profiles would seriously undermine the adequacy of previous theoretical studies most of which relied on the inverse WKB procedure and monotonically decreasing depth profiles [2]. As for the ordinary index, very scarce information was available on its negative change on account of the absence of guided modes for this polarization and, as a consequence, inapplicability of conventional profile reconstruction methods. Overall, most of the previous studies have been based on indirect approaches, with associated, sometimes questionable, assumptions to deduce information of the actual index profile. Therefore, the importance of direct optical characterization of index profiles for developing and examining theoretical models is quintessential.
Casting of Laminated Ribbon Using a Modified Melt-Spinning Technique

Laminated metal-metal and metal-semiconductor ribbons have been prepared by a modified melt-spinning technique. Characterization studies have been carried out on laminated Sn-Zn, Ge-Al, InSb-CuZr and some other materials. Characteristics of these ribbons and their potential applications will be described.
Inorganic micelles as efficient and recyclable micellar catalysts.

An “inorganic micelle” structure that has a hydrophilic cavity and hydrophobic surface has been synthesized. The inorganic micelles possess large surface area and controllable hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface. It shows high catalytic efficiency and great recyclability in the bromination of alcohols. This work suggests that inorganic micelles may be suitable for selective organic syntheses as well as industrial applications and demonstrates the value of translating nanostructure design from organic to inorganic.
Study on characteristics of flow field in exhaust plume for SRM

2D-dimensional axisymmetric flow field in exhaust plume of some SRM was numerically simulated,and after-combustion chemical reaction and motion of Al2O3 particle were taken into account.Temperature field and ingredient distribution curves of the exhaust plume were calculated,and the calculation results were compared with the groud test results.The main characteristics of flow field in exhaust plume were analyzed.The results show that after-combustion chemical reaction mainly appears in the mixing zone,and chemical reaction causes the temperature in the mixing zone increase about 250 K.The calculation method can reflect main characteristics of flow field in exhaust plume and provide flow field basic data for calculation of infrared characteristics of SRM plume.
Salivary duct determination in Drosophila: roles of the EGF receptor signalling pathway and the transcription factors fork head and trachealess

Organogenesis in Drosophila embryos begins at 4-5 hours of development as the expression of organ-specific genes is initiated. The salivary primordium, which occupies the ventral epidermis of parasegment 2, is among the earliest to be defined. It is soon divided into two distinct regions: the more dorsal pregland cells and the more ventral preduct cells. We show that it is the opposing activities of the Drosophila EGF receptor (DER) signaling pathway and the Fork head transcription factor that distinguish these cell types and set up the boundary between them. DER signaling acts ventrally to block fork head expression in the preduct cells, thereby restricting gland identity to the more dorsal cells. Fork head in turn blocks expression of duct-specific genes in the pregland cells, thereby restricting duct identity to the more ventral cells. A third regulatory activity, the Trachealess transcription factor, is also required to establish the identity of the preduct cells, but we show that it acts independently or downstream from the DER:fork head confrontation. In trachealess mutants, subdivision of the salivary primordium occurs normally and the dorsal cells form glands, but the ventral cells are undetermined. We present a model proposing that trachealess is the crucial duct-specific gene that Fork head represses to distinguish pregland from preduct cells.
Recent Advances in Cholera Pathophysiology and Therapeutics

In recent years it has been found that cholera pathophysiology is highly complex even though the Vibrio is not a tissue-invasive organism. Of necessity at the present stage of understanding of this complex process this outline will include some as yet hypothetical steps. The sequence of events leading to clinical disease includes infection, colonization of the host, adherence to the intestinal mucosa, elaboration of cholera toxin and binding of toxin to a receptor. Following toxin-receptor binding the complex is probably transported to an active site where changes in existing mechanisms of electrolyte transport, currently thought to be related to the adenyl cyclase-cyclic — AMP system, alter the movement of water and salts from plasma to lumen and lumen to plasma. These in turn lead to a decrease in mt absorption followed by net secretion. Eventually cumulative losses of water, sodium, potassium and bicarbonate become large enough to induce hypovolemic shock, acidosis and muscular weakness. These stages are summarized as follows: Infection Colonization Adhesion Toxin-elaboration Toxin-binding Cyclase-activation Flux changes Fluid accumulation Dehydration To illustrate the complexity of this process, I shall follow a hypothetical Vibrio from infection of a patient until the development of clinical symptoms.
Representing Numbers as Continued Fractions and an N-Spire. tns Document to Do Some Basic Continued Fraction Arithmetic.

In this presentation the author presents a TI N-Spire .tns file that he created to assist teachers present some of the basic facts about continued fractions and doing arithmetic with continued fractions to students who may be studying alternative ways to present number systems, doing exact rational arithmetic, and alternatives to decimal and binary numbers. Such an approach may be a useful presentation to honors students, students who are studying alternative number systems, or as an introduction to error bounds and elementary numerical analysis. While the paper is a review of some of the classical works on continued factions, it does not present the material in a theorem/proof style. It motivates the results by citing examples and noting some interesting properties that may (and for completeness, need) to be followed up. Notations are given to the references where exact and complete proofs can be found. The type of investigations done in this paper are motivational and the style of presentation is designed to excite students and teachers interest in the subject. It is the aim of the paper show that sometimes by looking at alternative representations of something that seems to be well known, such as the real numbers, can lead to exciting and useful new outcomes and applications. The role of the .tns document with its programs and examples is to provide a tool that remomes some of the drudgery of working with a new system and quickly produces interesting and worthwhile results. The tool is one which is popular in secondary schools and universities. It allows students quick results that they can use in their own investigations. Some of the functions have sub function calls that students can use to step through a process and check their own grasp of the algorithms necessary to do the entire calculations. Examples are given throughout the text.
Institutional Hysteresis and the Performance of the British Economy after 1914

Chapter 5 stressed that in a model of institutional hysteresis, institutions are best regarded as evolutionary, path dependent phenomena which may not be efficient in the sense of being functional to the growth dynamics of a capitalist economy. It was shown that inefficiency may arise due to either the persistence or creation of inefficient institutions over time.
Value creation in SOC/MCU applications by embedded non-volatile memory evolutions

Flash-MCU, micro-controller with embedded flash memory storage (eFlash), has seen a tremendous up-surge in real-time control application markets, with assumed 15-20% CAGR. The programmable code storage provided by eFlash contributes to production cost reduction and real-time adaptive control applications, realizing a value innovation with remarkable cost/value advantage. The diversified advanced eFlash technology for converging flash-MCU products challenges new market drivers like automotive and smart-IC cards. Current status and future directions of flash-MCU with evolution of LSI by programmability functions are also reviewed.
The SARM1 Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor Domain Possesses Intrinsic NAD+ Cleavage Activity that Promotes Pathological Axonal Degeneration

Axonal degeneration is an early and prominent feature of many neurological disorders. SARM1 is the central executioner of the axonal degeneration pathway that culminates in depletion of axonal NAD+, yet the identity of the underlying NAD+-depleting enzyme(s) is unknown. Here, in a series of experiments using purified proteins from mammalian cells, bacteria, and a cell-free protein translation system, we show that the SARM1-TIR domain itself has intrinsic NADase activity-cleaving NAD+ into ADP-ribose (ADPR), cyclic ADPR, and nicotinamide, with nicotinamide serving as a feedback inhibitor of the enzyme. Using traumatic and vincristine-induced injury models in neurons, we demonstrate that the NADase activity of full-length SARM1 is required in axons to promote axonal NAD+ depletion and axonal degeneration after injury. Hence, the SARM1 enzyme represents a novel therapeutic target for axonopathies. Moreover, the widely utilized TIR domain is a protein motif that can possess enzymatic activity.
Temporal Fluctuations in Behavior, Perceived HIV Risk, and Willingness to Use Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Individual perceptions of HIV risk influence willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. Among men who have sex with men (MSM) and male sex workers (MSWs), temporal or episodic changes in risk behavior may influence perceived risk and PrEP acceptability over time. We investigated fluctuations in perceived HIV risk and PrEP acceptability, comparing MSWs against MSM who do not engage in sex work. We conducted 8 focus groups (n = 38) and 56 individual interviews among MSM and MSWs in Providence, RI. Perceived HIV risk shaped willingness to use PrEP among both MSWs and MSM who did not engage in sex work, and risk perceptions changed over time depending on behavior. For MSWs, perceived risk cycled according to patterns of substance use and sex work activity. These cycles yielded an “access-interest paradox”: an inverse relationship between willingness to use and ability to access PrEP. MSM who did not engage in sex work also reported temporal shifts in risk behavior, perceived risk, and willingness to use PrEP, but changes were unrelated to access. MSM attributed fluctuations to seasonal changes, vacations, partnerships, behavioral “phases,” and episodic alcohol or drug use. Efforts to implement PrEP among MSM and street-based MSWs should address temporal changes in willingness to use PrEP, which are linked to perceived risk. Among MSWs, confronting the access-interest paradox may require intensive outreach during high-risk times and efforts to address low perceived risk during times of reduced sex work.
Physics-based modeling of crowd evacuation in the Unity game engine

Crowds of people are often found in enclosed or constricted spaces. Evacuation in such situations is usually conducted calmly, but real or perceived danger may trigger panic. In panicked crowds, th...
Gender, violence and resistance under Italian rule in Cyrenaica, 1923–1934

Italian rule in Libya was maintained, in large part, through the use of collective violence against the Libyan population in what has been called the bloodiest of colonial wars. Women's participati...
Baseline factors predicting a response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with implications for non-surgical management of triple-negative breast cancer.

Background Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be suitable for non-surgical management. The goal of this study was to identify baseline clinicopathological variables that are associated with residual disease, and to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on both the invasive and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) components in TNBC. Methods Patients with TNBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection were identified. Patients with a pCR were compared with those who had residual disease in the breast and/or lymph nodes. Clinicopathological variables were analysed to determine their association with residual disease. Results Of the 328 patients, 36·9 per cent had no residual disease and 9·1 per cent had residual DCIS only. Patients with residual disease were more likely to have malignant microcalcifications (P = 0·023) and DCIS on the initial core needle biopsy (CNB) (P = 0·030). Variables independently associated with residual disease included: DCIS on CNB (odds ratio (OR) 2·46; P = 0·022), T2 disease (OR 2·40; P = 0·029), N1 status (OR 2·03; P = 0·030) and low Ki-67 (OR 2·41; P = 0·083). Imaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had an accuracy of 71·7 (95 per cent c.i. 66·3 to 76·6) per cent and a negative predictive value of 76·9 (60·7 to 88·9) per cent for identifying residual disease in the breast and lymph nodes. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not eradicate the DCIS component in 55 per cent of patients. Conclusion The presence of microcalcifications on imaging and DCIS on initial CNB are associated with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in TNBC. These variables can aid in identifying patients with TNBC suitable for inclusion in trials evaluating non-surgical management after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Hepatic Abscess in a Returning Traveler with Crohn’s Disease: Differentiating Amebic from Pyogenic Liver Abscess

Liver abscess is a rare but serious complication of Crohn's disease. Patients with Crohn's disease are at risk for pyogenic liver abscesses due to immunosuppressive therapy, fistulous disease, and intraabdominal abscesses. Inflammatory bowel disease patients are also known to have a greater prevalence of amebiasis compared to the rest of the population; however, a higher incidence of amebic liver abscess has not been reported. We describe a case of a liver abscess in a patient with Crohn's disease that was initially presumed pyogenic but later determined to be amebic in origin. Epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of amebic and pyogenic liver abscesses are discussed.
Risk preferences over simple and compound public lotteries

Abstract Lottery choice experiments with monetary payoffs have a long tradition for eliciting risk preferences. This note demonstrates how risk preferences over multi-attribute public lotteries may be estimated. Consistent with experimental findings, results from simple and compound lottery choice models indicate significant differences in the degree of risk aversion between male and female applicants.
Electronic and Structural Properties of Caged Metal Clusters

Using self-consistent molecular orbital theory and density functional methods we have calculated the electronic structure and stability of a novel class of caged metal clusters consisting of more than one element. These include metallo-carbohedrenes composed of transition metal and carbon atoms in the shape of a dodecahedron and compound clusters consisting of Al, C, and Si atoms in the shape of an icosahedron. These clusters possess unique properties due to their geometric structure, nature of bonding, and electronic structure. The potential for using these clusters as building blocks for novel materials is discussed.
Validation of the University of Rochester Risk Factor Interview Scale

We report here on the reliability and validity of the University of Rochester Risk Factor Interview Scale (URRFIS). This scale was developed as an educational measure to characterize and quantify the skills required of physicians and medical students for counseling patients beginning coronary disease risk-factor modification. When used by trained “patient-instructors” to evaluate the interview skills of third-year medical students, we found the URRFIS to have high degrees of interrater reliability (r = .88) and internal consistency (alpha = .76). We also present evidence of content and construct validity. The URRFIS provides a systematic way to teach medical students a set of general counseling skills for health promotion and may increase enthusiasm for the clinical practice of risk-factor modification.
Adsorptive Capacity of Charcoals Eaten by Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkeys: Implications for Reducing Dietary Toxins

Colobus monkeys on the African island of Zanzibar eat charcoal from burned trees and lying near kilns, where it is produced for cooking. This behavior may be a learned response for counteracting toxicity due to phenolic and similar compounds that occur in significant concentrations in the Indian almond (Terminalia catappa) leaves and mango (Mangifera indica) leaves which constitute a major part of their diet. Accordingly, we studied the adsorption of organic materials from hot water extracts of Indian almond and mango leaves by five charcoals collected in Zanzibar. For comparison, we also evaluated three commercial powdered activated charcoals. Three African charcoals collected at kilns adsorbed more organic material than two kinds collected from burned tree stumps. The commercial activated charcoals adsorbed the organic material best, as expected, yet the African kiln charcoals adsorbed surprisingly well. Thus, the hypothesized function of charcoal eating is supported.
INGO PLAG, ed., Phonology and morphology of creole languages.

(2004). INGO PLAG, ed., Phonology and morphology of creole languages.. WORD: Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 450-453.
Protective Behavioral Strategies and Alcohol Use Outcomes Among College Students: The Moderating Effects of Negative Affect:

The current study examined negative affect as a moderator of the relationships between protective behavioral strategies (PBS) used to reduce alcohol-related risk and alcohol use outcomes. Data were...
Cowl Shapes of Minimum Drag in Supersonic Flow: Part 1. Comparison of the Guderley and Newtonian Optima

Guderley, Armitage and Valentine have computed the inlet and closed body contours which form the forepart of an axially symmetric body, of given length and fineness ratio, having minimum pressure drag. The solution is not based on a simplified pressure law, such as the Newtonian impact law, because by a suitable choice of control surface for mass flow and momentum they are able to employ the general flow equations. It is clear, however, from an analysis of their tabulated results that their cowl shapes fall on a single curve for a given value of Δ= d i d t , the ratio of the initial to the final diameter of the cowl, when plotted in terms of a dimensionless length ξ= x/l and thickness η= y/d t , as in Fig. 1. Furthermore Fig. 1 shows that, except for small values of Δ, the Guderley shapes are indistinguishable from the optimum shapes calculated from Newtonian impact theory. The shape and characteristics of the Newtonian duct of given length and thickness, offering minimum drag to the external stream, are derived using the slender-body approximation. Ducts for which Δ > 0.04 are shown to be sufficiently slender. The slopes of those with 0 ≤ Δ
Revised FIGO staging shows dramatic survival differences in cervical cancer patients with positive lymph nodes in Louisiana.

e17010Background: With revisions to FIGO cervical cancer staging system in 2018, patients with positive pelvic or para-aortic lymph nodes (LN) are now classified as stage IIIC. Rationale for this c...
Micro and macroscopic mechanical behaviors of high-density polyethylene under UV irradiation and temperature

Abstract The macroscopic mechanical behavior of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) during photodegradation is characterized by decreases of tensile elongation-at-failure. An apparent linear relation between the elongation-at-failure and the molar mass indicates that the decrease of the elongation of HDPE over time is highly dependent on the decrease of the average molar mass. Possible preferential scission of the high molar mass chains was observed for HDPE exposed to ultraviolet (UV) irradiance higher than 40% (61 W/m2) of the full intensity at 50 °C. Tensile modulus of HDPE exposed at 50 °C increased with the exposure time until reaching the complete loss of ductility except the 5% UV. For 40% UV/30 °C as well as for 5% UV/50 °C, the young modulus trend cannot be evaluated with performed (small) duration. Nanomechanical test results suggest that the increased tensile modulus is due to stiffening of the entire cross-section. Furthermore, HDPE showing the complete loss of ductility exhibited significantly higher modulus in the surface regions than the core regions particularly for the UV intensity higher than 40% (61 W/m2), which increased crack sensitivity to cause embrittlement of the entire specimens.
"Colonic type" adenocarcinoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

Primary "colonic type" tumors of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are adenocarcinomas with histologic features similar to those of colonic cancers. Their behavior is one of local invasion and recurrence. Unlike tumors of the colon, they rarely metastasize. Surgical resection by means of lateral rhinotomy with or without radiation is the treatment of choice. Prognosis is poor. This type of tumor should be recognized by pathologists and its implications should be known to head and neck surgeons.
Bird aquaporins: Molecular machinery for urine concentration

Abstract Water conservation is one of the most challenging processes for terrestrial vertebrates and is necessary for their survival. Birds are the only vertebrate animals other than mammals that have the ability to concentrate their urine. Previously, we identified and characterized aquaporins (AQP)1–4 responsible for urine concentration in Japanese quail kidneys. Today, a total of 13 orthologs for these genes have been reported in birds. Bird AQPs can be classified into four subfamilies: 1) Classical AQPs (AQP0–5 and novel member, AQP4-like) that conserve the selectivity filter; 2) aquaglyceroporins (AQP3, 7, 9 and 10) that retain an aspartic acid residue in the second NPA box and expand the pore to accept larger molecules; 3) unorthodox AQPs (AQP11–12) which structurally resemble their mammalian counterparts; 4) AQP8-type, a subfamily that differs from mammalian AQP8. Interestingly, over the course of time, birds lost their mammalian counterpart AQP6 but obtained a novel AQP4-like aquaporin member. In quail and/or chicken kidneys, at least six AQPs are expressed. Quail AQP1 (qAQP1) is expressed in both cortical and medullary proximal tubules but is absent in the descending limb (DL) and the thick ascending limb (TAL), supporting our previous finding that the DL and TAL are water impermeable. AQP2, an arginine vasotocin (AVT)-sensitive water channel, is exclusively expressed in the principal cells of the collecting duct (CD). AQP4 is unlikely to participate in free water resorption from the collecting duct (CD), and only AQP3 may represent an exit pathway for water reabsorbed apically via AQP2. While AQP9 is not expressed in mammalian kidneys, AQP9 was recently found in chicken kidneys. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the structure, function and expression of bird AQPs.
Testing Hyde on Adapt

The IVHM Project in the Aviation Safety Program has funded research in electrical power system (EPS) health management. This problem domain contains both discrete and continuous behavior, and thus is directly relevant for the hybrid diagnostic tool HyDE. In FY2007 work was performed to expand the HyDE diagnosis model of the ADAPT system. The work completed resulted in a HyDE model with the capability to diagnose five times the number of ADAPT components previously tested. The expanded diagnosis model passed a corresponding set of new ADAPT fault injection scenario tests with no incorrect faults reported. The time required for the HyDE diagnostic system to isolate the fault varied widely between tests; this variance was reduced by tuning HyDE input parameters. These results and other diagnostic design trade-offs are discussed. Finally, possible future improvements for both the HyDE diagnostic model and HyDE itself are presented.
Brain-reactive antibodies in serum of aged mice.

Publisher Summary This chapter observes the behavioral, physiological and structural maturation and aging in monkeys, asphyxiated at birth. Asphyxiated animals consistently required significantly less adaptation to new testing situations than normal animals. Asphyxiated animals were noticeably less disturbed by extraneous distractions than were members of the normal group. The surviving monkeys were severely handicapped at birth. Some showed athetosis, convulsions, scissors-gait, spasticity, nystagmus and slow and uncoordinated progression. To evaluate the physiological and behavioral effects of damage to the brain at the time of birth, brain damage was induced in 23 monkey fetuses by the same method as the previous group. The asphyxiated infants had difficulty with the regular formula given to the controls. It is essential to regard the brain damage produced by birth asphyxia as a new concept in neurology, distinct from other central nervous system disorders such as epilepsy, stroke, parkinsonism and the degenerative diseases. It should be kept in mind that the brain damage of birth asphyxia occurs before critical stages of development are completed and must have a different impact on the behavior of the subject.
Understanding the first steps in embryonic stem cell exit from the pluripotent state.

BACKGROUND: We are interested in understanding how a given cell type, in response to external cues from its environment, makes the decision to differentiate. In the case of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), the key external factor that maintains their undifferentiated state is the cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). LIF removal causes mESCs to exit their pluripotent state and differentiate into more restricted precursors. Although LIF is known to activate multiple different phosphorylation cascades, the mechanisms by which its removal leads to mESC differentiation are not well understood. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In order to identify the molecular events that occur upon LIF removal, we developed a set of novel experimental approaches that allowed identification and quantification of global phosphorylation changes that occur when mESCs are deprived of LIF. These included growth of mESCs on permeable membranes and development of a robust and sensitive phospho-proteomics platform to quantify early signaling events. RESULTS: In addition to the well-characterized tyrosine 705 phosphorylation of STAT3, LIF removal results in the rapid phosphorylation of multiple other proteins known to regulate the mESC self-renewal on both tyrosine, serine, and threonine residues. We hypothesize that these unique posttranslational modifications help drive the exit of mESCs from the pluripotent state. CONCLUSIONS: Our data set the stage for future studies investigating the functional role of these phosphorylation events in mESCs. These studies were greatly facilitated by the National Blood Foundation, whose support in the crucial initiation phase of these studies was invaluable.
Reliability Targets for a Calibration Program

The reliability of test equipment being in tolerance increases as the test equipment are calibrated more frequently. This results in a higher calibration cost. On the other hand, less frequent calibrating increases the cost due to unknown out-of-tolerance test equipment in use. Although the behavior of these two costs determine the optimal target reliability for the test equipment, the values of these costs are often too nebulous to quantify. This paper presents an approach towards reliability optimization where exact knowledge of the relevant costs does not exist. First the optimal calibration budget is achieved with a sensitivity analysis on customer satisfaction. The second step involves modeling how a change in reliability affects the marginal out-of-tolerance cost, an effort which will provide the optimal allocation of a given calibration budget. It turns out that the optimal reliability and the optimal calibration interval increase together as the out-of-tolerance rate of the test equipment decreases.
Abstract 205: Association of Statin Use With the Risk of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Medicare Patients With Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms

Background: Animal studies have demonstrated that statins decrease cerebral aneurysm progression and the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A protective effect has also been observed in human studies of abdominal aortic aneurysms. We investigated the association between statin use and SAH in Medicare beneficiaries. Methods: We used the 40% random sample Medicare denominator file and corresponding inpatient, outpatient (2003-2011) and prescription (2006-2011) claims to conduct a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with unruptured cerebral aneurysms, between 2003 and 2011. We used propensity-adjusted logistic models to investigate the association of statin use with the risk of SAH, out-of-hospital death, and undergoing intervention more than 3 months after the diagnosis (as a marker of disease progression), as well as the composite outcome of all events. Results: We identified 27,574 patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms (average age 72.3 years, 72.7% female); mean follow up was 29.8 months. Statins were used by 41.4%. Overall, 1,497 patients developed SAH and 725 underwent intervention (coiling or clipping) before aneurysm rupture. Current or recent statin use was not associated with decreased risk of SAH (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.17), even after stratification on tobacco use/chronic pulmonary disease. Similarly, no association was observed between statin use and the likelihood for operative intervention (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.10). The risk of the composite outcome was lower among ongoing statin users, compared to remote or no users (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.77). Conclusions: Use of statins by patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms was not associated with decreased risk of SAH. This underscores the differences in human physiology from the animal models used. The lack of the protective effect of statins seen in aortic aneurysms may be explained by the non-atherosclerotic nature of cerebral aneurysms. Funding: National Institute on Aging (PO1- AG19783).
Verifying Sequential Consistency on Shared-Memory Multiprocessor Systems

In shared-memory multiprocessors sequential consistency offers a natural tradeoff between the flexibility afforded to the implementor and the complexity of the programmer's view of the memory. Sequential consistency requires that some interleaving of the local temporal orders of read/write events at different processors be a trace of serial memory. We develop a systematic methodology for proving sequential consistency for memory systems with three parameters --number of processors, number of memory locations, and number of data values. From the definition of sequential consistency it suffices to construct a non-interfering observer that watches and reorders read/write events so that a trace of serial memory is obtained. While in general such an observer must be unbounded even for fixed values of the parameters --checking sequential consistency is undecidable!-- we show that for two paradigmatic protocol classes--lazy caching and snoopy cache coherence--there exist finite-state observers. In these cases, sequential consistency for fixed parameter values can thus be checked by language inclusion between finite automata. In order to reduce the arbitrary-parameter problem to the fixed-parameter problem, we develop a novel framework for induction over the number of processors. Classical induction schemas, which are based on process invariants that are inductive with respect to an implementation preorder that preserves the temporal sequence of events, are inadequate for our purposes, because proving sequential consistency requires the reordering of events. Hence we introduce merge invariants, which permit certain reorderings of read/write events. We show that under certain reasonable assumptions about the memory system, it is possible to conclude sequential consistency for any number of processors, memory locations, and data values by model checking two finite-state lemmas about process and merge invariants: they involve two processors each accessing a maximum of three locations, where each location stores at most two data values. For both lazy caching and snoopy cache coherence we are able to discharge the two lemmas using the model checker MOCHA.
No vaccine against HIV yet-are we not perfectly equipped?

Enormous effort has been devoted to the development of a vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). But it is proving to be an unprecedented challenge to create an effective vaccine mainly due to the high genetic variability of the virus and the necessity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) for containing the infection. Currently pursued vaccine strategies appear to induce CTL in nonhuman primate models but in the early clinical trials, these strategies fail to fully control the viral infection. New strategies that can cover the vast genetic diversity of HIV are needed for the development of a potent vaccine.
The Influence of Calcium Chloride Deicing Salt on Phase Changes and Damage Development in Cementitious Materials

The conventional CaCl2-H2O phase diagram is often used to describe how calcium chloride behaves when it is used on a concrete pavement undergoing freeze-thaw damage. However, the chemistry of the concrete can alter the appropriateness of using the CaCl2-H2O phase diagram. This study shows that the Ca(OH)2 present in a hydrated portland cement can interact with CaCl2 solution creating a behavior that is similar to that observed in isoplethal sections of a ternary phase diagram for a Ca(OH)2-CaCl2-H2O system. As such, it is suggested that such isoplethal sections provide a reasonable model that can be used to describe the behavior of concrete exposed to CaCl2 solution as the temperature changes. Specifically, the Ca(OH)2 can react with CaCl2 and H2O resulting in the formation of calcium oxychloride. The formation of the calcium oxychloride is expansive and can produce damage in concrete at temperatures above freezing. Its formation can also cause a significant decrease in fluid ingress into concrete. For solutions with CaCl2 concentrations greater than about 11.3 % (by mass), it is found that calcium oxychloride forms rapidly and is stable at room temperature (23 °C).