cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-treatment surveillance of patients with colorectal cancer with surgically treated liver metastases.

Background Little is known about current surveillance patterns after treatment of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) or whether the intensity of surveillance correlates with outcome. We sought to define current population-based patterns of surveillance and investigate whether intensity of surveillance impacted outcome. Methods We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–linked Medicare database for patients with CRLM diagnosed between 1991 and 2005 who underwent liver resection and/or tumor ablation. Frequency of post-treatment abdominal computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) was recorded for ≤5 years after treatment. The association between frequency of imaging with secondary interventions and long-term survival were analyzed. Results We identified 1,739 patients with CRLM treated with surgery; median age was 73 years, and the majority were male (52.6%). CRLM treatment consisted of liver resection (61%), ablation (32%), or both simultaneously (6%). CT (97%) was utilized more often for post-treatment surveillance compared with MRI (7%) and PET (18%). A temporal trend was noted with more frequent surveillance imaging obtained in post-treatment year 1 (2.4 scans/year) versus year 5 (0.6 scans/year; P = .01); 66% of living patients had no imaging after 2 years. Frequency of surveillance imaging correlated with procedure type (total number of scans/5 years: resection, 5.0; ablation, 4.6; resection and ablation, 6.2; P = .01). Other factors associated with a greater frequency of surveillance included younger age at diagnosis, geographic location in the South, and CRLM directed surgery in 2000 through 2005 (all P P = .08). Conclusion Marked heterogeneity exists in how often surveillance imaging is obtained after treatment of CRLM. Intensity of imaging does not affect time to second procedure or median survival duration. Surveillance guidelines for CRLM need to be refocused to provide the best value for healthcare resources.
Behavior of medium carbon steel under combined fatigue and wear

Abstract The combined fatigue-wear life of medium carbon steel (AISI 1045) was investigated under various combinations of loads and sliding wear conditions using a rotating beam test. The direction of the maximum tensile stress due to bending was perpendicular to that due to wear [1]. Tests were also performed with specimens plated with a thin layer of cadmium or nickel-gold. All of the tests were conducted in the high cycle regime. The results show that the fatigue life of all the specimens at a stress level higher than the endurance limit of the specimen was within the experimental scatter of a typical fatigue test. The effect of sliding wear on fatigue life is manifested primarily by the stress field imposed by the slider on the specimen. In the case of plated specimens, the fatigue life was not significantly affected, although the wear rate was decreased by an order of magnitude.
Hierarchical Folding of the rRNA in the Early Assembly of the E. Coli Ribosomal Small Subunit

In order to investigate the co-transcriptional folding and assembly of the E. coli ribosomal small subunit (SSU), we applied the structure-based Go model to fold 16S rRNA fragments with increasing length. The first fragment examined is the binding domain of S20, which includes the first few local and non-local helices to be transcribed (h6, h7-h10) in vivo. The simulations show that the main barriers to the formation of the S20 binding domain are the docking of the 3' and 5' strands of the non-local h7 followed by re-orientation of the helices in the four-way junction to allow tertiary contacts between h6 and h8 to be established. These observations suggest the role of the primary binding protein S20 in stabilizing key tertiary contacts and speeding up the protein:RNA recognition during the assembly process.Transcription of rRNA then proceeds to the local five-way junction (5WJ), which nucleates the assembly of the 5' domain upon interaction with the initiator and primary binding protein S4. This complex contains the largest contiguous ribosomal structure signature, helix h16, which is a conserved feature in all bacterial 16S rRNAs. We use all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to demonstrate that the co-evolving signature in the N-terminus of S4 is intrinsically disordered and capable of accelerating the 5WJ:S4 binding process through a fly-casting mechanism. The scenario is further confirmed using the structure-based Go model for protein:RNA, with which hundreds of simultaneous folding and binding events between the 5WJ and S4 are captured. Based on analysis of both explicit solvent MD and structure-based Go trajectories, we identify multiple metastable states of the 5WJ, and various protein-guided folding pathways that compare directly with the FRET experiments.
The initial kinetics of the dissolution of vitreous silica in aqueous media

Abstract The initial kinetics of the dissolution of vitreous silica was measured in aqueous solutions as a function of pH (5–11) and ionic content ((Na,Mg) Cl x :0.1–3.5 M ) at 25°C. The apparent rate constant of silica dissolution, k 1 , increased by a factor of 360 from pH 5 to pH 11 at NaCl = 0.70 M . The addition of Mg 2+ to NaCl solutions, where the total ionic strength was maintained constant, had no effect on k 1 at pH 8 but k 1 decreased by about 30% at pH 9 (Mg 2+ = 0.055 M ). In NaCl solutions, k 1 is shown to be an explicit function of surface charge. A plot of log 10 (dissolution rate) vs log 10 (surface charge) is linear at lower surface charge with a slope of 1.94, suggesting that two surface excess OH − 's are in the transition state of the rate-determining step of silica dissolution.
Heat treatment of colostrum on commercial dairy farms decreases colostrum microbial counts while maintaining colostrum immunoglobulin G concentrations

This study was conducted on 6 commercial dairy farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin to describe the effect of heat treatment (at 60°C for 60 min) on colostrum, on colostrum bacteria counts, and immunoglobulin G concentrations. First-milking colostrum was collected each day, pooled, divided into 2 aliquots, and then 1 aliquot was heat treated in a commercial batch pasteurizer at 60°C for 60 min. Frozen samples of pre- and post- heat-treated colostrum were submitted for standard microbial culture (total plate count and total coliform count, cfu/mL) and testing for immunoglobulin G concentrations (mg/mL). Data were analyzed from 266 unique batches of colostrum. Linear regression showed that heat treatment decreased colostrum total plate counts (-2.25 log(10)) and coliform counts (-2.49 log(10)), but, overall, did not affect colostrum IgG concentration. Though higher-quality batches of colostrum did experience a greater magnitude of loss of IgG as a result of heat treatment as compared with lower- or intermediate-quality batches of colostrum, the colostral IgG concentrations in these batches remained high overall, and within acceptable limits for feeding. This study demonstrates that batch heat treatment of colostrum at 60°C for 60 min can be successfully conducted on commercial dairy farms by farm staff to decrease colostrum microbial counts while maintaining colostrum IgG concentrations.
Auxiliary mediated synthesis of aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivatives

Abstract Synthetically useful aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivatives can be prepared in a stereodefined manner from readily available α,β-unsaturated acyl camphor sultams via an asymmetric Gabriel-Cromwell reaction sequence.
Should aciclovir be given to all patients presenting with acute liver failure of unknown etiology

Should aciclovir be given to all patients presenting with acute liver failure of unknown etiology?
Coleridge on Broad Stand

This essay explores the relationships between Coleridge’s notebook entries and letters to Sara Hutchinson during his tour of the Cumbrian mountains in August 1802, focusing on his nearly disastrous descent from the summit of Scafell. It also revisits his controversial claim that he took those experiences and “transferred” himself “in Spirit” to the Alps in the process of composing “Hymn Before Sun-rise, in the Vale of Chamouny.” The question of how such experiences are “transferrable” has exercised critics from the beginning of Coleridge studies, and the essay offers a new approach by concentrating on the experiential content of the tour as the material of poetic composition.
A novel fault classification approach using manifold learning algorithm

This paper provides a novel solution for power system transmission line fault classification. It is based on Clarke-Concordia transform and manifold learning algorithm using one-end current signals. We first convert the currents into “α α 0” phases, and construct the trajectories in a 3-diemensional space. Manifold learning is used to extract characteristic features and identify different fault patterns. A weight factor is introduced in the neighborhood selection algorithm in manifold learning, which helps to solve the local nonlinear confusion problem. Fault pattern formed in 3-dimensional “α α 0” space better illustrate the fault's distortion and displacement from the normal state. Simulation results have proven the feasibility of this approach.
Space Geodesy and the New Madrid Seismic Zone

One of the most contentious issues related to earthquake hazards in the United States centers on the midcontinent and the origin, magnitudes, and likely recurrence intervals of the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes that occurred there. The stakeholder groups in the debate (local and state governments, reinsurance companies, American businesses, and the scientific community) are similar to the stakeholder groups in regions more famous for large earthquakes. However, debate about New Madrid seismic hazard has been fiercer because of the lack of two fundamental components of seismic hazard estimation: an explanatory model for large, midplate earthquakes; and sufficient or sufficiently precise data about the causes, effects, and histories of such earthquakes.
Bandwidth-satisfied routing in multi-rate MANETs by cross-layer approach

Previous quality-of-service (QoS) routing protocols in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) determined bandwidth-satisfied routes for QoS applications. Since the multi-rate enhancements have been implemented in MANETs, QoS routing protocols should be adapted to exploit them fully. However, existing works suffer from one bandwidth-violation problem, named the hidden route problem (HRP), which may arise when a new flow is permitted and only the bandwidth consumption of the hosts in the neighborhood of the route is computed. Without considering the bandwidth consumption to ongoing flows is the reason the problem is introduced. This work proposes a routing protocol that can avoid HRP for data rate selection and bandwidth-satisfied route determination with an efficient cross-layer design based on the integration of PHY and MAC layers into the network layer. To use bandwidth efficiently, we aim to select the combination of data rates and a route with minimal bandwidth consumption to the network, instead of the strategy adopted in the most previous works by selecting the combination with the shortest total transmission time. Using bandwidth efficiently can increase the number of flows supported by a network. Copyright 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Breathing-valve encumbrance and arterial blood gas and acid-base status in exercise in man.

It has been suggested that the mouthpiece-breathing valve assemblies commonly used in laboratory investigations of ventilatory control may influence regulation of arterial blood gas and acid-base status during exercise. To examine this hypothesis, 10 healthy males each underwent two incremental cycle-ergometer tests (15 W min−1) to the limit of tolerance: one was conducted free of breathing apparatus; the other utilized a mouthpiece (with noseclip) connected to a low-resistance turbine volume sensor. The order was randomly assigned and tests were separated by a 2 h recovery. Blood sampled from an indwelling brachial artery catheter at rest and every 30 W during exercise was analyzed for\(P_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } \),\(P_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} } \), pH and HCO3−. Maximum power was not different between the two tests. Furthermore, no systematic effect of the assembly could be discerned on\(Pa_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } \),\(Pa_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} } \) or pHa over the entire range of power. We therefore conclude that although ventilation and its pattern may be affected by laboratory breathing apparatus, such encumbrance (if of low resistance and dead space) does not influence blood gas and acid-base regulation during exercise.
(Re) Framing Women and Network News: A Comparative Analysis

In spring 2011, Katie Couric announced she was leaving the CBS Evening News to join ABC as a talk show host, and as a member of the ABC news team. It was not long before, in 2006, that Couric had j...
Novobiocin in Combination With High-Dose Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer: A Phase 2 Study

Abstract We conducted the first phase 2 and pharmacologic study to evaluate the combination of novobiocin (a coumeromycin antibiotic that has been shown to augment alkylating agent cytotoxicity in experimental models) and high-dose cyclophosphamide and thiotepa followed by autologous marrow support in women with chemosensitive advanced breast cancer. Its aims were (1) to determine progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), (2) to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide and thiotepa, and (3) to measure the ability of novobiocin to reverse alkylator drug resistance in vitro. Forty-one women with chemotherapy-responsive advanced breast cancer received cyclophosphamide (4 g/m2) for peripheral blood stem cell mobilization (treatment 1) followed by high-dose cyclophosphamide (1.5 g/m2 per day for 4 days), thiotepa (200 mg/m2 per day for 4 days), and novobiocin (4 g/day orally for 7 days) (treatment 2) and autologous marrow support. The median PFS was 10 months (range, 0.2-70.6 months) and OS, 21.5 months (range, 0.2-70.6 months). There was no statistically significant relationship between PFS or OS and area-under-the-curve values of cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, or 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide. Patient plasma samples (n = 12) obtained during novobiocin therapy were able to reverse alkylator drug resistance in an in vitro colony-forming assay. Correlative laboratory studies in an in vitro model system demonstrated that patient plasma after novobiocin treatment resulted in the magnitude of resistance reversal that had been predicted by prior preclinical experiments. Clinically, however, this activity of novobiocin did not translate into a substantial increase in PFS or OS compared with historical controls treated with high-dose alkylator therapy alone. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2000;6(3A):335-43.
Chip-level area routing

We present a chip-level area router for modern VLSI technologies. The gridless area router can handle any number of layers, as well as rectilinear blockage areas on any layer. A two-stage divide-and-conquer strategy is applied so that the area router can handle very large chips. The first stage includes an area-minimization loop by using an efficient and accurate multi-layer global router. The global router minimizes the chip area while performing the global routing. According to the global routing results, switchboxes are generated for the whole chip area. Then the switchboxes are sent to the second stage for detailed routing, in which a tile-expansion based switchbox router is used. With multi-level rip-up and re-route techniques, the detailed router is shown to be able to complete many difficult switchboxes. The router was tested on the MCNC building block circuits. Our results show better chip areas than the best previously published results.
When race and culture matter in psychodynamic child therapy: Considerations of theory, process and technique

In light of the movement toward cultural competence in psychotherapy, psychological matters of race and culture have assumed greater attention among psychodynamic scholars. Despite these contributions, the literature is dominated by an adult orientation. This paper seeks to bring human diversity into the realm of child psychodynamic treatment by focusing on racial and cultural themes as a topic of therapeutic interest.
Efficient Processing of Continual Range Queries for Location-Aware Mobile Services

Efficient processing of continual range queries is important in providing location-aware mobile services. In this paper, we study a new main memory-based approach to indexing continual range queries to support location-aware mobile services. The query index is used to quickly answer the following question continually: "Which moving objects are currently located inside the boundaries of individual queries?" We present a covering tile-based (COVET) query index. A set of virtual tiles are predefined, each with a unique ID. One or more of the virtual tiles are used to strictly cover the region defined by an individual range query. The query ID is inserted into the ID lists associated with the covering tiles. These covering tiles touch each other only at the edges. A COVET index maintains a mapping between a covering tile and all the queries that contain that tile. For any object position, search is conducted indirectly via the covering tiles. More importantly, a COVET-based query index allows query evaluation to take advantage of incremental changes in object locations. Computation can be saved for those objects that have not moved outside the boundaries of covering tiles. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the COVET index and compare virtual tiles of different shapes and sizes.
New wastewater treatment for industrial applications

Etude de 3 systemes anaerobies: le filtre anaerobie a courant ascendant, le procede a lit fluidise et le procede a couverture de boue. Application aux eaux usees industrielles et municipales
Renal responses to diuretics in the turtle

We administered the diuretics furosemide and ethacrynic acid to conscious freshwater turtles to assess changes in renal function and plasma renin activity (PRA) in an animal which lacks a loop of Henle. Furosemide (2 and 5 mg/kg) produced no changes in blood pressure, hematocrit, plasma electrolytes, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), or PRA. Furosemide doubled urine volume while sodium excretion increased 20-fold and chloride and potassium excretion increased 12-fold (P<0.05 in each case). Net potassium secretion was observed. Ethacrynic acid (2 and 5 mg/kg) also produced no changes in blood pressure, hematocrit, plasma electrolytes, or PRA. At the lower dose GFR increased by 40% and urine volume nearly doubled (P<0.05 in each case). Sodium, chloride, and potassium excretion increased roughly 10-fold (P<0.05 in each case). At the higher dose, GFR increased by 80% and urine volume more than doubled (P<0.05 in each case). Sodium excretion rose 40-fold, chloride excretion rose 25-fold, and potassium excretion rose 10-fold (P<0.05 in each case). At both doses net potassium secretion occurred. The results demonstrate that both drugs inhibit tubular reabsorption in the turtle, acting primarily on distal segments of the nephron. The failure of either drug to alter PRA suggests that the turtle lacks a tubular mechanism for alterig renin release.
A global assessment of natural sources of atmospheric trace metals

A PROPER inventory of atmospheric emissions from natural sources is basic to our understanding of the atmospheric cycle of the trace metals (and metalloids), and is also needed for assessing the extent of regional and global pollution by toxic metals1. It is generally presumed that the principal natural sources of trace metals in the atmosphere are wind-borne soil particles, volcanoes, seasalt spray and wild forest fires2–6. Recent studies have shown, however, that particulate organic matter is the dominant component of atmospheric aerosols in non-urban areas7–10 and that over 60% of the airborne trace metals in forested regions can be attributed to aerosols of biogenic origin11,12. Here I estimate that biogenic sources can account for 30–50% of the global baseline emissions of trace metals. For most of the toxic metals, the natural fluxes are small compared with emissions from industrial activities, implying that mankind has become the key agent in the global atmospheric cycle of trace metals and metalloids.
Motor control differentiates children's from adults' drawings for child and adult judges

In two exploratory studies, motor skill as a possible distinctive feature for differentiating drawings made by second-grade children and by college students was tested by having child and adult judges sort drawings made by children and by adults. Adults drew with their preferred (motorically skilled) or nonpreferred (nonmotorically skilled) hand. Children and adults were equally accurate in discriminating children's from adults' preferred-hand drawings, but child judges confused children's and adults' non-preferred-hand drawings. Child, but not adult, judges confused adults' preferred-hand and adults' non-preferred-hand drawings. Thus, children were sensitive to characteristics of drawings that depended on motor skill when it was an additional feature of difference but not when it was the only distinctive feature. Motor control effects in constructing drawings and evidence of motor control in responding to drawings warrant further study and perhaps greater emphasis in theories of drawing development.
Antimyosin scintigraphy in cardiovascular diseases

Antimyosin antibody is highly specific for in vivo delineation of acute myocyte necrosis as only irreversibly damaged myocytes with sarcolemmal disruption will enable access of the administered antibody to the once-privileged intracellular antigen-myosin. Thus, antimyosin radiolabeled with either indium-111 or technitium-99m has been used for the noninvasive diagnosis of myocyte necrosis associated with acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, heart transplant rejection, as well as in other cardiac disorders such as rheumatic carditis or adriamycin cardiotoxicity. The sensitivity of antimyosin scintigraphy for these disorders has been reported to be 90%-100%. The final verdict on its full potential must await extensive clinical use.
E. coli adherence to bladder epithelial cells of mice

Adherence of E. coli to bladder cells was studied by mixing E. coli with cells scraped from the surface of the normal mouse bladder. E. coli adherence to bladder epithelium did not correlate with renal infection, the ability of E. coli to resist phagocytosis, the growth of the strains, the presence of K-antigen or dulcitol fermentation. There was also no correlation with proportion of deaths, motility, or rough mutation. Pili were observed in three of the 22 strains of E. coli and their presence was not associated with increased virulence. In this model of renal infection neither adherence of E. coli to bladder epithelial cells nor the presence of pili were significant virulence factors.
Effects of pH and salt concentration on the hydrolysis of a benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide catalyzed by DNA and polyadenylic acid

Abstract The time-dependent absorbance change that occurs when benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide is added to solutions of calf thymus DNA has been shown, by an unequivocal chromatographic method, to correspond to DNA-catalyzed hydrolysis of the diol-epoxide. At 25°C and μ = 0.10, the kinetics of the reaction of the diol-epoxide with polyadenylic acid or DNA are consistent with preequilibrium formation of a non-covalent complex between the diol-epoxide and the polynucleotide or DNA, followed by hydrolysis of the bound epoxide by a process that is first-order in hydronium ions. Cacodylic acid also catalyzes the hydrolysis of the epoxide bound to polyadenylic acid. The rate of the DNA-catalyzed hydrolysis exhibits little or no enantiomeric selectivity for the diol-epoxide. DNA catalyzed hydrolysis of the diol-epoxide is extraordinarily sensitive to the salt concentration in the reaction medium: the rate of hydrolysis of the bound epoxide at pH 7 is retarded by a factor of ∼45 in the presence of 0.1 M sodium chloride compared to a 1 mM buffer containing no added salt. Thus, studies of the interactions of DNA with carcinogenic diol-epoxides must take into account the ionic environment of DNA within the cell.
Parameters Affecting Destruction of Salmonella spp. by Microwave Heating

The relationship between time of heating, temperatures achieved during heating, and consequent destruction of Salmonella spp. was examined with four microwave ovens designed for home use. Power level (output), post-heating holding time, heating medium volume, container shape, and covering of containers were investigated. Post-heating holding times of two or more minutes increased (P = 0.05) bacterial destruction, while significantly less destruction was observed in ovens of lower (e.g., 450 W) wattage. Heating medium volume, container shape, and covering containers did not significantly alter destruction of salmonellae heated to 60°.
Commentary on: PERTHESE implant-identical cohesive-gel sizers in breast augmentation: a prospective study of 200 consecutive cases and implications for treatment of breast asymmetry.

In recent years, aesthetic surgeons performing breast augmentations have focused increasingly on improving patient outcomes and reducing reoperation rates.1 In doing so, emphasis has been placed on the entire “process” of breast augmentation, from consultation and preoperative education, to patient evaluation and operative planning, to surgical technique and standardized postoperative care.1-3 When assessed as a whole, each section of the process has become better defined in terms of its contribution to the overall goal of improved outcomes.4,5 On the basis of comprehensive approaches to the breast augmentation process, several authors have published individual series with low reoperation rates ranging from 0% to single digits.6-10 When we recognize the necessity of a comprehensive approach applied to the entire process, it is hard to imagine how a single minor subset of this process could be heralded as yielding a straightforward cause-and-effect phenomenon—for example, the placement of a specific sizer in combination with an implant that has not gone under multicenter trials, in an article with limited reference to the other essentials steps in the process, such as the one by Drs. Gore and Lamberty (“PERTHESE Implant-Identical Cohesive-Gel Sizers in Breast Augmentation: A Prospective Report on 200 Consecutive Cases and Implications for Treatment of Breast Asymmetry”). Furthermore, the structure of the study investigating this device is a concern; the authors combined augmentation mastopexy procedures and aesthetic breast revisions in the same group with primary augmentations. More challenging procedures (such as revisions …
The role of surgery in the treatment of clinically isolated adrenal metastasis

BACKGROUND Clinically isolated adrenal metastasis is rare. The role of surgical resection is unknown. The aim of this study was to define clinical and pathologic parameters that might predict long term survival after resection of adrenal metastasis. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of 37 patients who had undergone adrenalectomy for metastatic disease at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) between July 1986 and October 1996. Patients who underwent resection of tumors that locally invaded the adrenal gland were excluded from the study, as were all patients with primary adrenal tumors. RESULTS There were 24 men and 13 women, with a median age of 58 years (range, 42-77 years). Lung carcinoma was the most common primary tumor (n = 17), followed by renal cell carcinoma (n = 9), and colorectal carcinoma (n = 5). The median length of stay at MSKCC was 8 days (range, 3-21 days). There was a 19% incidence of complications (12% major). There was one perioperative death. Five-year survival for the entire group was 24% (median, 21 months). Disease free interval (DFI) of > 6 months and complete resection were the only predictors of improved survival. CONCLUSIONS Adrenalectomy for clinically solitary, resectable lesions can be performed safely, and prolonged survival can be achieved in such selected patients. Adrenalectomy should be considered for patients with completely resectable disease and a DFI of > 6 months. Cancer 1998,82:389-94. © American Cancer Society.
Linkage of reduced receptor affinity and superinfection to pathogenesis of TR1.3 murine leukemia virus.

TR1.3 is a Friend murine leukemia virus (MLV) that induces selective syncytium induction (SI) of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC), intracerebral hemorrhage, and death. Syncytium induction by TR1.3 has been mapped to a single tryptophan-to-glycine conversion at position 102 of the envelope glycoprotein (Env102). The mechanism of SI by TR1.3 was examined here in comparison to the non-syncytium-inducing, nonpathogenic MLV FB29, which displays an identical BCEC tropism. Envelope protein expression and stability on both infected cells and viral particles were not statistically different for TR1.3 and FB29. However, affinity measurements derived using purified envelope receptor binding domain (RBD) revealed a reduction of >1 log in the KD of TR1.3 RBD relative to FB29 RBD. Whole-virus particles pseudotyped with TR1.3 Env similarly displayed a markedly reduced binding avidity compared to FB29-pseudotyped viral particles. Lastly, decreased receptor affinity of TR1.3 Env correlated with the failure to block superinfection following acute and chronic infection by TR1.3. These results definitively show that acquisition of a SI phenotype can be directly linked to amino acid changes in retroviral Env that decrease receptor affinity, thereby emphasizing the importance of events downstream of receptor binding in the cell fusion process and pathology.
Studies on the cerebral localization of gastric secretion in the macaque.

Summary Gastric hydrogen ion concentration and pepsin secretion were studied in four rhesus monkeys during cerebral stimulation. In one monkey a repeated prompt increase of acid and pepsin after stimulation of an area in the rostral red nucleus was noted, an effect which continued as long as the stimulus was applied and ceased abruptly on cessation of stimulation. In one monkey delayed acid secretion occurred after stimulation of the preoptic, caudate, and amygdaloid areas. Stimulation of the rostral pallidum, optic chiasma, amygdala, caudate lobe, and the thalamus all failed to elicit any gastric secretory response.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with bisphosphonate therapy.

The overall incidence of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw is relatively low. Preventative measures such as maintaining good oral hygiene are likely the best management strategy for the disorder.
Comments on "Two-level form of Kalman filter"

A two-level method of state estimation proposed by Noton is demonstrated to give only an approximate solution, not an exact one, to filtering problems.
Observing the microstructural evolution of Ni-Yttria-stabilized zirconia solid oxide fuel cell anodes

Abstract This report describes a transmission X-ray microscopy observation of the high-temperature microstructural evolution of a solid oxide fuel cell Ni-Yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni-YSZ) anode. Unlike prior studies that compared microstructural differences between different anodes, this three-dimensional measurement directly shows the changes occurring in the same region of an anode, enabling a new understanding of evolutionary processes. High-temperature ageing for 48 h at 1050 °C yielded substantial structural changes in the Ni, YSZ and pore networks, including coalescence of Ni particles, leading to a three-fold decrease in three phase boundary length. Implications for fuel cell long-term degradation are discussed.
Transcribing and Transcending the Ego Reflections on the Phenomenology of Chronic Social Comparison

A humanistic and transpersonal approach to personal growth necessitates careful inquiry into the often pathological world of egoistic functioning—where the psyche is engaged in a continual, defensi...
Effects of glass fibers and polypropylene/glass fiber hybrid fibers on the kinetics and mechanical properties of epoxy composites

Curing reactions of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F (DGEBP-F) and pre-catalyzed methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MTHPA) with benzyl triethyl ammonium chloride (BTEAC) were studied and effects of glass fibers evaluated. The influence on the kinetics of glass fibers and a hybrid blend of maleated polypropylene + glass fibers is studied. Isothermal and dynamic kinetic parameters are determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Applicability of the autocatalytic model is investigated. The model serves well in the range of degrees of conversion between 25 and 80%. At high conversion rates the diffusion control becomes apparent. Glass fibers accelerate the curing, shortening the time needed to reach the maximum reaction rate; this is reflected in lower activation energies for curing in comparison to the neat resin. The effects observed can be explained by a reaction between the amine group present on the fiber surfaces and the epoxy glycidyl groups. The result of both isothermal and non-isothermal curing of resin + glass fibers commingled with polypropylene are close to those for the neat resin. The reinforcement increases the elastic modulus 12 times, the tensile strength 2 times, and the impact strength 285 times. The glass fibers + commingled polypropylene reinforcement provides comparable mechanical properties as glass fibers alone when normalized with respected to the density fraction of the fibers.
Popular Diplomacy and Policy Effectiveness: A Note on the Mechanisms and Consequences (Comment on Birn)

While the Washington Conference of 1921–2 was not the first occasion on which public opinion had exercised an impact upon great power diplomacy, it seems to have provided one of the more dramatic illustrations of a process already well under way. In his Discourses , Machiavelli (p. 248) had already noted the dangers of building policy on the opinion of the people: And if you propose to them anything that, upon its face, seems profitable and courageous though there be really a loss concealed under it which may involve the ruin of the republic, the multitude will ever be most easily persuaded to it. But, if the measure proposed seems doubtful and likely to cause loss, then it will be difficult to persuade the people to it, even though the benefit and welfare of the republic were concealed under it.
β-Blockers for secondary prevention in stable coronary artery disease: can observational studies provide valid answers?

β-Blockers have been a cornerstone secondary prevention therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) since large randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in the 1970s and 1980s demonstrated large treatment effects on mortality. In a meta-analysis of these trials, the long-term use of β-blockers resulted in a 23% reduction in the risk of death, driven mostly by a 32% reduction in the risk of sudden death.1 Since then, the widespread use of reperfusion therapy and effective pharmacological treatment with antiplatelet drugs and statins has resulted in improved prognosis,2 so the benefits of β-blockers may have declined over time. Nonetheless, the use of β-blockers after an AMI hospitalisation has been identified as a measure of healthcare quality, resulting in 90% prescribing rates in the USA and Europe. β-blockers are similarly effective for the prevention of death in patients with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). The evidence supporting the use of β-blockers for the treatment of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is less clear. While effective in providing relief from anginal symptoms, β-blockers do not prevent deaths or AMI in patients with stable angina when compared with placebo or active-control drugs in RCTs.3 Guidelines on the management of stable CAD from the American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology distinguish between these two rationales for the use of β-blockers.4 ,5 They make strong evidence-based recommendations about the use of β-blockers for the treatment of anginal symptoms, but extrapolate from evidence in the post-MI setting to suggest that β-blockers may prevent adverse cardiovascular events in patients with stable CAD. Whether β-blockers are useful for secondary prevention in this population is an open question. This gap in evidence …
Efficacy of Chloramphenicol in Refractory Cyst Infections in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

We previously predicted that highly lipid soluble antibiotics would be very effective in the treatment of infected cysts in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). This study examines the use of chloramphenicol, a lipid soluble antibiotic with a therapeutic spectrum covering most gram negative organisms, in the treatment of patients with infected polycystic cysts who had not responded to initial antibiotic therapy. Intravenous chloramphenicol was used in five hospitalized patients with serious infections of the renal cysts. Three of the five patients had positive blood cultures. E. coli was grown in all five patients, in three from blood, in two from urine, and four of five patients were initially treated with antibiotics to which the organism was sensitive. Despite favorable sensitivities, none of the reported patients showed clinical response to initial antibiotic therapy. Chloramphenicol treatment was subsequently effective in all cases. One patient ultimately developed an infection with a chloramphenicol resistant organism. We conclude that chloramphenicol is effective in the treatment of infected cysts in ADPKD but that care must be taken in the use of this agent as selection of resistant organisms may occur in patients with recurrent cyst infections. Index Words
Disparities in surgical resection of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Objectives: The aim of our study was to identify the factors that determined whether a patient underwent surgery and its impact on patient outcome. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of the records of all patients diagnosed with resectable stages I and II non-small cell lung cancer between 1990 and 1998 at the University of Arkansas and Veterans Administration Hospitals were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, pathologic, and outcome data were captured. Analysis was conducted to identify prognostic factors as well as factors leading to surgical treatment disparities. Results: A total of 551 patients were included; 490 (89%) were men, 480 (87%) were white, and 315 (57%) were aged >65 years. Median follow-up of these patients was 24 months (1-109 months). Surgery was performed on 455 patients (82.6%); 26 patients received nonsurgical treatment including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both, and 70 patients did not receive any type of treatment. A univariate analysis revealed that age, race, sex, and forced expiratory volume in the first second were significantly different between the surgery and no surgery groups. However, a multivariate analysis showed that age, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and hemoglobin were significantly different between both groups. The median overall survival was 45.5 months (1-109 months) for the surgically treated patients compared with 12.0 months (1-86 months) for those who did not undergo surgery ( P Conclusion: Elderly patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer are less likely to undergo a potentially curative surgical resection. Racial and sex disparities may be due to other comorbidities. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2002;123:1173-6
Genetic susceptibility in the workplace: a scientific and ethical challenge

In this issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine , Mehta et al 1 describe the potential for SERPINA1 genetic variants to modify the risk of obstructive airways disease associated with workplace inhalation of toxicants. We comment on the research, with an eye toward the ethical considerations for using genetic markers in the workplace. The association of α 1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been recognised as a clinical entity since 1963.2 AAT is inherited in an autosomal codominant fashion, occurring as the result of phenotypic expression of rare genetic variants of the SERPINA1 gene.3 ,4 Most people with a severe deficiency in AAT are homozygous carriers of the so-called PiMZ allele. A less severe genetic variant, the ‘PiMS’ allele, also increases risk for COPD among homozygous individuals. Of course, the PiMZ and ‘PiMS’ alleles are relatively rare, occurring at a frequency of approximately 2% and 8% in European populations.3–5 The mechanism(s) of action of disease causation continues to be investigated, although early consensus centred upon the protease-antiprotease balance in the lung. More recent studies have implicated a role for an altered inflammatory response, and potentially other mechanisms, that may contribute to the expanding array of consequences of AAT deficiency.3 ,4 ,6–8 Following on from these findings, many authors have hypothesised that heterozygosity for these disease-associated alleles confers susceptibility to respiratory disease. If heterozygosity does confer elevated risk, SERPINA1 PiMZ carriers exposed to respiratory toxicants as a result of their job might be at significantly enhanced risk of lung disease. In fact, there are data suggesting that heterozygosity for the PiMZ allele is associated with …
Roles of Mutation and Selection in Speciation: From Hugo de Vries to the Modern Genomic Era

One of the most important problems in evolutionary biology is to understand how new species are generated in nature. In the past, it was difficult to study this problem because our lifetime is too short to observe the entire process of speciation. In recent years, however, molecular and genomic techniques have been developed for identifying and studying the genes involved in speciation. Using these techniques, many investigators have already obtained new findings. At present, however, the results obtained are complex and quite confusing. We have therefore attempted to understand these findings coherently with a historical perspective and clarify the roles of mutation and natural selection in speciation. We have first indicated that the root of the currently burgeoning field of plant genomics goes back to Hugo de Vries, who proposed the mutation theory of evolution more than a century ago and that he unknowingly found the importance of polyploidy and chromosomal rearrangements in plant speciation. We have then shown that the currently popular Dobzhansky–Muller model of evolution of reproductive isolation is only one of many possible mechanisms. Some of them are Oka’s model of duplicate gene mutations, multiallelic speciation, mutation-rescue model, segregation-distorter gene model, heterochromatin-associated speciation, single-locus model, etc. The occurrence of speciation also depends on the reproductive system, population size, bottleneck effects, and environmental factors, such as temperature and day length. Some authors emphasized the importance of natural selection to speed up speciation, but mutation is crucial in speciation because reproductive barriers cannot be generated without mutations.
Quality of life of people with epilepsy in the United States

Health care provision in the United States is driven by the fact that most health insurance is commercial and private. This leads to the tendency to view patients as units that will produce a future cash yield. The quality of life (QOL) movement in the United States is in some ways a response to this view and has a role in convincing insurers that new treatments and techniques are worth increased expenditure. In the case of epilepsy, QOL research has become essential in improving the quality of care offered to people with epilepsy. In this review, some of the outcomes of using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy questionnaire are reviewed, the preliminary data from a community-based study of people with epilepsy are described, and recent studies comparing QOL in epilepsy and other neurologic and nonneurologic diseases are discussed. This review illustrates the complexity of QOL issues and the need for the widespread use of QOL measures in people with epilepsy.
Optical properties of a suspension of metal spheres

The Mie theory is used to find the in situ electric dipole polarizability of a sphere of arbitrary size and material. This size-dependent polarizability, together with the Clausius-Mossotti equation, yields an effective dipole generalization of the Maxwell Garnett equation for spheres of nonzero size. Calculated effective optical constants are used to find the reflectance from a suspension of Ag spheres. The results are in good agreement with the recent reflectance measurements of Lee et al. [Phys. Rev. B 37, 2918 (1988)] on porous glass media containing Ag particles.
MACROSCOPIC PROPERTIES AND SCHOTTKY BARRIER FORMATION AT SILICIDE-SILICON INTERFACES

This paper reviews the current understanding of the microscopic properties of silicide-silicon interfaces pertaining to the formation of Schottky barrier. Significant progress has been accomplished, including the preparation of single-crystal silicide interfaces and the observation of interface states. Some important issues remain unresolved, such as the disagreement on the epitaxial nickel silicide barriers and the origin of interface states.
Binocular Vision for Communication Education

A binocular vision of scholarship in communication education melds perspectives from the fields of communication studies and educational studies. From that vantage, three topical domains can be regarded as comprising communication education: (1) communication about education, (2) education for communication, and (3) communication in education. Focusing on the third of these areas reveals how communication studies and educational studies might better inform each other. For example, the voluminous body of research on teacher immediacy informs us a great deal about student perceptions and individual differences, but sheds little light on patterns of situated discourse in teaching-learning encounters. Conversely, research on classroom discourse and instructional conversations enriches our understanding of interaction patterns in educational settings, but are less revealing about how these encounters are mediated by or affect student individual differences. The richest programs of research may be those drawing...
Evaluation of Hepatitis C Patients in the Direct-Acting Antiviral Era

Hepatitis C is a major worldwide cause of liver morbidity and mortality. A substantial proportion of infected patients will develop chronic disease, which may progress over decades to cirrhosis. This can lead to decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma. With the advent of the direct-acting antivirals, hepatitis C has become increasingly curable with limited adverse events and a shorter duration of therapy. This review discusses the evaluation process of the hepatitis C patient in the direct-acting antiviral era, including screening, clinical evaluation, drug-drug interactions, treatment urgency, and counseling.