cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF PROTON BEAM THERAPY FOR ACROMEGALY

The first heavy particle treatment program for patients with acromegaly was developed at the Berkeley Cyclotron by Dr. John H. Lawrence and his associates who used alpha particles in a fractionated dose schedule (1). Starting 25 years ago, Dr. Raymond N. Kjellberg proposed a single dose approach by utilizing the Bragg peak of the proton beam at the Harvard Cyclotron (2). The success of this program is indicated by the achievement of a treatment group which now numbers 562 acromegaly patients, the largest group treated by a single therapist with a single modality. The need for lifetime patient follow-up was anticipated in order to assess the benefits and risks of proton beam therapy in the long term. The assistance of referring physicians, the patients themselves and a computer-generated inquiry schedule has provided data on 435 patients followed for one to 20 years after initial treatment. The major findings have been reported elsewhere (3) and are now supplemented by new evaluations of the rate of incidence and nature of hypopituitarism, an analysis of proton dosage and changes in anterior pituitary function and the probability of a favorable outcome in relation to tumor size and treatment dose. These assessments provide a unique capability for prediction of the future clinical course and the prospects for retained pituitary function. The almost complete absence of relapse after achievement of a normal fasting growth hormone (GH) level, 5 ng/ml or less, distinguishes proton beam therapy from open surgical methods and approaches the goal of lifetime effectiveness in the treatment of acromegaly.
Approach to using mechanism-based structure activity relationship (SAR) analysis to assess human health hazard potential of nanomaterials.

With the increasing use and development of engineered nanoparticles in electronics, consumer products, pesticides, food and pharmaceutical industries, there is a growing concern about potential human health hazards of these materials. A number of studies have demonstrated that nanoparticle toxicity is extremely complex, and that the biological activity of nanoparticles will depend on a variety of physicochemical properties such as particle size, shape, agglomeration state, crystal structure, chemical composition, surface area and surface properties. Nanoparticle toxicity can be attributed to nonspecific interaction with biological structures due to their physical properties (e.g., size and shape) and biopersistence, or to specific interaction with biomolecules through their surface properties (e.g., surface chemistry and reactivity) or release of toxic ions. The toxic effects of most nanomaterials have not been adequately characterized and currently, there are many issues and challenges in toxicity testing and risk assessment of nanoparticles. Based on the possible mechanisms of action and available in vitro and in vivo toxicity database, this paper proposes an approach to using mechanism-based SAR analysis to assess the relative human health hazard/risk potential of various types of nanomaterials.
PKC isoenzymes in the chicken lens and TPA-induced effects on intercellular communication.

Purpose Because lens connexins are phosphoproteins and intercellular communication between lens cells may be modulated by connexin phosphorylation, experiments were designed to characterize the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzymes in the chicken lens and in lentoid-containing cultures and to study the effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) treatment on the distribution of PKC isoenzymes and intercellular communication. Methods The presence and distribution of PKC isoenzymes were studied by immunoblot analysis and immunofluorescence in chicken lens sections and in cell cultures under control conditions and after treatment with TPA. Intercellular communication was assessed by transfer of microinjected Lucifer yellow. Results PKC alpha, gamma, iota, epsilon, and mu were detected in lens homogenates by immunoblot analysis. The levels of PKC alpha, gamma, iota, and mu decreased between the 7th and the 18th embryonic days. Levels of PKC epsilon remained relatively constant during the period of study. Similarly, lens cells in culture expressed isoenzymes alpha, gamma, epsilon, iota, and mu. PKC beta was not detected in lens or culture homogenates. In lens sections, all PKC isoenzymes analyzed were present in epithelial cells, in the annular pad region, and in the posterior aspect of fiber cells. The anti-PKC gamma antibody also stained fiber cell membranes. Analysis of lentoid cultures by immunofluorescence revealed that PKC gamma, epsilon, and iota and minimal amounts of PKC alpha were present in lentoid cells. Treatment with 200 nM TPA for 15 to 30 minutes induced translocation of PKC gamma to the plasma membrane of lentoid cells and significantly reduced the transfer of microinjected Lucifer yellow. Conclusions Several PKC isoenzymes are expressed by lens cells in situ and in culture. The gamma isoenzyme, present in lens fibers, was activated in lentoid cells by TPA, a known activator of PKC. We have previously demonstrated TPA-induced phosphorylation of the gap junction protein connexin56 (Cx56). The new data presented in the current study demonstrate that TPA treatment also decreased intercellular communication. Taken together, the results suggest that differential phosphorylation of Cx56 by PKCgamma may induce a conformational change in the protein which, in turn, might lead to channel closure.
Enzymatic methylation of sulfide, selenide, and organic thiols by Tetrahymena thermophila

Cell extracts from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila catalyzed the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methylation of sulfide. The product of the reaction, methanethiol, was detected by a radiometric assay and by a gas-chromatographic assay coupled to a sulfur-selective chemiluminescence detector. Extracts also catalyzed the methylation of selenide, and the product was shown by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to be methaneselenol. The sulfide and selenide methyltransferase activities copurified with the aromatic thiol methyltransferase previously characterized from this organism (A.-M. Drotar and R. Fall, Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 25:396-406, 1986), but heat inactivation experiments suggested the involvement of distinct sulfide and selenide methyltransferases. Short-term toxicity tests were carried out for sulfide, selenide, and their methylated derivatives; the monomethylated forms were somewhat more toxic than the nonmethylated or dimethylated compounds. Cell suspensions of T. thermophila exposed to sulfide, methanethiol, or their selenium analogs emitted methylated derivatives into the headspace. These results suggest that this freshwater protozoan is capable of the stepwise methylation of sulfide and selenide, leading to the release of volatile methylated sulfur or selenium gases.
Student's t Statistic

At the dawn of the twentieth century, a young scientist faced the limitations of existing statistical theory when applied to research involving small samples. He worked for the Guinness brewery in Dublin, and his investigations of the quality of raw ingredients, the nature of the production process, and the resulting quality of the end product—beer—often entailed decidedly small samples of 10 or fewer experiments. The scientist was William Sealy Gosset (1876–1937). He is better known by his pseudonym “Student,” which, for proprietary reasons, his employer required him to use when publishing. Keywords: parametric methods; significance testing; statistics; Student's t
Overdoing gender: a test of the masculine overcompensation thesis

The masculine overcompensation thesis asserts that men react to masculinity threats with extreme demonstrations of masculinity, a proposition tested here across four studies. In study 1, men and women were randomly given feedback suggesting they were either masculine or feminine. Women showed no effects when told they were masculine; however, men given feedback suggesting they were feminine expressed more support for war, homophobic attitudes, and interest in purchasing an SUV. Study 2 found that threatened men expressed greater support for, and desire to advance in, dominance hierarchies. Study 3 showed in a large-scale survey on a diverse sample that men who reported that social changes threatened the status of men also reported more homophopic and prodominance attitudes, support for war, and belief in male superiority. Finally, study 4 found that higher testosterone men showed stronger reactions to masculinity threats than those lower in testosterone. Together, these results support the masculine overc...
Affective and Daily Event Predictors of Life Satisfaction in College Students

The current study examined how well affect and daily events predict life satisfaction in 72 college students. Surveys assessing mood, affect balance, health, and sleep quality provided estimates of affect and daily events. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was used as a measure of general life satisfaction. The current results indicated that the SWLS was significantly correlated with feelings of depression, anger, vigor, and confusion, with physical health and frequency of physical illness, with positive and negative affect, and with sleep quality. The predictor variables used in the current study accounted for 54.1% of the total variance of the SWLS. However, only depression, vigor, confusion, frequency of illness and negative affect were significant predictors of life satisfaction in both a standard regression model and in a hierarchical forward regression model. More practically, an increase in subjective life satisfaction was predicted by decreases in depression, decreases in negative affect, decreases in the frequency of illness, and increases in vigor. These results indicate that judgements of life satisfaction, as measured by the SWLS, were significantly predicted by affect and daily events.
Studies on the role of the phi X174 gene A protein in phi X viral strand synthesis. I. Replication of DNA containing an alteration in position 1 of the 30-nucleotide icosahedral bacteriophage origin.

Abstract The influence of a C----G transversion at position 1 of the 30-base pair replication origin of bacteriophage phi X174 replicative form I DNA (phi X RFI) was examined in the RF----single-stranded circular DNA replication pathway catalyzed by the combined action of the purified phi X A protein, the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, rep helicase, and single-stranded DNA binding protein (Eisenberg, S., Scott, J.F., and Kornberg, A. (1976) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 1594-1597; Reinberg, D., Zipursky, S.L., and Hurwitz, J. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 13143-13151). RFI DNA containing this transversion was cleaved to RFII by the phi X A protein as effectively as DNA containing the wild-type origin. The altered duplex DNA, however, supported replication at a slower rate (3- to 4-fold) than the wild-type DNA due to a defect in the termination and reinitiation reactions catalyzed by the phi X A protein. This defect resulted in the accumulation of DNA products containing long single strands covalently joined to the mutant DNA. These single strands were susceptible to nuclease S1 and exonuclease VII attack. The defect in the template DNA containing C----G transversion was not corrected when this mutant origin was placed on the same strand with a wild-type origin. This double-origin DNA was also replicated poorly and led to the accumulation of large products, in contrast to the products formed with RFI DNA containing two wild-type 30-base pair replication origins on the same strand.
Clinical Ethics Consultation and Physician Assisted Suicide

In this paper I attempt to address what appears to be a novel theoretical and practical problem concerning physician-assisted suicide (PAS). This problem arises out of a newly created set of circumstances in which persons are hospitalized in jurisdictions where PAS, though now legally available to patients, remains morally contentious. When moral disagreements over PAS come to divide physicians, patients, and family members, it is quite likely they will today find their way to the hospital’s consulting ethicist, a member of an emerging group of professionals charged with the responsibility (so we are told) of resolving moral conflict in the clinic. What can or should an ethics consultant do to fulfill this mandate in such circumstances? I argue that the now predominant conception of clinical ethics consultation is importantly deficient in that it provides no final guidance to ethicists on how they should respond in such cases. The ethicist may only recommend—or assist others to reach—solutions to moral disagreements falling within the limits of established norms. Since the normative landscape of PAS appears to be changing, whether it falls within these limits is unsettled. I conclude that the accepted goals of ethics consultation require a revised and expanded conception of the ethicist's role in cases involving PAS. I close by outlining what that revised understanding would look like and the further questions it raises.
Computer-based temperature controller in an energy-conservative manner

The purpose of this work is to develop a computer-based temperature controller for use on board the NASA Space Shuttle for micro-gravity experiments. To meet the requirement of energy conservation and other system specifications, an improved ON-OFF type control scheme which includes a proportional-integral (PI) controller and a pulse-width modulator has been investigated. The comparison of the authors' control algorithm, signal transfer technique and power conversion analysis with that of a conventional controller are presented. Computer implementation, including system hardware and software, are described in this paper. Finally the system performance is illustrated through experiment results. >
Targeting NADPH oxidase and phospholipases A2 in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is marked by an increase in the production of extracellular beta amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles associated with a decline in brain function. Increases in oxidative stress are regarded as an early sign of AD pathophysiology, although the source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the mechanism(s) whereby beta amyloid peptides (Aβ) impact oxidative stress have not been adequately investigated. Recent studies provide strong evidence for the involvement of NADPH oxidase and its downstream oxidative signaling pathways in the toxic effects elicited by Aβ. ROS produced by NADPH oxidase activate multiple signaling pathways leading to neuronal excitotoxicity and glial cell-mediated inflammation. This review describes recent studies demonstrating the neurotoxic effects of Aβ in conjunction with ROS produced by NADPH oxidase and the downstream pathways leading to activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and secretory PLA2. In addition, this review also describes recent studies using botanical antioxidants to protect against oxidative damage associated with AD. Investigating the metabolic and signaling pathways involving Aβ NADPH oxidase and PLA2 can help understand the mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative effects of oxidative stress in AD. This information should provide new therapeutic approaches for prevention of this debilitating disease.
Soil microbial communities respond differently to three chemically defined polyphenols

High molecular weight polyphenols (e.g. tannins) that enter the soil may affect microbial populations, by serving as substrates for microbial respiration or by selecting for certain microbes. In this study we examined how three phenolic compounds that represent some environmentally widespread tannins or their constituent functional groups were respired by soil microorganisms and how the compounds affected the abundance and diversity of soil bacteria and archaea, including ammonia oxidizers. An acidic, silt loam soil from a pine forest was incubated for two weeks with the monomeric phenol methyl gallate, the small polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate, or the large polyphenol oenothein B. Respiration of the polyphenols during the incubation was measured using the Microresp™ system. After incubation, metabolic diversity was determined by community level physiological profiling (CLPP), and genetic diversity was determined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis on DNA extracted from the soil samples. Total microbial populations and ammonia-oxidizing populations were measured using real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Methyl gallate was respired more efficiently than the higher molecular weight tannins but not as efficiently as glucose. Methyl gallate and epigallocatechin gallate selected for genetically or physiologically unique populations compared to glucose. None of the polyphenols supported microbial growth, and none of the polyphenols affected ammonia-oxidizing bacterial populations or ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Additional studies using both a wider range of polyphenols and a wider range of soils and environments are needed to elucidate the role of polyphenols in determining soil microbiological diversity.
Biologic therapy in asthma: entering the new age of personalized medicine

AbstractObjective: Asthma is a common chronic disease with various phenotypes and therapeutic responses. Unlike other diseases, current anti-inflammatory treatment with corticosteroids does not include any reference to biological measures which may vary among different asthma phenotypes. Morbidity from uncontrolled asthma suggests a need for specific targeted treatment approaches such as biologic medications. In half of asthmatics, chronic airway inflammation may be driven by T helper (Th)-2 cells, which release pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-13, contributing to eosinophil inflammation and IgE production. Earlier studies of cytokine-targeted biologic therapy on non-phenotyped asthma patients were generally not clinically effective. Methods: Literature published from 1958–2013 was identified through PubMed using the search terms which included asthma and therapy. A total of 32 studies were reviewed covering both pediatric and adult asthmatics and included double-blind r...
Comparisons of computer-controlled chamber measurements for soil-skin adherence from aluminum and carpet surfaces.

A computer-controlled mechanical chamber was used to control the contact between carpet and aluminum sheet samples laden with soil, and human cadaver skin and cotton sheet samples for the measurement of mass soil transfer. The contact parameters of pressure (10–50 kPa) and time (10–50 s) were varied for 768 experiments of mass soil transfer, where two soil types (play sand and lawn soil) and two soil particle sizes (<139.7 and ⩾139.7<381 μm) were used. Mean soil mass transfer to cadaver skin was higher than mean transfer to cotton sheets for both carpet and aluminum transfers, and also generally higher pressure was associated with larger amounts of soil transfer for all contact scenarios. The mean soil adherence from carpet was 0.37±0.4 mg/cm2, while the mean soil adherence from aluminum was 0.42±0.6 mg/cm2. For aluminum, smaller soil particle size was associated with more transfer (p=0.0349), while for carpet, larger soil size was associated with more transfer (p<0.0001). Soil type was significant but only for aluminum surface, where sand was associated with higher adherence (p<0.0001). This data set can be used to improve estimates of dermal exposure to contaminants found in soils and dust present in indoor environments.
Hume's naturalistic theory of representation

Hume is a naturalist in many different respects and about many different topics; this paper argues that he is also a naturalist about intentionality and representation. It does so in the course of answering four questions about his theory of mental representation: (1) Which perceptions represent? (2) What can perceptions represent? (3) Why do perceptions represent at all? (4) Howdo perceptions represent what they do? It appears that, for Hume, all perceptions except passions can represent; and they can represent bodies, minds, and persons, with their various qualities. In addition, ideas can represent impressions and other ideas. However, he explicitly rejects the view that ideas are inherently representational, and he implicitly adopts a view according to which things (whether mental or non-mental) represent in virtue of playing, through the production of mental effects and dispositions, a significant part of the causal and/or functional role of what they represent. It is in virtue of their particular functional roles that qualitatively identical ideas are capable of representing particulars or general kinds; substances or modes; relations; past, present, or future; and individuals or compounds.
DUMPLING: A Novel Dynamic Search Engine

In this demo paper, we introduce a new search engine that supports Information Retrieval (IR) in a dynamic setting. A dynamic search engine distinguishes itself by handling rich interactions and temporal dependency among the queries in a session or for a task. The proposed search engine is called Dumpling, named after the development team's favorite food. It implements state-of-the-art dynamic search algorithms and provides: (i) a dynamic search toolkit by integrating the Query Change Retrieval Model (QCM) and the Win-win search algorithm; (ii) a user-friendly interface supporting side-by-side comparison of search results given by a state-of-the-art static search algorithm and the proposed dynamic search algorithms; (iii) and APIs for developers to apply the dynamic search algorithms to index and search over custom datasets. Dumpling is developed under the umbrella of a bigger project in the DARPA Memex program to crawl and search the dark web to support law enforcement and national security.
Adjusting for confounding by cluster using generalized linear mixed models

We show how to use generalized linear mixed models to adjust for confounding by cluster of the effect of a within-cluster covariate. We derive estimators for both a cluster-specific causal effect and a population-averaged causal effect.
VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIAS IN NORMAL HEARTS

Ventricular tachycardia in the structurally normal heart accounts for approximately 10% of cases. Although the overall prognosis is relatively good, with a benign course in most patients, these arrhythmias can lead to significant symptoms. Our understanding of these arrhythmias has progressed significantly, leading to effective therapies targeting their underlying mechanism. In many cases, catheter ablation is successful and the therapy of choice in patients who have sufficient symptoms. This article reviews outflow tract, idiopathic left ventricular, and automatic ventricular tachycardias.
Endoscopic sclerotherapy with portal‐systemic shunt rescue

This paper reports the preliminary results of a prospective randomized trial comparing endoscopic variceal sclerosis and distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) in the management of patients with cirrhosis and variceal bleeding. Seventy-one patients have been entered; 36 have received sclerosis and 35 DSRS. Randomization of the study population was stratified on Child's A/B (56%) and Child's C (44%). Sixty-one per cent had alcoholic and 39% nonalcoholic cirrhosis. No patients have been lost to follow-up, which currently stands at a median of 26 months. Rebleeding occurred significantly (p < 0.05) more frequently in patients in the sclerosis group (19 of 36: 53%) compared to DSRS (1 of 35: 3%), but only 11 of 36 (31%) were not controlled by further sclerosis and failed that therapy. Patients in whom sclerosis failed underwent surgery. Survival was significantly (p < 0.01) improved in the sclerosis group (+ surgery in 31%), with an 84% 2-year survival compared to a 59% 2-year survival in the DSRS group. Portal perfusion was significantly (p < 0.05) better maintained in the sclerosis (95%) compared to the DSRS (53%) group. Galactose elimination capacity improved significantly (p < 0.05) in 21 patients successfully managed by sclerosis at 1 year and was significantly (p < 0.01) better maintained in the sclerosis compared to DSRS group. The authors conclude that endoscopic sclerosis: (1) has a higher rebleeding rate than DSRS, with one third of patients failing therapy from rebleeding; (2) allows significant improvement in liver function when successful; and (3) gives significantly improved survival in the management of variceal bleeding when backed up by surgical therapy for patients with uncontrolled rebleeding. The authors report the results of a randomized comparison of emergency portacaval anastomosis (PCA) (32 patients) with endoscopic sclerotherapy (EST) (32 patients). Short-term survival was similar in the two groups, respectively (44% vs. 50%). The amount of blood transfusions required and the length of the hospital admissions were significantly less in the EST group (p < 0.001). Recurrences of variceal hemorrhage, the number of transfusions required to treat them and the duration of hospital readmissions were all greater in the EST group (p < 0.001). Almost half of the EST patients who were discharged from the hospital alive subsequently rebled and required surgical treatment. The authors conclude that EST is as effective as PCA in the acute treatment of bleeding, but that when EST fails, PCA may be effective management.
The mysteries of eleusis at howards end: German romanticism and the making of a mythology for England

Generally read today as a novel concerned with those personal relationships for which Forster has become famous,Howards End is, even more centrally, as it announces on its own pages, a work attempting to create a modern mythology for England. Taking his cue from the Schlegel brothers, Friedrich Schlegel in particular in his “Talk on Mythology” (“Rede uber die Mythologie”), who, distressed by the materialism, philosophic and economic, that followed the loss of religious faith and the rise of empiricism, called for the making of new mythologies that could speak for transcendent truth, Forster guides the Schlegel sisters, their obvious surrogates in his book, through a spiritual journey that replicates, in modern form, the ancient rituals of Elusis. As the literal tale relates events in the lives of individuals, an embedded symbolic narrative traces the steps of the ancient mysteries, showing their relevance to modern life and their function in modern literature.
Ring Closure of 1,4-Pentadiene to Cyclopentene by a Zwitterionic Nickel Catalyst

Ring closing of 1,5-hexadiene with [(C6H5)2PC6H4C(O−B(C6F5)3)O-κ2P,O]Ni(η3-CH2C6H5) gives methylenecyclopentane. The reaction with 1,4-pentadiene provides 20% cyclopentene.
Sol-Gel Pzt Films for Optical Waveguides

Sol-gel processing is a candidate ferroelectric thin-film deposition method for electronic and electro-optic applications. At Battelle, sol-gel PbTiO3 and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films have been prepared on sapphire and single-crystal SrTiO3 substrates. Films deposited and annealed on sapphire substrates are crystalline with the perovksite structure and minimal crystallographic orientation, whereas films deposited on isostructural and lattice-matched SrTiO3 substrates exhibit a high degree of orientation. Guided-mode refractive index measurements were made using a single-prism method and film indices were computed. Refractive index values measured for PbTiO3 films (n = 2.58) and PZT films (n = 2.50) were slightly lower than values expected on the basis of bulk measurements. In double-prism experiments, optical wavcguiding was achieved over distances up to 10 mm in oriented PZT films on [100] SrTiO3substrates. Optical loss of 19 dB/cm was measured on one of these film samples. Such films, given requisite improvement in optical quality, may be suitable for useful optical waveguide devices. An approach is presented for the integration of ferroelectric waveguides onto silicon and/or GaAs substrates.
Radiative-recoil corrections to muonium and positronium hyperfine splitting

We present a detailed description of the calculation of radiative-recoil corrections to the ground-state hyperfine splitting in muonium and positronium to order ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}{E}_{F}$, the results of which were previously reported. All these corrections involve two-photon exchanges with one-loop radiative corrections to either a photon or a lepton. The QED vacuum polarization corrections are evaluated completely analytically to the order of interest. The hadronic contributions are estimated and found to be very small. As a preliminary to the lepton line calculation, a compact expression is derived for the radiative correction to such lines. This factor is then applied in a number of different contexts: the recalculation of the old nonrecoil result, which is known analytically; the analytic evaluation of terms of order ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}(\frac{{m}_{e}}{{m}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}})\mathrm{ln}(\frac{{m}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}}{{m}_{e}}){E}_{F}$, which arise from the electron leg; and the nonlogarithmic terms from both lines, which require numerical calculations. The muonium results are ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}}={(\frac{\ensuremath{\alpha}}{\ensuremath{\pi}})}^{2}(\frac{{m}_{e}}{{m}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}})[\ensuremath{-}2{\mathrm{ln}}^{2}(\frac{{m}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}}{{m}_{e}})+\frac{13}{12}\mathrm{ln}(\frac{{m}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}}{{m}_{e}})+18.18\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.58]{E}_{F}$ and those for positronium are ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{{e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}}={\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}(\ensuremath{-}1.788\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004){E}_{F}$, where ${E}_{F}$ for positronium does not include the annihilation contribution.
An examination of the relative impact of type I and type II error rates in phase II drug screening trial queues

In this note, we highlight the fact that the choice of type I and type II error rates should not simply be set at traditional levels in the phase II clinical trial setting when considering the relative success rate of previous trials in a given disease setting. For diseases in which it is rare that a new compound is active, we argue that more stringent type I error rates in the phase II setting may be more important relative to relaxing the type II error rates. The paper itself is more of a ‘thought’ experiment on this topic such that specific clinical trial settings will require specific applications of this approach. This is due in part to the fact that the real-world setting is more complex relative to overall decision process in terms of moving from phase II to phase III trials than our basic illustrative model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Upper Lobe Fibrocavitary Disease in a Patient With Back Pain and Stiffness

A 37-year-old white man presented with a productive cough, anorexia, weight loss, and night sweats of 4 months’ duration. He also complained of back pain with stiffness. The back pain was worse at night. He was treated for pneumonia 3 years ago and had a 20 pack-year history of smoking. He was a thin man in no distress. His vital signs were stable and temperature was 38.6°C (101.6°F). Bilateral enlarged firm but nontender axillary and inguinal lymph nodes were noted. Chest wall expansion was limited, but otherwise the thoracic examination was unremarkable. There was kyphosis of the lumbar spine with limited forward bending, The range of motion of the cervical spine was severely limited, and there was no lateral motion of the neck. The pelvis was anteverted, and there was a flexion deformity of both knees. Laboratory findings were as follows: WBC count, 11,300 cells/mL; and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, 30 mm/h. There was a positive human leukocyte antigenB27 antigen. Sputum smears and cultures for acid-fast bacilli were negative. Smears of BAL fluid and bronchial washings revealed rare acid-fast bacilli. The purified protein derivative skin test was negative. A chest radiograph (Fig 1) revealed bilateral upper lobe cavitary lesions. The remainder of the lungs were hyperinflated. There was mild upward retraction of the hilar structures indicating upper lobe volume loss. Contrast-enhanced chest CT (Fig 2) showed distortion of the lung architecture with
Guided subwavelength slow-light mode supported by a periodic plasmonic waveguide

We introduce periodic plasmonic waveguides which support a guided subwavelength slow-light mode over a very broad range of frequencies. The structure consists of a metal-dielectric-metal waveguide side-coupled to a periodic array of metal-dielectric-metal stub resonators.
Photochemistry of bridged disilyldiiron complexes (SiMe2)[(η5-C5H4)Fe(CO) 2SiMe2SiMe2R]2, R=Me, Ph

Photochemical irradiation of the new bimetallic disilyliron complexes (SiMe 2 )[(η 5 -C 5 H 4 )Fe(CO) 2 SiMe 2 SiMe 2 R] 2 , R=Me, Ph, results in silylene elimination chemistry, as observed for the mono-metallic analogs, resulting in the formation of complexes (SiMe 2 )[(η 5 -C 5 H 4 )Fe(CO) 2 SiMe 2 R] 2 . The intermediate silyl(silylene) complexes can be intercepted with HMPA. Apart from a very reactive minor product that we have been unable to identify at this time, the proximity of the two transition metal centers has little impact upon the observed chemistry.
Increased Microglia/Macrophage Gene Expression in a Subset of Adult and Pediatric Astrocytomas

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly malignant brain tumor with a dismal prognosis. Gene expression profiling of GBM has revealed clinically relevant tumor subtypes, and this provides exciting opportunities to better understand disease pathogenesis. Results from an increasing number of studies demonstrate a role for the immune response in cancer progression, yet it is unclear how the immune response differs across tumor subtypes and how it affects outcome. Utilizing gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Project and the Gene Expression Omnibus database, we demonstrate an enrichment of immune response-related gene expression in the mesenchymal subtype of adult GBM (n = 173) and pediatric high-grade gliomas (n = 53). In an independent cohort of pediatric astrocytomas (n = 24) from UCSF, we stratified tumors into subtypes and confirmed these findings. Using novel immune cell-specific gene signatures we demonstrate selective enrichment of microglia/macrophage-related genes in adult and pediatric GBM tumors of the mesenchymal subtype. Furthermore, immunostaining of adult GBM tumors showed significantly higher cell numbers of microglia/macrophages in mesenchymal versus non-mesenchymal tumors (p = 0.04). Interestingly, adult GBM tumors with the shortest survival had significant enrichment of microglia/macrophage-related genes but this was not true for pediatric GBMs. Consistent with an association with poor outcome, immune response-related genes were highly represented in an adult poor prognosis gene signature, with the expression of genes related to macrophage recruitment and activation being most strongly associated with survival (p<0.05) using CoxBoost multivariate modeling. Using a microglia/macrophage high gene signature derived from quantification of tumor-infiltrating cells in adult GBM, we identified enrichment of genes characteristic of CD4 T cells, granulocytes, and microglia/macrophages (n = 573). These studies support a role for the immune response, particularly the microglia/macrophage response, in the biology of an important subset of GBM. Identification of this subset may be important for future therapeutic stratification.
Transferability and scaling of Slater-Koster parameters in transition metals.

We present a study of the following aspects of the Slater-Koster method in transition metals: (a) A quantitative analysis of the band structures resulting from Harrison's solid-state table. (b) An evaluation of the Andersen-Harrison scaling laws for obtaining tight-binding parameters at different lattice constants. (c) An examination of the transferability of Slater-Koster parameters from elements to compounds.
P-017 Intermediate catheters: experience, cost and complication rates at two high volume centers

Introduction Stable access to target lesions is foundational to endovascular therapy, be it in hemorrhagic or ischemic disease. Continued evolution in access technology has resulted in next generation catheters that afford improved trackability, as well as distal and proximal support. Neuron guide catheter family and the Concentric Outreach Distal Access Catheter fall into this category of hybrid catheters. Both families of devices possess overlapping characteristics allowing operators to achieve a more stable proximal access complex. Methods A retrospective review of 608 cases in which an intermediate catheter was used during 2008–2010 at Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH) and throughout 2010 at Emory University Hospital (Atlanta, GA) was conducted, and the cases classified by indication. Catheter placement, distal most location and related complications were recorded and experience summarized. We also review the differences in the catheters and the rationale for catheter selection, as well as relative costs for each approach. Results A total of 311 Neuron 053, 166 Neuron 070, 36 DAC 3.9 Fr, 61 DAC 4.3 Fr, and 34 DAC 5.2 Fr catheters were deployed. Of these, 459 placements were in the anterior circulation, 130 in the posterior circulation, 11 in the external carotid artery, and eight were used intravenously. Abstract P-017 table 1 summarizes the clinical scenarios where the catheters were used, Abstract P-017 table 2 the distal most placements, Abstract P-017 table 3 the complications and Abstract P-017 table 4 the estimated costs for a typical catheter selection. Complication rates were 9/131 (6.9%) for the DAC catheter group, 16/311 (5.1%) for the Neuron 053 group, and 14/166 (8.4%) for the Neuron 070 group with p=0.37, χ2 test Abstract P-017 table 5. Conclusion Next generation access catheters possess characteristics that blend qualities of traditional microcatheters and guide catheters. These “intermediate catheters” represent a class of access devices that allow for better catheter support, and allow for multi-axial access techniques. The utility of these catheters must be balanced against costs. The increased procedural complexity involved in using multi-axial techniques should also be a consideration, but judicious application should prove beneficial to patients. There is no statistically significant difference in complication rates when using these catheters as well as comparable complication rates when compared to historical complication rates quoted to patients.
Effects of argon laser on vascular materials

Abstract The laser has been shown to vaporize arterial atheromatous plaque, but little information is available about its effect on various vascular materials. This study attempts to determine a safe margin for laser graft thrombectomy. An 18 watt argon laser with a 2 mm metalencased sapphire tip fiberoptic system was used. Specimens such as autogenous vein, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and Dacron grafts as well as polypropylene and PTFE sutures were harvested from amputated human legs. Laser energy was delivered from the tip of the fiberoptic system while perpendicular to and in direct contact with these materials. The effects were examined histologically and compared by determining the bursting pressure of the grafts and the breaking strength of the sutures. The results indicate that seven sections of autogenous vein grafts and 11 sections of PTFE grafts were perforated by laser delivery of 32.9 ± 9.9 and 50.0 ± 7.1 joules, respectively, whereas two sections of Dacron grafts were easily perforated after only 10 joules was delivered. The bursting pressure of PTFE and autogenous vein grafts after laser application was determined to be more than 300 mm Hg. The breaking strength of 6-0 PTFE sutures was compared before and after receiving 200 joules by contact laser application. No significant difference was found; in a before laser application the breaking strength was 585.0 ± 9.6 gm compared with 560.0 ± 16.4 gm after laser application (n = 4, p > 0.1). However, 6-0 polypropylene sutures were easily melted after receiving 10 joules of laser energy. Our experience indicates that the use of argon laser against PTFE grafts or autogenous vein grafts can result in perforation but is less hazardous than that against Dacron grafts and polypropylene sutures. Laser application had little effect on the strength of PTFE sutures. (J VASC SURG 1988;7:562-7.)
A stochastic model for the number of accidents and a class of distributions for the number of fatalities

This paper considers a generalized random process {Xm(t),t > 0}and presents a new stochastic model Pn(t) for the number of accidents experienced at a given intersection of a city or town. Given an underlying distribution for the number of accidents, a generalized distribution is developed for the number of fatalities. If a certain number of accidents and/or fatalities have already occurred at that intersection, only then the concerned department of the city or township office (or the department of transportation in case of state roads), may install a traffic light or a stop sign at that intersection to avoid further fatalities. The case of at most one fatality per accident and a Poisson distribution for the number of accidents at the intersection gives raise to a distribution of particular interest. In order to develop this model, certain lemmas are derived. Finally an important property of the distribution associated with this process is presented.
Must Egalitarians Choose Between Fairness and Respect

Refutation de la position de J. Wolff selon laquelle les egalitaristes sont obliges de choisir entre les valeurs de justice et de respect. Rejetant la distinction entre la chance et le choix qui caracterise l'egalitarisme selon J. Wolff, et defendant le principe de difference de J. Rawls comme instrument normatif, l'A. propose une nouvelle definition de la justice en termes d'egalite de statut au sein des relations socio-economiques.
Diffusive and directional intracellular dynamics measured by field-based dynamic light scattering

Quantitative measurement of diffusive and directional processes of intracellular structures is not only critical in understanding cell mechanics and functions, but also has many applications, such as investigation of cellular responses to therapeutic agents. We introduce a label-free optical technique that allows non-perturbative characterization of localized intracellular dynamics. The method combines a field-based dynamic light scattering analysis with a confocal interferometric microscope to provide a statistical measure of the diffusive and directional motion of scattering structures inside a microscopic probe volume. To demonstrate the potential of this technique, we examined the localized intracellular dynamics in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. We observed the distinctive temporal regimes of intracellular dynamics, which transitions from random to directional processes on a timescale of ~0.01 sec. In addition, we observed disrupted directional processes on the timescale of 1~5 sec by the application of a microtubule polymerization inhibitor, Colchicine, and ATP depletion.
The Structure, Dynamics, and Binding of the LA45 Module Pair of the Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor Suggest an Important Role for LA4 in Ligand Release

The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), the primary receptor for cholesterol uptake, binds ligands through its seven LDL-A modules (LAs). We present nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ligand binding measurements on the fourth and fifth modules of the LDLR (LA45), the modules critical for ApoE binding, at physiological pH. Unlike LA5 and all other modules in LDLR, LA4 has a very weak calcium affinity, which probably plays a critical role in endosomal ligand release. The NMR solution structure of each module in the LA45 pair only showed minor differences compared to the analogous domains in previously determined crystal structures. The 12-residue linker connecting the modules, though slightly structured through an interaction with LA4, is highly flexible. Although no intermodule nuclear Overhauser effects were detected, chemical shift perturbations and backbone dynamics suggest cross talk between the two modules. The ligand affinity of both modules is enhanced when the two are linked. LA4 is more fle...
Nearly Perfect Fluidity in a High Temperature Superconductor

Perfect fluids are characterized as having the smallest ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density, $\ensuremath{\eta}/s$, consistent with quantum uncertainty and causality. So far, nearly perfect fluids have only been observed in the quark-gluon plasma and in unitary atomic Fermi gases, exotic systems that are amongst the hottest and coldest objects in the known universe, respectively. We use angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy to measure the temperature dependence of an electronic analog of $\ensuremath{\eta}/s$ in an optimally doped cuprate high-temperature superconductor, finding it too is a nearly perfect fluid around, and above, its superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{c}$.
Do old HLA and mitochondrial DNA variants associate with demyelination types in young patients

Predicting disease progression with biomarkers can enhance care. Two articles from the Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease Network in the current issue of Neurology ® consider the frequency of 2 different putative biomarkers. The investigators assessed nuclear (DRB1*1501)1 and mitochondrial (various)2 genetic variants in pediatric patients who present with acquired demyelinating syndromes. DRB1*1501 association with multiple sclerosis (MS) is confirmed, whereas associations of mitochondrial (mt)DNA polymorphisms are more ambiguous. In the present studies, samples were prospectively collected from all patients with acquired demyelinating syndromes and the genetic data were analyzed for association with conversion to MS. The results provide incremental evidence for association of these genetic variants with MS. Further, the unique ascertainment and design of these studies raise several issues, such as the putative differences between acquired demyelinating syndromes and MS, between pediatric and adult MS, and between genetic associations with susceptibility to MS (cases vs controls) vs early course of demyelinating disease (conversion to MS vs not). The first article deals with a genetic variant, DRB1*1501, that is undoubtedly associated with MS.1 Conversion to MS occurred in 64 of 266 children with acquired demyelinating syndrome, more commonly in those with 1 or 2 DRB1*1501 alleles, as previously reported in adults with isolated demyelinating events.3 …
Transesophageal dobutamine stress echocardiography in the evaluation of coronary artery disease

Objectives.: The goal of this study was to determine the feasibility, safety, sensitivity and specificity of transesophageal dobutamine stress echocardiography for the detection of coronary artery ...